Pink Harold
Hi and happy spring! We made it through the cold and gray winter here in Kentuckiana. As all of the beautiful flowers start to bloom, filling our lives with color, I thought it would be fun to share a recipe that I like to make around Easter each year. It’s a creamy fruit salad that my family has lovingly named “Pink Harold".
My father’s name was Harold, and although he had a sweet tooth, his system was very sensitive to rich desserts. When he discovered he could eat this semi-sweet dessert salad, he requested it all the time. He loved it so much, that finally one day we jokingly renamed it “Pink Harold!” Since that day forward, any time we planned a family get together, someone would always say, “don’t forget the Pink Harold!”, and thus a family legend was born.
The dish is really simple and you can use any flavor of Jell-o, but Dad loved strawberry. My philosophy is, if you love it, don’t change it. However, I do like to experiment with new flavors. I think orange, lime, cherry, or raspberry, would be delightful, too.
Of course, I always think of my dad every time I make this recipe. He would be so proud to know it still carries his name.
I hope you enjoy the beginnings of spring and if you celebrate, have a happy Easter as well!
Making good food with gratitude,
Becky
Pink Harold
Yield:
3-4 quarts
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Ingredients:
24 ounces cottage cheese (small curd)
20 ounces pineapple tidbits (drained)
12 ounces mandarin oranges (drained)
15 ounces fruit cocktail (drained)
15 ounces sliced peaches (drained and chopped)
16 ounces cool whip (thawed)
2 packages (3 ounce boxes) Jell-o (I use Strawberry flavor, but choose your favorite)
½ cup pecans (chopped)
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, place the drained, canned fruit. Add the cottage cheese and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the dry Jell-o powder over the mixture and fold it in to mix well.
Stir in the chopped pecans.
Next, fold in the Cool Whip until it is all incorporated.
Place this in the fridge until it is time to serve.
The salad will thicken as it chills.
Store any leftovers, covered, in the fridge. It keeps well for a week or more.
There’s plenty for sharing.
Tips and Tricks:
Use a large mixing bowl to prepare this salad, since it makes a generous quantity. I like to decorate the salad with whole pecans and strawberries.