Fruit Salad...Yummy, Yummy!

Okay, I couldn't resist using the title of a silly children's song for this blog entry!  My kids are not Wiggles fanatics or anything, but we know enough about them to know that song and, well, it just seemed to fit!


For years my mom has made a simple fruit salad that everyone loves.  I started making it when I got married, and any time I serve it people rave about it and ask what makes it taste so good.


The secret?  A box of vanilla pudding mix.

This fruit salad is so simple as it uses mostly canned fruits, so it can be prepared the night before.  I use bananas and usually add those in right before serving.


You can make a smaller batch, but these are the proportions I recently used which is good size for serving a crowd or if you want it to last several days.  Again, each day you can add fresh bananas.


Drain the juice of 2 cans diced peaches, 2 cans diced pears, and 1 large can of pineapple chunks into a bowl.  Whisk in a large, dry vanilla pudding mix (the fat free, sugar free works fine by the way).

Stir in the peaches, pears and pineapple.  Fold in a drained jar of maraschino cherries (this is what sells my daughter on this salad - she calls it "cherry salad").  Chill.  Before serving, add 2 or 3 sliced bananas.

So easy, family-friendly, and of course...yummy, yummy!!