Labor Day without the work

Labor Day is coming up and it's time to spend a long weekend with family or friends. Holidays are a time for everyone to pitch in and bring a dish, but that doesn't mean you have to spend hours in the kitchen. A simple appetizer or dessert can be just as nice as an elaborate dish.

I try to get fruit in a meal as much as I can, so a Waldorf salad is perfect. This salad was supposedly first created at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in the late 1800's. There are slight variations floating around the internet but the following recipe is pretty standard. You could leave out the fruit cocktail if it's too much.  It's a light fruit salad that most people like.

Enjoy!

   Waldorf Salad

My mom would make this for holiday meals. It’s a great way to add fruit to a meal. You can make this no more than a day in advance.

1 Lg can Fruit Cocktail

Red Apple, chopped

Orange, chopped

Banana, chopped

Walnut or Pecans, chopped

1 stick Celery, chopped

Sm Marshmallows

Cherries, halved

Mayo or Cool Whip

Chop orange and celery first. Next chop nuts. Chop apple and banana last to prevent them from turning dark.

Add all ingredients to a large bowl. My mom would add the extra cherries to the recipe because as kids, that was our favorite part of the fruit cocktail.

Add enough mayo or Cool Whip to make the salad stick together. Add a little at a time to avoid making it soupy.

Serves 12.-30 minutes

Happy Cooking!