Ambrosia I Made It Ii

Ambrosia

Cosmicmother 5 years ago
~Made for May 2019's Tropical recipe challenge~

Ambrosia by Recipediva

This was super delicious! I have always loved ambrosia salad. One of my first memories of eating this was when I was little, I'd go with my Mom to this Golf & Country Club in the Summer and help out in the kitchen for the Sunday Buffets (her friends owned it). One of my jobs was making the ambrosia salad, probably because it was super easy to make! ;) And after the brunch buffet was over we'd all get a round at the buffet before packing it up and cleaning the dining room. I'd always have a huge a plate of the ambrosia salad!

I've made it at home a few times but I'm the only one who really likes it, so I make a small batch with plain yogurt or lemon yogurt. But I have to say, this recipe with the sour cream is far better! It's creamier and the blend with the sweetened coconut and marshmallows makes it taste like your eating whipped cream. Where the yogurt stays tangier and chalkier so you always know it's there.
The only difference with the Country Club Ambrosia was that it had grapes in it. I think adding maraschino cherries to this would be nice too.
After it sits for awhile the coconut and marshmallows absorb the moisture and it become super fluffy, another reason why you'd think your eating whipped cream!
My kids actually tried it this time and thought it was ok, my daughter loved the marshmallows but didn't like the coconut (she's like her father! ;) And my son liked it except for the canned pineapple, though he loves baked pineapple..Lol..And strangely I detest marshmallows but love this salad! (I won't eat smore's, roasted marshmallows, in hot cocoa or plain, only in this salad, lol ;)
I gave hubby a little bowlful when he came from work and the first words out of his mouth were "Well, that looks unappetizing"...lol....he ate it but did not want anymore. I realize that it probably does look unappetizing, so I took a close up just so you could see the pieces of fruit and marshmallows.
And since no one else wants any, well....more for me I say! Lol...;)
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LindaLMT 5 years ago said:

Beautiful photo Shona. I too love Ambrosia salads and this one looks perfect. I see them made with fruit cocktail mix but I don’t care for all the fruits in the mix. This one looks better. Ambrosia salads were one of the first recipes I made too, usually for family gatherings, and when I was 9 years old was when I started making them. I got a recipe from Mrs. Latini, my Aunts friend, and I still have it! She too used pineapple, mandarin oranges, marshmallows, and sour cream but added nuts instead of coconut. I don't agree with your DH though … to me Ambrosia looks like fluffy clouds of yummy goodness, LOL!

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DIZ3 5 years ago said:

Very nice photo, Cosmicmother! I love Ambrosia! This is a nostalgic recipe for sure. My mom made this exact recipe all of the time when growing up in the 70s. I could never get enough! The reason is that I LOVE anything that has coconut. Every once in awhile I will make this for the family holidays to have as a side dish. Always a favorite!

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Cosmicmother 5 years ago said:

Thanks Linda! I have never seen one with nuts instead of coconut, perhaps my hubby would like that better. Lol....I never thought about it looking unappetizing either until he said that because it smells so good and I know it will be fluffy and delicious! ;D
My Mom always had fruit cocktail in the cupboard, she often put it in Jello. I remember only eating the cherries and grapes out of the can, haha.
I never even knew Ambrosia was a Hawaiian dish until I was in my 20s living in Vancouver, this woman from Hawaii brought it to a neighbourhood potluck we had. (we lived on a street with several 4-plexes and our 4-plex hosted outdoor BBQ block parties) She said she wasn't sure if it originated there but it's very popular. She used the fruity marshmallows--which I did buy, but chose the white ones for this recipe. I'm going to try it with the fruity ones next! ;)

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Cosmicmother 5 years ago said:

Thanks Diz! I rarely see ambrosia salad anymore, I guess it was that 1970s food that rarely gets made nowadays--like jelly mold salads with that fruit cocktail...Lol.
This is the unhealthy version of that Hawaiian coleslaw you made! ;)

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mommyluvs2cook 5 years ago said:

I have only had ambrosia a few times in my life and never made it!! I do like it and it looks delicious!

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