Pepe Salad

Happy Mother's Day! Here in the US it is Mother Day.  I plan to have a nice day enjoying Spring with my family.  I hope to get through the day without washing one dish...

Guiding Light Mom Mom, from the time I was really young,
I realized I had someone...you,
who always cared,
who always protected me,
who was always there for me no matter what.
You taught me right from wrong,
and pushed me to do the right thing,
even when it was hard to do.
You took care of me when I was sick,
and your love helped make me well.
You had rules,
and I learned that when I obeyed them,
my life was simpler, better, richer.
You were and are
the guiding light of my life.
My heart is filled with love for you,
my teacher, my friend, my mother. By Karl and Joanna Fuchs
The recipe here is a nice picnic recipe or a nice brunch recipe. Maybe you are thinking why is this salad called Pepe Salad.  My Aunt lovingly called it that. It's one of our picnic favorites.  Why is it such a favorite?  Its creamy, fruity and totally refreshing. 

I changed it up a bit because the recipe actually calls for whipped topping that has multiple stabilizers and such.  And since the day some of it spilled on my parents lawn and laid there for days, not melting or moving, I decided I would never eat the stuff again.  At first she thought it was going to rain and then it kinda sat there, not melting as anticipated.  Then it kind of became an experiment.  It was gross. Finally they hosed it down. Ugh.

So I replaced the stuff in the tub with the real thing- whipped.  What could be better?

Pepe Salad

What's needed:
1 pound Ancini de Pepe, cooked and cooled

8 ounces heavy whipping cream, whipped
1 can mandarin oranges, drained reserving liquid
1 can crushed pineapple, drained reserving liquid
1 can fruit cocktail, drained (do not use this juice-use it for something else)

Sauce:
3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons flour
juice from drained pineapple and drained mandarin oranges
1 cup sugar

Drain fruits, setting the juices aside.

Cook pasta, drain and cool.

In a saucepan combine corn starch, reserved juice, sugar and lemon juice.  Temper egg and add to the heated mixture.  Whisk together and heat until thickened. Chill overnight.

Mixing in the Ancini de Pepe to the sauce.

Add drained fruit. Decorate with a few mandarins and cherries if desired.