Chicken Salad in a Pineapple Boat

When I was about 13 years old, I had the opportunity to go along with some family friends to Disneyland in Anaheim, CA. It was the one and only time I've been. I had always remembered going to this tropical jungle area. We watched a Tahitian show with fire dancers and there were Toucans and Parrots all around with lots of tropical plants. I ordered a chicken salad for my meal and it came served in a half of a pineapple. I was in heaven. It was the loveliest thing I had ever seen, and something my mother had never served. I have never forgotten about that salad. Recently my husband came home with a whole ripe pineapple and that Disneyland memory was the first thing that came to my mind. I happened to have everything I needed to make a nice chicken salad so here is what I did:

Cut a ripe pineapple in half lengthwise, leaving the beautiful tops attached. Hollow out by cutting out the pineapple in chunks and wedges, leaving the outer shell intact.

Chop 2 cooked boneless chicken breasts into small chunks. (I cooked mine by boiling for 20 minutes on medium heat. I added some of the pineapple juices and ginger to the cooking water.)

Chop about 1-1/2 cups pineapple into small pieces. Add chicken, some mayonnaise, toasted sliced almonds, finely chopped celery, chopped scallions, a handful of crispy chow mein noodles, salt, pepper, parsely, dried mustard, and a little tarragon. Mix well, adjusting mayo and seasonings as needed.

Finely shred some romaine lettuce and make a bed in the bottom of the hollowed pineapple. Spoon the chicken onto the lettuce and mound up in pineapple boat. Sprinkle with paprika.

We each ate one half, which is what I was served at Disneyland. Two could probably share one half easily. Try adding other fruits, nuts, and seasonings.

Mer’s Tuna Macaroni Salad

Before I ever moved away from home, I went through my mother’s recipe folder where she kept family recipes written down. I latched onto this recipe and have made it ever since. My great-grandmother was known within the family as ‘Mer’. Everyone called her that and still refers to her as ‘Mer’, who passed away in the 1960’s. Her husband was ‘Per’. I remember her making this salad and I loved it as a small kid. She would serve it to her lady friends at luncheons, and make it for us when we visited. The recipe would serve 6 to 10 people, depending on the serving size.

Mer's Original Recipe:
2 cups cooked macaroni - the small salad type
1 can drained tuna chunks
1/2 cup chopped sweet pickle
2 tomatoes, chopped small
salt and pepper
paprika
1 tablespoon minced onion and sliced radishes can be added

Use mayonnaise thinned with cream or vinegar as a dressing.
Variations: add chopped cucumber, or fresh minced parsely

When I made it recently I only had one tomato, and half of a cucumber so I chopped those very small. I used about ¼ cup sweet pickle relish with the juices mostly drained, instead of the sweet pickle. I didn’t have the radishes. Mer’s always had the tiny sweet pickle chunks and very thinly sliced and matchsticked radishes, which gave it a wonderful kick. I thinned my mayo with cream, and then added a splash of rice wine vinegar after I had mixed it up. I gave a quick taste for salt and pepper and chilled it for 30 minutes. We ate it in bowls. It made a great early lunch. The following day I made a big green chef's salad, and placed a scoop of the Tuna Macaroni Salad on one side of the salad. It was great. It’s best if chilled.

Grape-nuts Lemon Pudding

I remember my grandmother making this and it was one of her favorites. I love anything lemony and the grapenuts make it a little crunchy. It is the ultimate comfort food and is well worth the time it takes to bake it.

Cream 1 teaspoon lemon rind and 4 Tablespoons butter. Add 1/2 cup sugar gradually, blending well. Add 2 egg yolks and beat well. Then add 3 Tablespoons of lemon juice. Add 2 Tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup Grapenuts cereal, and 1 cup milk. Mix well. Fold in 2 stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn out into a buttered baking dish and place in a pan of water, about an inch deep. Bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/4 hours. Serve cold.

Granny Vick's Apricot Nectar Cake

This recipe came from my GrannyVick, who lived in Eastern North Carolina all her life. I only saw her a handful of times in my life, because we lived in Northern California. When we visited she would always cook up lemon pies, fried chicken, fried dried apple pies(recipe to come later) and this cake. The food was always good, but different than what I was used to eating at home.
Use a tube, or angel food cake pan.

1 yellow cake mix
3/4 cup oil
4 eggs
3/4 cup apricot nectar
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Mix all together (I use a mixer) and pour into a well greased tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then carefully remove cake from the pan.

For Glaze: Combine 3 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1-1/2 cup powdered sugar

Pour over hot cake. It helps to poke a few tiny holes in the cake so the glaze can soak down into the cake.

Why I Love Food & The Foodie Blogroll

Some of my earliest memories are of food. I remember a lovely 2-layer homemade chocolate cake that my mother made for my 4th birthday. It had circus animals on the top. For my 5th birthday I was asked to decide my favorite meal, and mother would make it for me. Since beef steak was a rare treat in our home, I asked for Sirloin steak, mashed potatoes, and frozen peas. I was very specific. She made it and I still remember the meal, many eons ago.

My dad was born in North Carolina, and we lived in Northern California. So every 4 or 5 years while I was growing up, we would take a car trip across the US. I can still remember a small town in the Midwest, where I ordered a chicken fried steak. Out came a steak the size of the dinner plate, crispy chicken fried and pounded nice and thin. It was draped over mashed potatoes and smothered with home-made gravy. I was in heaven, and had never tasted anything so wonderful. Again, the memory is still very fresh.

I come by the love of food naturally. My mother can still recite what she ordered to eat in each town as we traveled across country, and can remember which trip and what year it was. We talk food a lot when we call each other on the phone.

I didn’t cook much growing up, since mother was a great cook in a small kitchen. She preferred to just get the meal on the table…..

I got married, and my mother-in-law was from Arkansas. From her I got some really great recipes that I was not familiar with growing up. Eventually there was another marriage, this time my mother-in-law was in Tennessee. I watched her cook many batches of biscuits, made from scratch in a big tub, mixing gently with her fingers. I learned to cook various East Tennessee staples and local delicacies. I still cook with this kind of style…..it’s very ‘country’. (not like Britney Spears)

I’m yet on my final marriage, and my mother-in-law is in Arizona. I don’t see her much, but on the Holidays I watch and help her make gravy and all the traditional fare. Through my husband I have learned to make lots of spicy Mexican dishes which are some of our favorites.

This is why I have decided to feed my passion, as well as others like me. The recipes speak for themselves, and may eventually have a few photos to go along. I keep forgetting to take a picture until after we have delved into the meal……..oops.


I have discovered many new food and cooking related websites lately, which are fascinating and entertaining. I have joined the Foodie Blogroll which is a feature of The Leftover Queen website. It is a fun, humorous, and motivating website about food. Joining the Foodie Blogroll is free, and there is lots of linky love happening if you do. There are hundreds of food related blogs to check out too. I know it will keep me busy, and Biker Chickz Recipes is on the list.