Aunt Elsie's Fruit Salad

Aunt Elsie is my cousin's other grandmother ("other" meaning not the one we have in common, our moms' mother, but her other grandmother--in this case, her father's mother; confused yet?). Aunt Elsie has always been a part of my family's lives, too, and now she and my grandmother are at the same retirement home and still terrific friends. This was her contribution to the holiday meals we shared with her growing up--one of the things I loved most as a kid. Keep this easy salad in mind next time you have a crew of young folks coming to a dinner party.

Aunt Elsie's Fruit Salad

• 1 medium can pineapple chunks, drained and juice reserved
• 2 cans chunky fruit salad, drained and juice reserved
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained and juice reserved
• 1 can sliced pears, drained and juice reserved
• 1 small box instant vanilla pudding
• grapes
• mini marshmallows
• 2 bananas, sliced

1. Add 1 cup of pineapple juice to pudding and mix well; if you don't have 1 cup of pineapple juice from the pineapple chunks, add remaining "fruit" juice until you have 1 cup. I started with mandarin orange juice after the pineapple and had plenty. Let pudding mixture thicken while you combine remaining ingredients (don't add marshmallows or bananas until just before serving).
2. Stir in pudding mixture and toss well. Refrigerate until ready to serve!

~Serves 8 or so