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Ambrosia

by Judith Hannemann

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Ambrosia
Ambrosia

Heavenly salad or dessert.  Easy to make classic.  Perfect for summer.

I have always loved ambrosia…although we never called it that!
My mother never made this, but my friend’s mom did.  I know most associate this salad with the winter holidays, but my friend’s family used to serve this at barbeques and picnics.
As I said, we never called it “ambrosia,” we called it “Romney Salad.”  Why you ask? Well, my friend’s dad was from Romney, WV and this was an old Smith family favorite.  This was always served  with a Sunday dinner or at any special occasion. My friend’s dad taught her mom how to make it and it became a “special” way up in New York too.
My friend said she liked it so much as a little girl because on each trip to West Virginia, it was always made.  Ambrosia is a hard word off the tongue for a young child so she just took to calling it “Romney Salad,” which was also picked up by her immediate family.
I cannot completely duplicate the Romney Salad…I know something was added to the sour cream, but some family recipes do die out and unfortunately, my friend never got the recipe from her mom or dad. Her dad is passed for many years, her mom is still alive but sadly is suffering from Alzheimer’s.
I did the best I could here and my version of Romney Salad, although not the genuine, authentic Romney WV variety, is still pretty darned good. 

 

 

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Ambrosia

Heavenly salad or dessert.  Easy to make classic.  Perfect for summer.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: desserts, Slow Cooker
Cuisine: American
Keyword: ambrosia
Servings: 4
Calories: 266kcal
Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

  • 1 cup tropical fruit salad drained (you can use regular fruit salad too)
  • 1 cup mini marshmallows
  • 1/4 cup maraschino cherries cut in half
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 cup sour cream reduced fat may be subbed

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
  • Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
  • Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servng | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 90mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 484IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 1mg
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Ambrosia
Ambrosia

 

Ambrosia
Ambrosia

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Comments

  2. Melissa says

    When I made ambrosia salad, I mixed my sour cream with Cool Whip, equal parts. (Maybe that's the missing ingredient you mentioned?!?!)

  3. Judith Hanneman says

    You might just be right there Melissa!!! The dressing was a lot less "tangy" than the one I make and that was the really special part to this. It was years ago now, and I never saw my friend's mom actually make it. I believe Cool Whip was for sale at that time, although it may have been later, but whipped cream (sweetened) is roughly the same thing!!!

    <3 my readers!!! XOXOXO such a wealth of knowledge and experience!

  4. Rebecca says

    One addition might have been a couple of spoons of Miracle Whip salad dressing. I think I remember Mama using that.