The Pink Stuff

Most families have old favorite recipes that get trotted out during the holiday season.  I know I have mentioned a number of my family favorites like angel cookies, rib roast, and Yorkshire pudding.  Today I am going to share a tried-and-true, wouldn't-be-a-holiday-without recipe from The Husband's family.

It is referred to as "The Pink Stuff" and my lovely mother-in-law makes it for Thanksgiving and Christmas each year. It is gobbled up in great quantities and loved by all who are lucky enough to taste it.  One day I was looking through an old cookbook called A Taste of Oregon and I came upon a recipe that looked very similar to the description my Mom-in-law has given me as to how she creates her pink stuff. 

This year she decided not to make the pink stuff for Christmas dinner so I took it as an opportunity to try my hand at making this recipe to see if it was indeed similar.  It is very simple to make if you have a food processor, which I do. Mom-in-law does not.  She takes the cranberries and grinds them through a manual meat grinder apparatus she screws onto the counter top.  I can't even imagine the effort that must entail!!  Five seconds, pulse, pulse, pulse, and viola, perfect finely chopped cranberries for me.  I am lucky to live in Oregon where local cranberries can be found in the grocery stores. So good!  Throw in a can of crushed pineapples and a pile of miniature marshmallows and some sugar and let sit overnight.  The next day whip up some cream and combine with the rest of the ingredients and there you have it...The Pink Stuff.

P.S. If you're like The Husband's family, you might as well make a double batch while your at it. Take my word for it. There will be no leftovers. 

Mother's Cranberry Christmas Salad (a.k.a. The Pink Stuff)

1  pound fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup drained, crushed and/or tidbits pineapple
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup whipped cream

Grind cranberries. Add sugar, then pineapple.  Add marshmallows. Let this set in refrigerator overnight. Add whipped cream just before serving.  Serves 6-8.