It couldn’t have been easy to be my mother. ย I was shy, stubborn, and resistant to change. ย I’d observe a national day of tantrums every time she cut my hair. ย I was obsessed with Julia Child, Lucille Ball, and McDonald’s… every McDonald’s we drove by. ย Obsessed. ย And I was (capslock) pissed when my little sister was born. ย Just livid.
It’s still not easy to be my mother. ย I’m still shy, stubborn, and resistant to change. ย My mom knows not to approach my head with a pair of scissors in her hands. ย I’m still really into Julia Child. ย I enjoy Lucille Ball… and if one were to hand me McDonald’s fries… I’d sure as heck eat them. ย These things are all still realities, it’s just that my Mom doesn’t have to live with it all up in her house everyday.
I love this photograph of me and my mom. ย In this picture she’s the age that I am now… which isn’t stressful to me at all. (Realtalk: ย it’s just a teeny tiiiny bit stressful.)
My mama is wonderful. ย And booooyy does she love making a fruit salad. ย That’s totally a mom thing, right?
This mom inspired fruit salad is the real deal. ย No overripe bananas. ย No mushy pear. ย No unripe melon. ย No apple!
Berries, ripe watermelon, and grapes because we should. ย This is top shelf mom business!
Because this salad is on a train for MomTown (really, Joy!?… ugh), we should add some bonus bits: ย salty pistachios, edible flower petals, and rose water!
Pistachios add a salty crunch… and a color that’s completely out of this world. ย I love the way that rose water absorbs into the strawberries and watermelon… it’s beautifully fragrant. ย Like dreams! ย Edible flowers, like marigold and pansy petals add just a bit of lady appeal.
Mom salad with a small side of rosewater whipped cream. ย Just don’t tell her I put it on the floor to take a picture of it.
I’m going to put a printable link on the ‘recipe’, but you really don’t need it! ย Keep it loose! ย This salad is all improvisation. ย Mamas LOVE improvisation, except when it comes to moving out of the house, going to college, or eloping.
The Fanciest Fruit Salad
serves as many as you’d like. ย the more people, the more fruit.
strawberries, sliced
watermelon, cubed
blackberries or blueberries
green or purple grapes, cut in half if you’re fancy
a few teaspoons of rosewater
a good handful of shelled pistachios
a good sprinkling of fresh edible flower petals
Toss all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. ย Serve cold.
For an added bonus, whip 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1 heaping tablespoon powdered sugar and a good dash of rose water. ย Whip to soft peeks and serve alongside the fruit salad. ย
84 Responses
Rosewater….it just sounds pretty delicious! (literally pretty ;))
i’m so in love….with this place :)
Gorgeous post in every single way…I adore that plate!!
Oh my goodness, little Joy is just TOO CUTE! Love that picture. :)
Your photography is so inspirational. I can only hope to be half the photographer you are. Plus this fruit salad sounds like the first one I’d actually like to eat. Usually they are so disappointing.
What a cute picture Joy! The recipe looks delicious. What a great idea to add rosewater for a touch of elegance.
I have some rosewater that I have no idea what to do with (I bought it for rosewater cupcakes). Thanks for a great idea to use it up!
Also, gorgeous redesign! I love it!
I love the idea of rosewater in a fruit salad. I have to try this this week. It’s a must.
I had the realization that when my mom was my age, she had a 14 year old (me), and I don’t have any kids yet, and it IS kind of stressful. Realtalk is right. This weekend my whole family was like “better get on that, little lady.” Thanks, guys.
But hey, we shouldn’t be stressed. We’re living our lives. It’ll happen if/when it happens. Life will still be full and happy and glorious, no matter what.
Especially with this fruit salad.
Apples in fruit salad is an abomination. I’m glad this one is beautifully apple-free. Looks awesome! I love the photo of the fruit on the cutting board.
Wow, Joy! It’s Mother’s Day Eve and I’m just reading this
post. Your sister and you have cleaned up the whole kitchen after the most delicious afternoon brunch you both prepared for eleven of us. What a wonderful gift!!There is not a more special present than one’s grown daughters to, first, wish to spend time with you and, secondly, to show up with all the fixins for a yummy meal. I am floating on a cloud right now.
You have your mom’s gorgeous blue eyes!!!!
Definitely adding it to my ‘breakfast for mom’ menu for tomorrow. Especially since we went grocery shopping today and picked up fresh fruit.
My mom has a picture of the two of us when I must have been 2? My mom had this blonde, totally awesome 80s perm, and I am sitting in her lap kind of looking off to the right as you are in yours. It is my FAVORITE picuture of us. Thank you for the post and reminding me of that great picture!
I was completely convinced that I was going to bake up a completely unique and wonderful cake, and then last night happened where I ate my weight in chocolate and the thought of sugar now makes my head spin….so my point is, I’m making your fruit salad for my mother’s day brunch! Thanks for saving me from another sugar hangover!
I used to have tantrums when my my Mum tried to brush my long tangly hair. One day I used her so far that she pulled out the scissors and chopped it off! She cried, I cried and I brushed my own hair from then on. She still gets upset about that over 20 years on.
Rose and pistash’ – beauts!
Xx
love the picture :) simple yet delicious.
xoxo
Awwwww I love that picture when you were little!! You made me crack up in this post (as usual)
{pinching your cheeks} now and then actually…
The font is so much easier to read now! My eyeballs were killing me a few days ago.
(P.S. “mama’s” is plural, not possessive. Leave out the apostrophe)
thanks for the typo love!
aw. gorgeous. beautiful picture of you and your mum. I’m going to make my mum something similar, sort of – orange blossom granola. I think I’ll add pistachios :)
Heidi xo
Excellent fancy fruit salad! I’ve always been tempted, yet slightly afraid to try rose water. How rose-y is it?
rose water is very rose-y in the nose. it’s not sweet. it’s just water. i find it divine!
The fruit salad looks so refreshng. And that picture of you and your mom is just precious. Your mom is a gorgeous woman :)
p.s. I love the new layout :D
thanks, becca!
Fruit salads are the best & this one looks lovely!
Your recipes are so creative. I can’t stand it! And what a beautiful tribute to your mom!
Oh Little Joy, how adorable! Moms are awesome…seems that we realize it more and more as we get older.
Love the picture of you and your mom. Hope y’all have a lovely weekend. Also looks like a great recipe :)
I think your mom now needs to open a business called “Top Shelf Mom Business.”
Your mom is so beautiful in that picture! I’m sure she’ll love your salad. :)
Your Mom must be so proud of her beautiful, successful daughter! What a lovely post today. Thanks Joy
My mom would be SO on board with this salad – she adores rose water and finds all kinds of ways to use it in desserts. Right up her alley, Joy – well done:)
That is a very pretty salad. I love the new look of the blog.
The photography in this post is absolutely stunning! Fruit for all!
What a lovely, girlie treat! PS as an super sweet friday suprise, I received your cookbook in the mail today! Hooray! Now I know I will have a great weekend, reading and baking and reading and baking…..
Hmmm looks good. And the deep red colour of the strawberrys, deliscious!
I was usually good about haircuts, but you reminded of one time when I threw a horrible tantrum! I asked the hairdresser to cut my hair to my ears, so she started on one side. I must have reached up to touch it, because I realized that I couldn’t tuck it behind my ear & FREAKED OUT! She ended up cutting the rest of my hair about 2 inches longer, so I had one chunk on the left side that I clipped back with a barrette for months. Poor lady! She was scared stiff when I started screeching!
Oh goodness, watermelon, berries!? I’m so happy we can start using Summer-y fruits. This salad = perfection
Joy,
I love this. I love the salad. I love the photo. I love your post the most.
PS the new blog design is super pretty and so Joyish
Happy Mother’s Day to you and your lovely mom.
What a darling pic of and your mom! Happy Mother’s Day to your mom.
Aw, a celebration of moms. I love my Momma, so this was a special treat to read.
Every recipe you share just looks so beautiful! Thanks for this one :)
I love fruit salad and this one looks delicious and very fancy! :-) I also love the new site layout. Very cute.
LOVE the addition of flower petals and rosewater–I love that fragrant touch!
Love that picture of you and your mom, Joy! Cute! I love pistachios, too.
Love your plates…..so pretty!!!
What an elegant fruit salad, perfect for Mother’s Day! Also, loving the photos.
Beautiful. Just beautiful!
What a delish fruit salad and a sweet dedication to your mom! Thanks for sharing, Joy.
That looks delicious. And I love old photos like that.
Vintagehoneybee.blogspot.com
Your mum is gorgeous. You are too.
yum, I was looking for a lovely fruit salad to make for my Mama on Sunday! also, where are your shoes from? they look super cute… Tom’s?
Totally off subject….but where did you get that beautiful plate underneath the fruit bowl? LOVE IT!
Little small baby Joy looks so sassy in that picture! I know what you mean about little sisters, I have two, and I didn’t mind when they were born, it was more when they were following me around and copying everything I did a little later.
My mom would love this. She didn’t have an easy job either ;) She deserves this.
I love the photo of you and your mom. I spent last weekend with my mother (she’s usually in Austin and I am in Baltimore), and strewn about my grandmother’s house were pictures of her as a young mom…. with a 5 and 7 year old… at my age. Ugh. Just a teeeny bit stressful. LOL.
Great inspired fruit salad.
my mom is all about a fruit salad–apples/bananas/mushy pears are just sad fillers! she puts booze in hers, it’s awesome.
that photo of you and your mom is ADORABLE! seeing photos of my mom at my age now, totally stressful. I get that.
Your mom is gorgeous and you were an adorable baby. My kids and I live on fruit salad in the summer, as I always buy too much fruit. Watermelon, necterines, peaches, berries! All so yummy and even better together. Yup, it’s a mom thing.
perfect! i’ve made a vow to never put melon in a fruit salad. just can’t bring myself to do it.
The eloping part of what Moms don’t like is funny. My husband and i were just talking about if we could go back and change our wedding, we’d totally elope instead of all the goofiness we dealt with. Hehe. Pretty salad.
Love the fancy Nancy like salad recipe and the way you presented it in your pictures. Moms truly are amazing. Now you’re making me wonder what my mom looked like when she was my age now. I live so far away and wish I could go home right now to be with her and rifle through old pictures.
The picture with your mum is adorable!!!! As you, I’m stubborn and shy…quite the explosive mixture!
Hey I love this post! And I love that the comment box already has my info filled in for me! Nice new design Joy! Thank you for always making my day a bit better— even when things are really awful I can look on your site and just gaze at beautiful food- which always puts me in a better state of mind!
I tend to gravitate toward orange blossom water a little more often than rose water. My family is Lebanese and we use both in Lebanese cooking and baking, but orange blossom is my preferred choice.
I do like adding rose water to my fruit though. Or, better yet, to the whipped cream that I serve fruit with.
My Mum makes the best fruit salad ever too! And it’s something I never make because of my unhealthy obsession with baked goods. You might just have convinced me to give it a go though :-)
Oh lovely….edible flower petals make everything better! I’ll be adding mango to this when I make (I LOVE mango with pistachios).
…and now I need to go buy fruit! Good thing I was heading to the store today anyways! This is certainly the fanciest fruit salad I have ever seen! Perhaps I’ll do something fancy while eating it….well, probably not. But, I’ll sure feel fancy! Beautiful recipe Joy and a beautiful picture of you and your momma!
I love this post and at 27,my mom still cuts my hair lol!
That is a a great picture of you and your Mom.
Fruit salad is a yummy idea.
You got it! This is one faaaancy fruit salad! I love Julia Child too. Kids are wild.
I’ll always remember the time my mum decided to give me a hair cut to save money. 1 bowl cut with too short fringe later and I still have issues with getting my hair cut! Thanks mum.
So creative, as always. Thanks for keeping it loose. -K
Your mama is beautiful!
This looks amazing. I hate standard fruit salads. I’ve had enough mushy bananas and tinned mandarins to put me off for life but I might venture back into fruit salad territory for this.
That picture of you and your mum is the best.
PS my mum constantly tells me that by the time she was my age, she was married and had a baby. I’m gonna keep on ignoring her.
What a sweet post! I hope your mom sees this post and can read it. I love that picture of you and her!
This made me smile. I also had terrible tantrums whenever my mum tried to cut my hair! The fruit salad looks delicious.