It couldn’t have been easy to be my mother. I was shy, stubborn, and resistant to change. I’d observe a national day of tantrums every time she cut my hair. I was obsessed with Julia Child, Lucille Ball, and McDonald’s… every McDonald’s we drove by. Obsessed. And I was (capslock) pissed when my little sister was born. Just livid.
It’s still not easy to be my mother. I’m still shy, stubborn, and resistant to change. My mom knows not to approach my head with a pair of scissors in her hands. I’m still really into Julia Child. I enjoy Lucille Ball… and if one were to hand me McDonald’s fries… I’d sure as heck eat them. 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. In this picture she’s the age that I am now… which isn’t stressful to me at all. (Realtalk: it’s just a teeny tiiiny bit stressful.)
My mama is wonderful. And booooyy does she love making a fruit salad. That’s totally a mom thing, right?
This mom inspired fruit salad is the real deal. No overripe bananas. No mushy pear. No unripe melon. No apple!
Berries, ripe watermelon, and grapes because we should. This is top shelf mom business!
Because this salad is on a train for MomTown (really, Joy!?… ugh), we should add some bonus bits: salty pistachios, edible flower petals, and rose water!
Pistachios add a salty crunch… and a color that’s completely out of this world. I love the way that rose water absorbs into the strawberries and watermelon… it’s beautifully fragrant. Like dreams! Edible flowers, like marigold and pansy petals add just a bit of lady appeal.
Mom salad with a small side of rosewater whipped cream. 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! Keep it loose! This salad is all improvisation. 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. 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. 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. Whip to soft peeks and serve alongside the fruit salad.
Sarah H B
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!
Samantha Angela
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.
thelittleloaf
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 :-)
Lori @ Think Global, Art Local
Oh lovely….edible flower petals make everything better! I’ll be adding mango to this when I make (I LOVE mango with pistachios).
Nichole@Dulce Delicious
…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!
Shirley@bells-bakery
I love this post and at 27,my mom still cuts my hair lol!
Bakerkat
That is a a great picture of you and your Mom.
Fruit salad is a yummy idea.
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
You got it! This is one faaaancy fruit salad! I love Julia Child too. Kids are wild.
Rachel Southwood
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.
Kathleen @ Ksugarandspice
So creative, as always. Thanks for keeping it loose. -K
Sophie
Your mama is beautiful!
Sophie
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.
Kathryn
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.
Averie @ Averie Cooks
What a sweet post! I hope your mom sees this post and can read it. I love that picture of you and her!
Caz
This made me smile. I also had terrible tantrums whenever my mum tried to cut my hair! The fruit salad looks delicious.