Foodie Friday - A Sweet Summer Salad and a Taste of Disney World All in One

A friend was hosting a cookout for the 4th of July and I was asked to bring a dish to pass.  Yes, I could have brought one of the staples like potato salad or baked beans, but I wanted something new and yet easy and kid-friendly.  In going through recipes in my cookbooks and recipe cards, I found a winner: African Fruit Fool from Boma in Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Just missing a garnish to make it look as great as it tastes!

As a disclaimer, I do not regularly cook.  In reality, my family eats out most evenings.  That being said, sometimes I like to make things just to prove that I still can!  Fortunately, this salad was simple, although somewhat time consuming.  Cutting up all that fruit took about 1/2 hour.  I got some great mother-son time doing it, though, because my 8-year-old son helped cut some of the softer fruits like the bananas.  I also whipped cream for the first time and it was fun!  I may stop buying premade now that I know how easy it is!

Anyway, I tried the salad and ended up licking the mixing spoon before putting it in the sink to wash.  Plus, I not only had some with dinner, it's so sweet that I also had it for dessert.  My friends at the cookout also all enjoyed it and it gave me a little "Disney" in between trips to the parks so I definitely give it two thumbs up.

Ready to try it?  Here's the recipe!

Ingredients:
1 pineapple, peeled and diced
2 green apples, peeled and diced (I substitute red because I prefer sweeter apples)
1 mango, peeled and diced
1 papaya, small, peeled and diced
1 pound red seedless grapes
5 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. shredded coconut (the original recipe calls for bottled coconut)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pound sweetened condensed milk (I used a 14 oz can and it still worked well)
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Combine all diced fruits. Mix in vanilla and sweetened condensed milk. Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form, then blend into above ingredients.  Refrigerate and serve cold.

Personal Note:
I think it looked too plain for serving so some pineapple rings and grapes would be a great decoration for the top.