Pina Colada Fruit Salad

The Fourth of July is upon us and the last thing I want to do is labor over a hot stove or grill.  So I’m going to a cookout where someone else will be doing it .

Of course I’m not gonna show up empty handed.  One of my favorite fruit salad recipes is from Taste of Home that I change up a little.  I use rum extract instead of almond and coconut extract that the original recipe calls for.  Why?   Because it has pina colada mixer in it…you know, the frozen kind that comes in a can?  I guess you could add “real” rum to it…hmmm.

Naaaa.  There’s going to be kiddies at the cookout and I don’t want to be the one to have to explain why they can’t eat their fruit.  How confusing would that be????

You can use just about any fruit that you like…as I was making it, I thought that canned mandarin oranges would be good in it, too.

I’m letting it refrigerate overnight so that all the flavors have time to mingle, although you don’t have to.

So, if you’re wondering what to bring to the Fourth of July festivities and don’t have a lot of time, I’ve got ya’ covered.

This is my Papa, Lester Lee Hansley, Sr.  I couldn’t leave him out on Independence Day, as he holds a special and dear place in my heart.  He was a WWII veteran and is loved and missed by many.  Do you have a veteran in your family that holds a special place in your heart, too?

Happy Independence Day, friends.  Oh, and don’t forget to watch your pets closely…apparently the Fourth of July is when most pets get separated from their owners due to fear of fireworks.  My boy Chance is getting his “chill pill”.