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Last night was the annual Mooloolaba Christmas Boat Parade which travels all the canals off the Mooloolah River, including the canal we live alongside. Unless the residents are away, everyone has a party and as each boat travels past, everyone yells Merry Christmas and applauds. Even for the little inflatables covered in lights.
It’s not easy to take photos of lights at night when they’re moving! Daylight is a lot easier.
The parade started at 6:30pm which frankly is too early because it wasn’t yet dark. Thankfully for us, by the time they arrived at our place it was dark enough to see the lights. There were more boats in this year’s parade than ever before that we’ve seen. The more boats that came by, the more boats we could see coming down the canal. There’s a dead end just past our house so we got to see them twice.
Thanks to the Mooloolaba Christmas Boat Parade folks for these photos.
So, what do you make to bring to a Christmas pizza party when you’re tired and hung over? You make a happy salad.
I know this is called all sorts of names but in our family it was called happy salad when my daughter couldn’t remember the name. It’s been happy salad in our family ever since. I know it’s called ambrosia salad, fruit salad and a few other names but for me, it’s happy salad.
Kathy was about 4 and I asked her why it was called happy salad and she replied, “Because it makes me happy, silly!” Fair enough.
- 1 large can mixed fruit
- 1 can mandarin oranges
- 1 cup toasted pecans (or walnuts)
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cups whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon icing/confectioner's sugar
- Pre-heat oven to 180/350 and place nuts on baking sheet. Bake for 7 minutes and let cool. Roughly chop.
- Open cans of fruit and drain the liquid. Place drained fruit in a bowl
- Add coconut and nuts and stir to combine.
- Whip cream. When it begins to thicken, add icing sugar and vanilla.
- Add to fruit and fold in.
- Easiest salad ever.