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Beth K. Vogt | CJ’s Grape Salad
November 27, 2015
CJ’s Grape Salad isn’t the original name of this recipe. I don’t remember what my
friend Teri called this dish when she served it at a get-together at her home six
years ago.
All I do know is my family loved this decadent grape salad that was served as a
side dish, even though it tastes like dessert. And no one in my family loved it
more than my youngest daughter, Christa, a.k.a. CJ.
The recipe has become my go-to side dish when I’m asked to bring something to
complement a meal to a friend’s house – because CJ always suggests it. While
she’d
rather someone else do the “wash and dry” steps in the recipe, she’s willing to
mix
the sour cream and cream cheese and sugar for a chance to indulge in some grape
salad. And CJ’s Grape Salad is now a traditional holiday dish, included in both
our
Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.
We have a family motto when it comes to holiday gatherings: There’s always room
for
one more. The mindset grew out of our years as a military family, when we were
often away from relatives and holidays were spent with friends-who-became-family.
We were always flexible about how many people might show up for Thanksgiving or
Christmas dinner because you never knew who might be included last minute because
they were away from home, too.
Two years ago, my daughter and her husband invited a young man to join us for
Thanksgiving dinner. He was new in town, and we were happy to welcome him to our
home. His enjoyment of the grape salad rivaled CJ’s, and it was almost comical to
see her try to hide her silent dismay as he helped himself to seconds and then
thirds. But when I boxed up some leftovers, including the last of the grape
salad,
and sent it home with our guest, CJ was gracious . . . but a little crestfallen.
And so, I began a new tradition with the then generic grape salad now known as
CJ’s
Grape Salad. I now make two portions: the main serving size in a glass trifle
dish,
which has plenty to go around for everyone, and a just-for-CJ portion in a
smaller
glass bowl that is set aside in the fridge for her to enjoy later.
CJ’s Grape Salad
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. green seedless grapes
- 2 lbs. red seedless grapes
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract, to taste
Topping ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup crushed pecans
Directions
1. Wash and stem grapes.
2. Dry them thoroughly and set aside.
3. Mix sour cream, cream cheese, white sugar, and vanilla by hand until
blended. May have small lumps.
4. Stir grapes into mixture, and pour into large serving bowl. (I like to
use a clear glass trifle dish.)
5. For topping: combine brown sugar and crushed pecans.
6. Sprinkle topping over grape mix to cover completely.
7. Chill for several hours or overnight.
NOTES:
- Sometimes I use just red seedless grapes.
- If you don’t dry the grapes, the sour cream and cream cheese mixture doesn’t
blend well with the grapes.
- The salad is best eaten within in a day or two of preparing it.
Giveaway
What recipes are so special to your family that you've named them after family
members? Leave a comment below and be entered for a chance to win a copy of CRAZY LITTLE
THING
CALLED LOVE.
Novelist Beth K. Vogt is a nonfiction author and editor who said she'd
never
write fiction. She's the wife of an Air Force physician (now in solo practice)
who
said she'd never marry a doctor -- or anyone in the military. She's a mom of four
who said she'd never have kids. She's discovered that God's best often waits
behind
the doors marked "Never." Beth writes inspirational contemporary romance because
she believes there's more to the happily ever after than the fairy tales tell us.
She lives in Colorado with her husband and their 10-year-old "caboose kiddo." She
and her husband enjoy any time their adult children come by for game nights, BBQs
or just to hang out.
Website | Facebook
| Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram |
Blog
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Comments
32 comments posted.
Re: Beth K. Vogt | CJ’s Grape Salad
GG Green Salad is our family recipe. Named after my mother
who always brought this for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I
make it now and so do my children and grandchildren.
(Jean Halloran 11:34am November 27, 2015)
WE haven't really named any of our recipes after someone but dad always makes the Chex mix. That is his job for the holidays.
(Pam Howell 12:18pm November 27, 2015)
nobody ever in my family had a favorite recipe that was
named after anyone but my Mom made a recipe that we all
loved to eat it was really sweet and messy to eat
(Jeri Dickinson 3:23pm November 27, 2015)
Never tried this recipe before but will try it tomorrow
(Tammy Brazeau 6:41pm November 27, 2015)
Jean: It's fun to see recipes passed down through the years.
Pam: I've always considered Chex mix one of those you-can't-stop-eating-it kind
of snacks.
Jeri: Now I'm curious about your sweet, messy family recipe.
Tammy: I hope you enjoy CJ's grape salad.
(Beth Vogt 7:13pm November 27, 2015)
Aunt Tammy's Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn
10-12 cups popped popcorn(i pop mine in a big pan on the
stove but a lot of the family prefer theirs air popped.
both work.)
1-dram or 1 teasp. LorAnn’s super strength Cinnamon
flavor candy oils(Don’t let the tiny bottles fool you!
LorAnn’s super strength candy oils,are 3x to 4x stronger
than typical alcohol-based extracts.)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/8 teasp. cream of tartar2
1/2 teasp. salt
1/2 teasp. baking soda
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200°F (93°C). Spread the popcorn out
onto 2 large baking sheets. Set aside.
Combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar,
and salt in a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat.
Stir constantly and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and quickly stir in the baking soda.
Pour the caramel over the popcorn and stir gently until
all the kernels are coated.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes. Allow
to cool on the pan and break apart large clusters if
desired. Cover the popcorn tightly once cooled.
Additional Notes:
1)If you do not have a popcorn maker at home, you can
simply add 1-2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a
large kettle/pan. heat oil and then cover bottom of pan
in single layer of kernels. cover and listen for corn to
start popping. once it starts,gently shake the pan to
avoid burning until corn stops popping.(happens fast so
don't leave unattended). remove from heat and continue as
above.
2)Cream of tartar will prevent crystallization as the
caramel cooks. If you're all out, you can make the
caramel corn without it. Just know that its acidity helps
to prevent crystals from forming in your caramel. Corn
syrup does the same job too.
3)Make ahead tip: This caramel corn stays fresh for up to
2 weeks in an airtight container, so it's a great make
ahead time saver.
(Tammy Ramey 7:39pm November 27, 2015)
my mom sponge cake
(Marissa Yip-Young 6:24am November 28, 2015)
My Mother passed away 14 years ago, but I've kept her memory
alive by making her Christmas cookies every year since. They're
a labor of love, since they take 2 days to make, and are so worth
the effort!! I'm looking forward to reading your latest book as
well!! Congratulations on YOUR labor of love!!
(Peggy Roberson 8:27am November 28, 2015)
Hard to pick just one. All the recipes seem to be mine, since most people love my cooking. Cream of carrot soup, cinnamon coffee cake, or lasagna I suppose.
(Cynthia Powers 9:35am November 28, 2015)
No but I going to make one this year.
(Emily Stemp 1:17pm November 28, 2015)
My cousins' Corn Salad . She has told me how but when I make it , it is nothing like hers . So when we have lunch together she brings the corn salad .
(Joan Thrasher 1:54pm November 28, 2015)
Unfortunately we don't have any our family was never big
on great food
(Jeri Dickinson 3:11pm November 28, 2015)
My mom used to make a Christmas Yule log that was delish.
My sister still makes it.
(Donna Antonio 3:22pm November 28, 2015)
My mom has a tortilla pie recipe that I always call Mom's tortilla dish. I make it a lot :)
(Jolene Allcock 5:30pm November 28, 2015)
"Ugly green but really good" casserole...spinach, broccoli, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, onions and what ever else you want to throw in...delicious and the little love eat, not knowing they are getting their vegetables...;)
(Kathleen Bylsma 6:39pm November 28, 2015)
We don't have a recipe named after anyone but everyone loves my mom's meatloaf so it's unofficially named Mom's Meatloaf.
(Kerry Shaw 7:24pm November 28, 2015)
Can't wait to try your Mom's Grape Salad. It sounds yummy!
(Darlene Comeaux 8:50pm November 28, 2015)
We have favorite recipes. One is Bubbe's latkes.
(Sharon Berger 10:14pm November 28, 2015)
We have a get together with family and any friends who wish to come with them. Everyone chooses what kind or kinds of cookies they wish to make, but we always include my grandmother's gingerbread and spritz cookies and my other grandmother's "shrimp tails" which are a butter cookie with pecan bits, shaped like a shrimp and rolled in confectioners sugar. We end up with about 24 kinds of cookies to be shared and a day of music and laughter to remember. Sometimes, some of us do it again the next day to finish ones that needed to chill before finishing. It's always a highlight of the season for us, watching the faces of 3 generations working and laughing together.
(Sharon Mitchell 4:11am November 29, 2015)
we never really cooked anything or had big family dinners
don't have a big family to do these great things
(Jeri Dickinson 10:28am November 29, 2015)
None named after anyone but we do hand down recipes from wow 100's of years ago.
(Cynthia Keagy 11:04am November 29, 2015)
My mom used to make a great fruit cake. we all loved it.
(Linda Hall 1:15pm November 29, 2015)
The Dunce Pie
It was dubbed so after my idiot of a sister who messed up
a pie recipe. Surprisingly, it turned out okay so my
family has been calling it that ever since. It is one of
my sister's favorite desserts :)
(H J 9:57pm November 29, 2015)
The one family dish that everyone knows is my grandmother's
applesauce cake with icing. Nobody can replicate the way
she made it taste!
(Linda Herold 12:35pm November 30, 2015)
My mom would make a fresh fruit salad during the holidays. She used red
seedless grapes, naval oranges, bananas and a fresh pineapple that she
would peel, core and cut up. I was always there to help her because I liked
to eat the pineapple core whenever she cut up a fresh pineapple.
If she couldn't find seedless grapes, we would use the seeded grapes and
would cut them in half and take out the seeds.
We would eat the fruit salad with her homemade fruit cake.
My mom would also make a fresh coconut cake. She would buy a fresh
coconut. She would take a nail and hammer it into the coconut and drain
the juice -saving the coconut juice for the cake batter. Then she would use
the hammer to break open the coconut, peel the skin off and grate the
coconut pieces into a bowl. She also used the 7-minute frosting recipe on
the 10x sugar box.
(Anita Seymour 3:01am November 30, 2015)
Mom couldn't cook well at all, so nothing was ever named
after her, so neither my sister nor me ever learned the
fine art of cooking so nothing from us either
(Jeri Dickinson 2:25pm November 30, 2015)
I hope to win. Happy holidays everyone. Cindy
(Cindy Davenport 2:29pm November 30, 2015)
Goulash, hamburger rice hot dish, jollos==very Midwest
staples.
(Nancy Ludvik 5:39pm November 30, 2015)
Artichoke dip. We call it Philipchoke dip because my dad loved
it so much.
(Julie Wingate 6:27pm November 30, 2015)
We have not named any receipes after family members. We do
all make broccoli cassorole. Everyone makes it different.
(Cynthia Cook 10:09pm November 30, 2015)
Hi,
This one is really wonderful and I really liked the story your shared here. Keep posting the great work.
Thanks
Joseph Clifford
(Joseph Clifford 7:54am December 8, 2015)
No family naming... just recipes that are a tradition in the family... must haves!
(Colleen Conklin 12:29pm December 14, 2015)
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