Recipe: Aunt Ruby's Macaroni Salad

Aunt Ruby's Macaroni Salad
rec.food.recipes/Marilyn J Miller (1993)

My favorite macaroni salad is from my great-aunt Ruby and has been a family favorite for generations. The amounts of all ingredients are approximate, so you can add them until the mixture tastes right to you. I like the salad best when it is chocked full of vegetables - the more vegetables the better. As a diabetic I have to watch the amount of sweet pickle relish so I don't put in as much as some relatives may put in their salads. I suggest you taste it as you go when making it to get it the way you like it.

AUNT RUBY'S MACARONI SALAD

1 1/2 boxes of Creamettes macaroni (This makes a HUGE dish full - unless you have a large family you may want to use less macaroni)

Cut up vegetables:
Celery
Carrots
Cucumber
Green Peppers
Radishes
Tomatoes
1 medium-sized onion, chopped up (or to taste)
Any other fresh vegetable you want to add
Miracle Whip (To taste)
Sweet pickle relish (To taste)

Cook macaroni according to instructions on package EXCEPT we cook it LONGER than package says so that pieces of macaroni are soft (not mushy but good and soft).

Cool macaroni a tiny bit so that it is warm, not hot. (I do this by repeatedly pouring cool water on it and draining it)

Drain macaroni.
Pour into a large dish.
Add cut up vegetables - the more vegetables the better.
Add chopped onion to taste.
Add Miracle Whip (or mayonnaise) to taste.
Add sweet pickle relish to taste (for 1 1/2 packages of macaroni my family likes it best when I use about 1/2 jar of relish)

Mix ingredients (I mix each ingredient immediately after adding it). Refrigerate until it is cold and serve.

Again, I stress that the amounts of everything are to taste.