Recipe: Happy Birthday Salad (with a banana candle!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SALAD

4 bananas
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup finely chopped nuts
8 slices pineapple
8 lettuce leaves
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1 cup mayonnaise
8 pretzels
8 small birthday candles

Select firm and straight rather than curved bananas. Cut each banana in half crosswise. Mix the powdered sugar and nuts and roll the banana halves in it. Set aside.

Drain the pineapple slices. Put each of the lettuce leaves on a small plate and place a pineapple slice on top. Insert a banana half the flat cut end down in the center of each pineapple slice. Set aside.

Whip the cream and fold it in to the mayonnaise. Dribble a little of this mixture down the banana candle to look like melted wax. Reserving remaining mayonnaise mixture for serving.

For the candle stick handle, press a pretzel against the side of the banana and in to the pineapple slice as well. So that it will stay in place.

Use the little birthday candles that come in rosebud holders and stick one in the top of each half banana. Light them just before you bring in the salads and sing happy birthday. Serve the rest of the creamy mayonnaise with the salad.

Makes 8 servings
Source The Beany Malone Cookbook by Lenora (Mattingly) Weber