Turkey in the Straw Salad

Ingredients

• 6 celery stalks
• 5 carrots
• 6 raisins
• 2 maraschino cherries
• 1 (29-ounce) can pear halves, drained
• 1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded Cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. Cut celery into 3- x 1/2-inch pieces. Cut 4 thin slits from center of celery to end; place in ice water 15 minutes to separate slits. Drain on paper towels.
2. Cut 4 carrots into 3- x 1/4-inch pieces; cut remaining carrot into1/2-inch triangles.
3. Cut raisins in half; cut cherries into thin strips.
4. Place 1 pear half, cut side down, on an individual serving plate. Arrange celery and carrot sticks around pear to resemble feathers. Arrange 2 raisin halves and a cherry strip on narrow end of pear to resemble eyes and gobbler.
5. Place 2 carrot triangles at large end of pear to resemble feet. Sprinkle cheese around large end to resemble straw.
6. Indian Chief Salad: Substitute peach halves for pear halves, and use chewy fruit rolls for the headbands, carrot and celery sticks for the feather headdresses, raisin halves for eyes, cherry strips for mouths, and minature marshmallows for noses.