my special chicken macaroni salad

i have been so busy lately...busy wasting my time on things i don't need in my life...okay, the so-called mid-life angst has set in again. but what the heck...it happens to almost everyone at my age. and i'm glad to be back..maybe not 100% yet ...... but i am..... and i'm blogging again. :)

aside from donuts, my other comfort food is chicken macaroni salad (cms). (there was a time, at the height of my anemia, i craved crazily for persian cucumbers, the small ones. i've outgrown those.) whenever i want to feel good, i prepare cms whenever i can..and i've "converted" my kids to liking it. i guess the fondness for this food started when i was a kid. i always thought that my mom cooked the best cms.....i'd like to share with you my recipe as inspired by my mom's (request na rin by my good friend, libay lim) . here it is :

Ingredients

• 2 cups elbow macaroni. for texture, i use half macaroni and half spaghetti pasta cut in half
  
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 5 teaspoons pickle relish or chopped pickles
  
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup nestle cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups shredded chicken breast
  
• 1 /2 tsp salt
  
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1 can crushed pineapple
• 1 can pineapple tidbits
• 1/2 up shredded or cubed cheese (cheddar is better)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1 cup apple cut in small cubes (optional)
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots (optional)
  

Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni (and spaghetti), and cook until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes. place under running cold water in a drainer. drain very well..
2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients. Stir in pasta until well blended. Add more mayonnaise, if needed. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The longer, the tastier it becomes. Serve cold.