Bernie said this morning, “Boy, do we have jello!”
A group of old friends that Bernie and I meet with monthly was scheduled to get together yesterday – always a pot-luck – always yummy as everyone ‘struts their stuff”. I was commissioned to bring a salad of the fruit variety to accompany the ham…the hosting couple always provides the meat. I decided, for fun, to consult my mother-in-law’s old recipe cards and maybe recreate a jello salad. I always thought it humorous that our parents’ generation could take what was obviously a desert and pass it off as a salad. Some of the recipes had vegetables in them but those weren’t my favorite. My mother, for example, made a salad with orange jello, grated carrots, thinly sliced celery and crushed pineapple. I realize that we didn’t have the luxury of fresh vegetables and fruits.
The recipe I selected has frozen strawberries, which I have yet from our own pickin’s this past summer, canned crushed pineapple and sliced bananas in strawberry jello. The recipe says that if you want it to pass as a salad, put dabs of mayo on the top instead of sour cream.
Those of you who live in Minnesota or follow our weather know the kind of day we had yesterday. High winds that blew snow across the roads, creating mounds of snow, and blinding anyone who ventured out. US 94 was closed. In order to join our group, we have a 30 mile trek down highway 10 between open farm fields. We decided to stay home.
Usually when Bernie and I plan a meal we consider first the meat and then what vegetables would go well with it. Last night we discussed what might go well with jello -same with breakfast this morning. Two more meals in the day and both will include jello. Maybe breakfast tomorrow.
Here is the recipe for Jello DESERT:
6 oz and 3 oz strawberry Jello – dissolve in 3 cups boiling water.
Add 2 – 10 oz packages of frozen strawberries
Stir in a 20 oz can of crushed pineapple and
2 large ripe bananas, sliced.
Pour ½ of this into a 9×13 inch pan.
Chill for ½ hour or more. Let the other half sit out.
Spread over the set jello ½ cup sour cream.
Pour over the rest of the jello.
Refrigerate until set.
Spread whipped cream over the top.
To pass it off as a SALAD:
Spread mayo on top.
It is even more convincing as a salad if you serve a square of it on a lettuce le
Jello salad is something you North Americans are used to. Brazilians prefer their jello as dessert and it’s usually served in little cups with little spoons for little hands in birthday parties. 🙂 Enjoy the jello! LOL
Really cool.
But you should put up some pictures for us.
I have a place in my computer where I can put pictures…I just don’t know how to get them out. The only reason I can do this blog because I do this blog over and over again. My teacher/son needs to do the lesson all over again concerning pictures. It will happen one day, I am sure. Then I will publish a picture of my jello. Oh, I’d better take the picture before it is gone!
Funny you should mention jello today. A bunch of us women were discussing the exact thing yesterday afternoon. I don’t remember elaborate jello in our home growing up but I do remember it always at potlucks. My husband loves going to the church suppers or lunches for there is always a wide variety of specially made jellos from the ladies and his plate is usually piled high with it before anything else. Funny.
Glad you decided not to drive out in that nasty weather.
There is clearly a spiritual bond between us with our thoughts going to the same places. Jung would be happy. Jello.