29. JELL-Oh!

I was raised in a Mormon household, and Jell-O was often part of Sunday dinner.  We had little plates of Jell-O set to the left of our dinner pates, above the fork.  Either that or a little bowl of cottage cheese with a fresh bottled peach half on top. Jell-O was by no means an LDS mandate, nor was it a tradition.  Interestingly, one of the more popular collectible pins from the 2002 Olympics in SLC was the Green Jell-O, which was designed to represent some of the historic Utah culture.

I don’t recall having green Jell-O when I was growing up.  We most often had my mom’s classic Cherry Jell-O with grated apples and bananas.  It was my Catholic Mother-In-Law who taught me to make the green Jell-O salad we serve every year at Easter.

One of the things I cherish about particular recipes is the people they remind me of when I make them. I think of these three women every time I make these recipes: my mother-in-law, my mother, and my mother’s friend, Beno, who also taught me to make cabbage rolls.

Plain old Jell-O, made with extra water to keep it kind of runny, was the ideal sore throat treat.  I can feel it sliding past my swollen tonsils, its coolness soothing my hot throat.  It provided flavor, comfort, and energy when I was young and sick. Most often now, I make it for Sunday dinners and I call it a fruit facilitator.

The Young Women of our stake, (hundreds of them mothers now with daughters of their own ) have gathered around many a camp fire with me, through the last three decades, singing the Jell-O Song, their voices raised in rounds, increasing in volume as they hit the final phrase:

The big red letter stands for the Jell-O family

The big red letter stands for the Jell-O family

There is Jell-O (yum, yum, yum)

Jell-O Pudding  (yum, yum, yum)

Jell-O (yum, yum, yum)

Jell-O Ta---pioca.

Try all three.

These here are classic Jell-O recipes. Try all three!

LIME JELL-O SALAD  Helen Connors

1 3 oz pkg lime Jell-O

1 c boiling water

2 c mini marshmallows

1 c crushed pineapple (drained- save juice)

1 c pineapple juice– use juice from crushed pineapple, supplemented with water if necessary to make 1 cup)

½ c whipping cream (measure, then whip)

3 oz cream cheese

Add Jell-O to boiling water.  Add marshmallows while liquid is still warm so they melt somewhat. Add crushed pineapple. In separate bowl whip cream and set aside.  In another bowl whip cream cheese.  Add pineapple juice a bit at a time.to cream cheese.  Fold-in whipped cream. Pour cream mix into Jell-O mix and stir till well mixed.  Pour into mold or Pyrex pan and chill in fridge.  Stir every 20 minutes till it starts to set well. Cut in squares and serve on small plate atop a leaf of clean green leaf lettuce.

BENO'S STRAWBERRY or RASPBERRY JELL-O

Large Strawberry or Raspberry Jell-O

Pretzels

Butter

Sugar

8 oz Cream Cheese

Powdered sugar

Vanilla

Cool Whip 1 large container or 2 small or 2 pints whipping cream

20 oz.frozen strawberries or raspberries

1 can crushed pineapple

6 0z box Strawberry or Raspberry Jell-O

2 c. crushed pretzels (put whole pretzels in a baggie and crush them with a mallet, jar, or rolling pin)

3/4 c melted butter

3 T sugar

Mix well and press into 9 x 12 cake pan.  Bake 7 minutes at 400.Let cool. 

8 oz cream cheese

1 c. powdered sugar

            Whip together then fold in

1 small container cool whip (1 1/2 c.) (I use real cream, whipped with ¼ c sugar and vanilla)

 Spread over cooled crust and chill

2 10 oz pkgs frozen strawberries or raspberries

1 can drained crushed pineapple

1 large box (6 oz) strawberry or raspberry Jell-O

1 1/2 boiling water

Dissolve Jell-O in water then add frozen berries and pineapple. When almost set, pour over cream cheese mixture.  Top with Cool Whip or whipped cream. Sprinkle with crushed pretzels. Chill in fridge.

GRAM'S SUNDAY CHERRY JELL-O

1 large box Cherry Jell-O (6 oz)

2 C boiling water

4 c ice

2-4 bananas, sliced

2 red apples, peeled and grated

½ c chopped walnut

2 c mini-marshmallows (optional)

Boil water.  Add Jell-O powder and stir well for a few minutes, until Jell-O is dissolved

Add ice to hot Jell-O and stir until it thickens slightly and most of the ice melts.

Scoop unmelted ice from Jell-O

Add sliced bananas, grated apples, chopped walnuts and marshmallows.

Stir and pour into glass cake pan. Refrigerate then cut into squares