MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK

MICHIGAN COTTAGE COOK
SUMMER AT THE BEACH

Monday, December 27, 2010

FAMILY CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS PART 2 INCLUDING PICTURES OF THE MUCH MALIGNED HOLIDAY GREEN JELLO!

When I was writing about family traditions on Christmas, I forgot to mention one of our favorites that I introduced in the 1960's.  Erin shows off our must-have Christmas Tree Coffee Cake.  She says it just isn't Christmas without this coffee cake.

Our family band that plays Christmas music before dinner has grown.

We are up to 5 members.

Everyone who has a food column has written in disparaging terms about Green Holiday salad.  To my children, it wasn't a holiday without it.  For Thanksgiving, you can top the salad with orange jello.  My Mom made a green jello for holidays that consisted of cream cheese and nut balls put into pear halves or pineapple rings in a pan.  The pan was then filled with liquid green jello to encase the fruit.

Food writers may not like it, but try to find a box of green jello in the stores during holiday weeks.  Someone is buying and enjoying it.

4 comments:

  1. Can I get your recipe for the jello salad

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  2. May I get your recipe for your green jello salad with red jello topping

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  4. GREEN HOLIDAY SALAD FOR AMBER
    It was not a holiday for my children unless there was green salad on the table. This is a real family favorite. The color of the top layer of jello should reflect the holiday; red for Christmas, orange for Thanksgiving, etc. My sons don't like the plain jello on top; they want just the green salad part.

    Since I wrote this recipe for my family’s cookbook which I wrote to remember the family members who had passed, there is now a fourth generation member who loves this salad. I use mayonnaise, real cream not cool-whip, and jello with sugar. It makes a difference to use them.

    My Great-Grandson can’t chew nuts yet. I think the nuts add a nice textural interest. I made the salad this Christmas for a Grinch party. I didn’t want to leave the nuts out of the salad, but I didn’t want to choke Little One either. My solution was to put nuts on top of half of the salad so there was a choice of with or without nuts.

    I like a chunky salad so I don’t completely melt the marshmallows and leave the cream cheese a little chunky rather than completely smooth.

    1 large (6oz.) pkg. lime jello
    1/2 of a large pkg. miniature marshmallows
    1 large (8oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
    1/2 c Miracle Whip or mayonnaise
    1 (20oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained; reserve the
    juice
    1 c whipping cream, whipped
    1/4 to 1/2 c pecans, chopped
    1 small (3oz.) pkg. red, orange or color desired jello

    Measure pineapple juice; add enough water to make two cups. Bring juice/water to a boil; add to lime jello to dissolve. Melt marshmallows in hot jello. Let cool slightly. With a fork, whip softened cream cheese into jello; then fold in mayonnaise, whipped cream, well-drained pineapple, and pecans. Pour into a 9x13-inch pan. Chill until firm. Melt small package of jello with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water; cool. Pour on top of congealed green salad; chill until firm.



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