Suprise......what's in that Jell-O!?!

     I first must apologize for the gap in time since my last blog.  It has been very hectic around here lately.  But, I now have some free time and wanted to share my last Jell-O which was made way back around Memorial Day.  I decided it was time to try another savory one and this time my sister was in town to get a taste.  We planned a nice family dinner and I was able to push my strange Jell-O upon her and my parents.  What flavor did I attempt……….beet! 

I decided to put this beet/horseradish concoction into individual molds.  I unmolded them on beautiful cut glass dishes and placed one at each place setting. 

     My dad sniffed it and said “It smells like feet.”  My mom said “it is definitely different.”  My sister who I should now add is a very adventurous eater (she once ate a scorpion!) stayed very silent.

     I was the first to taste it.  Let me preface this by saying that as a kid I hated beets, but in my adulthood I have decided that beets are one of my favorite vegetables.  

     The first taste is an explosion of flavors, it is definitely beety, and then you get a bit of sweetness, then a bit of heat from the horseradish.  I loved it, who knew Jell-O could be so complex!  

     My mom then attempted it and felt the same way I did!  My dad tasted it and said “yep, it’s weird; don’t make that for me again.”  

     I couldn’t wait for my sister to taste it.  She put it in her mouth, swallowed and said “it’s weird.”  After several more bites she said it was good but not something she would want over and over again.

Recipe Note*

I omitted the addition of celery

I give Sparkling Beet Cups 4 out of 4 stars!!!

The average rating from the fam is 2 ½ out of 4 stars.

Sparkling Beet Cups

From Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book ©1968

    Dissolve one 3-ounce package lemon-flavored gelatin in 1 cup boiling water.  Drain one 1-pound can diced beets, reserving ¾ cup liquid.  Add reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons vinegar, ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon grated onion, ½ teaspoon salt to gelatin.

     Chill till partially set.  Fold in beets and ½ cup chopped celery.  Chill in 6 individual molds till firm.

    

The Perfect Jell-O for Mother's Day!

I was always told the same story about my mom growing up.  When she was a little girl she and her parents were getting ready to go out.  My mom was dressed in a pretty white dress.   She asked for a glass of grape juice and walked out on the porch to hula hoop after drinking it.  For those of you that don’t know this, grape juice is a natural laxative.  So, soon enough the pretty little girl all dressed in white wasn’t so pretty anymore.  For years and years my grandparents gave my mom a bottle of grape juice for a present as a joke.  So with Sunday being mother’s day I thought it was only appropriate to continue the tradition where my grandparents left off and prepare a grape juice Jell-O lovingly for mom! 

This recipe was incredibly easy!  The only issue I had with it was unmolding it.  I think I need to put non-stick spray on my mold before the Jell-O mixture is placed in it.  I decided to make it with purple grape juice and red grapes.  I think this would also be nice with white grape juice and green grapes. 

     After a huge brunch on Sunday afternoon my mom and I unmolded the gelatin.  It broke in several places so we placed it in individual bowls.  We all loved it!! Very refreshing!! Mom was ready to hit the front porch with her hula hoop but thankfully she did not and we were all saved!

But, truthfully, this might be my new favorite thing!  It was the best Jell-O I have tasted! But, I also love grapes so I might be a bit biased!  It says in the recipe to serve with whipped cream, I didn’t do this.  I don’t think it is a necessity, but it could be good with it.

Grape Supreme gets 4 out of 4 stars!!!

Grape Supreme

From The Good Housekeeping Cook Book ©1942

1 envelope plain unflavored gelatin (1 T.)

¼ c. cold water

¾ c. boiling water

¼ c. granulated sugar

¾ c. grape juice

2 T. lemon juice

¼ t. salt

1 c. grapes, halved and seeded

  

Soak the gelatin in the cold water for 5 min.  Then add the boiling water and sugar, and stir until the mixture in clear.  Next add the grape juice, lemon juice and salt.  Cool, then chill until beginning to set.  Fold in the grapes, chill until set, then just before serving, break up with a fork, and heap in sherbet glasses.  Serve with or without plain or whipped cream.  Serves 6.

Tomato Jelly......strange or delicious?

      I decided it was time to try a strange gelatin.  I picked a tomato jelly to test this week.  When I told several work colleagues and family, everyone turned their noses up to it saying it didn’t sound appetizing.  I found many recipes for tomato jelly also known as tomato aspic.   Some even had crab or shrimp in it.  I decided to try a basic recipe made with tomato juice.

   This gelatin was very simple to prepare.

  It consists of simmering the tomato juice with spices, 

straining it, then put in the molds.  

Simple, my favorite type of recipe!!  I decided to put it in individual molds without the cabbage garnish.  The thing I found weird was the recipe says it serves 6 but my mixture only filled 4 individual molds. 

   I decided to take one to work and share with the ladies I lunch with.  I split it into fifths between us.  The first taster said it was too salty.  The next taster said it needed vodka so it could be like a Bloody Mary shot.  The third one (who was the most skeptical) loved it, no complaints!  The fourth one said she didn’t like it  but quickly ate every bit of it…..hmmm.  I personally think that it is good, I don’t know if I would make it very often.  But it could be a nice side dish alternative on a hot day.  I think I might try another recipe for tomato aspic that uses either real or canned tomatoes, because this version really tasted like tomato juice. 

    After we all tried it we decided this recipe could be good with the addition of shrimp.  Or it could be modernized with fresh tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

Tomato Jelly Ring gets 2 out of 4 stars. 

Tomato Jelly Ring

From Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook ©1941

2 c. Tomato Juice

1 small Bay Leaf

3 or 4 whole cloves

2 slices onion

Salt and Pepper

1 t. lemon juice

1 T. unflavored Gelatin (1 envelope)

¼ c. cold water

1 c. finely cut celery

2 c. shredded cabbage

Simmer tomato juice, bay leaf, cloves, and onion 15 minutes; strain; add seasonings and lemon juice.  Measure 1 ¾ c. liquid; add gelatin softened in cold water; stir until gelatin dissolves.  Chill until partially set; add celery and chill in oiled ring mold until firm.  Unmold; garnish with parsley and fill center with shredded cabbage, seasoned with salt, pepper, sugar, lemon juice, and mayonnaise.  Tomato jelly may be poured into individual molds and cabbage omitted.  Serves 6.

First Attempt at a Jell-O from 1942

  For my next Jell-O adventure I decided to pick one from the 1942 Good Housekeeping cookbook.  Recently when I was at the store I noticed how beautiful the strawberries looked.  So, since it is strawberry season I picked “Strawberry Cheese Dessert Salad.”  This is one of those recipes that can be a little deceiving.  The recipe is very short and seems very simple, but once you get going you realize it takes a few more steps and equipment than what you originally thought.  The recipe calls for two cups of strawberries cut thinly….a bit time consuming.  

Then it wants the heavy cream whipped, which for me requires getting out the electric mixer because you can bet that I won’t whip that by hand like my great grandmother probably did!  

But other than that it’s a straight forward recipe.  

The only other issue I ran into was the cream cheese addition (and yes, I did use cream cheese instead of cottage cheese).  It was a bit hard to mix it into the other ingredients because it was a lot harder texture and created lumps.

   This recipe called for the addition of a lemon cream dressing.  It also recommended serving the salad on a bed of lettuce.  I decided to make the dressing but I decided the lettuce leaf décor was a little too fifties housewife for me! 

    With the start of this blog I decided I needed to give myself a present.  I bought a couple of molds in order to make pretty Jell-O.  Once the first one arrived I made this salad.  Luckily there were no disasters awaiting me during the making of it.  So I poured the completed mixture into my new wave like mold and placed it in the fridge for the night.

   I decided to unmold it and make the dressing at my parents’ house.  I thought it was fitting to try my salad with my mom since it came from her grandmother’s cookbook.  Again the dressing was a little deceiving, whip the cream again, chill the lemon mixture then fold in the whipped cream.

  I also ran into problems unmolding the Jell-O.  It took sliding a knife around the sides and dipping the mold in warm water twice.  So, when it finally did plop out it was pretty runny.  After I chilled it for a while it was still runny.  I wonder if the cream and the cream cheese made the texture thin.  (Again, I have a problem with the texture!!)

  

So I sliced it, added a dollop of the dressing, and served it to my mom and me.  We both thought it was wonderful!!  Adding the cream dressing to the creamy Jell-O was a bit indulgent and not quite necessary, but it tasted fine.  I then took some to my boyfriend and he enjoyed it too!  So this one is quite a success!  My recommendation is to make the lemon dressing but I would just serve that with plain fruit.  I think this “salad” is a great dessert alternative!

I would give Strawberry Cheese Dessert Salad 4 out of 4 stars!!

The recipe follows

Strawberry Cheese Dessert Salad

From The Good Housekeeping Cook Book ©1942

2 C. Hulled, washed Strawberries

6 T. Granulated Sugar

1 Envelope plain, unflavored gelatin (1 T.)

¼ C. Cold Water

¼ C. boiling water

1 T. lemon juice

¼ t. Salt

¾ c. canned crushed pineapple, undrained

6 oz. pkg. cream cheese or 2/3 C. cottage cheese

½ c. heavy cream, whipped

Lettuce

24 hulled, washed whole strawberries

Lemon Cream Dressing (recipe follows)

Cut the 2 c. strawberries into thin crosswise slices and add the sugar.  Soak the gelatin in the cold water 5 min, then add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is dissolved.  Add lemon juice, salt, pineapple, and sugared berries.  Chill until it begins to thicken, then add cheese and beat with egg beater until well mixed.  Fold in the cream and turn into a 2 qt. mold which has been rinsed in cold water.  Chill until firm, then unmold on lettuce, garnish with whole strawberries and serve with Lemon Cream Dressing.

Lemon Cream Dressing

3 T. Lemon Juice

3 T. granulated sugar

1 egg, well-beaten

1 c. heavy cream, whipped

Combine lemon juice, sugar, and egg in double boiler and cook over hot, not boiling, water until thick.  Chill and combine with the whipped cream.  Serve with fruit salads.  Serves 6-8.

Apricot Disaster?

I decided for my first attempt at Jell-O to try one from the Taste of Home website.  I also decided to make this for a pot luck luncheon at my work.  When picking this recipe I decided to look at the ingredients list rather than the directions.  I thought orange Jell-O with 7-up sounded light, and then with the addition of apricots it would add interest and texture.  

As I was making it I looked at the directions, and in step 2 I saw that I needed to blend the apricots and the orange juice concentrate, so there goes the texture.  

Then when I added the 7-up as the last ingredient the mixture foamed up and I freaked out that my kitchen would soon be immersed in orange sticky goo. 

Fortunately that did not happen.  I mixed it all together, put it in a plain deep bowl and covered in plastic wrap.  I put it in the refrigerator while thinking good thoughts of the firm Jell-O that would await me in the morning.  When I woke, I was like a child at Christmas, I couldn’t wait to open the fridge and see the wonderful Jell-O that was waiting there.   I took out the bowl and shook it.  The Jell-O was not very firm and moved away from the sides of the bowl.  Since I was taking it to work I decided to unmold it on a disposable plastic plate.  I inverted it and didn’t hear the sound of the Jell-O unmolding.  I shook the bowl a little and finally heard a schlop (not a nice little plop, but a schlop).   I was very scared to lift the bowl and see what was there.  The mold had plopped down and spread out a bit and there was a little indent in the side of it.  I was very glad that I used a plain bowl rather than a decorative one, because I believe the Jell-O would have just spread out into a smooth surface. 

 I then wrapped the whole thing in plastic wrap then foil.  I placed it on the floor of the passenger side of my car.  Every two minutes of my 30 minute commute to work I looked down at the Jell-O hoping I wouldn’t see orange goo seeping into my car.  I finally got to work without any seepage and placed it on the banquet table.  I quickly ran from the room hoping no one would blame me for the runny Jell-O. 

When it was my turn for lunch I checked out the Jell-O and a few people actually tried it.  I saw it on one coworker’s plate and told them I made it and asked how it was. I got a glowing review!  I then had several other coworkers try it and got more glowing reviews!!  I was even asked for the recipe by not 1 or 2 but 5 different people!!  Most of the staff thought it was very good and that it complemented our Italian feast nicely!  I of course told them that was my intention and I had planned it that way all along!  Although inside I was just glad that I wasn’t chased out of the building for the crazy apricot concoction!  I finally tried it myself and I thought the texture was a bit strange, not completely firm.  It was very tangy due to the orange juice concentrate.  But, for the most part it was very good and very refreshing!  

First attempt I will mark with 3 out of 4 stars! 

The following link is the recipe:

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Apricot-Orange-Gelatin-Salad-

Now, what to try next……am I brave enough for Jell-O with meat in it?   You’ll have to check back soon to see the answer to that!!

Welcome to my experiment!!

Hello, 
  
     My name is Lindsey and I live in Kansas City.  I inherited my grandmother and great grandmother's cookbooks.  Unfortunately it is a very small collection, it basically consists of Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeeping.  But, the interesting thing is that the earliest one was published in 1941. 
      As I was looking through these three books and a few supplements, I noticed that food trends have definitely changed. The thing that peaked my curiosity and slightly scared me was the use of gelatin. Molded chicken salad, molded tuna salad, cherry jello with cherries and green olives.  I have decided to try some recipes not only from these cookbooks but newer ones and ones that I have found on the web.  (Some of the old fashioned ones I am not going to attempt for fear of hospitalization!)
      So now my little experiment of savory and sweet jello concoctions is to be a blog.  This way I can share recipes, ideas, history, and hopefully get some feedback and recipes in return.
      As I am sitting here writing there is jello in my refrigerator firming up.  Tomorrow is the monthly staff luncheon at my work.  I am starting my experiment now with a recipe I found on the Taste of home website http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Apricot-Orange-Gelatin-Salad-.  This gelatin consists of canned apricots, orange juice concentrate, orange jello, and lemon/lime soda.  After I have tasted it I will post my review and pictures.
     
     So here's to jello and I apologize in advance to friends and family for all the jello they are going to be forced to consume from now on!