Thursday, April 11, 2013

A-Z blogging challenge:
J is for Jello


I know. You were expecting JOY. But don't you know, Joy and Jello are practically synonymous?

As a child of the '70s and '80s, jello was kind of a big deal. I can remember the first jello salad I was allowed to concot, on my own, probably around the age of 10 or 11. It was quite the responsibility. I think I went for blueberry, with blueberries IN it, and a whipped cream outline around the base. I fretted over getting the jello out of the green plastic ring. Remember these:


Yes, items from my childhood are now being sold as vintage on Etsy. Sigh.

Anyway, once I moved past that first blueberry salad-cum-dessert, I am sure I created a few dozen more during my teen years. I always focused on a good flavor-texture combo, unlike one of my grandmothers, who was notorious for her shredded carrot and orange jello salad or her lime-celery-nut jello salad. But she was aiming for a smidge of health (let's disguise the vegetables with jello)... I, on the other hand, was not.

During my college and post-college years, I sadly turned my back on jello as not chic enough to make or serve. Yes, I was one of those silly people. (And no, I didn't do jello shooters. Just wasn't my thing.)

But somewhere along the way, I let go of the "not chic enough" and went back to the "how fun!" Having a kid and watching him be just as fascinated as I was with the wiggly and wobbly pieces, maneuvering them into his mouth as a toddler surely must have influenced that. And what's not to love about the colors! I hadn't considered the whole layered thing growing up, and rarely have the patience for it now, but I still think it makes for great sport.



I sense that the jello Easter egg molds will be on my shopping list for next spring... And how fun, the sky-cloud comb!

What's your favorite jello flavor? Combination? 


What's this A-Z business about? Check out my kick-off post. And stay tuned for the random joy and nonsense I concoct during the month of April!

20 comments:

  1. Wow beautiful but way beyond my level of patience. They don't sell jello in Denmark, I bought some here from Australia, the bonus kids loved everything about it except eating it :) if you google 'australian jelly slice recipe' images you will see my favourite jelly dessert, (even Danish kids like it)

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    1. I spent time in Australia in the late '80s, about a year total. What I remember about the jello are the different flavors of they had there. I think I even brought some passion fruit jello back with me. Thanks for the blast from the past...

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    2. Just googled the jelly slice--that looks pretty good! Yum.

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  2. I don't know this joy thing, but jello I can get behind :) The cloud jello looks like so much fun.


    http://intoabarrel.blogspot.com/

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    1. Funny, Kathy. Thanks for coming by. I think the cloud jello looks fun, not sure I could eat a whole parfait glass of it though--I think the white is Cool Whip. That's too much Cool Whip for me!

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  3. I am not a jello fan. Mostly because it's kind of a cultural Mormon icon. Green jello and raisins, or green jello and (gag!) carrots. Seriously, that's some messed up shiz. ;)

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    1. Come on up for a jello outing, and I will change your mind! ;) Ha. OK, we can stay with the breakfast plan, I'm cool with that. xo

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  4. I've never been a huge fan of jello, but one time I had a really terrible throat infection and it was literally the only thing I could eat for days. You can bet I devoured it then!

    Ashlee / Ramblings of a Silly Girl

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    1. I had some friends whose mom would make them jello when they were sick as kids... it made me a little jealous, as my mom was pretty anti-sugar when I got sick. Jello while tucked into bed? How awesome. Ha.

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  5. Sorry I have not been able to comment on all your blogs... you are just one blog-aholic!

    i have read them all... but this jello thing is too good not to respond to.

    I just split laughing about grandmas jello disguises.

    Keep on having fun with this.

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    1. It has been a lot of fun, Pa. Thanks for commenting on jello! I have great memories of Grandma G's jello salads...

      Safe travels! xo

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  6. Jello never was a big thing in Sweden but I've seen it. It just looks so....loaded with chemicals. But probably not worse than whatever candy that is available out there.

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    1. I'm sure you're right, Susanne--the dyes are probably the biggest part of the chemicals, but sugar isn't generally a great thing either. So, I'll have it once a year and be happy with the wiggly woggly on my tongue! :)

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  7. Ha! I even still have that jello mold, although I don't remember the last time I used it. Someone else did a post on jello, and I was telling her that I don't know of anyone who eats it much anymore, but I did come across a fantastic book called the Joys of Jello, which I bought, for $2.50 and just for nostalgia purposes. The pictures are fab, similar to the ones you posted. Stopping by from the A-Z and I'm your newest follower.

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    1. Thanks for coming by, Cathy. Sometimes I don't think many people make Jello either, but then I see all those pictures on Pinterest and it seems maybe there are more than one would imagine. Probably mostly people with toddlers!

      Thanks for coming by!

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  8. I am still laughing about your jello posting...what a hoot!!!

    I actually like Grandma G's jello salad...I quit making them because she was such an expert and I felt I would get all I needed just hanging around her.

    Keep on, keeping on, dear girl.

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  9. Cloudjello looks cool!
    My daughter can't say 'jello' - she calls it jelly :)

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    1. Jelly is what they call it in the UK and Australia, so your daughter would be right at home there! I like the look of cloud jello, but I'm not really into Cool Whip... I'll have to figure out an alternative.

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  10. J: Vegetables in Jell-O are so, so wrong.

    I remember way back in the fall of 1986 that you and I made dinner for a coupla boys we were trying to impress, and our dessert was some kind of Jell-O dish made with 7-Up instead of water. I don't remember anything else about the evening (that I care to share), but a few years later Jell-O had an ad campaign suggesting a delightful treat could be had by using 7-Up in the place of water. I was all WHAAAAT? I've been doing that ever since Sherilee gave me the idea when we were mere CHILDREN. You should totally get the credit for that one. ;)

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    1. Yes, trendsetter that I am in the Jello arena... That memory is making me laugh, Jen! (Now, sadly, I can't remember who the boys were... wow. Old.)

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