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!
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