My grandma used to make jello salad all the time. Some of the combinations were very good (black cherry jello with black cherries in it) while some were war crimes. Probably the worst was when she'd make little balls of cream cheese (about the diameter of a nickel) and roll them in crushed walnuts and then put them in the jello. This was topped with sliced green olives. At this point, the jello flavor really was irrelevant.
Eeuw! Those cream cheese balls in walnuts were obe of my favorite"cocktail snacks" in the 50s. But putting them in the ubiquitous Jello salads is a revolting idea!
Next time you come to Madison WI, stop by UW's Steenbock Library. We have one of, if not the largest collection of community/church/club cookbooks. They aren't as crusty as your Nebraska First Ladies volume, but I guarantee they have some Midwestern gems in them!
It's a special collection we have and do take donations, although it likely would need to be from somewhere in Wisconsin to be in scope. Steenbock Library at UW-Madison would be the place to contact!
I have this cookbook! Bought it new. You have a kindred spirit-I recently found a recipe in my “to try” file-the Fifth Place winner of the 1980 Better Homes and Gardens recipe contest. I saved this recipe for 43 years and moved it 6 times. 😬It was called Moussaka but it was basically a hamburger casserole with cottage cheese on top...not making it again!😊Love you!
Wow. I grew up in the Midwest & nothing about this surprised me -- my mom’s friend put dream whip on everything when I was a kid -- until the cheese. That is wild, even for here. Maybe from a very dairy place, where cheese is like a zucchini patch in August, any excuse to add it will do.
Wondering if maybe some meds were still in your system when deciding to try this recipe? It must have cost twice as much as the cookbook to make, try and toss?! Thank you, for taking the hit, this was a fun read!
I’m BEYOND entertained!! My first encounter with you that will not be my last. I love old/local/church/encrusted cookbooks too, just for the read! Irma Bombeck would be roaring at this (she was my Mom’s guru to life and actually met her once). Heal well and condolences for your friend. 💐 PS I was betting you’d never find that “powdered whipped topping”.
Reminding me of church potluck dinners in the 60s as a child. The banana pudding is gone, so what will you have? Humiliation, as the cook sees you tossing out a hellish contradiction of textures and flavors.
American cheese grated well if it was the blue box (now American cheese deluxe) & it came in a block like "government cheese". Next time you need grated American cheese, get an unsliced hunk from the delivery section. (Expertise gained from mac & cheese using Red Cross macaroni that was like bucatini & blue box cheese; grating was my job. I was an easily pleased kid)
You messed up on this one by using too fancy parmesan. Clearly this needed something shaken out of that green Kraft container.
The fact that they expected this to serve 15 makes it clear that even they didn't really want to eat this thing.
I want to live with the confidence of a woman who uses the word “congealed” in her own recipe. Such a bold move.
My grandma used to make jello salad all the time. Some of the combinations were very good (black cherry jello with black cherries in it) while some were war crimes. Probably the worst was when she'd make little balls of cream cheese (about the diameter of a nickel) and roll them in crushed walnuts and then put them in the jello. This was topped with sliced green olives. At this point, the jello flavor really was irrelevant.
Eeuw! Those cream cheese balls in walnuts were obe of my favorite"cocktail snacks" in the 50s. But putting them in the ubiquitous Jello salads is a revolting idea!
Next time you come to Madison WI, stop by UW's Steenbock Library. We have one of, if not the largest collection of community/church/club cookbooks. They aren't as crusty as your Nebraska First Ladies volume, but I guarantee they have some Midwestern gems in them!
It's a special collection we have and do take donations, although it likely would need to be from somewhere in Wisconsin to be in scope. Steenbock Library at UW-Madison would be the place to contact!
I have this cookbook! Bought it new. You have a kindred spirit-I recently found a recipe in my “to try” file-the Fifth Place winner of the 1980 Better Homes and Gardens recipe contest. I saved this recipe for 43 years and moved it 6 times. 😬It was called Moussaka but it was basically a hamburger casserole with cottage cheese on top...not making it again!😊Love you!
We really are kindred spirits!
Wow. I grew up in the Midwest & nothing about this surprised me -- my mom’s friend put dream whip on everything when I was a kid -- until the cheese. That is wild, even for here. Maybe from a very dairy place, where cheese is like a zucchini patch in August, any excuse to add it will do.
Wondering if maybe some meds were still in your system when deciding to try this recipe? It must have cost twice as much as the cookbook to make, try and toss?! Thank you, for taking the hit, this was a fun read!
I’m BEYOND entertained!! My first encounter with you that will not be my last. I love old/local/church/encrusted cookbooks too, just for the read! Irma Bombeck would be roaring at this (she was my Mom’s guru to life and actually met her once). Heal well and condolences for your friend. 💐 PS I was betting you’d never find that “powdered whipped topping”.
Reminding me of church potluck dinners in the 60s as a child. The banana pudding is gone, so what will you have? Humiliation, as the cook sees you tossing out a hellish contradiction of textures and flavors.
Liz did something similar on a larger scale if you haven't read it, it's definitely worth it. https://www.congressionalcookbook.com/?m=1
I'm so sorry about your friend 💔 Sending lots of love 🧡
Sorry to hear about your friend <3 thanks for making me laugh every time I read your writing.
OH BOY i have a 70s era betty crocker that is RIFE with jello molds/salads like this. it is glorious.
some jello molds are delicious, some are abominations.
Was the hot bacon fat salad called Dutch Mess? It sounds like something I grew up eating.
We weren't supplied with a name, I don't think!
American cheese grated well if it was the blue box (now American cheese deluxe) & it came in a block like "government cheese". Next time you need grated American cheese, get an unsliced hunk from the delivery section. (Expertise gained from mac & cheese using Red Cross macaroni that was like bucatini & blue box cheese; grating was my job. I was an easily pleased kid)