​There’s no doubt that pineapple is on the menu!  Since this symbol of welcome is currently trending everywhere, I was delighted to find a vintage pineapple-shaped Jell-O mold when I was thrifting.  This led me to rediscover Jell-O salad in all its fruity, wiggly retro splendor!  I haven’t eaten a Jell-O salad in many years.  My Grandma Marcie used to make them when I was a little girl.

Cooking with gelatin was cutting edge in the 1950s– an intersection of the culinary arts and modern food science.  French cuisine was the first to use gelatin for cooking.  Since rendering and clarifying gelatin was labor intensive and expensive, only the wealthy could afford to use it.  The invention of pre-granulated gelatin in 1894 by Charles Knox and the eventual widespread use of refrigeration made it accessible to everyone.

Here’s my updated version of a Jell-O fruit salad.  To make it, you’ll need:

• A box of orange Jell-O
• A 15 ounce can of fruit cocktail in fruit juice
• A can of Eagle sweetened condensed milk
• A vintage Jell-O mold

1. Strain and save the juice from the can of fruit cocktail.  The can has about a ½ cup of juice.  Add ¼ cup of cold water and ¼ cup of condensed milk to the juice.
2. Arrange the canned fruit in the Jell-O mold.
3. Boil a cup of water and mix in the dried Jell-O.  Then, add the mixture of fruit juice, water, and sweetened condensed milk to the boiling water with the Jell-O.                                Tipsy Tip: To take your Jell-O salad to an adults-only level and make it the life of the party, spike it by adding coconut rum or tequila now!!!
4. Pour the liquid into the mold and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours. 
5. To remove the Jell-O from the mold, set it on top of the tray you want to serve the dessert on.  Lightly run warm water on the mold for less than 10 seconds.  The Jell-O will release and be ready to eat!

​I told my daughter stories about my grandma as we made this Jell-O salad.  We both think it tastes like dreamsicles and sunshine.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

A bright red barn, the only color in a glittery, snowy horizon, welcomes me back to my county after a long drive home.  Orion’s Belt playfully twinkles in the cold night sky.  An ethereal aurora borealis illuminates the silhouettes of a forest of evergreen trees.  Plaid, holly, a string of colorful lights—these are some of the scenes and images that I’ll always associate with winter.  These symbols evoke light, wonder, companionship, and simple comfort.  This is the perfect time for quiet introspection and staying in instead of rushing around.

In this new year, let’s aim to slow down and appreciate the small things in life.  Here’s to making gradual, incremental changes and evolving organically as a person rather than forcing yourself to become a new you.  Abrupt change that isn’t realistic or true to you simply doesn’t work.  This year, rather than focusing on correcting your perceived flaws or deficiencies, be kind to yourself.  Identify what’s great about you and what you love to do and amplify it!  Choose activities and exercise that are fun for you.  Learn more about what fascinates you.  Spend time with people who inspire you and make you smile.  Resolve to do more of what leaves you feeling fulfilled and fits with your personal mission and values. 

You are great just the way you are, so continue to develop your best qualities and characteristics!  You’ll be so busy and happy that any negativity will be left behind in the dust.  It’s time to give yourself credit for what you’ve done right in your lifetime.  Here’s to celebrating and being thankful for what’s best about you and good in your life!

​With that in mind, I’ve been making magnets from #1 upcycled plastic and vintage buttons that celebrate winter’s quiet, magical moments.  Happy 2019 to you! 
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