Jello and the Substance of Simple Things---Part 2

The reason I make my Rainbow Jello Salad once a year to coincide with Easter is because of the colors. I love this time of year when the earth gradually casts aside her winter wardrobe of worn-looking neutrals for a fresh new Spring wardrobe of delicate pastels. Colors are softer and clearer when the year is young. These newborn colors are perfect for Easter decorations and candy. Baskets and eggs and jellybeans look as if they were rolled in green grass, soaked in sunshine, brushed against pink and purple petals, or dipped in the blue of the sky.

After our Easter brunch last Saturday we had an Easter Egg hunt for our grand daughter. The Easter bunny came while she ran to the store with her Dad and Papa. I had my sister and my sister-in-law be bunny helpers which is interesting considering that both of them are getting older and have major trouble with their knees and their feet. But they were happy to help because they are both very giving and they are both very young at heart. Just goes to show that the Easter Bunny is ageless. My grand daughter was excited to look for what the Easter bunny had left for her. She wasn't excited in a jumping-up-and-down way but you could see the wonder in her eyes and that filled the air with childlike anticipation that rejuvenated the 'old folks' who were watching and thinking of Easter Egg hunts from another time.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the brunch although my grandson was miserable teething and my 89 year old Uncle lost a tooth. Life can be rough on both ends and in the middle but thank heavens for all the moments of interspersed joy. I experienced several of those moments on Saturday. I got to hold my feverish grandson and comfort him and kiss him and feel him fall asleep in my arms. I got to feed and listen to, and laugh with and watch, and just be with family---sustenance for a mother. I also got to push my grand daughter in a swing. We pointed out airplanes, said silly things , and giggled together. For those moments I felt filled up with joy and weightier matters were carried away on the breeze.

The pleasures brought by colored jello, pastel colors, sleeping babies, laughing children, and time spent with people you love can be elusive and oh so hard to adequately describe. The apostle Paul defines Faith as being "the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." In this case the word substance can have the Greek meaning of assurance, basis, or foundation. Simple pleasures like those experienced at our pre-Easter brunch strengthen my faith and give substance to my hopes and dreams. Our Savior said that man must become as a little child to enter the kingdom of Heaven. We all should spend more time with children to better understand this requirement and to grasp the substance of simple things. Time spent with my children and grandchildren gives me a glimpse of heaven and motivation to make it there.

What do you see from your window today?

Jello and the Substance of Simple Things---Part 1

Jello(I am using this term to refer to gelatin in general but I do prefer the Jell-O brand) is on my list of comfort foods. I really like jello. I like the smell of the powder, the colors, the flavors, the texture, and I never fail to be impressed by the way you can actually suspend other foods inside of it. (I never have and never will put spam in jello---there is a line between creative and disgusting) You can mold it, whip it, or cut it into jiggly shapes. For me jello is the edible equivilent to Silly Putty or Play-Doh. My son doesn't eat jello because he doesn't like the texture. For me, jello doesn't hold together in your mouth long enough to be offensive. I like sinking my teeth into it. There is no threat to my crowns.



I realize that when I confess my fondness for jello that I am risking becoming a real live caricature of myself (I thought about it---it's possible); a middle-aged LDS housewife from Utah who happily serves jello as a side dish as well as a dessert and takes jello salads to ward dinners. Members of the LDS church, especially those from Utah, have long been associated with jello. Green jello pins were sold at the 2002 Olympics in Utah. It is a fact that jello consumption is pretty high in the state of Utah and jello salads have always been standard fare at LDS church dinners. Although for the past decade I think LDS women have been trying to break out of the jello mold so to speak and try newer more exciting dishes. I know non LDS people in other states eat jello too. The Jell-O Museum is in the state of New York and I was surprised when I went to a luau on the island of Kauai to find jello on the menu---perhaps the luau was run by members of the LDS church---jello wasn't on my list of exotic island dishes but it tasted much better than the poi.



I made a favorite jello concoction just last Friday. It is a Rainbow Jello Salad. It is made with 6 different flavors of jello that represent 6 out of 7 colors of the rainbow. (Unfortunately they don't make an indigo shade of jello but making this salad helped me learn the order of colors in a rainbow. My oldest daughter introduced me to Roy G. Biv to help me remember) Each flavor is split into 2 layers, one layer just dissolved in boiling water and the other layer dissolved in boiling water with sour cream whisked into it. The end result is an incredible 12 layer rainbow comprised of one translucent and one opaque layer of each color. I put it in a 13x9 glass dish and cut it into squares so you can appreciate all of the layers. This is more than a salad. It's an edible creation that is aesthetically pleasing! You can actually peel the layers and eat them one at a time like my grand daugther did. Pieces of it look like it fell from the sky onto your plate. It tastes pretty good. It doesn't stimulate your taste buds like the luscious lemon and tarragon of bearnaise or embrace your taste buds like warm homemade rolls with butter but it gently tickles your taste buds while entertaining your tongue. (Yes, I could use more adventure in my life) I got the recipe from a neighbor years ago and the last few years it has become a traditional part of my pre-Easter brunch. It doesn't really take talent to make, just time and patience, and it looks so cool. It obviously gives this LDS housewife a sense of accomplishment and could very well be considered the piece de resistance of jello recipes.
I hope this post 'sets' well with you...