TheBanyanTree: J-E-L-L-O

[Julie Anna Teague]

Linda, A total hoot!  I now MUST dig out some of the old jello recipes. 
One time I counted: the Otwell United Methodist Cookbook has over fifty of
them.  Jello concoctions had wide representation at every church dinner,
and these things, despite their sweet, whipped, unnaturally colored
goodness, were never on the dessert table, but on the "salad" table.  They
had nuts and fruits---they were practically health food for crying out
loud.  My mom was partial to this one she called "five cup salad".  My
brother and I were happy to call it "salad", thus sparing ourselves from
anything more salad-like. 

It consisted of (I'm calling this up from somewhere deep within me, from
some time in the early 70's, so bear with me.  The last time I helped make
this, I was wearing a homemade, polyester pantsuit.  It was the same
fabric as my mother's and coordinated nicely with my brother, who had
already run for his life, and my father, who was in no way going to the
damned church dinner.  My mom had very big hair.  I had long braids and
was just beginning to cop an attitude about life in general and the
banality of jello dinners at the Otwell United Methodist church in
specific.) 

1 cup miniature marshmallows 
1 cup crushed pineapple 
1 cup mandarin orange slices 
1 cup cottage cheese 
1 cup...something...something...can't
remember, but it MIGHT be whipped cream

(It probably was whipped cream because the calorie count up to that point
is *way* too low.)  

and then... 
as ever...
the ubiquitous...
drumroll please....

1 pkg orange jello (not mixed with the water)

Do not try this at home.  Or if you do, don't blame me.  

Julie...who ate her share of jello chocolate puddin's in the special
stemmed puddin' glasses,

...who filled her mother's "wine" glasses (we never once had wine) 
halfway with jello, tilted them artfully in the fridge so they would "set
up" at an angle, then added a layer of jello mixed with whipped cream, and
topped it off with more whipped cream, thus creating a spectacular family
treat,

...who knows what fruit sinks and what fruit floats,

...who, thanks to the Otwell United Methodist Church ladies, will never
ever lack for creative ideas with jello.  Never.  Ever.