jell-o

Reformation Day/Halloween 2021

Today was the rare occasion where Reformation Day/Halloween actually falls on a Sunday. We started the day at church, where we enjoyed some especially amazing music featuring hymns written by Martin Luther:

We went for a short walk in Forest Park after the service, where we enjoyed the beautiful fall colors (in spite of the wind):

I was so excited to pick up a box of Monster Mash cereal for the Fab Five for breakfast!

This afternoon, we watched The Nightmare Before Christmas for the first time, as well as It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. For dinner, I made potato-parsnip soup, cheese and jam turnovers, and butterbeer…it was the perfect meal for today!

Dessert was the Jell-O Halloween Special, as advertised by Harlow Wilcox in the 1940s…”Looks like a dish of sunshine all dressed up, doesn’t it?”

I chose my costume in Animal Crossing: New Horizons with great care…I’m a hot dog!

I tracked down the Czar of Halloween right away.

I think my neighbors enjoyed the festivities, too!

This was a busier Halloween than most for us, and it was a very fun day!

The Jell-O Halloween Special

Even though we’re not really into Halloween (I wonder how long I can keep pretending that’s true?), we look forward to listening to the 1946 Halloween episode of The Baby Snooks Show every October. And one of the best parts of the show is the sales pitch (here in bold) Harlow Wilcox gives when Baby Snooks and her friend appear at his door trick-or-treating. I promised the children that this year, I’d make them the “Jell-O Halloween Special” he mentions in that conversation…thankfully, we don’t need to worry about a sugar shortage!

Oh boy…Orange Jell-O…Whipped Cream…And little pieces of fruit inside!

Ahhh…That’s the “Jell-O Halloween Special!” That looks like a dish of sunshine all dressed up, doesn’t it? And just taste that wonderful flavor. But hey, don’t eat so fast. That’s the famous locked-in Jell-O flavor you know. Sealed in by a special process so it’s safe and sound ’til your first big spoonful. Makes you think of the real, ripe fruit, doesn’t it? You know, I can’t think of a thing I like better than a dish of Jell-O, can you?

Yeah, another dish!

Well, I’m afraid that will have to do for now. When the sugar shortage is over, and there’s lots of Jello again, you come around, and I’ll give you each six dishes…one of each of the six delicious Jell-O flavors: Strawberry, raspberry, cherry, orange, lemon, and lime!

Tasty Tuesday–Cherry Cola Jell-O

Since Easter is rapidly approaching, I decided to share our family’s favorite Jell-O recipe. It’s been something of a family secret until now, but since it’s been so popular with everyone who has tried it, I decided I could part with it!

  • 15 oz. can dark sweet cherries (pitted)–I use Oregon Fruit brand
  • 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
  • 1 large package (6 oz.) cherry Jell-O
  • 13 oz. cola

Drain fruit from both cans of juice AND SAVE. Add water to juice (if needed) to make two cups. Heat juice to boiling; add Jell-O. Stir until dissolved; pour into bowl and cool slightly. Add cola and fruit; pour into 1 1/2 quart mold if desired (I use a trifle dish). Refrigerate until set.

Quote

Quote of the Day

I actually like Jell-O, but this is still funny!

“I hate Jell-O. If God wanted peaches suspended in midair, he would have filled them with helium.” Estelle Getty as Sophia Petrillo on The Golden Girls

A Sneak Peek at St. Patrick’s Day

I decided to make a Jell-O dessert in the colors of the flag of the Republic of Ireland:

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I’m pretty happy with how it turned out…I think I may add it to our permanent collection!