Jello Ribbon Salad

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
5 small packages of gelatin - I use strawberry, orange, lemon, lime and berry blue for a rainbow salad but you can do all the same color or alternate with two colors - whatever you like
2 cups sour cream
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cold water - plus about 5 cups boiling water
2 tsp vanilla

Stir the unflavored gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water to soften. Stir in 2 cups sour cream.

Meanwhile, put 2 cups milk and 1 cup sugar in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until boiling, stirring occasionally. Stir the hot milk mixture into the sour cream, add 2 tsp vanilla and set aside.
Dissolve first flavor of gelatin in 1 cup boiling water. My first layer was the strawberry.


Pour strawberry gelatin in a 9 x 13 glass casserole. Place in refrigerator until set.




Pour a little more than 1 cup of the sour cream and milk mixture over the strawberry jello it is set. It helps to pour into a spoon placed just above the jello. This allows the mixture to gently spread across the gelatin and not break it up. Place in the refrigerator to set the white layer.


Meanwhile you can dissolve color number 2 (orange for my recipe) in 1 cup boiling water. I usually place this in the refrigerator to chill but you do not want it to set.

Gently pour the second color layer over the white layer. Here I hit the white layer with the backside of the spoon and disturbed it. You can see some of the white floating in the orange. You can also see the red layer through the white - it happens! This won't be visible when the salad is finished and when you cut it into serving pieces, most people won't even notice.

Chill to set the orange layer, then repeat with another white layer (just a little more than a cup).
While the second white layer is chilling, dissolve color number three - the yellow/lemon gelatin.

Gently pour the lemon gelatin over the white layer. This one came out much better and you can't even tell there was a mishap underneath :-)

Chill the yellow layer and repeat another layer of white.
While this third layer of white is chilling, dissolve color #4 (green/lime) in 1 cup boiling water.

After the green sets, add another layer of white using what is left and then the blue gelatin.

And here is the result.

And a side view - it looks very impressive when you cut it in squares and serve one a small salad plate. Or you can just scoop it out with a spoon :-)

One year on July 4th I made this using red and blue gelatin with the white stripes. I layered them blue, white, red, white, blue, white, red, white and instead of putting a solid blue layer on top I poured the last blue layer in a separate pan and when it chilled I used a star cookie cutter to cut out 'jiggler' stars. I place them randomly on the white layer. When we arrived at the picnic, the blue stars had slid around on the white layer - but the white was dyed blue where they had been - it was sort of cute !

Wedding Recipes

Several people have requested these recipes from DD#1's wedding reception. They are easy - easy!

Italian Cream Cheese
1 brick cream cheese (low fat works fine)
1 package Good Seasons salad dressing mix (dry)

Pour dry salad dressing mix onto a plate and spread it out in a thin layer. Unwrap the cream cheese and roll it in the dressing mix covered completely with the mix.
Place on a clean plate and serve with crackers.


Blueberry Punch (makes 1/2 gallon)

1 envelope of Kool-Aid - Berry Blue
1/2 c sugar
6 oz can frozen lemonade concentrate
Water
Vanilla ice cream

Mix the Kool-Aid, sugar and lemonade concentrate in a 2 quart pitcher. Add water to make 2 quarts. Pour into punch bowl. Add scoops of ice cream if desired.

The original recipe was one my Aunt Betty sent in for DD#1's cookbook. It used raspberry kool-aid and orange juice concentrate. We wanted blue punch for the wedding so we tried this combination and it was a hit!

Cherry Dessert

This is a flexible recipe that I love to use for a quick, easy dessert.

1 -2 cans cherry pie filling (I use about 1 1/2 can and save the rest for topping on ice cream or pancakes)
1 cherry chip cake mix (can use yellow or white)
1 stick margarine
slivered almonds

Heat oven to 325.

Spread cherry pie filling in bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan. Spread dry cake mix over the cherries.
Melt margarine and drizzle over the cake mix. Sprinkle top with slivered almonds.

Bake 50-55 minutes or until bubbly and top is lightly browned.

Great served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.


The original recipe used 1 large can sliced peaches, butter pecan cake mix and pecans on top. I have used yellow cake mix with the peaches and it is good too. I want to try this with apple pie filling and spice cake mix. Also think blueberry filling with lemon cake mix would be good!

Let me know if you try it with other combinations.


UPDATE 9/24/09
I did make this with apple pie filling and spice cake mix. I used 2 cans of pie filling and made it in 2 deep dish 10-inch pie plates. I split the cake mix and margarine between the 2. It was good!

Crock Pot Corn Pudding

1/4 c onion, diced
1/4 c bell pepper, diced
15 oz can cream style corn
4 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Saute onion and bell pepper until onion is translucent.
Whisk eggs and milk. Add corn and seasonings. Stir in sauteed vegetables.
Lightly butter crockpot. Add mixture and cook on HIGH 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Sprinkle grated cheese on top and heat until melted.

Mexican Layered Chicken

2 lb chicken, cooked and cut up in bite size pieces
3 cup sour cream
2 cups Mexican cheese
8 oz canned diced chilies
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 corn tortillas

Mix together chicken, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, chilies, cumin, and black pepper.
Arrange 6 tortillas in bottom of lasagne pan. Top with half the chicken mixture.
Repeat. Top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with salsa if desired.

Grape Tomato Salad

1 cup grape tomatoes
3 or 4 green onions, diced
1 Tbsp parmesan cheese
Vinaigrette dressing (I use Red Wine Vinaigrette)

Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Stir together all ingredients. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to an hour.

Stromboli

Each stromboli serves 2 people - adjust quantities to the number eating. A good way to use up leftover lunch meat and cheese. Try your own combination and vary according to taste or what you have on hand.

Crescent rolls
Lunch meat
Sliced cheese

Preheat oven according to crescent roll cooking directions.
Unwrap crescent rolls and place rectangle between 2 sheets of waxed paper.

Roll with a rolling pin to press seams together and flatten very thin, trying to keep the rectangle shape.

Remove top sheet of waxed paper.

Place slices of lunch meat and cheese in center leaving at least an inch of uncovered dough on all 4 edges.
Adding some turkey ham on top of the turkey breast.
And then some provolone cheese.

Fold in the shorter sides to lap over the meat and cheese layer by about an inch. Begin rolling like a jelly roll from one of the long edges, trying to keep the meat and cheese from sliding toward the unrolled edge.

Continue until rolled completely - making sure that dough touches dough at seam.

Place seam side down on a baking sheet. Cut a couple diagonal slashes across the top of the roll with a sharp knife.

Bake 2-3 minutes longer than directions for the crescent rolls.

Slice into 4 sections and enjoy.