Jell-O is a Midwest Pantry Staple
When we moved from Californian to Minnesota on of the first things I noticed, besides that your nose hairs freeze at about 15 degrees below zero, it that the culture of food is different from California cuisine.
We learned that Uff-da is a real word that people use in a sentence. Lefsa is a Scandinavian tortilla. And getting a one finger wave on the country roads of Ottertail County is TOTALLY different then getting a one finger wave down the crowded California Freeways.
I loved living in the Midwest. I loved seeing Fireflys and the smell of rain after a summer thunder storm.
The tree-lined streets are wide and when someone invited you over for coffee they really meant it.
When I went to the grocery store to buy fresh basil for pesto the grocer looked at me and asked where I was from, obviously not from those parts.
There were also tons of variations of hot dishes, which confused me a bit since I always called them casseroles.
Barbeques were not pieces of meat grilled over a flame. They were sloppy joes on a seeded bun.
One of the things I noticed was how much Jell-O was consumed. At a potluck it was not uncommon to see the full rainbow of flavors on the salad table. Jell-0 is NOT a salad, unless you live in the Midwest!
Here is one of the salads that I saw a lot of during our 9 years in Fergus Falls, MN. And it was always one of the first dishes emptied.
Here is what our kids said after the potluck.
Is there anymore of that fluffy stuff with the fruit in it?
GO TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR INGREDIENTS AND DIRECTIONS.
Quick Tip: Don’t have orange Jell-O? Use any flavor you want!
Photo and recipe courtesy of Larus Sweet Spot