there's (almost) always room for Jello

i know people have very.... mixed feelings on Jello. having been raised on its presence on my Gram's table, i'm ok with Jello. there were big bowls of it in cherry or strawberry or raspberry for dessert during the hot Summer months. and tiny bowls of it when there were upset tummies. always the red flavors.

on the holidays, the Jello molds would come out. Easter and Thanksgiving brought orange Jello with shredded carrot & pineapple. (i know, but it was surprisingly good! or maybe an acquired taste. ::shrugs::) for Christmas, we had lime with pear slices & maraschino cherries, which was ok, but not really my favorite, truth be told.

in my late teens & early twenties, i was introduced to the shockingly yummy Strawberry Pretzel Salad that my then boyfriend's sisters would make. i remember tasting it tentatively once, to be polite, and then promptly understood why there were *never* any leftovers.

about the same time, i asked my Gram if i could try a new Jello mold for Thanksgiving, just to change things up a little. it was a variation of this Sparkling Fruit Mold (except that i used regular ginger ale instead of diet, and the flavor of Jello i used -- Sparkling White Grape -- is apparently not sold anymore). it was such a hit that my family never let a Thanksgiving go by without it again.

in principle, i can see why some people are not fond of Jello. it's a strange consistency. and it quivers independently. it's mildly alarming, trying to wrap your mind around eating something that actually looks like it's afraid of you. ;-) but having grown accustomed to this "culinary" oddity, i'm not intimidated.

i do think, however, that i've finally met my match with the discovery of Scott's Holiday Salad. i have officially joined the ranks of those who are afraid to eat something made of Jello.