Stained Glass Jell-o - Feeding Larry Pt 6 - Church PotLuck Salad or Dessert

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This may be the perfect Church PotLuck dish.  First, of course there is always room for Jell-O.  But take a look at the beautiful colors and title... Stained glass just belongs in church.

Or of course this works just as well for any big family event, Holiday meal or something cool for a backyard BBQ.  I have been writing all week about a big Whoop de Doo we hosted for visiting friends from Tennessee.  This is the first side dish I am posting (with plenty more to come.

Now I will admit a little prejudice against Jell-o.  As a kid I never appreciated those salads with the fruit floating in them.  Seemed about the only time I ever really ate any was when I was sick.

I was surprised when I went shopping and saw all the new colors and flavors.  The pale colors of my youth have been replaced with almost neon colors and vibrant deep flavors.  This sure ain't the Jell-o of bygone days.

This really looks difficult and time consuming to make.  In fact it only takes a few minutes of prep work and the pay off is well worth it.  This does take two days (over nights really) to make.  Which actually works perfect for these big gatherings.  Anything that can be made a day or two ahead of time works perfect, freeing you up for the dishes that need to be made fresh.

OK... Here's what I did...

Stained Glass Jello

Ingredients

• 4 (3 OZ) Boxes Jell-o in Bold Different neon colors
• 1 (14 OZ) Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2 Envelopes Knox Unflavored Gelatin

Cooking Directions

1. Dissolve one 3 oz box of jello in one cup of boiling water... IMPORTANT... The box says to dissolve 2 Cups with 1 box... Cut this to only 1 cup per color for firmer "blocks"
2. Pour into a flat container so the Jell-o does not get more than 1/2 inch deep and chill overnight.
3. Repeat with remaining three colors of Jell-o
4. After chilling the four flavors, cut them into 1/2 inch square blocks.
5. In a 9X13 pan, carefully fold the colors t mix.
6. In a separate bowl, sprinkle the 2 envelopes Knox gelatin into 1/2 cup cold water. After the gelatin blooms, add 1 1/2 cup boiling water and dissolve.
7. Add the can of condensed milk. Stir and cool... IMPORTANT Allow the milk gelatin to cool to room temperature or you will melt the Jell-o squares.
8. Pour cooled milk mixture over Jell-o and again chill overnight
9. Cut into larger 2X2 Squares, serve chilled as a salad or dessert and ENJOY!!!

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Larry has been RVing around the country and stopped by our little corner of the Universe.  I used this occasion to throw a Bobby Flay style BBQ Addiction Whoop de Doo with...

Fish, Fowl, Hoof, Larry, Snout and Fish!  

First up, the Fowl, that's a BBQ Turkey, brined and injected with Cajun Butter and Glazed with that Jack Daniel's Whiskey BBQ Sauce.

Second is the Hoof, a 30 Garlic Peppercorn Beef Roast.

Third is Larry hisself!

These Sweet Cherry Baby Back ribs are second from the right 

And last but not least... the Fish is an absolutely amazing Cranberry Walnut sauce Sugar Cured Whole Salmon Filet.

But even Larry does not travel 4,000 miles in a rolling Studio Apartment on Meat alone... Come back all this next week for my side dishes, desserts to go along with this special Jell-o!

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This recipe has been added to my growing list of "52 Church PotLuck Dishes"!

A list of something NEW worthy of being shown off at a neighborhood BYODish (Bring Your Own Dish) Party, a Family special occasion dinner, Any Big Holiday Gathering or of course that glorious day when you bring a dish to share with your Church family...

Ages ago, literally almost a half century ago I was listening to our pastor talking about a PotLuck Dinner. It happened to be scheduled around a church work day when we were expected to weed, polish and do general cleaning and maintenance around the church (you know, back in the day when there were no no-wax floors and church pews smelled of Old English furniture polish). I am of course paraphrasing, but as I recall the pastor said,

"A potluck, like a church requires work. At a potluck everyone is expected to contribute.. At a church no one should come empty handed and no one should leave unfed".

I will confess that in my youth I brought more store bought plastic spoons and forks than I ever brought covered dishes and crock pots of fresh made love and caring delights. But now that I have become a hobbyist cook, I occasionally am reminded of those days and people from my youth. I reminded and I do wish that I could drop a dish of some new creation on those old tables at my fondly remembered Liberty Baptist Church.  Tables covered with newspapers and loaded with God's bounty prepared with love and caring... Enjoy

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Specialty Salad Recipes"!!!

Sometimes they are the main course, sometimes a lunch and sometimes they are the side dish... And if you count Jell-o salad you can even make a dessert of a salad.  Here are a few of my favorite salads that get far more Ooohs and Aaahs than that simple chopped head of lettuce.

Links include Potato Salads, Cole Slaws, and Plenty of greens and fixins' Salads... And more than a few matching FRESH MADE Jam Jar make it yourself Salad Dressings!

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