Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Happy Mother's Day...with Jello

I know it looks as if I've made nothing but desserts, but really, I do eat actual meals. This past month (or two) I've been trying to eat up everything that's been lingering around the pantry and the freezer in order to save some money at the grocery store. I've made a few creative meals...creative in that I think, "Wow! That was all pretty random, but tasty." I've had a box of strawberry jello in the pantry for months now. Who bought the strawberry jello? I don't know. I believe it was a purchase made when my mom started her chemo back in fall. I have nothing against jello. It's brightly colored and jiggly and reminds me of candy. So, instead of making jello (or jello shots, which are tempting when you've had a rough week) I went back again to a childhood recipe that my mom made for holidays and special events.

When I was young, my family didn't have a lot of money and I had VERY young parents. My mom was a young mother who was learning to cook while she was learning to be a parent and a wife. So, this recipe is VERY simple but, in my eyes, still one of my favorite desserts since it reminds me of her. This is actually best with lime or lemon jello, but the strawberry worked just fine. Hey! And it's pink for breast cancer awareness!



Strawberry Jello Pie

1 small box of strawberry jello
1/4 cup boiling water
1/4 cup room temp water
1 tub lite cool whip
1 premade graham cracker crust
fresh strawberries for the top

Mix the box of jello with 1/4 cup boiling water to dissolve. Once all dissolved, add 1/4 cup room temperature water (or less if it looks to watery) and mix well. Let it cool back to room temp if it's too hot. Fold the liquid jello into the the cool whip slowly. Once it is all mixed together, scoop into your crust and put it in the fridge to set. Add fresh strawberries and serve! It tastes like a quick strawberry mousse...light and fluffy!