ribbon salad ... patriotic style!

One of my family's favorite salads is the Ribbon Salad that we serve at Christmastime. It's a recipe for a set Jello salad that I got from my mother, and she got it from a wonderful woman named Irene Thompson. Sister Thompson was the wife of our bishop when I was a kid.

 

We serve it for Christmas dinner because it is red and "white" and green: perfectly festive! So what does Christmas salad have to do with anything happening in July?

 

Well, that's when I served it! Except, I adjusted it a little to fit the holiday: 

 

 

This wasn't really a planned photo -- just a quick snap in the middle of the meal. But can you see why it's called, "Ribbon Salad"? Obviously, at Christmas, the flavor is different because lime is used instead of berry. But it's still really really yummy, either way!

 

Here comes the recipe:

 

1 6-oz box of any red jello

1 6-oz box of lime jello

(For our purposes this time, I substituted blue jello for the green. You can use two small boxes of Jello instead of one large box of each kind)

 

Those are obviously the top and bottom layers of the salad.

The rest of the ingredients are all for the center layer of the salad:

 

1 3-oz box of lemon jello

1/2 cup marshmallow crème

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

1 can crushed pineapple, drained (reserve juice)

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup cream, whipped

 

I have three little potential changes to the ingredients list,  but I'll tell you about those when I get to that part.

 

You start by setting a layer of just plain jello, and although it doesn't really matter which color you start with, I have a habit of putting the red on top, and the green (or blue) on the bottom. I'm kind of weird that way. Just prepare it according to the directions on the package. I'm usually in a hurry, so I do the "speed set" method that involves ice cubes:

 

 

You can do that, or make the classic version. This fits in the next dish-size bigger than a 9"x13" dish. I think it's something like 11"x15". I haven't measured, and I'm not willing to jump up out of my recliner to check it. But if you try to use a 9x13, there will be too much salad for it. So, put the dish in the fridge, and let it set completely.

 

The second layer is the complex one. Ok, well .... not really. I lied. But it's really what "makes" this salad. And that's no lie.

 

In that photo, you might notice two of my recipe changes right away. First, the Cool Whip. Yeah, I tend to use that in this recipe, instead of real whipped cream. It's a leftover habit I still have from my mother's frugal mindset. I told you a little about it HERE. So, using Cool Whip, I use 2 cups of it, to make up for the 1 cup of whipped cream. I do think that you'd get a better taste and consistency if you use the real thing. Of course. I think next Christmas, I'll make the jump to real ingredients.

 

Next is the Miracle Whip. Maybe you're a mayonnaise person. We happen to be Miracle Whip people. I hope that them ain't fightin' words!

 

I am convinced that no matter which one you use, the Ribbon Salad will taste the way you prefer it, if you use the one you like best. So don't go buying mayo for the recipe if you actually like Miracle Whip. And vice versa. Just use what you have on hand. Really.

 

Start by dissolving the lemon jello in 1 cup of boiling water. (I boil water, pour it into a measuring cup, discard the rest of the water, and pour the 1 cup of water back into the pan, then add the jello.) Add the marshmallow crème. Stir until the marshmallow crème is mostly melted. Please ignore the dirty stove in the pictures..... it was late that night....  ;-)

 

Here's my third change to the recipe: sometimes I think the filling doesn't quite set up enough for me. I bet it has a lot to do with the Cool Whip vs. Whipped Cream situation. So, to get it to set well, I sometimes add an envelope of unflavored gelatin with the lemon jello. The extra gelatin is just the trick to get the salad to set.

 

 

 Irene says to add the juice from the pineapple and cream cheese. I actually add the hot stuff to the cream cheese, mix it, and then add the pineapple juice after, and mix that.

 

Stir in the drained pineapple, and let cool slightly.

 

Then fold in the Mayo/Miracle Whip, and whipped cream:

 

 

You might have ended up with a few little lumpies of the cream cheese. Don't worry about it, that's fine. Then chill the center mixture until it's pretty cool, but not set. If you forget this part, it will make a mess when you pour it over the bottom layer:

 

(I did that once at college. It looked bad, but tasted great!)

 

Spread the middle layer to the edges, and make the layer even when viewed from the side of the dish. Wipe off any residue on the upper part of the dish.

 

It should look something like this:

 

You may not need all of the filling to make a layer that is the same thickness as the bottom layer. In fact, a lot of times, I will reserve about 3/4 cup of the filling, and not put it on the salad. That helps keep the center layer from  being too thick (and leaves enough room at the top of the dish for the red jello). You want each layer to be about the same as the others, when viewed from the side of the dish.

 

But no worries about that extra filling: when you're not looking, the family will come by the fridge with their spoons and help themselves. It's usually gone be the time we have the meal that will feature the Ribbon Salad!

 

So, put it back in the fridge and let that layer set.

 

Prepare the red (or other color) jello, again according to package directions. Again, I used the Speed Set method. Instructions are on the box.

 

Shhh.... In the corner, you can see the raspberry-cream cheese bars that I also made for dessert on the Fourth. Way, WAY yummy! Maybe I'll share that recipe too, one of these days.

 

The red jello should set until it has cooled to the soupy stage, before pouring it on top.

 

And the last tip is that you have to pour the red jello pretty carefully over the center filling. If it's too hot, or if you pour too hard in one area, it will tear it apart and ruin the look of the salad.

 

I often use a large spoon to deflect it a little as I pour.

 

That also means that I have two hands busy, and can't stop to take pictures of the pour, either!

 

 

Carry the dish SUPER carefully to the fridge to finish setting completely. It's very full. Make sure it's level. Spilling red liquid jello in the refrigerator is kind of a pain to clean up. Ask me how I know.  If I have the clearance, sometimes I pour the red jello in with the dish still on the fridge shelf.

 

And that's it!! You kind of have to plan it in advance to make this stuff. When I do it for Christmas, I often set the 1st layer before the family's Christmas Eve gathering. I make the second layer just before Santa Claus comes. And I set the third layer on Christmas morning after we open gifts.

 

And ..... well, it's kind of a refrigerator hog. It takes up space for at least a day. Be prepared.

 

Hope you like our Ribbon Salad as much as we do!

 

 

 

Berry Cute!

 

One morning, I told Emma that we needed to go out and pick raspberries. This year, the berries haven't produced like they did last year, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We're just as busy as everyone else out there, and there are times when I wonder how I will fit in those batches of jam. So with less berries, there's a bit of a respite. I feel guilty when I offered berries to friends last year, and this year I can't repeat the offer.

 

Anyway.

 

So Emma took me at my word that morning .... and went out and picked berries without waiting for me! Next thing I knew, the doorbell rang on the west door ....

 

 

She was so proud of herself!

 

I'm impressed that she carried that many berries without having a bowl in which to stick them. I took my hint from her, and we went together out to the berry row. Yes, she's still wearing those snow boots out to the garden. Someone should talk to her mother about that...

 

And oh, wow -- those are some big berries!

 

We only managed to get two batches of jam this year, and no jelly this time. Luckily (I think?) we still have a fair amount of jam from last year, so we'll be fine. Although I could make some of those jam bar cookies, I think before I do, I will try another one of the Contessa's recipes first --- which could change things up a bit for our favorite jam bar. I'll let you know how it turns out.

 

Although the weather is dry right now, we had a lot of rain earlier. So much, that between the rain and the softball schedule, we couldn't even mow the whole back yard all at once:

 

How bad is that??

 

Barefoot Contessa: 2. Marilyn: 0. --- I can live with that.

I remember the first time I ever tasted lemon bars. It was at church on a Sunday evening, just after a baptism, and there were refreshments being served in the "multi-purpose" room at our stake center. I was maybe about 12 at the time, and being a quite picky eater, I was very skeptical about unknown new foods. You never know if it might taste nasty. (I know -- at age twelve, that's how I thought!)

 

But I think I was hungry that evening, and they looked harmless enough. So I tried them.... loved them .... and wondered why my mother didn't have this amazing recipe?? I mean, what's not to like? Shortbread crust, creamy-dreamy lemony filling, and dust the whole thing with powdered sugar? It's a slam dunk!

 

Well, it turned out that Mom did have the recipe. It's one of those recipes that everybody has, right? Like chocolate chip cookies.  I just can't figure out why she never made them.

 

So when I moved out of the house, the Lemon Bars recipe was among those that I faithfully copied onto my 3x5 recipe cards, to make sure I would have it for posterity. And I've used the same recipe from that time forward.

 

Until now.

 

And it's all because I clicked on a link to the Barefoot Contessa's recipe for Lemon Bars.  I have to say that, having grown up with my frugal mother, a lot of the time, we didn't keep "real" ingredients on hand. My mother was all about imitation stuff, if it meant that she could save a few pennies, or dollars. So, I grew up on margarine, not butter. Cool Whip, not whipped cream. Imitation vanilla extract. A product called "IMO", instead of sour cream.  And bottled lemon juice.

 

In fact, I don't think my mom even had a citrus reamer.

 

It took some time, but I gradually shook off most of my mom's imitation approach to food, and I tend to use the real thing more and more. But, I usually don't keep fresh lemons on hand. For the few teaspoons at a time that I usually use, it wasn't worth it to me. I just bought bottled juice.

 

So, way back around graduation time, we'd bought lemons for that weekend, and I had some leftover. It was the perfect opportunity to try the Contessa's lemon bar recipe, and do it the "real" way.

 

 

 

(My recipe card has seen better days..... scribble, stained ....  ha!!)

 

Knowing it could take a while, juicing the lemons was first on my list.

 

 

I still don't have a reamer, but I rolled them on the counter, and microwaved them for a few seconds to help get the most juice out of them. It worked great.

(You have to remember to zest them before juicing though ........)

 

Mixed up the dough for the shortbread base: butter, flour, sugar and a bit of salt. (A variation from my original recipe, which uses powdered sugar, not granulated.

 

 

... and then spread it in the baking dish. I've really started using my Pyrex glass dishes for anything that is going to be sliced in the pan it was cooked in. It just makes my life so much easier! Why didn't I think of it before?

 

 

And then press it down with your hands: 

 

And be sure to leave lots of fingerprints on that dough. Right?

Not. Just try to get it even.

 

Then you bake just the crust. 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. And while it bakes, you pour yourself an ice-cold cherry limeade  uhhhh, ... mix up the filling ....

 

(Alyssa had made the limeade .... it was super yummy! And that color is amazing!)

 

So, the filling is eggs, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and flour. The one thing I've learned about lemon bar filling is not to overdo it with the mixer. You want it all completely mixed through, but you're not trying to make it light and fluffy. Light and fluffy is the opposite of creamy-dreamy that we're going for here. So only mix until it's all combined, then stop.

 

 

When the crust is done (which is actually only half cooked, and that's the way you want it), it will look very light as it comes out of the oven:

 

Then you carefully pour the filling over the hot crust. Before pouring it, I would use your rubber scraper to stir up any sugar that may have settled to the bottom of the bowl while it was waiting.

 

So, carefully......

 

ARRGH!!!! Did you not LISTEN to me???? I said "CAREFULLY"!!!!

 

So yes. This is what happens when you mess up lemon bars. After all that work juicing and zesting, I was kinda sick about the bars not being absolutely perfect. Here's the deal: Pouring the liquid filling mixture into the pan of still-hot, half-baked shortbread crust should happen gently, apparently. I poured all at once into just one area of the crust, and the filling broke up portions of the crust off the bottom of the dish, which were then floating around in the liquid filling, and some of the filling went down to the bottom of the dish, with no crust under it.

 

I've never had that happen before -- it was a first. There was nothing to do about it at that point, but shove that baby into the oven and bake it off anyway. (Still at 350 degrees, about 35 minutes.)

 

When it came out, it looked like this:

 

Ha. If you compare those last two pictures, you can see EXACTLY where the crust floaters were. Definitely not blue-ribbon pretty.

 

Well, here's the bottom line:

 

1. Once you sift powdered sugar over the top of it (after they're cooled), it just looks normal.

2. These things are so stinkin' good, that even when it's wrong, it's fine.

3. Some portions of the bars really required a fork to eat it. (no crust!) But you had to look to see what had happened to them.

4. I didn't even get any "after" or "serving" photos, because we ate them, and took them to our softball tournament that weekend, where they were devoured.

 

And finally, if it had been an actual contest of my old recipe vs. the Contessa, the Contessa would have won, based on superb lemon flavor, and the fact that they were just thicker, yet still creamy-dreamy.

 

My hat's off to her. I am ditching my old standby, and going with her recipe. After all, she hasn't failed me with other recipes ..... like the most heavenly pecan bars EVER. (Which will have to be the subject of another post sometime.) This one now is another definite keeper!

Oregon in June

It sounds like the name of a novel: "Oregon in June".

 

And yes, I realize it's nearing the end of July. I'm just trying to get caught up here!

 

For the last three years, Alyssa & Darcie have played together ... on three different travelling softball teams -- for varying reasons. And for the last three years, each of those teams has travelled to Oregon for the same college exposure softball tournament. I told you about it HERE and HERE. Alyssa has participated in the exposure camp and all-star games prior to the actual tournament, and this year, it was Darcie who did that.

 

It also happens to fall on Father's Day weekend. So, Happy Father's Day -- to the amazing man who devotes so much of his life to the rest of us! For his present, he gets to drive for hours, sit in the cold (or heat) and watch his daughters throw, catch and hit a neon yellow ball, carry coolers & chairs, buy meals for the whole family, and then drive for hours to get back home again. Kinda doesn't seem quite fair, huh? That's just part of the reason why we love him!



 

 

So these photos are some of my top picks of the few hundred photos I snapped. Starting with these next two pictures that actually came before the weekend started:

 

 

 

We had gone to our local softball fields to get some batting practice in before heading out of town for the tournament. I had to smile, because lined up at the fence are the girls from the Little League All-Stars softball team, who were practicing on the next field. When they took a water break, they came to the fence to watch Alyssa and Darcie hitting the ball! It was cool for me to see youth softball come full circle. I remember our girls being the Little League All-Stars and looking up to the high school players in great awe...... and now our girls ARE the high school players that the little girls are watching!! So fun!!

 

So, we were off to Hillsboro, Oregon, where our weekend began with the morning "exposure camp" for Darcie. That evening was also the all-star game -- and the first time in a LONG time that Alyssa watched Darcie play softball, without being in uniform and playing along with her.

 

She looks like she's handling it ok!

 

(That's Darcie batting -- she hit one over the fence, too)

And these are her catching in the all-star game. She caught for 3 innings, which was pretty good, considering that there were several catchers that needed to be rotated through. Her first pitcher asked if Darcie would wear an armband, to give signs.

 

Miss Emma loved Alyssa's hat!

 

Moving on to tournament play....

 

Unlike the last two years of both high school and summer softball, Darcie actually got the opportunity to play different infield positions. She has been catching for so long, she has really learned that position well. It was odd for me to see her playing first base:

But I think she enjoyed getting moved around on the field.

So their sisters' high-fives were coming from a different direction, and without Darcie being covered in catching gear, too!

 

 

(One of the team chats after a game)

 

And, still a highlight for Emma ... is the hotel pool...

 

 

(Emma's not the only one to have fun there.)

 

If it kind of looks like we go the same place all the time ..... well, we can't help but stop at Multnomah Falls. It's truly right on the way -- the freeway exit dumps you right in the parking lot. And it's just a quarter-mile hike to get to the bridge between the upper and lower falls.

 

 

But the views that Todd and I see the most of ..... are these:

 

 

Oh, how I love those girls!!

 

 

 

The Real Midsummer

The sun has gone down. It is dusk, on a warm summer's evening.

Perhaps I should have gone down to the garden a little earlier. But first it was dinner, then Family Home Evening. We played Bingo ... still a classic. No treat, because we had it right after dinner: homemade crème brulee. Ohhhhhh ..... so smooth and creamy under the crunch of caramelized sugar! I don't want to even THINK about how many calories are in those babies.

I take a bowl and my girls and we walk down to the raspberry row. Light is fading quickly, so there's not much time left to still see berries. We'll have to hurry.

The raspberries are on the downhill slide of harvest. This year's crop is much smaller than last year, but that's ok. Emma swaps sides of the berry row as she carries first a few berries to the bowl, and then brings the whole bowl around to the pickers. My heart jumps when I see the bowl tilt precariously, as she avoids the mud puddle from Todd watering the garden earlier.

The girls head back to the house first, with about two cups of berries in the bowl, ... but I am not far behind them. Although the sky still looks light, it's too dark to pick anymore. The evening star has come out, and it's a waxing quarter moon.

I pause to look at the freshly-mown grass, and think of how the girls have taken over that job since the boys have been gone. I see the silhouettes of trees, the annual flowers that are blooming madly, and the string of lights between the decks.

And it's right then that I remember what Todd said this evening in the living room. It is July 15th. For all intents and purposes, our summer is half over.

Really??? Half gone!!

I'm feeling blessed. I've had a conversation today with a good friend who is holding her life together, but struggling under the surface. My heart goes out to her, and I'm thankful again for the many ways my life has been truly, truly blessed. I look around and know that there is a God in heaven who tenderly watches over His children.

I'm also feeling like my summer has snuck away and left me with too little. I love this time of year when the time and deadlines of the school year has vanished and we all have the freedom to breathe more easily. My own summer goals haven't gotten very far. Life happens, though.

In 16 days, Cameron will return home from his mission in California. I'm not prepared, but I'm oh-so-ready to see my son again! I've gotten his mission blog caught up, but this family blog is rather
"behind".

I return indoors, and decide that it's not too late this evening to still get a few things accomplished. Starting with a blog post. It's a little out of order, but it won't hurt to write it anyway.

Life is good. And life moves on.