Friday Friend Recipe #164 - Red Topped Salad

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook: I have about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 18 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday.

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #164

My Mom's (actually my grandma's)

Red Topped Salad

My grandma made this Jello for holidays and then my mom made this Jello for holidays.  I have not carried on the tradition, until this past Easter when I made it for the FF Cookbook Countdown.

I made everyone taste it, but I was the only one who liked it.

I knew that would happen as

Jello salad with celery and nuts is an acquired taste.

Red Top Salad

Bev Hambelton

Kennewick, Washington

1/2 lb of marshmallows

1 pkg lime jello

1 9oz softened cream cheese

1/2 cup mayo

1/2 t salt

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped nuts

1 9oz can crushed pineapple

1 cup whipped cream

1 pkg cherry jello

Dissolve marshmallows and lime jello in 1 cup boiling water; cool.  Beat cr cheese, salt and mayo till light and fluffy. Stir in celery, nuts and pineapple.  Add lime jello & fold in whipped cream.  Place in  9x12 pan and chill till firm. Dissolve cherry jello according to directions on the box. Chill till slightly thickened.  Pour over firm layer and chill till cherry jello is firm.

My mom couldn't swim.

She never learned how and was horribly afraid of the water.

That's why she stuck my brother and I in swimming lessons each summer until she was certain we knew what we were doing ( in the 1960's early '70s that meant graduating up until we could jump off the high dive!), then she and my dad put a swimming pool in the back yard, where she would work on her tan every summer---all summer. Never swam, but sat out by the pool for hours.

Notice the contrast of my mom's tan shoulders vs my white ones in the photo below.

Now, remember, this was back before we knew how bad the sun was for us, so my parents would have 'tanning' contests to see who could get the best tan. No sun screen, no protective anything.  Maybe some baby oil or Coppertone tanning butter--those were the days!

They did this their whole lives--lived for the sun--then bore a daughter who would rather sit under a shade tree and read a book.

Sun worshipers, their whole lives...

I have meandered.

Where was I?  Oh yes, my mom couldn't swim.  Never got into the deep end of her own swimming pool! My dad swam, my brother and I swam,  and while my mom loved the sun and being by water, she never got over her fear of it.

That is---until my parents would go to Hawaii.

Then she became someone we didn't quite know.

Someone who got into the ocean and parasailed and snorkeled and.... well... I just don't know who this woman was!!

My dad joined in the fun!

 Gang signs!!

My parents  (sigh)

I told you--I don't know who they became!

Truly she was so afraid of the water!

Once when the Handyman and I first started dating, he and I were at a function and came back to my house (I lived with my parents until the day I got married), he was a bit tipsy, picked my mom up and threw her into the pool.  (she had a swimming suit on and other people were in the pool, he had no idea--it looked like a pool party to him) as she was flying thru the air she yelled  "I can't swim" and so he jumped into the pool with all his clothes on and saved her life.

That and my dad was in the pool already.

It's surprising that they loved him so much.

Go figure.

I don't no what Hawaii did to her, but I'm glad it did.

She had fun.

And this makes Recipe #164 in the books.

Only 130 left to go!