Hi Everyone,
I remember a time when dessert was a very simple affair – right out of a box and sometimes a can or tub. So much time was spent preparing appetizers and main courses that desserts were an afterthought. Invariably, my mom would look for the box of strawberry Jell-O mix and ice cream would be store-bought. Lest I be disowned let me hasten to add that this was not always the case, my mom would make desserts like trifle from scratch making her own pound cake, custard and fruit sauce. Nevertheless, for us kids, it was the ice cream and Jell-O that we preferred.
My sister Patricia and I would peek into the refrigerator every hour to see how the Jell-O was coming along. Was it set yet? We’d gently nudge the Pyrex to judge the state of firmness. It was maddening I tell you. As I think about it now, it was one of those cases like where you stand at the stove waiting for the milk to boil but it takes forever and as soon as you turn your back, the darn milk raises and boils over and messes up the pot and the stove! Pat and I would resign ourselves to the fact that even if the Jell-O did get firm, we’d have to wait until the next day when mommy was ready to serve it – after lunch. Oh the torture.
When lunch was over, half an hour passed like a long year and then it was Jell-O and ice cream time! I’d insert my spoon with reverence and cut into the smooth firm mold of deep burgundy. Lifting the spoon, I’d stare in adoration then gently place it into a glass and repeat a
