Monday 22 April 2019

Easter gathering and the lemon cake

Easter Sunday ended up being just lovely. The weather was the nicest it's been in a while. It's been raining like pre-ark times and husband had two pumps going in the basement (gotta love an old house). The weather cleared yesterday and you were actually able to be outside without a coat, enjoying the sun.


The meal turned out well with this year's  addition of a 1970's jello "salad" receiving mixed reviews. It was called Creamsicle Salad. The general consensus was that it wasn't bad, just didn't really have a place alongside turkey and stuffing. I don't think I'll do it again, and although daughter's idea of doing a regular post featuring a new retro jello-based salad each week was a fun one, I don't see me taking the time. The fact is that I don't even like jello, and I can't see me forcing my family to eat one of these concoctions each week. BUT  if I did, my first one would be the one we found in my old spiral bound church ladies' cookbook from my hometown called, Green Grotto Salad. Ready? Here are the ingredients:
-1  3 oz package lime jello
-1  3/4 cups boiling water
-dash of salt
-3 tbls vinegar
-1 cup chopped celery
-1/4 cup chopped stuffed olives
-1 cup chopped cucumber
-1  7oz can flaked tuna (!!!!)
-3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
I am not going to include the directions because I don't want anyone to actually make this stuff. What the  hell were people thinking back then?? Please share your jello salad memories with me!


Anyway, the lemon cake I wrote about in the previous post was a success and a keeper. It was perfectly lemony and I will make it again. Here is a link to where I found it on Pinterest if you are interested.




       Here it is after coming out of the springform pan and being stabbed with my favourite paring knife. After that you brush it with a lemony syrup you cook up on the stove so it soaks into the cake.


                            
The lemon butter cream icing was perfect!


Easter morning, I did have to wake both kids up (so different from when they were little and would eagerly wake up early to see what the Easter bunny left for them). I think they still liked receiving a little something.




We spent a little time chicken watching outside and giving them dandelion greens which are their favourite. We ate too much and enjoyed a good visit. Nana had a nice time and is always happy when she gets to see her grandkids. By the end of the evening, we were all completely full and lethargic, feeling much like this:



25 comments:

  1. Not sure we can even buy jello here in the UK - I have never seen it.

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    1. Would it be the same as those little packs of jelly squares we used to have? Different fruity flavours. You just added boiling water I think?

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    2. Jello is just the brand name. I think you call it jelly in the UK. It is essentially just flavoured gelatin.

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  2. That cake looks perfectly scrumptious.

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    1. It was delicious. There's enough left over for tonight's dessert.

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  3. Lime jello and tuna. Yes, I can see why some wouldn't be enthusiastic. But the 70 did have quite a few oddball conconcotions.....

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  4. Sounds like a great Easter! I grew up eating jello salads -- they were a staple at every celebration dinner. My Mom was a whiz at making them. Everyone enjoyed them at the time!

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    1. My aunt was the queen of the jello salads. They often involved grated carrot or pineapple tidbits.

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  5. I remember eating Ambrosia as a kid in the 70s and liking/hating it all at the same time!

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  6. I love jello salad!!! It's always the first thing I head for on a buffet. Boy, that lemon cake looks positively delish! I would ditch Weight Watchers in a sec for a slice. Hope you have a wonderful week, Jenn!!

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  7. Your lemon cake looks like something I would love. (All things lemony . . . yum!) I will have to look up the recipe. The frosting makes it extra tempting.

    I grew up on Jello and loved it. (My husband would say, "Well, that explains a lot!) Often times for a dessert, my mom would make cherry or raspberry Jello with banana slices in it. I cut Jello out of our diet years ago because it's about 99% sugar with added food coloring which isn't good for you either. :o( We actually talked about Jello after our Easter meal yesterday. One of our guests who brought an excellent roasted broccoli dish joked that she could have brought her mom's famous Jello mold instead: Orange Jello with grated carrots and mandarin orange slices. (I would have gobbled it up.)

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  8. I did have a jello salad recipe at one time and made it for special occasions, but it seems to have been lost in my travels. I think it had mandarin oranges in it and mayo.

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  9. Sounds like a perfect Day!

    Oh golly! J-e-l-l-O... -grin-

    I don't care for it too much, myself. Haven't had it in ages.

    Oh my, that Green Grotto Salad!!!! -shiver-buuuuuurrrr-Run- ,-))))

    I think they were trying to be very unique, with new, new, new Jello recipes, "back in the day". Not all, were winners though.

    🌱😊🌱

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  10. Nearly forgot about the Lemon Cake!!!

    Ohhhhhh, that looks/sounds deeeelicious! Ohhhhhhhh....

    🌱😊🌱

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  11. What a great day! I grew up on Jello's recipe of the week, in the 40's and 50's. It wasn't until they hit on one named Ambrosia that I appreciated them.

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  12. The lemon cake looks soooo good! Unfortunately I went back to Weight Watchers tonight so don't think I'll be making it for some time. We still make a wonderful Jello salad that was my grandmother's favorite. Believe it or not, it is made of lime jello, cottage cheese, mayonnaise, evaporated milk, fruit cocktail, and chopped walnuts. For some reason it all comes together in some magical way and I absolutely love it!

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  13. No to jello! I'm not a fan either. But YES to that lemon cake. It look sinfully good!

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  14. The lemon cake looks good!

    The awkward jello o'tuna, not so much.

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  15. Jenn I did chuckle out loud about your jello recipe. I would have no recipes to share, not a fan of jello other than in a poke cake. Oh but I do enjoy a good lemon cake. Yesterday (Monday) was the first day I was out in the garden & without a coat! Welcome (finally) Spring. ... and your kitty looks quite satisfied with life. Mary-Lou =^..^=

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  16. Lemon buttercream icing sounds like the best thing ever -- with or without the cake! I need to copy that one and the cake recipe down. I don't make cake often but I think I would for a lemon one! YUM!

    My mom used to make a really good (back then, at least) orange jello with mandarins and maraschino cherries and marshmallows as well as orange sherbet instead of all the water. She did it in a bundt pan and as I recall it was delicious. I tried it later and I must have not got the proportions right because it was seriously runny! I wonder if I'd like it now?!

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  17. That lemon cake looks wonderful and probably tastes so much better than looking at the photo, Jen. I remember eating lots of Jello as a child but can't say I want to try a lot of recipes with it.

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  18. Your Easter sounds like it was so wonderful. I have made the orange gelatin dessert, and my friends loved it........but I have also made it with strawberries, which is wonderful. You made me laugh with the Green Grotto Salad. I think in the 50s or when jello first came out.......it was everyone.....trying to make the newest greatest jello creation.

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  19. OMG that salad sounds downright frightening!! I have never in my life had a jello salad, although I do remember them being a 'thing' when I was a kid....I think the fact that my parents were from Ireland they shied away from unfamiliar foods like that. That lemon cake sure looks good though!!

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  20. That cake looks absolutely delicious.
    the Ol'Buzzard

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