Mom's Thanksgiving Day Jello

These are the ingredients. I use low fat cream cheese. Of Course. I buy pecans at Costco.
You can make this without nuts if you desire.

After you set the first layer, which is strawberry, you pour on the second layer...which is the blended cream cheese and yellow jello (that has had the boiling water then cold water added to it as described on box.) Then the nuts. I chopped them first, then threw them in the blender for a few seconds after the other 2 ingredients were well mixed.

A square of the final product. I got 15 squares from the 9" by 13" pan. You could get 20 pieces if you cut them a bit smaller and that is still a good portion.

RECIPE FOR THANKSGIVING DAY JELLO

(Inspired by Bernice Hulihan Farley)

And as per requested by Megan and Amy....

I first had this jello at a Thanksgiving Day meal at John's Aunt Bernice and Uncle Lee's place in Manti, Utah back in 1979. It was so nice to see this colorful jello on everyone's plate (or was it on a separate dish?) that I decided I would make it every Thanksgiving...and I pretty much did.

1 6 oz. box strawberry jello

1 6 oz. box orange jello

1 3 oz. box lemon jello

1 small can mandarin oranges

1 10 oz. carton of frozen sliced strawberries (in syrup), thawed.

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened at room temperature.

1 cup pecans, chopped (Optional but it adds a great texture to that middle layer!)

(I just realized that some years, I put a little crushed pineapple into the white layer.)

Get out your 9" by 13" cake pan.

First layer: The red layer. Make the jello, but when it is time to put the 2 cups of cold water in, use the container of strawberries as part of your cold liquid and add more water or ice to total about 2 cups of stuff. (I dump it allinto my 2 cup liquid measuring cup to make sure I have it right. Pour into pan and put in fridge.

When red layer is set, after a few hours, make the lemon jello up as directed on package. Then put this liquid mass into the blender with the softened cream cheese. Add chopped nuts after the first 2 ingredients are well blended. At this point, if you do not have nuts, it is OK . You can blend up some drained crushed pineapple into this if you want. (like 1/2 or 3/4 cup).

Pour this layer over the red layer and refridgerate until set.(few hours).

Make orange layer. Open can of manadarin oranges and drain water out into cup. Follow direction on package. Use the canned mandarin orange water for part of the water. After you have made the jello, add the drained mandarin oranges. Pour this over the cream cheese lemon jello layer and put back in fridge until set.

Makes 15-20 serving. Cool, sweet, colorful and refreshing.

As you can see..this should be made the day before Thanksgiving and get started early in the day.