The beauty of having time off is I can spend it lying on the couch thinking about the origins of congealed salad.
But, as a practitioner of word use, I was immediately drawn to my reference to “time off.” Do I really think my life revolves around work so that when I don’t work, that time is somehow unique? To be sure, work is necessary and important, but if I won the lottery today the first thing I’d do is craft my resignation.
And what would I do with all that free time? Write. I’d write poems, sonnets, short stories, and prose.
I’d ponder the origins of gelatin and discover that it, like most everything else, was something initially only rich people had because they were the only ones who could afford to pay someone for the time it took to boil the animal bones to extract gelatin. Mainstream consumption came along once a way was found to mass-produce the stuff. Jello shots were the thing in parties and bars prior to COVID, but a recipe from the mid-1800s is the earliest known reference to them. Marketing gelatin as a wholesome and light treat made it a family staple but as more women entered the workforce the use of gelatin declined. Now it’s mostly thought of as a hospital food.
In other words, the rich giveth us gelatin and the rich taketh it away.
Hello salad is my new name for congealed salad. I texted a friend that I’d made a Jello salad for my Thanksgiving dinner but autocorrect changed it to hello salad. I sent a correction but he said he liked the name hello salad so from here on out, hello salad it will be.
My particular brand of hello salad was made with orange gelatin and nondairy whipped topping, mandarin oranges, pineapple and chopped pecans. It tasted like a fruity, nutty creamsicle. The pot roast was good, but the hello salad stole the show and I finished off the last of it this morning.
It was so good I’m going to make it again. Take that, rich people!
Dogpaddling Through Life 
Love the thought of a hello salad! I love jelly, but don’t have it often. Maybe I should get some pots in of the low sugar variety………………
I used sugar-free gelatin but they didn’t have any sugar-free cool whip in the shops so I used the regular. And the fruit was in juice and drained before adding.
Yum!
3rd attempt at a comment……keeping it brief. So, its a dessert! *note, not a question) jello shots. Taking me back to 1991! Win lottery? Your family & friends will disappear when the cash is gone(so, I understand! And if you quit work you will get bored eventually. Just better to choose a job you want not need? Respectfully. Cheers,H
Writing is a job I want and not need. 😀
I had no idea you call it “congealed salad” on you side of the pond! Congealed does not sound remotely appetising, but hello salad sounds interesting. 😀
Funny thing is my maternal grandmother came from your side of the pond and whenever I think of jello salad I hear her calling it congealed salad with a slight grate to her voice.
I think you’d hear it in mine if I said out loud! 😀 😀
P.S. I like the new look to the blog. And you’ve changed your domain name!
Thanks!
“Hello Salad” sounds delicious and more interesting than Jello. 🙂 Never tried a Jello shot as I prefer my booze without mixers, but I bet they go down easy. Love the blog redesign! 👌
Thanks!
Your hello salad sounds so good! Going to have to give it a try.
I found this on one of those recipe blogs where you have to hunt for the actual recipe, but in true reader fashion I had to improvise. 😁
I think there used to be a salad place named “Hello Salad” by my office in NYC. I think your hello salad sounds pretty good. I especially love that you improvised, or shall we say IMPROVED on it. 🙂
It seems to be a thing with those recipe blogs. You read the recipe and think, “that sounds good.” Then you read the comments and think, “oh yeah, that’s waaayyyyyyy better!”
Those gelatin salads can be great or so-so…glad you enjoyed yours along with the rest of the meal. Before retiring, I always told my bosses if I ever won the lottery, I’d fax in the 10 luckiest numbers to signify my resignation. They thought I was joking but I wasn’t. 😈
P.S. Like the new look to the blog.
I know what you mean. My grandmother started with jello with fruit in it, moved up to jello with fruit in it and cool whip on top, then she made that horrible concoction made of cool whip, pudding, and cherry pie filling. The first bite is ok, but if you have more than one your blood sugar will skyrocket to the Space Station.
“the rich giveth us gelatin and the rich taketh it away.” Hahah this is a really fun read! 😂