My Mother-In-Law's Jello Fruit Salad and Butternut Pound Cake

I first tried this jello salad at my Mother-in-law's about twenty-six years ago. She always made it as part of her Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve at her home. I loved it the first time that I tried it, thou I was doubtful of the sour cream filling. I have had this jello salad many times over the years and have made it a handful of times myself. My husband is a big fan, of this light flavorful dessert. This past year he had helped my mother-in-law with an auto repair, instead of any type of payment, he requested his mom make him this jello salad. She made the jello for him and I have made it once since myself. My mother-in-law said that she had been given this recipe from a friend many years ago, she believes it was sometime in the sixties. She also shared with me that she had also been given a favorite pound cake recipe (Butternut Pound Cake) from the same friend at the same time as the jello recipe.
We have made the pound cake many times over the years, but I did not know they had came from the same source, at the same time. My mother-in-law said her friend had always enjoyed them together. No matter how you eat theses desserts I hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

These pictures have been enlarged making them easier to read. Jello Fruit Salad, the original recipe has sour cream in it, not the cream cheese. I am not sure why my mother-in-law made this change she has always made it with the sour cream.

This one not as clear. Butternut Pound Cake. Start with a cold oven. 3 cups sugar, 1/2 cup Crisco, 2 sticks margarine, 5 large eggs, 3 1/4 cups flour (plain) all-purpose, 1 small can milk (evaporated milk) add water to make 1 cup, 1/4 teaspoons salt, 2 tablespoons vanilla butter & nut flavoring.  

                Christmas Baking

I have been very busy planning and baking this week, for our Christmas Eve Party. It has been so much fun and a lot of work, but I truly enjoy every minute of it. Christmas is a special time of year for my family. The kids could not be more excited, even my husband is acting like a kid, go figure! I have to keep a close eye on him around the cookies. He says he can be my taste-tester. How sweet of him! To kick things off, I made Mini Fruitcakes, then it was Fruitcake cookies. The next cookie was Butternuts, then Peppermint Melt Aways, after that Cinnamon Bear cookies. I am also working on some savory recipes in between each cookie that I have baked. My other cookies have been Christmas Cherry cookies (both in red and green) a Chocolate Wow cookie and a Red Velvet Chocolate Chip cookie. As well as Chocolate Cherry Blossom cookies and Peanut Butter Cheesecake Balls (a candy). I also made a Cherry Blossom Fudge, I would use one stick less butter, this fudge was nice and firm, but still creamy and smooth. A Fruited Rice Cream, a Christmas version of rice pudding. Some of the savory treats are Spinach Dip w/ baby carrots and assorted crackers, Sweet and Spicy Cranberry Meatballs, Spicy Lil' Smokies, Chicken Cheese ball w/assorted crackers (www.allrecipes.com), a Ham and Swiss Pinwheels, Sausage Balls, Maple Apple-Chicken Bites and Mini Party Rolls. To wash it all down, Mocha Punch (a favorite from my sister,(www.tasteofhome.com) and a beautiful Crimson Punch (www.tasteofhome.com). Christmas breakfast includes a Hash Brown Casserole and Cinnamon Rolls. Later in the day we are having our traditional ham with homemade potato salad and rolls. May you each have a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! God Bless Us One and All!!

Ready to go in the oven

Mini fruitcake, one of my favorites

Butternut cookies

Fruitcake cookies

Peppermint Melt Aways

Cinnamon Bears

Chocolate Wows

Cherry Blossoms

Christmas Cherry

Christmas Cherry

Red Velvet Chocolate Chip

 One of my girls had a surprise for me

I found a ginormous egg in one of my nest boxes. One of my girls is defiantly putting fourth that special effort. I suspect that one of my Buff Orpington are laying this gorgeous egg, they are the larger of my girls, but I could be wrong. If I'm able to find out which hen is responsible, I defiantly owe her a special treat, maybe a weeks worth of special treats. This egg measured three inches long. Looks more like a duck or goose egg.

Can't close the top on the carton

                           Visitor

We had an unwelcome visitor in the backyard this morning. My two large dogs had this little guy petrified, he was balled up just setting there. Not really playing possum, but not moving a muscle.
I distracted my dogs by giving them some dog biscuits, while my husband got one of our havahart traps. My husband of course had gloves on and rolled this little guy right into the trap. He grawled at us a couple of times, but surrendered without incident.

Poor little guy

He looks so sad, like he's crying

We let him have back his freedom by turning him loose in a wooded area close by.

                    Tree Trimming

Fall cleaning on a large scale. It's that time of year, trimming trees, cleaning gardens, bush hogging and mowing. So that everything looks nice before the cold wind blows. So far we have trimmed seventeen pick up truck loads of just trees limbs. Trimmed trees all around the fence row of the horse fields. Trimmed trees near and around prime hunting spots, and trimmed three 32' crape myrtle. We have also winterized chicken coops for some very spoiled rotten hens. We keep heat lamps on them all winter. Warm hens mean "Happy Hens" and happy hens mean eggs through the winter.

Very Tall

  

Almost done

Really needed a trim, from 32' to about 7'
much better

                    "Smokin Butt"

Pork butt that is. We're smoking five pork butts for a outdoor gathering that we have planned. The weather is suppose to be great, but we are keeping a eye out for some possible strong winds. May need to change our plans, and have everything inside. My husband has been supervising the smoker for a total of about 14 hours. The wind has been somewhat of a problem with the smoker today. Makes it harder to maintain the correct temperature. When I go out on my front porch I can really smell the pork, can't wait. We are having of course the BBQ (pulled pork), homemade slaw, homemade sauce, an assortment of chips, apples, cupcakes and banana pudding (made by another family member).
The wind is forcing us to stay inside. That's O.K., everyone still had a great time. What could be better? Family, great friends and great food.

                     H a l l o w e e n

Almost that time of year again, time has went by so fast this year. But I love this time of year and I love to decorate for Halloween. This year I have little ghost flying around on my porch as well as a skeleton keeping watch over things. The ghost are attached to the ceiling fan arms (blades removed for winter storage) and when I turn it on low, off they go fly around and around, I also have a strobe light on them. Lots of cars passing by slow down to look, pretty neat. For the front lawn I have my witch cut out, with cats and thomb stones.

My "Halloween  Greeter"

One of my inside spooks

                You Looking At Me

I was watering my plants one evening and this little guy came crawling out of one of my bushes. It was trying to grab at the water as it came by him/her, I have never seen one do this before. May have thought the water was a threat. It looked at me a little funny too, I'm sure he saw me as a threat. This was the first praying mantis I have seen this year.