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Dining Among The Saints: Married Into a Mormon Family and Seeking Redemption in the Jell-O Belt
Maisoneuve ^ | DECEMBER 1, 2007 | Mona Awad

Posted on 03/07/2008 6:57:55 AM PST by Alex Murphy

Last fall, my husband's Mormon family invited us over for a potluck. Potlucks are a big deal for Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, and my in-laws are no exception. Naturally, I wanted to impress them. Naturally, I cracked open The Essential Mormon Cookbook, by Julie Badger Jensen.

Unfortunately, no matter where I turned in Jensen's cookbook, I was called to commit atrocities. After flipping past Jell-O recipes that involved suspending melon chunks in a trembling, plutonium-green blob ("Loveable Lime Jell-O"). After skipping everything that called for a can of Campbell’s soup into which meat, noodle or bean was thrown to either sink or swim. After pondering the dredging of chicken breasts in Russian dressing, apricot jam and dry onion soup mix ("Amazing Apricot Chicken"). After mulling the hithering and thithering of salads with mini marshmallows, pineapple tidbits and Craisins. And after toying with, then quickly dismissing, the possibility of making a cheese ball (dry ranch dressing, chopped chives and cheddar strings), I gave up.

(Excerpt) Read more at maisonneuve.org ...


TOPICS: Other Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: ldsculture; mormon
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To: Politicalmom

I was raised Bretheren as well. My mum always used to provide the Harvest loaf for the harvest festival.


41 posted on 03/07/2008 10:35:00 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: HungarianGypsy

I think it was lime jelly but I am sure someone can correct me but a church that I was involved with for a children’s outreach held a Canadian evening and this where I was introduced to jelly as a savoury dish with salad. It had beetroot in it and I think it was lime.


42 posted on 03/07/2008 10:37:44 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: the lastbestlady

I thought that was England that consumes the most Spam bought over by our “yank” counsins and adopted as our own.


43 posted on 03/07/2008 10:38:27 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: kellyrae
I love tinned fruit in jelly. Either fruit salad, peaches or mandarins.
44 posted on 03/07/2008 10:39:24 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: snugs

Are you British?

As to the melting. By the time the millions of kids make it through the buffet line, the jello is gone, and it hasn’t had time to melt. LOL.


45 posted on 03/07/2008 10:40:52 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: lady lawyer

You are probably right about budget and I suppose this is why jelly and ice cream was seen as at treat when I was a child.

Jelly and evaporated milk most of the time but special events such as parties warranted for ice cream.


46 posted on 03/07/2008 10:41:47 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: AppyPappy
And us Catholics kick butt with our annual Lenten fish fries. One of the local TV stations in Pittsburgh is sending one of its reporters 'out' into the hinterlands each Friday to find the 'best' Fish Fry in the area. And I can tell ya, those Knights of Columbus and Christian Mothers types get very competitive (secrets in the breading and oil seasoning).

I have to laugh, because my in-laws are LDS. I learned many a holiday party, family celebration ago to leave room in the fridge...my m-i-l is packing a Jello of some kind.

47 posted on 03/07/2008 10:42:12 AM PST by PennsylvaniaMom (Yoi. And double yoi.)
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To: snugs

I said state, not country. :)
England probably does consume the most Spam. (I’m not a big fan of English ‘cuisine’)


48 posted on 03/07/2008 10:43:13 AM PST by the lastbestlady (I now believe that we have two lives; the life we learn with and the life we live with after that.)
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To: lady lawyer

Yes I am British I live in South East England


49 posted on 03/07/2008 10:43:21 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: snugs

I see by your later posts that you are, indeed, British. My husband was a Mormon missionary in England in the 60’s. He came home with a taste for some kind of custard that you can buy a mix for, and some kind of toasted grain drink. I can’t remember the name of either. Also, fish and chips. He says it doesn’t taste the same unless there is newsprint on it. Also beans on toast, with an egg if they had enough money.


50 posted on 03/07/2008 10:45:08 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: PennsylvaniaMom

There’s a Catholic family in the south part of the Salt Lake Valley that runs a place selling the best fish and chips you can get around here. Yummm.


51 posted on 03/07/2008 10:46:29 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: Alex Murphy

Take some gallon size Zip Lock bags with you.

People like to send there left overs home with you, but they want to keep their dishes.


52 posted on 03/07/2008 10:47:01 AM PST by fproy2222
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To: snugs

My husband was in Southwest England. Oxford, and a little town called St. Austell.


53 posted on 03/07/2008 10:48:21 AM PST by lady lawyer
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To: the lastbestlady
What do you class as English cuisine?

When people say they do not like our food I often wonder what they think we eat.

The main difference I find is the way we cook vegetables you tend to add more to them whereas we normally just boil or steam ours unless we are roasting them.

We also tend to serve meat with less sauces and spices than Americans but apart from that a lot of our favourite meals in 2008 are very similar such as chili, spag bol, macaroni cheese and of course BBQ food.

One of big differences I would say is breakfast food we tend to eat pancakes, muffins, waffles, omelets etc as part of our evening meal either as a light meal in the case of omelets or the sweet items for desert.

54 posted on 03/07/2008 10:49:06 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: lady lawyer

Okay, that makes sense. My mother used to make a couple of versions of a jello salad, one with fruit and one with vegetables. The fruit one was pretty good.


55 posted on 03/07/2008 10:50:38 AM PST by Andy'smom
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To: lady lawyer
You mean Bird's custard.

It is even more instant now you just add boiling water to it whereas at one time you had to make it with milk.

The local supermarket I shop at do a very good instant custard mix. I cannot imagine apple pie or various sponge puddings without custard.

The toasted grain drink is puzzling me unless you mean orange or lemon barley which is a drink you mix with water.


56 posted on 03/07/2008 10:56:27 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: lady lawyer
You mean Bird's custard.

It is even more instant now you just add boiling water to it whereas at one time you had to make it with milk.

The local supermarket I shop at do a very good instant custard mix. I cannot imagine apple pie or various sponge puddings without custard.

The toasted grain drink is puzzling me unless you mean orange or lemon barley which is a drink you mix with water.


57 posted on 03/07/2008 10:56:27 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: lady lawyer
You mean Bird's custard.

It is even more instant now you just add boiling water to it whereas at one time you had to make it with milk.

The local supermarket I shop at do a very good instant custard mix. I cannot imagine apple pie or various sponge puddings without custard.

The toasted grain drink is puzzling me unless you mean orange or lemon barley which is a drink you mix with water.


58 posted on 03/07/2008 10:58:00 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: lady lawyer

I have heard of the town I actually live in Ashford where we have the international rail station and not far from the Channel Tunnel.


59 posted on 03/07/2008 10:59:11 AM PST by snugs ((An English Cheney Chick - Big Time))
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To: lady lawyer

:)


60 posted on 03/07/2008 11:01:26 AM PST by PennsylvaniaMom (Yoi. And double yoi.)
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