Dreamsicle Salad... You Asked, I Provide

What a good idea to put this into little parfait cups!
Of course, I have never been able to limit myself to a
normal serving size, but, perhaps this will
encourage me to do so in the future.

I've been talking about this for so long, and many of you have asked for the recipe.  So, in the interest of sharing and caring, here it is, the recipe for the best "salad" ever. First, I should give the proper credit for it.  This recipe comes from my former step-mother's late mother, Loretta Keith.  Loretta was an old-style farm cook, and I can't think of a much better kind of cook to be.  I remember her pies, especially, the crust made with the now forbidden lard that we wouldn't think of using today (or would we?).  My mother also learned many of her cooking skills from her grandmother, on a wheat farm in Eastern Washington.  She's often talked about cooking for large groups of farm hands every day during the harvest, followed by endless games of Canasta with great-grandma.  I wonder if this kind of thing still goes on?  I like to think it does - a real connection between people over food and hard work.

Orange Dreamsicle "Salad"

2 small packages orange Jell-O

2 small packages cook and serve vanilla pudding mix

4 cups warm water

2 cups cold whipping cream

1/4-1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large cans mandarin oranges, drained

1.  Combine Jell-O and pudding mixes with the warm water in a medium saucepan.

2.  Heat mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes.

3.  Pour hot pudding and Jell-O mixture into glass bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap, directly on hot mixture to prevent a skin forming.

4.  Refrigerate until cold and set, 4 hours or more.

5.  Once mixture is set, whip cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff.  Beat pudding and Jell-O mixture for 1 minute with electric beaters.

6.  Fold whipped cream into pudding and Jell-O mixture, followed by drained mandarin oranges.

7.  Transfer "salad" into large, decorative bowl, or smaller parfait cups, decorating with additional whipped cream and mandarin oranges, if desired.

8.  Place in refrigerator, preferably in the back, so that you can convincingly forget to serve it to your guests, saving it all for yourself.