In honor of National Eat Your Jell-O Day, we thought we’d share a recipe from Brookside resident Sondi Sepenuk for her famous holiday Lime Jello Salad. Though Sepenuk said she only makes it on special holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, we thought it might inspire Buzz readers to make some Jell-O or share their favorite recipe.
According to Sepenuk, the recipe featuring lime green Jell-O. pineapple, pecans and cream cheese was developed by her grandmother,  Ruth Higginbotham, affectionately known as Granny, who will celebrate her 101st birthday in November. Granny grew up in Pecos, in West Texas, and then  moved around the various oil fields in South Texas with her husband, Sepenuk’s “Pawpaw.” Granny currently lives on the Gulf Coast in Bloomington, Texas, and passed the family recipe along to Sondi’s mother, who in turn passed it along to Sondi.
Sepenuk also shares her family’s Jell-O classic with friends when she’s not with family. It can be a bit of sleeper with some friends, especially non-Americans who didn’t grow up with a holiday tradition of gelatin salads. Sepenuk told us about one English friend who started out tasting a small bit, and then over subsequent years it became his holiday favorite. The same friends get together year after year and Sepenuk always supplies her Jell-O speciality.
“It’s a palette cleanser, like sorbet,” explained Sepenuk. “Even if we are traveling out of town, IÂ still bring the Lime Green Jell-O for dessert!”
Sondi Sepenuk’s Lime Green Jell-O Salad Recipe
One box lime greenJell-O
One 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
One small can crushed pineapple, drained
One cup chopped pecans
One cup (or more!) mini marshmallows
1) Make the Jell-O. Put in the refrigerator and allow to gel for about 30 -45 minutes.
2) Drain juice from crushed pineapple.
3) Mix drained pineapple with softened cream cheese.
4) When Jell-O has started to gel, mix in cream cheese pineapple combination.
5) Stir in pecans and marshmallows. Add more marshmallows on top if desired.
6) Return mixture to refrigerator and let Jell-O harden.
