Cranberry Orange Spiced Jello salad

I am completely aware that Jell-o salad is out of fashion.  The only people who eat and/or make it are well into their 80’s and continue to do so because what was good enough for bridge club in 1967 is good enough for bingo night in 2011.  Well, guess what?  I don’t care.  I love Jell-o.  I love the way it squashes in your mouth, I love all the beautiful colors and I especially love the combination translucent/creamy jell-o squares that the Chinese restaurant around the corner from our old condo gave out for dessert.  Whether they wanted it or not, the extended family at our Christmas Eve luncheon had it forced upon them.  It’s a pot luck, begger’s can’t be choosers.

This Jell-o salad screams Merry Christmas and I promise is it better than Aunt Bethany’s green jell-o in Christmas Vacation.

One word of warning: Cranberry flavored Jell-o is very hard to find.  If you can’t find it then use raspberry in it’s place or just two packages of orange.  If you do find it then thank your lucky stars and buy all they have.  It’ll keep.

1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 pkg. (4 oz. size) cranberry flavored Jell-0
1 pkg. (4 oz. size) orange flavored Jell-o
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup cold water
juice from 1/2 lemon
zest from 1/2 lemon
zest from 1/2 orange
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 – 2 oranges, peeled, sectioned and cut into bit size pieces
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Stir boiling water into gelatin in large bowl until completely dissolved.  Add cranberry sauce, cold water, lemon juice, zest, cinnamon and cloves; mix well.  Cover and refrigerate about 1 1/2 hour or until thickened.

Stir in oranges and walnuts.  Pour into 6-cup mold sprayed with cooking spray.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm.  Unmold by running hot water on the outside of the mold until it starts to loosen.

How beautiful it that?!

Some may say that I’m old fashioned.  I prefer to think of myself as an old soul.