Who Invented Frog Eye Salad?

Pretty layers!

Last week my mother called with my assignment for the annual Garner Family Christmas party being held Sunday night at her home. I love getting assignments! Is it going to be a lovely salad or a fantastic holiday dessert, or maybe a drop dead appetizer? But alas, I was assigned to bring the Frog Eye Salad. I ABSOLUTELY HATE FROG EYE SALAD! Really, who invented the crap. It's not a texture thing because I love rice pudding, and tapioca pudding. I don't know. I've just hated the stuff my entire short legged life. It's sick! As my mom was asking me to make this all I could think of is, "Well it will at least make a good blog post if nothing else."

So I committed to make it. I didn't tell my mom I hated the stuff, but a few days later my daddy-o called just to tell me that I'm his favorite daughter, and he loved me stinking guts (Hollie's in Africa for a few days so she'll never know I just said that about the favorite daughter thing. It's true though.) and I confessed my hatred of Frog Eye salad to him. He laughed and told me to make what I liked and then he became a traitor. He told my mom. She called saying I could make any kind of fruit/jello-y salad. Truth be told I just don't do well at those kind of salads. I just don't make them, or maybe they're just not my fave at a buffet table full of all sorts of other goodies. First off they usually get mixed with your funeral potatoes, and that's gross, and second if you're going to eat something sweet why bother with jello, when you can have a coconut tart, or chocolate love sheet cake, or super delicious egg nog! Anyway I made the salad.

I had to prove I made the stuff.

James said he took a spoonful, just so he could remember why he hated the Frog Eye too. It's not just me. I didn't take any, but some folks did. Thanks for taking the Frog Eye family. You took one for the team. I did make another jello salad too. I'll give you that recipe, because it's actually a good salad. It really should be called a dessert, but if you call it a salad you can eat something else for dessert! The good jello salad is just called Pretzel Salad, but that title doesn't give you the full effect. It should be called Raspberry Jello Goodness On Top Of A No Bake Cheesecake Filling On Top Of A Pretzel Cookie Crust. It's good, and quite pretty to boot. Next time your asked to bring Jello, bring the Pretzel Salad. People will actually eat it because it's good, not because they pity you.

Pretzel Salad

2 c. pulverized pretzels

1/4 c. sugar

1 cube butter melted

Combine these together and press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Bake in a 350'F oven for about 10 mins. Cool completely.

1 8oz. package cream cheese

1 c. sugar

1 8oz. container of Cool Whip

Combined the cream cheese with the sugar and whip until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip. Top the pretzel crust with the cream cheese mixture.

1 large box of Raspberry Jello

2 c. boiling water

2-3 16 oz. bags of frozen Raspberries

Combine the Jello and water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Pour in the frozen raspberries. I have tons of raspberries from my garden so I used about 1/2 gallon of berries. You can use blackberries, or strawberries too. My favorite is at Thanksgiving I grind up a 16 oz. bag of fresh cranberries and use them instead of raspberries. Use whatever you like. I let the jello thicken up a bit with the frozen berries. Make sure that your cream cheese layer is completely sealing up the edges of you pan. You don't want your jello soaking down into the pretzel. Pour the jello and berries on top and refrigerate for a few hours to set. It's delicious. I ate the last bit for breakfast today:)