Green Jello Stuff

There was a time in this country when no holiday dinner would be complete without a jello mixture of some sort.  No pot luck either.  One fateful potluck in the late 70's, just months after we first met Luke Skywalker and the gang, I first encountered Green Jello Stuff, and had to learn its secrets and make it mine.

Now this wasn't just fruit added to jello, a favorite of my grandma and my mom. This was creamy and crunchy.  This had nuts.  And this has, in the intervening years, fallen so out of favor that if I make it now, I better be prepared to eat all of it.

There is probably a better name for this delightful concoction, as well as an official recipe.  All I ever received was a rough list of ingredients form the lady who brought it to the potluck, so here you are:  make green jello, but don't use all the water, add some cream cheese and throw in some canned pineapple, some cut up celery, and some walnut pieces.

My interpretation:  Make a large box of lime jello, but only add half the cold water.  Instead stir in an 8oz. block of cream cheese, softened (it will mix in smoother if you first add some of the warm jello into it, a bit at a time beating until smooth, and then when it is really soft add it all together).  I do about a cup of pineapple chunks or cut up slices if that is all I have on hand, drained of course.  A few handfuls of thinly sliced celery and a handful of chopped walnuts, a few stirs, and just let it set up in the refrigerator.

Really, it's good.  Yes, I know, it is green.   Still, I keep thinking I need a red jello companion for it, really make our holiday complete.  You know, I used to do this recipe where you mixed some yogurt in jello...