Memory Lane

It's summer and just for old time's sake I'm revisiting my favorite jello salads for anyone who missed them last summer. They're lightened up versions of old, old classics and just talking about them makes me think of hot summers, tree climbing, splintery picnic tables, and misquote bites.

I've re-adjusted some points/calories, and added a few notes.

Lime Jello Cottage Cheese Salad

I refigured the calories in this and came out 100 calories less than when I posted it before. Go figure. I must have used a different brand of pineapple or cottage cheese this time ...

1 small package package of sf lime Jello
1 16 oz. carton of 2% cottage cheese
1 16 oz. can of crushed pineapple, drained (I add the drained juice to the water for the jello, just use less water to end up with the correct amount of liquid)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Make Jello according to the package directions. Add vinegar and stir well. When the Jello starts to gel, fold in cottage cheese, pineapple, and celery. Chill for several hours.

About 650 calories, 13 points for the entire recipe. Exact serving points/calories depend on serving size.

Note 1: You can reduce the points to 14 by using fat-free cottage cheese; calories go down to about 580, but the low-fat cottage cheese works better (less watery) and when you divide the recipe into several servings, the difference is negligible.

Note 2: If you want to eat more for less calories, add another box of sugar free lime Jello (adjusting the liquids accordingly). It won't seem a cottage cheesy, but will still be good and you can eat twice as much.


Sunshine Salad

There are several versions of Sunshine Salad, and mine is probably one of the easiest and lowest calorie versions.

1 large box of sugar-free orange jello
a couple of bags of shredded carrots
a large can of crushed pineapple in its own juice (again, I add the drained juice to the water for the jello, just use less water to end up with the correct amount of liquid)
a dollop or two of cider vinegar

Make the Jello as directed. When starting to gel, add vinegar (not enough that you can taste it, but enough to cut the sweetness of the Jello), carrots, and pineapple. Chill.

That's it. It's refreshing for summer, sort of a sweet crunchy side with lots of healthy carrots.

About 200 calories for the entire recipe. I count it as .5 points for each bowl, using rather small glass bowls, but it's probably closer to 0 points.