I LOVE Thanksgiving time.  I was recently at the store to see what sort of Thanksgiving decor they had (and to see if there was any I absolutely couldn’t live without!), and I was lucky if I could find a few racks of Fall, yet alone Thanksgiving items, among all of the CHRISTMAS stuff.  I couldn’t believe it!!  I mean, I have come to the realization that Christmas is over-commercialized and yada yada, but to completely ignore Thanksgiving is NOT okay with me!  Shouldn’t we be giving thanks for what we have, and not be so worried about what we think we should have?

That being said, it will be forever known that in my house we will fully celebrate Thanksgiving and give it the attention it deserves

This will be the first Thanksgiving that I get to spend with my in-laws.  I’m super excited to be apart of all of their traditions!  I know that they make tons and TONS of pies (like 20 or 30!), so I definitely can’t wait for that!

However, I will definitely miss my own family’s Thanksgiving traditions.

Remember how I said in one of my recent posts that my family lives on an orchard?  Well, years ago when my grandmother was still alive and helping to run the orchard, she would go down by the highway where my parents now live and sell fruit from the orchard.  One day as my grandmother was selling apples, a woman came up to her and said that she always loved to buy apples from her orchard to make one of her favorite recipes.  This woman, Mrs. Wilson, gave my grandmother a copy of the recipe so she could try it out herself.

It was a recipe for a jello salad made using fresh, grated apples.  We called it Mrs. Wilson’s Set Salad.

My grandmother tried the recipe, and it became an instant family favorite.  We would have it at many Sunday dinners, and I cannot remember a Thanksgiving dinner in my life where this jello has not been served.

I may be biased, but I think this is the perfect Thanksgiving jello.  It is the perfect side dish and is just what you need to complete your meal.  Oh, and did I mention that it’s super easy!?

Apple Jello Salad
Ingredients:
1 small box (3 oz.) Cherry Jell-O
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup Orange Juice
3 apples, peeled and grated
dash of salt

Directions:
1. Stir the Jell-O mix into the cup of boiling water.  Stir until dissolved.
2. Stir in sugar until dissolved.
3. Add the orange juice and salt.  Mix well.
4. Pour the Jell-O into an 8×8 pan**.
5. Add the apples, and lightly mix in until even.  Use a spoon to scoop off any bubbles.
6. Place on a level shelf in the refrigerator and allow to set until firm.  Enjoy!

**Double the recipe for a 9×13 pan