Linda Savage Hale's lemon jello salad is luscious

I have read, “There’s a point in real friendships when you stop being friends and become family.” Such was the case with my friend, co-worker, confidant, and chosen family, Linda Savage Hale. She was one of a kind and the years we spent teaching together at Horace Mann Elementary were priceless.

I’m not certain who wrote, “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life,” but that’s how being a co-teacher with Linda Hale made me feel. She and I could find something funny in every single day and that alone will fill anyone’s heart with enough! I know my sweet friend is now completely healed and Heaven has a beautiful angel.

Lemon Jello Salad

Ingredients:

2 small packages Lemon Jello

2 Cups hot water

1 can Lemon pie filling

1 – 12 oz. 7Up or Mountain Dew

1 small can crushed pineapple (drained)

1 small carton Cool Whip

Dissolve Jello in hot water. While still hot, stir in ½ can pie filling. Stir until dissolved. Add pop and pineapple. Pour into a 9” X 13” pan and let set in refrigerator over-night. Next morning, combine Cool Whip and remaining pie filling, frost with this mixture and serve.

On April 12, 2001, I took my first bite of Linda’s lemon jello salad and knew I had to not only have the recipe, I had to make the recipe. It was LUSCIOUS! Linda shared her mom had given the following recipe to her but that her mother had originally received it from Peggy Shoemaker, all of Hominy, Oklahoma. Now how’s that for a little LOCAL FLAVOR??!!

Photo Caption: Linda Savage Hale, at right, is shown with granddaughters, from left, Brooke and Claire.