By Karen Hendrix
For The Tribune
The Kum Join Us homemakers met Feb. 6 at St. Paul Lutheran Church Borchers.
The meeting, hosted by Michelle Wood, was opened with the Pledge of Allegiance and club creed.
Olga Otte asked each of the nine members present what they wanted for Valentine’s Day if they could have anything. The most popular response was a trip. Some of those trips included trips alone, and I won’t give up my sources as to who those were. Don’t we all wish for a little alone time occasionally?
Others would love chocolate candies, a night out at Brooklyn Pizza, a nice meal with friends, a trip to all of the state parks in one year and a Lladró butterfly figurine.
Wood gave the treasurer’s report, and I read The Tribune article from our January meeting. Olga asked everyone for their volunteer hours and money spent throughout the year to establish our Blue and Gold award status.
Wood announced a group from Borchers has an outing planned to Oma & Opa’s in downtown Seymour on March 11. There are two spots available if anyone wants to attend.
Mandy Otte announced a new website, NVON, National Volunteer Outreach Network. Here, she can search statewide for our lessons each month.
This month, she chose a lesson from the Illinois Association for Home and Community on gelatin, otherwise known as Jell-O to our generation.
Gelatin originally was a protein produced from collagen extracted from boiled bones, connective tissues and other animal products and has been used in our foods, especially desserts, since the 15th century. It became popular in the Victorian era and was associated more with the well-to-do.
Peter Cooper, who built the first American steam-powered locomotive known as the Tom Thumb, developed a patent for a powdered version of gelatin, making it much easier to use rather than the sheets that had to be painstakingly purified when it was originally developed.
In 1897, Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked a gelatin dessert known as Jell-O in Le Roy, New York. Along with his wife, May, they began adding flavors, such as strawberry, raspberry, orange and lemon, to the gelatin and sugar, making it more flavorful. In 1899, orator Francis Woodward purchased Jell-O from the Waits. Woodward introduced refrigeration, powdered gelatin, machine packaging, home economics classes and marketing, including the first advertisement in Ladies Home Journal in 1902 proclaiming Jell-O to be “America’s Most Famous Dessert.”
Jack Benny became the sponsor for Jell-O in 1934, and that same year, the popular jingle became famous. I’m sure you’ve all sung the Jello-O jingle at some time in your life. Are you singing it now in your head?
In the 1950s, salads became so popular at the dinner table that Jell-O introduced vegetable flavors, including celery, Italian, mixed vegetable and seasoned tomato. Thank goodness these flavors were discontinued.
In 1966, Jell-O No Bake was introduced, and in 1969, Jell-O-1-2-3 was introduced as a Jell-O that separated into colorful layers as it cooled.
Throughout its life, Jell-O changed ownership many times. In 1990, General Foods merged with Kraft Foods and new flavors were introduced and others removed due to poor sales.
Bill Cosby became another spokesperson, and Jell-O pudding and Jell-O Jigglers were introduced. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, the Jell-O family-friendly name was slightly tarnished with the onslaught of Jell-O shots and Jell-O wrestling.
As of 2011, more than 420 million boxes of Jell-O gelatin and over a billion Jell-O cups had been sold in the United States. As of 2016, there were more than 110 products sold under the Jell-O brand name. Not too shabby from something that started so long ago by boiling bones.
Wood read an excerpt from Sacred Rest by Cheryl Wunderlich called Works of Art from Ephesians 2. Before God created us, he knew our outcome. He created us with the perfect combination of characteristics for us to perform the work he created us to do. Sometimes, we ask ourselves if we are doing what we’re supposed to be doing. No need to worry. He will bring us hand-tailored opportunities to work and serve him.
Our creator knows us better than we know ourselves. We will never regret saying yes to what he wants us to do.
As always, remember to stay connected.