I've made it a tradition to bring in some sort of jello concoction to class when I teach about sexual containment and the Cold War in my queer history classes, simply because May's work makes me think of 50s-style Jello molds and "salads" (Here's one I made a couple years ago).

This year I couldn't, so I devised an extra-credit quarantine assignment instead.

I asked the students to create some sort of 1950s dinner party item, with the stipulation that they not take any extra trips to the grocery store and only make things they'd actually eat (no aspics)! The results were amazing.

I am obsessed with this one.

This student tried to use an Elmo mold, but didn't leave it in the refrigerator for long enough (said it still tasted good).

Here's a delightful ambrosia salad. As I told my students, this was a regular meal for me in my freshman year dining hall (Mocon!).

This student made a "cranberry relish" which was one of her great great aunt's go-to desserts (recipe--and dog pic--included!).

A student referred to this as "a peaches and cream thing" with condensed milk and blue cherries. It may be my favorite.

And here's a cranberry jello mold that turned out really well!

And I made a "pretzel salad" (thanks to @juliagunn4 for the inspiration all those years ago). It was delicious.

I'll post more should they come in. But my students are incredible, and I can only hope that this assignment boosted their morale as much as it did mine.