Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the summer…my husband’s family reunion! I LOVE these people God sent into my life. They are so much fun, and I am beyond grateful to them and for them! As with all of our gatherings, the food was amazing! I took Strawberry Pretzel Salad and thought I’d share this classic with you. It’s definitely a dessert, not a salad. But calling it a salad makes me feel a little better about sneaking a second helping. Enjoy this recipe and the summer days with your loved ones. Looking around last night, many of ours are in Heaven now. One day our reunion location will be permanently moved there, and we’ll all be together again. What a celebration that will be!

6 ounces Strawberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

3 cups salted pretzels, measure before crushing

1/3 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter

8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed in the refigerator

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve Jello in the boiling water and set aside to come to room temperature. Crush the pretzels in a Ziploc bag with a rolling pin. Melt the butter and stir in the 1/3 cup of sugar. Add this mixture to the pretzels, combining well. Press the pretzel mixture into the bottom of a 13 by 9 dish. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip. Spread the cream cheese on top of the cooled pretzel crust. Be sure to have a smooth, even surface that makes a nice seal at the edges of the pan. Stir the sliced strawberries into the cooled Jello. Carefully pour the Jello mixture on top of the cream cheese layer, gently arranging strawberries if needed. Refrigerate until the Jello is set, at least 3 hours.

Notes: My cream cheese seal wasn’t tight enough in the picture above. A little Jello seeped to the pretzel layer. It worked out, but is much prettier if you are more carful. Also, allowing the Jello and pretzel crust to come to room temperature is very important. This is not a difficult recipe, but you can’t rush it. Also, it is best served the day it is made. The crust gets a little mushy the next day.