March can be such a dismal month, there are times you think “Spring is here” However lately it has been cold, rainy and not very nice but this is when you make an added effort to be happy and have a smiling face.

Of course, there are all kinds of smiles and we each have our own or maybe we are able to put on a smile.

Most smiles are good but there are some you would just as soon never smile at you, such as a sarcastic one. Those are smiles I don’t really want.

The best kinds of smiles are the genuine ones, the ones that show you they are genuinely happy to see you.

These are the ones that usually come from a glad heart, one in which your spirit is at peace and the glory is expressed in a radiant and smiley face. It is the kind of smile that last the longest and does the most good.

You have heard the expression, “Smile and the world smiles with you!” this is so true. Smile at the next person you meet and nine times out of ten she or he will smile back at you and what a brighter world this would be.

Along with those happy comfortable smiles come those certain meals I call “comfort” foods and they get the “smiley face” of approval.

This week before spring really comes is a time to get reacquainted with old friends or meals.

How many of us remember when our children’s favorite meal was “Macaroni and Cheese” made from scratch. Or how about meat loaf, chicken fried steak, tuna-noodle casserole, stuffed peppers, apricot jello, fruit mix-up, upside down cake, rice pudding and peach cobbler.

All old favorites, but something new and tasty for the grandkids. In cooking, over the years, we tend to accumulate a rather impressive body of knowledge, whether we realize it or not.

All of us know how we fix our old standbys. However, I have found many of my readers are young and inexperienced in baking and cooking. They need to be told how and what to do.

This is an oldie but a goodie and the directions are very complete and easy for this salad or dessert.

MARVELOUS FRUIT MIX-UP

1 3-oz. pkg. lemon

flavored gelatin

2 cups ice cubes

1 8- oz. container of

sour cream

1 20- oz. can crushed

pineapple, drained

1 11- oz. can mandarin

oranges, drained

1/4 cup chopped

walnuts

1 cup miniature

marshmallows

In a large bowl stir 3/4 cup boiling water into gelatin to dissolve completely. Add ice cubes; stir constantly 3 to 5 minutes until mixture thickens slightly; using slotted spoon, remove any unmelted ice.

Stir sour cream into gelatin until blended. Set aside 1/2 cup pineapple, 1/4 cup mandarin oranges and 1 tablespoon walnuts for garnish; stir remaining fruit and walnuts into gelatin mixture along with the marshmallows.

Pour into 8- inch square dish; top with reserved fruit and walnuts. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until firm. Makes 8 servings. Great as a salad or for dessert.

“A smile isn’t a smile until it’s given away”