Taste....10, Presentation.....0

When I was a kid my favorite dessert was something called Pretzel Salad. It's a three layer dessert. The top is a strawberry/strawberry jello layer followed by a cream cheese/cool whip layer and the crust is made from pretzels and sometimes pecans if they happen to be in the pantry. My mother made it every Christmas and sometimes on other holidays too. She used to make it for me as an adult when I would come home to visit. She doesn't do that much anymore since I've had my kids because becoming a grandma makes your love for the original child lessen. Those of you that have little kids know what I'm talking about right? Once your parents become grandparents then you get tossed out like an old towel. I'm not complaining, just stating a fact. Anywhoo.....back to the pretzel salad. I TRY to make pretzel salad on the 4th of July holiday. You got your red, your white, and if you put it on a blue plate your totally set. One problem, every time I make it it looks like this......

Why is my pretzel salad such a mess? I have two theories. One, I time the layers wrong as I putting them in and I get something too hot or too cold and it doesn't want to attach the next layer. Two, I can't wait to eat it and I pull one little piece (okay two) out of the pan early causing the whole thing to lose it's support system and come crashing into the empty side of the pan. Take a guess which theory I'm leaning towards.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad (salad is very loosely defined)

2 1/2 c crushed pretzels (throw in some pecan pieces for a little extra)

3 T sugar

3/4 c melted butter

1 8oz container cool whip

1 8oz container cream cheese

1 c sugar

1 6oz pkg strawberry jello

2 c boiling water

1 16oz pkg frozen strawberries in syrup

Mix together pretzels and pecans, 1 T sugar and melted butter. Press into 13x9 inch pan. Bake for 10 minutes at 375. Cool. Mix together cool whip, cream cheese, and 1 cup sugar. Spread on cooled pretzel mixture. Mix jello and water together. Add strawberries and put in fridge until it begins to set. Then pour over cream cheese mixture. LEAVE IT IN THE REFRIGERATOR until set; at least 4-6 hrs. Or the other option is to sneak into the kitchen and cut out a piece early then claim to your family that you don't know why it always falls apart when you serve it.