Although regular readers here are well aware that I have a certain fascination with the aesthetic aspects of jello, my feelings do not extend to jelly.
No, I much prefer jam. Why eat a strained and enervated version of the thing when you can have actual succulent pieces of fruit to chew on in the mix?
Let’s have jam today! But no, not possible:
‘I’m sure I’ll take you with pleasure!’ the Queen said. ‘Twopence a week, and jam every other day.’
Alice couldn’t help laughing, as she said, ‘I don’t want you to hire ME – and I don’t care for jam.’
‘It’s very good jam,’ said the Queen.
‘Well, I don’t want any TO-DAY, at any rate.’
‘You couldn’t have it if you DID want it,’ the Queen said. ‘The rule is, jam to-morrow and jam yesterday – but never jam to-day.’
‘It MUST come sometimes to “jam to-day,”‘ Alice objected.
‘No, it can’t,’ said the Queen. ‘It’s jam every OTHER day: to-day isn’t any OTHER day, you know.’
‘I don’t understand you,’ said Alice. ‘It’s dreadfully confusing!’
Previously a lifelong Democrat, born in New York and living in New England, surrounded by liberals on all sides, I've found myself slowly but surely 
August 19th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
neo, are you hitting the hookah? You have this strange fascination with food.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I am reminded of an old t.v. commercial I liked –
A hillbilly guy is at a fine dinner table and says….”Please pass the Jelly.” Everyone stops talking – glares are directed his way…..
The brand of the preseves or jam is on the tip of my tongue….what was it? It will drive me crazy until I remember.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:49 pm
I tend to agree with a couple of exceptions -
The main one being that the alternative (in England where my Mother was raised) to Mint sauce with lamb is Red Currant Jelly. Oddly enough the jam doesn’t do the trick.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:01 pm
dane—You have just reminded me something I forget: I would make a bit of an exception for mint jelly. I am very fond of all sorts of mint things. Mint jelly also doesn’t really have any sort of competition from mint jam, does it?
August 19th, 2009 at 6:14 pm
Rats.
I know the commercial of which you speak. All the others in the room are proper Brits, except this one guy. The group was horrified by the word “jelly”
It’ll awaken me at four A.M. remembering. Be thankful I do not have your phone number, southernjames.
I’m going to google “please pass the jelly” and see what pops up.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:20 pm
Easy as pie:
August 19th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
And scottie: what could be strange about a fascination with food? After all, food is one of the best things around. And besides, isn’t it sort of important for human existence?
Although jelly is optional.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Some people eat Fig Preserves in a similiar way as some would eat jelly or jam. The fig preserves are whole figs in a syrupy concoction- very sweat. Often eaten with bisquits.
August 19th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I agree with you except for pin cherry jelly. There is simply not enough flesh in a pin cherry to make jam, but it makes the finest of all jellies.
Best wishes,
Jim
August 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
I am with you on the superiority of jam, except when it comes to apple jelly on cream cheese on a toasted plain bagel.
Jelly perfection!
August 19th, 2009 at 7:22 pm
Neo,
I fear the left wing loonies have driven you around the bend. You’ve lost your grip.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
Sven walks into the diner and orders bacon and eggs and toast. The waitress asks – you want jam with that?
By yumpin yiminy, tventy years to learn to say jelly – now they change it to yam.
August 19th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
neo – no, I guess there’s nothing wrong with being interested in food….
There was the candy thing a while back, oh – and the jello, now the jelly….lol…..perfectly normal fixation.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:10 pm
I think I do understand the Queen. And that concerns me.
August 19th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Oh, I wish I could I shimmy like my sister Kate;
I’d shake it just like jelly on a plate.
Mama wanted to know last night,
she said “why does all the fellas treat Kate so nice?”
Now everybody in the neighborhood
knows Kate can shimmy, it’s understood;
I may be late, but I’ll be up-to-date
when I can shimmy like my sister Kate….
August 19th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
Then there’s the ever-popular Pooh Sticks:
See me move like jelly on a plate
‘Cause I love you
All I want every single day
Is to be with you
All I know is what I know
And don’t I know it was meant to be
So see me move like jelly on a plate
When you’re close to me
Plus the immortal Sticky Kids:
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate
Wibble wobble, wibble wobble, jelly on a plate
Sausage in a pan, sausage in a pan
Sizzle sizzle, sizzle sizzle, sizzle sizzle bang!
Noodles on a fork, noodles on a fork
Twirly wirly, twirly wirly, noodles on a fork
Popcorn in a pot, popcorn in a pot
Popping popping, never stopping, popcorn in a pot
Honey on a spoon, honey on a spoon
Runny honey, runny honey, honey on a spoon
Jelly on a plate, jelly on a plate
And I’ll stop now, thank you.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Okay, now the theory that you’re hosting this website to support a doctoral thesis is starting to sound credible.
August 19th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
My mother makes green pepper jelly. Looks like lime jello.
1 Ritz cracker + cream cheese + green pepper jelly = yum yum
August 19th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
Good news and bad news.
The bad news: we’re really in a jam this time.
The good news: at least we’re not in a pickle.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:25 am
No there’s nothing wrong with being interested in food. In fact the barbecued pork chops I had tonight were absolutely wonderful.
And the homemade peach preserves and biscuits I had at breakfast were great.
August 20th, 2009 at 6:20 am
I have a row of various jams in the door of my frig.
My morning ritual is coffee and a toasted Bays English muffin with one or two jams spread across each half.
If my weight is where I want to maintain it on a given morning, I add a touch of Land o’ Lakes butter before applying the jam as a little reward.
Heaven.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:26 am
I made jelly once – what a waste of fruit. But jam, now… It’s like the old Far Side: “In MY day, we used every PART of the mammoth!” Jam uses the whole fruit. A bonus for a person with a crummy garden!
August 20th, 2009 at 7:38 am
Ya know, I AM kind of curious as to which variety of jam our lovely hostess prefers.
Exactly how would such preferences fit into the doctoral thesis that Vieux Charles suspects we are all lab rats taking part in – do different varieties indicate different considerations?
And as others have noted, it’s not just the jam itself as there are also the accompanying items to consider, such as beverages (in neo’s case, water – no coffee there).
Inquiring minds wanna know, neo.
August 20th, 2009 at 9:50 am
It Must Be Jelly (‘Cause Jam Don’t Shake Like That , as the Glenn Miller Orchestra performed it.
August 20th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Alas, so sad, some cannot tolerate the seeds in jams and are forever resigned to the jellies instead.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Scottie: I prefer nearly all sorts of jam, although (sigh) I indulge relatively rarely. But perhaps my favorite would involve sour cherries.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
‘BB: If the reason for the seed avoidance is diverticulitis, be of good cheer. The word is out that such things are now generally allowed.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
neo,
Interesting – I kind of envisioned you as an apple kind of gal….
August 20th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Jelly vs. jam — either is good, slap it on some bread and let me consume it, I have a job to get to and bills to pay.
August 20th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
The bad news: we’re really in a jam this time.
Nah– Neo just wanted to host a jam session.
August 20th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
Must be jelly because jam dont shake like that…
August 21st, 2009 at 1:51 am
Art, Jello perhaps?
August 21st, 2009 at 8:45 am
Artfldgr : I already linked to the song.
August 21st, 2009 at 10:39 am
Neo, please also make an exception for Cape Cod’s beach plum jelly as well as for the classic red currant jelly. There are no acceptable jam or preserve equivalents. Can’t be without a little beach plum goodness
August 21st, 2009 at 8:32 pm
didnt know the song…
i knew the quote from w c fields when mae west walked past him