I was busy enjoying the potluck luncheon I go to the 2nd Monday of each month.

***represents my variations.

Mother always made this aspic for her parties, with celery and olives

Sharing my mom's aspic

4 cups V-8 juice **use tomato juice

3 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon cider vinegar **used white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon grated onion

1 tsp teaspoon salt

dash of Tabasco sauce **Used Franks plus 1/4 cayenne pepper

1 cup finely chopped celery **left off celery and olives and used one cup of shredded imitation crab meat

1 cup sliced stuffed green olives

8 romaine or leaf lettuce leaves

mayonnaise for garnish

In a large bowl combine cup of the V-8 juice and the gelatin and let soak to soften. In a saucepan, heat the remaining V-8 juice, add it to the gelatin and stir till the gelatin has dissolved. Add the Worcestershire, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, salt and Tabasco. Stir well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill until the mixture is slightly thickened.

Add the celery and olives and stir until well blended. Transfer the mixture to a shallow baking dish or eight individual molds, cover with plastic wrap and chill until firm. Serve the aspic on lettuce leaves and top each portion with a dollop of mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise I sprinkled with dried basil