Vintage pineapple hula hoop Jello dessert (1979)

This pineapple jello dessert from 1979 goes by the name “pineapple hula hoop,” which makes more sense once you see how it’s put together. Canned pineapple slices are cut in half and arranged around a ring mold, with a blanched almond tucked into the curve of each one. Lime gelatin fills in the rest, so the finished ring comes out bright green with pale yellow arcs running through it.

The recipe calls for five ingredients, and one of them is lemon-lime soda. It stands in for part of the cold water (plain water works too), a common trick in gelatin recipes of the era that adds a little sweetness and fizz. Stick with canned pineapple here, since fresh pineapple contains an enzyme that keeps gelatin from setting.

Plan on about four hours of chilling time before you unmold it. The original ad suggested serving the ring to “bounce a family dinner,” with a garnish of crisp salad greens if you wanted one, which tells you how loose the line between salad and dessert was in the ’70s. The recipe makes 10 servings.