We have decided to celebrate by posting top Jiggling Jello posts from around the web starting tomorrow!  Check back and vote for your favorite by leaving a comment on our blog or face book page.  We will send a Jello Surprise to our winner.

Go and have some Jello Joy this week!  Let us know how you celebrate.

Sugar-Free Fruit Juice Snacks

3 packets of unflavored gelatin

1 cup fruit juice- any flavor (We used 1/2 pineapple juice which gave it a nice sweet flavor and 1/2 cup unsweetened grape juice to give the snacks some color!)

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Molds (We suggest using very small molds.  If they are bigger, it is just too much chewiness in one bite!)

Pour juice and lemon juice into a small pan.  Sprinkle gelatin over juice and let set for a minute.  Add fructose and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Fill molds (I suggest using a small syringe to do this.)  You can also pour gelatin into a pan.  With your fingers pull to break suction against one side of pan.  Pull side up and lift onto cutting board to slice or dice.  (Snakes work best if they are sliced thin.)

Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until well set.

They should easily unmold- just give a little push with your finger.  For variety, you can toss them in citric acid for a sour punch of flavor!

Now Go Do Right Thing and Make These Today!

Jello for Adults- no alcohol involved.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8-m014al-s&NR=1  The advertisement peaked my curiosity I admit, although there are apparently some outraged viewers- how dare they frighten children?  In the name of Jell-O no less!

Jello Temptations Dessert offers six different flavors.  I purchased French Silk Temptations.  After all, I did just return from a 10 day excusion to France- I had to go with French Silk, right?  Maybe I should also have some “French Fries, French Dressing, French Bread and to drink Perrier.”*  I am eating it right now so I can give my review.  So here goes: 

It’s chocolate- that’s a plus.  Yes, I am a choco-beast.  It has 140 calories that is less than a snickers bar- my personal favorite which packs 237 calories.  Now lets do some math.  I ran two miles this morning and burned off approximately 200 calories.  Hooray, I burned off 60 more calories than I consumed eating this little treat.  I must admit the appearance disappointed me.  They look so ”tempting” on the comercial.  A fancy little layered dessert from the grocery store, however; it looks nothing like the commercial.  It comes in a black plastic cup.  What a disappointment!  I couldn’t even see the cute little layers.  I even tried to get it neatly out of the container to no avail.  If I could choose, I would probably go with a snickers as it includes nuts and caramel.  I prefer “stuff” in my chocolate.  It’s probably not a fair comparison and at 237 calories not even a snickers is worth the sweat in the gym to burn it off!  That being said, it is more sophisticated than a pudding cup or coagulated jello in a plastic cup and in a pinch it would definately curb sugar withdrawls.  Although it is not creme brulee it also doesn’t come with the average calorie count of 575 per serving.  Ha!  575 calories- creme brulee doesn’t look quite so innocent now does it!  Sink your fangs into some Jell-O Temptations and let us know what you think.

Be Tempted with a little Jell-O Joy today!      

*Lines from Better Off Dead

Here are last years pranks…

Fun With Jello:  April Fools Jello Pranks

1.  Late the night before, dissolve clear gelatin, cool and pour into toilet.  It will set overnight and if you are lucky the user will be mystified by their suspended stuff.  Here is how to do it:  Estimate the amount of water your toilet holds by pouring a big pan or bucket of water into the bowl- this will cause the water to empty out of the toilet bowl.  Then pour pre-measured water into toilet until it is at about the same level it was before.  (I estimated that my toilet holds 8-9 cups of water.)  For each cup of water your toilet holds, use 1 packet of clear gelatin.  Measure determined amount of water into a pan.  Sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit for 5 minutes.  Heat over medium heat until gelatin is dissolved.  Cool to room temperature- you still want it to be a runny consistency.  Flush water out of toilet bowl with a pan or bucket full of water.  Pour gelatin into toilet bowl and allow to sit overnight.  To flush, break up gelatin with a toilet brush and flush.

Well this didn’t work exactly as planned.  For one, clear gelatin is not exactly clear so it doesn’t look like water- unless you live somewhere with a lot of minerals in the water.  But it did accomplish the goal of confusion, mostly that of why is the toilet not flushing right?  My 7 year old said, “someone put too much toilet paper in the toilet.”  To which I replied, “but there isn’t any toilet paper in the toilet.”  My husband thought he must be dehydrated because his job looked darker than usual.

2.  You could do the above prank using lemon jello in place of clear.

I think this would work well.  The person would try to flush it before using it and then wonder why it was not working right.  It would work well on dinner guests who would have to suffer the embarrassment of telling you that the toilet is having issues.

3.  Remove the shower head, put dry red jello in the shower head and replace for a Psycho-like shower prank.

This had a little hiccup in that the water did not immediately come out- perhaps the jello had solidified in the apparatus and thus it took a moment for the water to break through.  Anyway, that gave my victims time to suspect a prank.  When it did come out it, it did produce the desired effect!  Perhaps the original Kool-Aid in the shower head would work better.

4.  Put a little Methylene Blue in blue jello.  This can be purchased at a pet store in the fish department.  Make sure it is labeled simply Methylene Blue.  The first pet store we tried did not have it, but the next one did.  Just a few drops, should work.  Those who partake of the jello will urinate blue.  (I have always wanted to do this, but have been worried about safety-  I am afraid someone will have an allergic reaction to blue dye or ingest too much.)  I called my brother-in-law who is a Zoologist and works with fish and a friend talked to a pharmacist.  They said that it is generally considered harmless in small amounts.  I am going to give it a try- I’ll let you know how it works out.

I was so excited to try this one, but have to admit failure.  The Methylene Blue is extremely bitter.  I tried 4 times to adjust things to disguise the bitterness, all to no avail.  I added 5 cups of additional sugar, but the bitterness was still evident and my victims would not partake more than a couple spoonfuls.  I guess I will have to work on it a little more- stayed tuned for my attempt next year.  Plan on doing it the night before April Fools.  We tested it and it takes overnight to produce the desired effect.

5.  Of course you could mimic the Office prank, by encasing someone’s stapler in jello or your spouses car keys or your teenager’s cell phone.

I didn’t try this one, but the cell phone thing sounds tempting.

6.  Empty victim’s shampoo or body wash from bottle and rinse.  Make a package of jello- as directed, that corresponds to the color of shampoo or body wash.  Carefully pour jello into the empty bottle and place in fridge to set up.  Early in the morning, place bottle back where it was removed from in the shower or tub.

This one  worked like a charm.  I was lucky in that I was able to perfectly match the body wash.  We also had three bottles that were pretty much empty.  Prepare jello as directed.  Pour into body wash bottle and turn upside-down to set up.

7.  Make one of the more interesting (code word for repulsive) recipes from an old Joys of Jello recipe book and take to a neighbor, family member or you could leave it on someone’s doorstep with a nice note.

Let us hear about your April Fools Jello Joy!

#1  Did you know that St. Patrick wasn’t named Patrick at all, his real name was Maewyn Succat.

Creamy Green Jello Salad

1 cup water

1 small pkg. green jello

1 cup canned pineapple, drained

1 (8oz.) pkg cream cheese

Dissolve jello in boiling water.  Combine jello, pineapple and cream cheese in blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into 9×13 pan.  Refrigerate until firm.

We Always Eat Lucky Charms For Breakfast On St. Patrick's Day: My Kids Think They Are Magically Delicious, But I Am With the Chicken.

Now Go Make Some Green Jello and Have a Happy Maewyn Succat’s Day!

Why is it that we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in the United States of America?  What is the ratio of Irish immigrants to immigrants from other lands?  I don’t really know, but I think it’s the pinching thing don’t you?

What other holiday do you get to go around pinching people?  

And the color green, don’t you just love it?  There is a different shade of green for each decade, such as Hunter Green during the 80′s; totally out now.  I use to have a Granny Smith Apple colored kitchen.  I loved it- so cheery.  I miss that kitchen.

Back to St. Patrick’s Day.  We have a few ideas to celebrate the season.  This blog is about our St. Patty’s Poke Cake.  I wish I could call them St. Patty’s Pinch Cakes, but I’m not sure how pinching a cake would work out, so I will stick with poke.  Jello Poke cakes use to be the rage.  Everyone was baking cakes, poking them and pouring jello over the top.

We are going to bring the Jello Poke Cake up to date in cupcake form.  You could use a cake mix, but we recommend homemade.  It is so much tastier.  We are using a Lemon-Honey Cupcake recipe from the March 2010 issue of Woman’s Day and changing it up just a bit.  If you like to bake cupcakes from scratch check out the cupcake feature article at http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Food/Recipes/6-One-of-a-Kind-Cupcakes.html  Here is our spin:

Lemon-Lime Jello Poke Cakes

Cupcakes

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup sour cream

1/4 cup milk

1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest

4 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Line muffin cups with paper liners.

2.  Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.

3.  Whisk sour cream, milk, lemon zest and juice in a medium-small bow.

4.  Beat butter, honey and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes.  Beat in eggs one at a time.

5.  With mixer on low speed, beat in half flour mixture, then the sour cream mixture.  Beat in remaining flour mixture until just combined.

6.  Spoon about 1/4 cup batter into each muffin cup.  Bake 16-20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes and remove to cool completely.

7.  When cupcakes are cool, poke holes in cake with a wooden pick or meat fork.

Jello Glaze

Mix a 3 ounce package of lime jello with 1 cup boiling water.  Stir until sugar crystals are completely dissolved.  Carefully pour over each cupcake.

We suggest topping with lightly sweetened whipped cream to balance the sweetness of the cupcake.  See our post on stabilized whipped cream.  You can then sprinkle with jello crystals for a little extra color and flavor.

For some free cupcake wrapper templates, check out http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/10/22/make-your-own-cupcake-wrappers/

Now go have some Jello

I know, it is hard to resist the urge to over-do it with green food coloring on St. Patrick’s Day.  You probably put it in the milk, pancakes etc.  Here is a better way to use it:

Jello Key Lime Tarts

1 (3 oz) pkg. lime flavored jello

3/4 cup boiling water

1 tsp grated lime zest

1/2 cup fresh key lime juice, or lime juice

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sour cream

4 drops green food coloring

Dissolve jello  in boiling water.  Cool jello to room temperature- about 35 minutes.  (You can speed this up by placing container in a larger container filled with ice water or in fridge; however, watch carefully so that jello does not become firm.  If it does, it will not incorporate into the other mixture and you will have Key Lime Pie with lumps of green jello.)

While jello is cooling, whisk together sweetened condensed milk, lime juice, food coloring and grated lime zest in a separate large bowl.

Whisk in sour cream and cooled jello.  Pour into small pre-cooked and cooled tart shells or one 9 inch pie crust.  Chill until firm.  (If you would like filling to be higher than tart shell, wait until it is set and then spoon or pipe into shells.)

Tart Shells

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup butter, softened

4 tbsp. sugar

2 cup flour

Blend cream cheese, butter and sugar.  Stir in flour just until blended.  Chill about 1 hour to make dough easier to handle.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Shape dough into 48 one-inch balls and press into mini muffin cups.  Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until very light brown on edges.  Remove from oven and let set in pan to finish cooking.  When cool, remove from pan.  This recipe makes a lot of tarts, but they are easy to make, and they disappear fast!

*Today’s post is based on two recipes from one of our favorite websites, http://allrecipes.com/ The recipes were both submitted by Glenda under the names of Key Lime Pie II and Cream Cheese Tart Shells.

Now Go Have Some Green Jello Joy!

No, it’s not berry season yet, but I’m longing for it!  My incredible kids can’t wait.  They are ready to get rid of their bulky winter wear and put on a super “swim suit.”  This dessert will give you a little bite of what is to come…

Easy Fruit Tarts

Store purchased mini-tart shells or homemade mini-tart shells:  Here is an easy recipe http://www.joyofjello.com/?p=640

1 (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened (about 20-25 seconds per side in microwave)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup water

1 (3oz.) lemon jello

1 cup ice

Fruit of choice

Beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Spoon or pipe cream into tart shells.  Place fruit on top of cream.  In large glass bowl, heat 3/4 cup water in microwave until boiling- about 1 1/2-2 minutes.  Remove from microwave and slowly pour in jello powder.  Stir until blended and return to microwave for 1 minute.  Remove from microwave and stir well until jello is completely dissolved.  Add 1 cup ice and stir until ice is completely dissolved.  Spoon gelatin over tarts.  (If your cream and fruit are mounded up in tart- as shown in picture- rather than level, the glaze will not adhere to the fruit very well.  That’s ok, it will run down in crevices and on cream and it will look pretty and still have a punch of flavor from the glaze.

Now Go Make Some Tarts and Have a Little Jello Joy!

P.S. We linked up on the link party one Little Eme, go check out the other cool links.

Celebrate Jello Week with these yummy treats!  What kid could resist them?  So cute!  How fun would they be in a lunch box or for a holiday or party treat!  You can do them in any color for any theme:  red for Valentines, red and green for Christmas, orange for Halloween, green for St. Patricks, red and blue for 4th of July etc.

My kids were not in agreement as to the name of these treats.  On the Kraft website http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/easy-marshmallow-pinwheels-51697.aspx they are called Gelatin Pinwheels, but some of my kids thought that fruity roll-ups sounded better.  Either way they are fun, easy and delicious!

Gelatin Pinwheel/ Fruity Roll-Ups

1 (3 oz.) pkg. jello

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Lightly spray an 8 or 9 inch pan square pan with non-stick cooking spray and make sure it is spread well.

Stir together water and jello powder in a glass bowl and microwave for 1 minute.   Remove bowl and stir well making sure jello is dissolved.  If necessary, return to microwave for 20 seconds or so to make sure jello is dissolved and stir again.

Add marshmallows and return to microwave for 20-40 seconds or until marshmallows have just begun to puff.  This is the key to a successful marshmallow layer!  If you over cook the marshmallows, they just dissolve and your roll-up will not have two distinct layers.

Whisk quickly until marshmallows are dissolved.

Pour quickly into prepared pan and chill in fridge for 45 minutes or until well set.  Creamy layer will float to the top.

Remove the pan from fridge.  At this point,  the jello should be very firm and easy to handle.  Gently pull one side away from pan and lift entire sheet onto counter.  Starting at one end, roll up tightly.  With seam side down, cut into 10-12 (1/2) inch slices.  We found it easiest to cut with a piece of thread or dental floss.  Just put the string around roll-up, cross and pull.

Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Now Go Spread Some Fruity Gelatin Pinwheel Joy!

We are linked to the link party on fingerprints on the fridge,  Tatertots and jello and So you think you are crafty,go there and check out all the other cool links!.

* Check out our cookbook giveaway here.

In 2001 Governor Leavitt and the Utah Senate made a significant decision that would change Utah forever.  After much thought, consideration and debate, Jello was made Utah’s official state snack and the second full week in February was determined to be know heretofore after as Jello Week.

I know what you are thinking and it didn’t come easy.  There of course were voices of dissent.  Ron Allen for one said, “The suggestion that Jell-O is the carrot sprinkled glue that keeps families together has pushed me over the edge.”  He apparently has not tasted my Jello- and as of this date it has never had carrots in it, but I plan to try that soon.

Top 24 Ways to Celebrate Jello Week

1.  Have a Jello Eating Contest

2.  Drink Jello Through a Straw

3.  Have a Jello Making Contest

4.  Have a Jello Wrestling Competition

5.  Make Jello Shots (if you are not Mormon) if you are, talk to your Bishop

6.  Buy a Jello Mold at a Near-by Thrift Shop

7.  Make Jello With Your New Jello Mold

8.  Buy a Jello Recipe Book

9.  Try Out a New Recipe

10.  Try a New Flavor- or Better Yet- Create Your Own Flavor.  Mix Kinds and Give a Nifty Prize to the Person that Can Guess the Flavors.

11.  Write a Letter to a Utah Congressman/Woman Telling About Your Jello Joys.

12.  Take Jello to a Neighbor.

13.  Take Jello to Work

14.  Congeal Your Co-Workers Stapler or Other Item in Jello.  See jellostapler.com for details.

15.  Congeal Your Husband’s Car Keys in Jello

16.  If You Have Had it with Your Teenager Texting, Congeal His/Her Cell Phone in Jello

17.  Play a Jello Joy Joke

18.  Have a Jello Buffet

19.  Fill Your Bathtub with Jello

20.  Make Jello Jigglers

21.  Try to Make a Delicate Arch Out of Jello

22.  Make a Jello Valentine

23.  Do Something Romantic with Jello

24.  Make a Mold of Your Face with Jello.  Google:  Eat Yer’ Face Gelatin Mold

Go and have some Jello Joy this week!  Let me know how you celebrate.