Rainbow Jell-O!

For my son's birthday he wanted an ARTIST PARTY.  The guests decorated the cake, did all kinds of artsy crafts, and we even played "Pin the Beret on the Artist." 

Monet looks like he was wearing a beret for his photo!  (Don't you wish more men would wear flowers in their mustaches?)

The kids had a great time, and instead of ice cream with the cake, we served THIS....

Rainbow Jell-O!

That's right, I made a Rainbow Jell-O!  It was the hit of the party.  One party guest has a severe gluten intolerance and was extra glad to be able to join in some of the party treats.

The idea behind the rainbow stripes is to have a darker layer and a lighter layer for each gelatin color to create a rainbow pattern.  You'll need a bundt pan and a large empty space in your refrigerator.

I'm not going to lie to you about this one...this is an easy project, but it takes a LONG time! It isn't something to throw together in the morning and bring to the church potluck in the evening.  It is this kind of dessert that you throw together the morning the day before you need it for the church potluck.

Put on the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version of Pride and Prejudice  or maybe Anne of Green Gables with Megan Follows and get busy.  Here is what you need:

JELL-O - LOTS of JELL-O! (And some sour cream)

3 oz. packages of each color of the rainbow of gelatin.  (6 boxes plus 1 for a total of 7)
Violet - Grape
Blue - Berry Blue
Green - Lime
Yellow - Lemon or Pineapple (I like pineapple for this.)
Orange - Orange or Apricot
Red - Strawberry or Cherry
boiling water
1 quart of sour cream, vanilla yogurt, or Cool Whip
1 bundt pan
cooking spray
a paper towel
a kitchen timer

You need TWO packages of the last color of your rainbow.  I began with the violet so I needed two packages of the red gelatin.   If you begin your rainbow with red then you will need two packages of violet. 

TWO packages of the last color. 

 Definitely get two 3oz. packages of the last color instead of one large package.  It will make everything a whole lot easier later.

Stack up the gelatin boxes in the order they will be needed.  You will need to remember: ROY G. BIV.  Begin the stack with red on the bottom and follow the rainbow up from there.

Keeping track of the gelatin.

Let's get to it!

Spray the bundt pan lightly with cooking spray and use a paper towel to wipe out the excess.   Prepare your first color of gelatin with 1 1/4 cup of boiling water.  COOL IT DOWN!  You want the gelatin to be around room temperature before it goes into the bundt pan.  If not, it will take forever to gel properly.l  Pour 3/4 of a cup of prepared gelatin into the bundt pan to make the darker layer.

Put it in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.  I found that I needed the full 20 minutes with my refrigerator.

/

Use and ice bath for quick cooling!

Make sure you place your gelatin on a FLAT surface!

Then add a big scoop (about 2 tablespoons) of sour cream to the remaining 3/4 cup of gelatin.  COOL IT DOWN!

You can use vanilla yogurt or Cool Whip instead of the sour cream.  I haven't tried the Cool Whip, but I did try yogurt when I made this recipe once before.  I did not like the texture of the lighter layer.  It kept separating while the darker layer was chilling.  Also, I felt the finished dessert was too sweet for my taste.  I wanted the tarter contrast that sour cream provides.  I have not tried Greek yogurt.  Either plain or vanilla might work beautifully because of the thickness, and the tartness could be just perfect.  Try it and let me know...m-kay?

I wasn't very precise about this!

Here is the whipped layer. 

You can't run errands while you do this because you don't want the gelatin to be completely set.  You want it to be a little bit tacky.  That way the next layer will glue itself to the prior layer.  If the lower layer gets too set, the next layer will just slide off once the dessert gets un-molded.  

The gelatin should stick to the back of a spoon just a little. 

 
Pour the lighter layer onto the darker layer and chill for 10 - 15 minutes.  Again, I needed the entire 15 minutes.   (I don't think my refrigerator is very cold.)

*Pour the gelatin over the back of a spoon.*  The spoon slows down the descent of the liquid so it does not puncture the previous layer.  This will also happen if the liquid is too hot when you pour it.  

Slowly

Slowly

Slowly

This spot happened because my liquid was too hot. 

Keep building first a darker layer, then the lighter layer with each color of gelatin.

You can make all of your gelatin colors all at once at the beginning or make one at a time as you build each layer.  The gelatin may gel too much sitting out on your counter before going into the fridge so they might need a bit of a warm.  If you make them all at once, you won't need an ice bath for more than the first two colors or so.   Also, just keep them covered with plastic wrap until you need them.   I make my colors one at a time. 

Prepare one whole package of your final color with water and another whole package with water and sour cream.  It makes for easier math. 

Chill the finished mold in the refrigerator overnight!

Just chillin' in the fridge!

To release your mold,  have a platter or pan ready to accept your mold before you begin.  Dip your mold in a sink of warm water for just a FEW SECONDS!!!  If you go any longer than that your mold will begin to melt.  Dry off the bundt pan quickly with a towel.  (You don't want any water dripping onto your beautiful dessert!)

Put your prepared pan or platter over the top of the bundt pan.....and........FLIP!  The pan should slip right off without any resistance whatsoever!  AND...Voila!  Rainbow Jell-o!  You might want to pop it back into the fridge for a few minutes to firm up the outsides, or you can just slice it and serve!

MMMMM...RAINBOW JELL-O!

Release the gelatin mold!  Release it, I say!

You are getting sleepy...sleepy!

See, I told you.  SLEEPY!

Your guests will love it better than cake!  (Especially if they are seven.)

Side View!

I would love it if you became a follower of my blog.  You can find me HERE on Facebook and HERE on Pinterest!  Come follow all of the craziness!

You might find these other perfect-for-summer posts at Greetings From the Asylum interesting...What do you think....

Just in time for your summer vacation put together a TRAVEL BACKPACK or two (or more).  My kids loved them and yours will too!  Decorate festively for the Fourth of July with this FABULOUS WREATH!  You'll be the hit of the summer barbecue when you bring either POTATO SALAD or DEVILED EGGS.  They never disappoint! 

Thanks for visiting!  Come back soon!  ;)

Va-Va-Va-Vanilla Extract!

I purchased some Mexican Vanilla Extract from a friend several years ago.  It was completely authentic and easily the BEST Vanilla Extract I have ever tasted.  I savored it.  I used it in everything.  I loved using a teaspoon here and a tablespoon there.  Then, my friend moved away, several states away.  My source for this excellent extract dried up.  The label on the bottle was in Spanish and didn't have an address  so I was at a loss to get more.  I tried a local Mexican market, but unfortunately, all I could find was a "Mexican Vanilla Blend."  Blend?  Huh?  This is unacceptable.  It contained Mexican vanilla, yes, but it also contains an artificial vanilla flavoring - vanillin.  YUUUUUCK!  Nope, that is not for me.  Martha Stewart drilled into my head as a young baker that only pure vanilla extract was good enough to put into my creations. 

What was I to do?  My stores of outstanding vanilla were dwindling, and while I can buy "Pure Vanilla Extract" at my local grocery store, it simply isn't the same as the robustly flavored vanilla extract to which I and my baked goods have become accustomed.  I was just about to get desperate and make a run for the border when I came across THIS.  Kelsey Nixon (remember her from The Next Food Network Star) gives a great, EASY recipe for making your own vanilla extract.  There isn't even any cooking involved!  SAY WHAT?!?  I can make my own vanilla extract!?!  Well alrighty then,  let's get to it.  

To make vanilla extract Kelsey says you need three things...

1. Vanilla Beans

2. 80 proof Vodka

3. A glass bottle with a tight-fitting lid

That's it.  I can totally do that.  Let's get to it!

See -- Three things!

You want to use non-reactive glass bottles with tight fitting tops.  I got mine HERE and HERE.   

Kelsey Nixon used a smaller glass bottle (half the size of mine) and only five beans.  My bottles hold 1 liter of liquid so I am using 12 beans.

These are plump, moist, beautiful beans!  I cannot wait to get working!

 *There are three common varieties of vanilla beans: Mexican, Tahitian, and Madagascar.  Each type of beans has special qualities making each better suited to specific uses.  The Madagascar vanilla bean is the most common type of vanilla.  This is the type that is most often found in grocery store vanilla.  Tahitian vanilla is the most aromatic.  It is best used for things where the smell is the most important factor.  Mexican vanilla beans pack the most flavorful vanilla punch.  Click HERE for more information about vanilla beans.  MMMMM!  They are the beans for me!

Use a sharp knife.  Slice each bean down the center lengthwise.  Keep all of the tiny seeds inside the bean. 

This process smells so great!  Stick the sliced beans into the bottles.  If you use a smaller bottle, you may need to cut the beans in half the other direction too. 

Don't spend a lot of money on fancy vodka.  Don't get anything with a flavor.  The most important thing is the proof.  GET 80 PROOF!  By the way...I don't drink alcohol.  I've never purchased alcohol before.  Should I be offended that I wasn't even carded at Costco?  SIGH!  My 1.75 liter bottle at Costco was $13.99.  Ironically, it was across the isle from a Crystal Skull full of vodka for around $75.00.  Nope, I didn't get that.   That is a little too Indiana Jones for my taste.

Pour (use a funnel)

Glamor Shot!  Notice how clear the vodka is. 

SHAKE!

Side-by-Side after a good shake.

Store in a cool, dark place. 

Don't judge my cabinets.  :)  I'm just trying to keep it real!  Take  your bottles out once a week and give them a good shake.  In 6 to 8 weeks your extract will be ready to use!  Now you go make some extract!

This is how the liquid looks after one day of soaking. 

This is what you have after 4 weeks of soaking.  

This is how the extract looks after 6 weeks...

The extract is really smelling more like vanilla and less like vodka.  Yummy!

I waited 8 weeks for maximum potency before I decanted my homemade extract.  Strain the extract through a coffee filter.  Leave the vanilla beans in the bottle.  Cover the beans with new vodka and make more extract.  Add a new bean every now and then.  You'll have new vanilla extract almost indefinitely!

Make sure your bottle is DRY!

Water will ruin your new extract.  Even one drop will destroy all of your patience and hard work.  I let my bottle dry for over a day and a half.  I even used a blow drier.  Blowing down the neck of the bottle was not very effective, but blowing the warm air onto the bottom of the bottle did a great job.  It warmed the glass and caused the small beads of water to evaporate.  It didn't effect the larger beads of water. 

New extract on the left, ready-to-use extract on the right!

I can't wait to try it!

I would love it if you became a follower of my blog.  You can find me HERE on Facebook and HERE on Pinterest!  Come follow all of the craziness!

You might find these other cooking posts at Greetings From the Asylum interesting...What do you think....

Hamburger Cookies make great treats for when it is your turn to bring the snacks to preschool.  I recreated the Orange Blossom Lemonade from my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant that is now a pancake place.  You could also try my recipe for Green Chili Shredded Beef.  It is for the crock pot so it is E-A-S-Y and DELICIOUS!

Thanks for visiting!

CRANBERRY THANKSGIVING BREAD!!

One of my husband's favorite holiday books as a child was Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Henry Devlin.  He's been searching for it online since our son was born because it has been out of print for over 15 years.  We could buy it, but it was being sold for over $100.00 as a collector's item on Ebay.  YIKES!  That's a lot of money for a children's book.  He has renewed his search time and again until this year when we found it!  The Purple House Press is a company that reprints popular classic children's books.  Hooray!  They have all kinds of fun titles, but Cranberry Thanksgiving is their most recent release.  Click HERE to get your own copy!

What a fun book!

The story revolves around four characters: Grandma, Maggie, Mr. Horace, and Uriah Peabody aka Mr. Whiskers and a sinister plot to steal Grandma's Famous Cranberry Bread recipe.

My son was so excited to see the recipe on the back.  He wanted to make it right away.  That was not possible because I didn't have the ingredients on hand.  I headed to the store and gathered everything to make my own batch of Grandma's Famous Cranberry Bread!

Let's go!

Source

I made this recipe years ago when my husband and I were first married.  It was a colossal flop!  What I ended up with was a dense brick more suitable for building than eating.  YUCK!

I have learned a lot about baking since then.  I'll show you some of my tricks!

First, you need to prep the pans beforehand with cooking spray and parchment paper.  The parchment paper is a MUST!  This batter is sticky and it will cling to the pan like glue.

Spray the pan with cooking spray. 

Line the pan(s) with parchment paper.  The cooking spray will glue it to the sides of the pan. 

Next,  Baked goods will become dense if too much flour is put into your batter.  The recipe calls for sifted flour.  You don't really need to sift your flour.  You definitely don't need to look for pre-sifted flour at the grocery store. I NEVER use a measuring cup to measure flour.  I only weigh it.  That is the most accurate method for measuring flour.  A cup of flour weighs 5 ounces.  For this recipe we need 2 cups of flour so - 10 ounces.  Use a food scale.  Mine was about $20.00 and I have been using it for years.  My son loves to weigh various things on it.  You can also get an ultra fancy one HERE.  I would suggest a simpler one more like THIS. 

Keep your butter COLD before you cut it into the dry ingredients.  This will keep the consistency correct.  My daughter had a great time helping me with this.

COLD butter and a pastry cutter

Cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is evenly incorporated. 

Little helping hands! 

I added the orange zest next and whisked it into the dry ingredients.  I did this even though the recipe says to add it with the wet ingredients.  This was another place in the recipe that I recieved help.

She was having F-U-N!

I got 1 teaspoon of zest from one medium-sized orange. 

I was tempted to use mandarin oranges, but I decided to follow the recipe and not deviate from it - yet!  Now that I know that it is possible to make a yummy treat and not just a door stop, I might do a little experimenting!  *Just don't tell my husband.  I have ruined many a great recipe with my experimentation.*  :)

For the first loaf I used whole cranberries.  I added them with the wet ingredients and folded everything together at the same time.  I love how bold the red of the cranberries are!  PRETTY!

I popped a cranberry into my mouth just to try it out.  Yikes!  That was TART!  

The recipe calls for the wet ingredients to be added before the cranberries and raisins. 

The recipe called for "Chopped" cranberries.

 I could not wrap my mind around chopping cranberries with a knife, using a potato masher wouldn't work, and I didn't want to drag out my food processor.  Instead, I put the cranberries in a bag and crushed them with a measuring cup.  (It was available since I didn't use it to measure the flour!)  Cranberries are not tender.  I put some muscle into crushing them - hence the baking mitt to protect my hand.  I guess I should get a meat tenderizer.  :)

Crushed Cranberries - MMMMMM!

Finished batter with whole berries.

 You may have noticed that the recipe calls for raisins.  You also may have noticed that I have not added any - anywhere.  I really HATE raisins.  This saying pretty much sums it up:

Found on Pinterest

I also didn't add double cranberries.  I just didn't think that the bread needed to be stuffed with berries.  That is just my opinion though. 

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 70 minutes.  I rotated the pans halfway through baking to even the browning.

350 degrees for 70 minutes rotate after 35

Here is a little side note to entertain you whole your loaves of cranberry bread are baking....The fresh cranberries you buy in the store are harvested first using a rake.  The cranberries that are harvested after the bogs are flooded are used for juice and cranberry preserves.  

CLOSE - UP!

Two loaves!

Let the loaves cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the pans to continue cooling.  

Run a butter knife around the ends of the loaf or THIS will happen. 

The parchment paper will help the loaves to lift out easily.  However, the ends will stick even after the cooking spray.  You must run a butter knife around the ends to loosen them because they will stick to the pan. 

I used a butter knife on the loaf on the left and not on the loaf on the right.  Notice the stickage!

Once the loves are cool you can enjoy your creation!  Delicious!

What's not to love?

The crust of this bread is thick and crispy - not at all like the moist crust of banana bread.  (It will soften up after you seal it in an airtight container to keep it fresh.)  It is sweet and delicious.  Orange is the perfect counterpoint to the tartness of the cranberries.  This is definitely a recipe that would become famous.  Try it for your Thanksgiving feast!

I would love it if you became a follower of Greetings From the Asylum!  You can also find me on Pinterest and Facebook.  Remember to add my page to your news feed so you get all of the fun updates from the Asylum.  Add all of your favorite pages to your newsfeed - you'll see all of the  updates you've been missing since Facebook changes its algorithm!

Thanks for visiting and enjoy your CRANBERRY BREAD!