Jello

I am on a major jello kick lately. Mostly because it's cheep, and the kids love it. So for $2 I can get two boxes of jello and a tub of whip cream. I make Jello everyday and the kids sometimes mix it with the whip cream.

BTW did I mention that I'm not working again. The Crohn's is back very badly and I can't do anything but steroids for treatment, because of the histoplasmosis, and the steroids aren't working. On the Crohn's anyway. My house is clean, my garden is beautiful, I get a lot done. I have to stop a lot and work through the pain, run to the bathroom every few minutes, but as long as I don't have to work around people I'm good. This way if I mess myself only I know, I don't have to be embarrassed trying to excuse myself and still make it to the bathroom on time.

So the medical bills are piling up as I go every couple of weeks to Mayo clinic, and I'm out at our local hospital being poked on at least every other day.  Not working and all those bills have us looking for cheep food alternatives. Junk food is so expensive, and it's the 1st thing the kids clear out of the house. So the jello thing is working for me, even if I do have to make it every night before bed.

The other great thing about jello is it gives us Crhonies one more liquid form of calories. It's easy on the tummy and easy to digest, brings our sugar levels up if were getting depleted. It does a lot for a cheep little 49 cent box of sugar water. :)

Last summer I picked up this book for a quarter at a garage sale. It's called Jello Collections. I tried to find it online but none of them I could find is the same book. Anyway since I am making jello everyday anyway I thought I would work my way though a couple of the recipes. I had some fruit an the edge of going bad so I started with the 2nd recipe in called Sparkling Berry Salad.

Sparkling Berry Salad

2 cups boiling cranberry cocktail

1 package (8-serving size) or 2 packages (4 serving size each) jello any red flavor

1 ½ cups cold seltzer or club soda

¼ cup creme de cassis liqueur (optional) *I skipped this*

1 tea lemon juice

3 cups assorted berries (I used blueberries and chopped strawberries)

Stir boiling cranberry juice into gelatin in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Stir in cold seltzer, liqueur and lemon juice. Refrigerate about 1½ hours or until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites).

Stir in 2 cups of the berries. Spoon into 5 cup jello mold. Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Unmold. Top with remaining 1 cup berries.

Chloe and I ate this for breakfast this morning, right after we photographed it. She picked the setting for this last photo, saying the hankie she picked out tied in the blue and red of the berries. She's so cute.