A Hallelujah Christmas

It's amazing how often we take things for granted. This time of the year is a celebration in honor of Christ the Lord, who came to Earth to die for us so that we can go to the Father.  "Hallelujah," praise God! Don't forget what Jesus has done for you!

I've heard about this baby boy
Who's come to earth to bring us joy
And I just want to sing this song to you
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
With every breath I'm singing Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A couple came to Bethlehem
Expecting child, they searched the inn
To find a place for You were coming soon
There was no room for them to stay
So in a manger filled with hay
God's only Son was born, oh Hallelujah
Hallelujah

The shepherds left their flocks by night
To see this baby wrapped in light
A host of angels led them all to You
It was just as the angels said
You'll find Him in a manger bed
Immanuel and Savior, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

A star shown bright up in the east
To Bethlehem, the wisemen three
Came many miles and journeyed long for You
And to the place at which You were
Their frankincense and gold and myrrh
They gave to You and cried out Hallelujah
Hallelujah

I know You came to rescue me
This baby boy would grow to be
A man and one day die for me and you
My sins would drive the nails in You
That rugged cross was my cross, too
Still every breath You drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Squares in my jello?

Yep, that's right, squares in your jello... Or square jello in the shape you want, or something like that :)

(Drum roll please) Gelatina de cuadritos, that's the name! Basically, it's fun jello made with a bunch of little squares that live happily inside a yummy white jello.  Typical in Mexican gatherings of many sorts, they are even sold in diposable plastic cups, ready to go.  

While verifying some facts for this post, I learned that it is also prepared in other countries, but it's generally called "mosaique jello."  Whatever the name, it's delicious and super pretty!  :)

When we were planning the Christmas party for kids in church, I thought this would be the ideal way of making a jello - it was one of the requests for dessert, so it just had to be made in a special way.

It was thanks to a dear friend that I finally got the best recipe for this dessert. I generally make it in two days, because you need the jello to set completely before making the final thing.  It's very easy to make (as long as you remember not to pull a "Yiya" and turn the heat off at the right time), but it does take time. After an awfully failed trial - and a sort of dark caramel stuck to the pan, I started playing with it, adding flavors and even tweaking it a bit to get the consistency I like.

But before we go to the experimental part, here is the original recipe, just as I got it:

INGREDIENTS

4  3 oz. packets of jello (different colors)

1 can of condensed milk

1 oz. of unflavored gelatin (1 box with 4 packets)

1 tablespoon of vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1^st day:

Prepare the jello with ¾ of the water needed. For example, I used jello packages that call for 4 cups of water, but I used only 3. Refrigerate overnight. In these pictures, you'll see only cherry and lime jello, because I made this particular one for the Children's Christmas party at church, but feel free to use the jello colors you like!

2^nd day:

Take the jello out of the containers and cut it in cubes. Put them inside another container. Give it a little shake so that the colors combine.

 

Bring 1 liter of water to a boil; it's a bit more than a quart.  Take a look at my bilingual measuring cup:

  

Turn the heat off and dissolve the condensed milk in it.  Add vanilla extract and stir.  

While this mix cools, dissolve the gelatin in 1 cup of VERY cold water. Let sit for several minutes until the gelatin is spongy. You can actually start with this step on the second day, before working with the color jello, so that the gelatin gets the right texture while you work with the rest of the ingredients.

Once the milk/water mixture is lukewarm, add about 1 cup of the mixture to the dissolved gelatin little by little.  When the gelatin mixture is homogeneous and at about the same temperature of the milk/water, add it to the remaining mixture and stir. This might sound a bit tedious and slow, but if you don't do it, you'll end up with lumps of gelatin all over the place - not nice.

Don't forget to keep stirring so that the gelatine stays liquid - at least you can say you're multitasking (upper body resistance and cooking; just change hands every now and then). When the mixture is practically cooled down, pour slowly on top of the jell-o color cubes. Don't let the mixture get cold; otherwise the gelatin will set before you can pour it; it has to be cold enough so that the color jello is not dissolved by the mixture.

Refrigerate until firm.

FUZZY IDEAS:

• Be creative!! Use cookie cutters for different shapes or use the color of jello that agrees with the event.  Now that Christmas is near, I can picture the color jello in the shape of stars, boots and trees. Also, a cherry/lime jello would look really cute at the table.
• Use a bundt pan or another similar baking pan (like the ones used for cakes). The ones with non-stick surfaces work better, but you can also spray the inside of the pan with vegetable oil; just remember to wipe it down and leave very little oil on so that it doesn't mix with the jello.  The different shapes look gorgeous.
• Use food coloring in the milk mixture to get a different look. How about some drops of red for a pink jello?
• Use different extracts in the milk mixture, like coconut, almond or hazelnut.  Mom's favorite is lime jello in coconut-flavored milk jello.
• Use the unsweetened or light versions to make a dessert for those who need to  watch their diet.
• Prepare individual servings (using plastic cups or punch cups) – good for parties and you don't have to worry about the serving. Besides, it's like having a bunch of little mosaiques at your party, so it can even become a centerpiece!!
• Kids like playing with the colors and the shapes; ask for their suggestions or recruit them for the stirring fun.  
• Before the color jello sets completely, add chopped fruit or berries. You might even try to end up with one berry in each square... Why not?
• Make the stirring work out easier by having a lot of iced water in a large bowl. Put the pot (or whatever you used) on top of it to cool it down faster - just be very careful because you could end up with some of the milk jello setting before you can think of it!
• If you like extra firm jello, reduce the amount of water, but the color jello should always be firmer than the milk jello.  

Well, that's it!  Hope you try it - you won't regret it.  If you do, don't forget to share your experience or even your photos...  Just click on "Join this Site" in the right margin, and you'll be able to start sharing!

Do you have a different recipe or any more yummy ideas?  Just jot a comment and let's see what others have to say. Who knows! maybe we can end up with a cooking club  :) 

Enjoy and stay blessed!

Yiya

 Post-post:  Mosaic Jello - Take 2!

I prepared a mosaic jello for a sweet neighbor; this version has four colors and looks so beautiful!  Would you like to come over and see the new version?

 

Forgotten Christmas 2012

We watched this video today at church; I just had to share it with you guys.  It's so easy to get lost in what we are used to and tend to give things for granted.  However, Jesus is THE TRUE AND ONLY reason for the season!!  Let's share his love this Christmas and during the rest of the year!

Multi-tasking for Christmas = A Lifetime full of Memories

Yep, that time of the year is around the corner, and people start running all over the place because time is never enough to get things done.

When someone once told me IN OCTOBER that they wouldn't be shopping until after Christmas, I thought my hearing needed checking... Yep, this woman started shopping somewhere around December 28th each year.  She got everything at an awesome price, and she even started wrapping and labeling things!!!  She kept buying things during the year, but only items that were on sale.  Also, if she spotted something that would be the perfect something for someone, she got it, even if it was on the 26th and the dinner aftermath was still present.  I think that by the time we had this conversation, her "to do" list only had wrapping one gift and dinner unchecked... Quite extreme, huh?  Yeah, that's what I thought, but that's what I've ended up doing myself - at least, most of the times.

I kind of keep my eyes open during the year, and I also buy stuff when it's the right time - much less money spent and more enjoyable times.  I don't do it to this former boss extent, but this is where your crafty bone comes in handy!  At least mine does, and I have a blast!

I came up with the following guys kind of in the middle of the year.  I had a bunch of leftover yarn, and my neurons were vibrating, begging me to using my fingers to whip something up.  It was not enough to make anything substantial, so I had to come up with something small.  It was as a good skill-building exercise, but they lived in a tote for several months. 

*TIP:  whenever you have a bunch of leftover material that might not seem to work well together, try finding a common feature (color, in this case). The dark green does not look that good next to the aqua, but when both colors are present in all the potholders, they kind of morph and turn into a set!  :)

After Christmas, I went to the super market and saw a bunch of clearance items lined up in shopping carts - pretty ordinary (and tacky) stuff, generally. Anyway, I spotted this ridiculously cute, low-price paper basket that I just had to get...  Again, it lived in a tote for about a year.

I wanted a special something for a friend, but I like making things as personal as I can.  So, I got her a bunch of sugar-free chocolate.  Dilemma - you can't wrap chocolate bags and make it a formal Christmas gift, right? 

Ding! Ding! Ding! Chocolate + cute basket I almost forgot about + potholders = super cute personalized, yummy Christmas gift!!  And she loved it!!  We had a wonderful time, she got her her treat and she still uses her potholders/trivets and the basket.  :)

So the idea is, keep your eyes open for opportunities and work towards your gifts with plenty of time in hand; it's always easier to get your Christmas stuff little by little and put everything together with time and stress-freely.  Besides, there something else in it all...

I won't ever forget my cousin and how she always kept her little one's preschool masterpieces and turned them into wrapping paper... (Yep, wise mom getting rid of clutter and make it unforgettable at the same time). It became one of the things I couldn't wait to see, particularly because of the munchkin's glowing face when I commented on the wrapping and set the refurbished coffee can with home-made cookies aside, so that she could come close and tell me all the stories about the doodles...  Ah! How I love those moments!  :)

See? That's what multi-tasking is for!  Absorbing hugs and smiles when it matters most!