And, we’re back.

Well, friends. I went and turned my life upside down a bit so there hasn’t been much time for jello blogging. But I’ve been missing it and, I can assure you, I haven’t stopped making jello so I have quite the backlog of gelation-related adventures to share.
I’ll kick things off with a improvised little number that I brought to my dear friend (and oft mentioned jello-photographer) Paige’s house for a barbecue this weekend.

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I just moved to California for the summer and, after spending two days cleaning and unpacking in my 400 sqft one-bedroom home for the next few months, I went hunting for jello. The local Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry gelatin (perhaps their only shortcoming) and Whole Foods only has the unflavored stuff (so fancy). I found a Safeway a few miles away and my partner and I raced the setting sun on our bicycles to pick up a few boxes. He’s a very patient man.

Our kitchen was still a bit of a mess and I didn’t want to make an entire mold so I literally just made half a box (6 tablespoons) of raspberry jello with 1.5 cups of hot water in a glass mixing bowl. I then added California’s finest blueberries while it was still liquid so it formed a nice even layer on the bottom. I actually made this the morning of the barbecue and was able to unmold it later in the afternoon because it was a small amount that firmed up quickly. Glass molds are actually pretty tricky because the thick glass doesn’t conduct heat the nice, even way that metal does so you have to be a bit more patient and give the glass time to warm up. It wasn’t a perfect unmolding but the blueberry garnish covered up the few small flaws and it actually turned out to be quite pretty.

Jello at a party is always a novelty (and usually a hit) and this one would only have been improved with a side of whipped cream. Next time.

 

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