Jello Molds -- For the Young and the Old

When I say the words Jello Mold, what comes to mind?  For me, I think of old ladies that lunch.  Isn't that something they would bring to a lunch?  Jello in the shape of something, with fruit in it?  I also think of Aunt Bethany from Christmas Vacation.  She was kind of enough to bring a special jello mold to dinner.

Every so often, you can find special Jello molds in the grocery stores, especially when a kids movie comes to the theaters.  I wasn't looking for this Monsters University mold, but when I saw it, I picked it up. I attempted to make Jello Jigglers, but those were an epic fail.  EPIC. FAIL.

I started to think of what else I could use this mold for.  Clay?  Really?  What the heck would I do with a clay monster.  Melted crayons?  Aren't they all the rage right now?  I see a lot of crayon ideas on Pinterest.

How about candy?  This mold is really no different than the chocolate candy molds you can purchase from the arts-and-crafts store.  In fact, this one is way cooler because its Monsters University.  You can make your own chocolate monster.

The gangs all here

Meet Squishy

This is Art, who is voiced by Charlie Day (who happens to be my favorite from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia)

Mike

Sully

It's not rocket science to make these.  You need to get chocolate wafers, which you can find at the arts-and-crafts store, or even your grocery store.  Following the melting directions on the packaging, pour the chocolate in the mold, and allow the candy to set.  The entire process takes less than a 1/2 hour.  I only had milk chocolate on hand, so mine look a little boring.  You could really jazz things up by using the colored chocolate -- make a blue Sully and a green Mike.  The sky is the limit.

And if you haven't seen Monsters University yet, I just have to ask....What are you waiting for?

Until next time.....

Peep This!

The Monkey and I were at Target the other day for no particular reason, other than to look around and spend some money on things we didn't need.  I love checking out their seasonal stuff, especially this time of year because I think the Easter things are way too cute.

Like this thing...Peeps on a Stick!  The Monkey found this, and asked if she could get it.  I had no problem telling her no, because this cost $2 for four (1) Peeps.  That's $.50 per marshmallow, and that is C-R-A-Z-Y!!!   I explained to her that we could make our own, for much less money, and to own liking.  The snack in the store had four Peeps on it.  Why couldn't we make one with six Peeps on it?  That got her attention.

Here is what you will need:

• Packages of Peeps, in any color.  We used chicks because that's what the Monkey likes.  I actually like the bunny ones better!  You'll notice the multiple colors...that's because I let the Monkey pick things out.
• Lollipop sticks.  You'll notice we used bamboo skewers.  That's just what we had on hand.
• Wilton Favor Bags (which I didn't have on hand)
• Ribbon (which I also didn't have on hand).

Here's the tough part -- Take a Peep, and stab it onto the stick.  Stand back and admire your hard work.

I will admit that these chicks look they were in a war, and they lost their wings.  To fix this issue (meaning to cover up the exposed marshmallow) you could apply colored sugar crystals.  Much like the bags and ribbon, I didn't have colored sugar on hand.  It really didn't matter, because as soon as these were finished, the Monkey ate them.

To give these away as party favors, or classroom treats (which is what she plans to do), you can wrap each skewer with the favor bags, and use pretty ribbon to tie things up.  When we make these for her class in March, I'll post some pictures so you can see how they turned out.

One happy Monkey

Instead of paying $2 for the store-made Peeps on a Stick, I paid $1.99 for one package of Peeps, which had 15 marshmallows in it.  I used skewers I already had on hand.  Using the items we purchased, and what we had on hand, we made 15 treats on a stick for $7.96.  That sure beats paying $29.85 for 15 Peeps on a Stick!

Until next time.....

To Infinity and Beyond

The end of any Girl Scout meeting must include snacks.  There is an unwritten rule stating such.  I wanted the girls to be able to make something, but I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of cleaning things up.  I couldn’t think of anything off the top of my head, so I went to my new best friend à Pinterest.  I came across a pin, which led me to this site.  I have since found that a lot of Girl Scout leaders had also pinned it.  It’s a pretty popular one.

When I explained to the girls what we were going to do, I heard a lot of this: “Eww!!” and “That’s gross!”.  They were provided with their directions, and silence filled the room.  It took them just about five minutes to make the snack, and even less time to eat it.  After they were finished, I heard a lot of this: “I liked it.  Can I have more?”.  Bonus fact -- without knowing it, the girls had worked on one of the requirements necessary to earn the Brownie Snack badge.

My Monkey, the astronaut

Astronaut Pudding

Materials Needed:

• Box instant pudding
• Whole milk
• Ziploc bags
• Scissors
• Measuring spoon and cup

Scoop 1 tablespoon of the pudding mix into the bag.  Pour ¼ cup of milk in the bag.  BE SURE THE BAG IS SEALED!  Gently knead the mix until the pudding forms.  Snip off one of the corners, and squeeze out the pudding from the bag.  No utensils are needed – just like how the astronauts eat.