Get Jiggly With It!

Just in time for Father's Day, something fun for your backyard barbecue this weekend!

Summer is here and it's time for picnics, tubing down the river, beach parties and grilling outdoors every chance we get!

It's no secret that I enjoy a good summer cocktail while lounging poolside or on a sandy beach ... there's nothing like taking long sips of a piña colada, mai tai or frozen margarita melting in your hands under the hot summer sun.

But for some playful fun at your next adult gathering, Jell-O shots make an easy and colorful alternative to the summer cocktail.  And they look absolutely adorable, too!

Apparently they were popular at college parties, but I must not have gone to any of those parties.  I didn't hear about Jell-O shots until I was 30, and then wondered what I had been missing.

Part-cocktail, part-dessert, Jell-O shots are a fun summer party novelty that are instant crowd pleasers.  They're fun to make, fun to eat, and add bright and happy pops of color to your backyard barbecue.

If you make an assortment of flavors, they will promote a whole lot of giggling as folks coax the jiggly "cocktails" out of the cups and down their throats in order to try out the various flavor combinations.

Everybody can make Jell-O, so make some room in your refrigerator and give these treats a whirl.  All you do is substitute a little alcohol, such as vodka or schnaps, for some of the water in your gelatin, pour into individual plastic cups, and ta-da ... Jell-O shot!

There are lots of recipes out there that will mimic the flavors of your favorite cocktails.  I've made Margarita, Piña Colada, Fuzzy Navel, Lemon Drop, Cosmopolitan, and Blue Hawaiian flavored Jell-O shots.

(Don't make them too strong, though, as people will surely be tempted to have several.)

You can even make them with champagne and sliced fresh strawberries by using unflavored gelatin and ginger ale, for a very elegant-looking bridal Jell-O shot.

You can search for ideas on Google or Pinterest, and there are some seriously creative and unique Jell-O shot suggestions (White Russian pudding shots? Are you kidding me??) on this site:  Jell-O shot ideas

You can also make them without booze for kid-friendly parties, as well.  You might want to make Jell-O jigglers in cute shapes like stars or hearts specifically for the kiddos.  Or, if you do want to use the cups, suspend a gummy bear or place a long-stemmed cherry in each one, to differentiate them from the adult shots.

(Heck, that would make them extra-fun for the grown-ups, too ... just be sure that the kid-safe ones are easily identifiable and that there will be no confusion between them.)

I couldn't resist making the little watermelon slices idea, just for the fun of it (How cute are they?), and these would be totally appropriate without alcohol for summer kids' parties, too!

One note on making these, you may have to do a little legwork to find all the gelatin flavors you may want for these.  I hunted down watermelon flavored gelatin for my slices, so the taste would be as authentic as possible, although cherry or strawberry gelatin would have worked just as well.  You may have to shop at several stores before you find peach gelatin for your Fuzzy Navel shots, for example, so I tend to stock up on the more unusual flavors that my normal store doesn't carry, so I have them on hand when needed.

New Year's Eve Jell-O shots complete with
toothpicks for edging around the sides

Perfect for summer, I've even made Jell-O shots for New Year's Eve and they were quite a big hit!  Who wouldn't want to do a fun shot on New Year's?

Jell-O shots can definitely make any party a whole lot more fun.  Just remember not to overindulge, as their potency can sneak up on you faster than you think!

Here's to gettin' jiggly!








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Enjoy previous seasonal blog posts:

Men's Favorites The care-and-feeding of hungry men is always a priority ... especially on Father's Day!	Happy 4th of July! Honoring our Independence, our freedom, and the men and women who serve!
Outdoor Spaces Bringing the indoors outside is just how we want to live in the summertime.	Summer Entertaining ... the perfect way to entertain.
Camp Summertime! a.k.a. What did you do during your summer vacation?	The Soundtracks of Summer What music will be playing through your head this summer to get you into vacation-mode?
Fruit-Infused Waters Well beyond lemon, refreshing flavored waters for summer	Sunshine In A Jar Preserved lemons are a game-changer!
Fruit-Picking Season There's nothing quite as satisfying as growing your own food	The Fruits of Summer There's fruit in my salad!
Family Heritage Tour A trip back to the old country in search of the abuelos	Ice Cream Socials We all scream for ice cream!
One-of-a-Kind Design Create your own fabric, gift wrap and wallpaper to take custom designs to a whole new level.	Herb Harvest There's nothing like growing your own fresh herbs!
Food Porn It has become a national obsession ... we're salivating over food and all the food shows on tv	The Buzz About Bees Bees are precious, industrious and endangered.  We can do our part to make sure we don't lose these amazing creatures.
Do-Gooders! Ana's non-profit, Healing Warriors Program, gives away a state-of-the-art electric wheelchair!	Congrats, HWP! Healing Warriors Programreceived a huge honor, and we were invited to the Pentagon to see it!
Taking Care of Those Who Serve The suicide rate among our Veterans is tragically sky high.  We can do something about that.	Donate if you can! Healing Warriors Program, my sister's nonprofit, does very important work for our service members' complete health and wellbeing.