Ringing in the New Year with Kysha, a Jell-O mold, and Mummers!

New Year's Eve and New Year's Day were so long ago that writing about them now probably seems passé. But it was such a happy and fun time, that I absolutely must share it with y'all. Bryce's sister Kysha visited us from December 31st to January 5th. We packed A LOT into her brief visit, and there is so much more that I wish I could have taken her to see or do while she was here.

My Grandma W. had given me one of her Jell-O molds when we were at Aunt Jeannie's house for Christmas. This thing is awesome. It comes with four options for the base (which is actually the top of the mold, when you flip it over): a heart, a tulip, a Christmas tree, and a star. I chose the star, since it seemed the most fitting of the four for New Year's Eve. I'm not sure why... maybe because it's the closest shape to fireworks?  And what better way to christen a new-to-me retro Jell-o mold than with spiked gelatin for a New Year's Eve party?

When I first presented the mold at Mike and Krista's New Year's Eve party, I got some looks that ranged from quizzical to slightly grossed-out. But then when I explained that half of the liquid in it was liquor, suddenly people seemed impressed. Friends to whom I had explained my plan over the preceding days didn't think that I'd be able to get it to set up properly, because they said that Jell-O shots containing alcohol tend to be gooey. I had never made Jell-O shots or anything else that contained both gelatin and alcohol myself, so I wouldn't know. But I did a lot of research online in order to prepare.  I made it in three layers, strawberry-orange-strawberry, but I was rushing because I had to go pick Kysha up at the airport, so I didn't let it set long enough between layers, and they blurred together.

I think that the key to making it set properly was using 2/3 of the amount of liquid called for on the package. Also, I sprayed the mold lightly with vegetable cooking spray before filling it, which probably helped it to release properly when I flipped it over. Each package called for 1 cup of boiling water, then 1 cup of cold water. So I used 2/3 cup of boiling water and 2/3 cup of liquor for each layer, as follows:

Layer 1: 1 small package strawberry gelatin + 2/3 cup boiling water + 1/3 cup rum + 1/3 cup Cheri-Beri Pucker (sweet-and-sour schnapps).
Layer 2: 1 small package orange gelatin + 2/3 cup boiling water + 1/3 cup rum + 1/3 cup triple sec.
Layer 3: 1 small package strawberry gelatin + 2/3 cup boiling water + 1/3 cup rum + 1/3 cup cherry brandy.

Why all the cherry-flavored liquor? Because we have had them a long time, we don't like them, and we wanted to get rid of them. I knew there was a good chance that this wouldn't set properly, and I figured if I was going to waste something, I might as well waste the stuff we don't want. I cut the cherry stuff with rum because I was afraid that all that cherry flavor would be horrible, but actually, the Jello tasted great. I couldn't believe how yummy it was.

My undefiled masterpiece:

A few hours later:

And by the time we left:

I wasn't sure how to serve it, but the cookie dough scoop that I packed at the last minute turned out to be a good idea. People just scooped out a chunk, plopped it onto their fingers, and popped it in their mouths. It was surprisingly solid.

Sometime after midnight, in the wee hours of 2009, we realized that we hadn't taken any pictures of the three of us.  So we decided that a N. family photo-shoot was in order.

Kysha came down with some kind of stomach bug around midday on New Year's Day, and I eventually convinced her that she'd be more comfortable in our bed.  The boys agreed.

So while Kysha recuperated for the afternoon, Bryce and I bundled-up and walked over to Broad Street to catch the tail end of the Mummer's Parade.  We have lived here eight years, and I'm sad to say that this is the first year we have attempted to catch the parade in person.  It was much more fun than I thought it would be.

This sparkly pirate could totally whup Captain Jack Sparrow's butt.

Some not-so-great videos I took with my camera (the first one is the best of the three, in case you're deliberating):

A close-up shot of one of those alien costumes in the last video:

We were there!

We stopped for some refreshments at a pub on the way home so that Kysha could have some peace and quiet for a bit longer.  She was feeling much better by the time we arrived home, so we went out for dinner, where she had the biggest single-serving chicken pot pie I have seen in a while.

Still to come: Showing Kysha some big cities!