Homemade Gumdrops-fresher than anything you can buy. Makes a great food gift, adjust the flavors and colors for any occasion
I can’t believe it’s another week gone by. Where is the time going all of the sudden?
I think someone has pushed the fast forward button on my life when I just want to hit the pause, just for a few minutes.
It was a crazy week, what with Online Blogcon, then the kids had me running every which way. Weekends are normally family time, relaxed, sometimes we don’t even leave the house. Not this weekend.
Hubby decided we needed to have a date night Friday night. Don’t get me wrong, I love date night. Just the two of us, out for dinner, or a movie, or shopping, nothing over the top, but it’s just us. Hubby wanted to go to Joe’s Stone Crab. No idea why that got in his head but oh yeah baby, I’m all about eating some crab. Joe’s Stone Crab is 89 miles from our house, no biggie, we’ll leave about 5 pm get there around 6:30 pm. perfect time for dinner.
Here’s how my weekend went. Get up early on Friday. I have to bake 15 dozen cookies (3 different recipes,) 36 muffins, my Coffeehouse Coffee Cake Muffins, all for a big bake sale Grace is doing Saturday morning. Oven is preheating at 8 am. Butter’s softening in the mixing bowl. As I’m making that first double batch of cookies I realize I’m going to run out of sugar before the day is done. Mom to the rescue, she’s happy to run to the store for me. Chocolate Chip-Pecan Cookies all baked and cooling on racks on the table. Lemon Sugar Cookies dough made, first batch baking in the oven. Go to make Dark Chocolate Tiger Cookies, CRAP! This dough needs to refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours. I don’t have 6 hours, we’re leaving to go to dinner at 5 pm. Make dough, throw it in the freezer. Continue baking the Lemon cookies. Get ready to make the muffins. CRAP! I’m out of sour cream! Finish baking lemon cookies, change my shirt (no I haven’t had a shower yet,) hop in the truck and run to the store for sour cream. Back home in 15 minutes flat. No I didn’t break any speed records, the store is only 5 minutes away. Make up muffins, bake, bake, bake.
All the while washing dishes as I go. I can’t stand dirty dishes in the sink. On the last tray of muffins, I hop in the shower, timer on the bathroom counter so I make sure they don’t burn.
Back out to kitchen, towel on my head. Grab the chocolate dough out of the freezer, still a bit soft in the middle but I can work with it. It’s now 2 pm. After each tray is placed in the oven, I’m putting the dough back in the freezer. Cassie walks in the door at 3:07, I bribe her (with money) to package up and add ribbon for all the cookies, while I try and get pictures done for these gumdrops (which I made the day before) and also take new photos of all the above cookies and muffins. Last tray of cookies out of the oven at 4:10 pm.
Decide I’d better try and get a jump on the laundry (very smart idea considering how my weekend went) Load one in washer. Hubby and I leave the driveway for dinner at 5:30 pm (not my fault, honest!) Traffic to Atlanta is HORRIBLE! We honestly thought traffic going into Atlanta wouldn’t be too bad, silly us. By 7 pm, we’re both talking about just pulling into the nearest McDonald’s and grabbing some fries. You never saw me say I had lunch, did you? All I’d had to eat (besides the few samples of cookies dough) were 1 cookie and a few pieces of cheese. I was STARVING! Joe’s was worth it though. Back home at 11 pm.
That was just Friday. Saturday, we spent all day doing a bake sale at an Antique Car Auction. Leave the house at 9 am and don’t return until 4:30 pm. Let me tell you, the first few hours of the car auction were really cool, I’d never been to an auction before, those auctioneers can talk FAST! And some of the cars…I really need to win the lottery, there was one Thunderbird that was just calling to me. It was Grace and her BFF, doing the bake sale to raise money for their DC trip in February. The girls were great but they’re in the 5th grade. After 4 hours, they’re getting tired of behaving and looking cute. Now they’re antsy and looking bored. It was worth it, they did really well and they’ve been invited back to the next auction.
Get home, hubby knows if he wants to eat something other than PB &J he’d better handle it. Out to the local pizza place for dinner we go. Try to catch up on a few things on the computer, FB, Blog and just talking with the hubby while watching tv together. Bed by 11 pm. Oh, I did some more laundry too.
Sunday morning. We have to go back to Atlanta, this time the north side, for the Blogcon meet up. I’ll tell you more about that on Saturday. If we’re going to Atlanta, I want to go to IKEA. I’ve never been and I’ve heard so much about it. Hubby’s accommodating. Yes, he’s a good man and drove me. I can’t stand big city driving. Remember, we have 4 traffic lights in our town and that’s it. Leave the driveway at 9:30 am, surprise, NO TRAFFIC! We get there with an hour before the meet up. Not much is open so we just walk into Marshalls. Marshalls, if you read this, make our store in Warner Robins as nice as the one in Alpharetta, Georgia. I found a new cake stand and the cutest little red colander. Sever other treasures but I held myself in check, I still have IKEA in my future.
Wonderful lunch with 3 lovely ladies, time for IKEA. Having never been there, I had no idea how HUGE that store really is. I knew it was a warehouse but it’s a warehouse the size of a football stadium! We walk in the store at 3 pm and believe it or not, we’re out by 4:30 pm. Power shopping! Honestly, I was so overwhelmed, I didn’t do the store justice. The prices were fantastic, I did get a few nick-knacks and the coolest bar to hold my coffee cups under the kitchen cabinets. I’ll be going back there, next time, it will be the only reason we go to Atlanta. IKEA, I heart you.
Call kids on the way back home. Grace was still at a friends house till after dinner, CJ and Cassie are fine, CJ has church group at 6 pm so it’ll just be 3 of us for dinner. Hubby decides on more take out instead of the leftovers in the fridge. I’m ok with that. Sometimes weekends like this happen. I still have to finish up laundry, pick CJ up at 8 pm, get Grace back home, write up this post. Oh….and finish up the laundry.
WOW! Just reading back over this post is making me worn out again. Glad our weekends aren’t always so packed. Do other families run crazy like this?
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Homemade Gumdrops
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup apple juice
- 1 package Jell-o Gelatin, 4 serving size-color of your choice
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- extra sugar for rolling
Instructions
- Coat a Loaf pan with cooking spray. You can also use an 8x8 pan, gumdrops will be thinner. Place pan in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan, let sit for 1 minute. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly Once you reach a steady boil, continue to boil for 1 full minute. Pour into chilled pan and return to refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
- Once gelatin is set, run knife around edges to loosen. Using a spatula, remove gumdrop slab to wax paper and cut into desired shapes using a sharp knife. If knife starts to get sticky, run under hot water. Transfer cut gumdrops to a tray lined with fresh wax paper to dry at room temperature for at least 10 hours, preferably overnight. I placed my tray in the cold oven to dry. Roll gumdrops in granulated sugar and store in airtight container.
Notes
recipe source ChocolateChocolateandmore.com
Adapted from Taste of Home
I also made some shaped gumdrops using a silicone ice mold I found at the Dollar Store
Looking for other ways to play with Jello?
Jennifer says
They look delicious! My kids would love these! Jen
Radhika says
Thanks for the shout Joan. I have been meaning to make some with gelatin but kep postponing it. You have given me a purpose now with these colorful ones.
Joan Hayes says
You inspired me, these have been on my list forever!
marty says
This look so pretty and tasty!
Cara Peace says
It was great to meet you this weekend! My kids would love these as well!
Joan Hayes says
Loved meeting you, can’t wait to do it again!
Erin @ Wholly Delicious Dishes says
These look like a lot of fun! Love how colorful they are. Hope you get some down time soon.
Sarah says
My grandma would make gumdrops every Christmas for my brother and I. I might just have to make them this year and keep the tradition going ๐
Joan Hayes says
What a wonderful memory, yes, you need to start making them to carry on the tradition!
Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel says
These look so pretty Joan!! And the perfect end to a hectic weekend, methinks ๐
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
Wow. What a weekend! I love ikea. A LOT.
Jocelyn says
Wow! That is a weekend! I’m tired just reading all about it. I am so glad you got to go to IKEA…I heart that place so much!!! although I can’t believe you were only there for an hour and a half??? We can never go and be out in that short amount of time!!! Probably good I don’t live that close to one:-) Homemade gum drops sound awesome…my kids would love them!!!
Meghan @ The Tasty Fork says
Holy Cow! You’re one busy lady. Did you remember to sleep?? My nephew LOOOVES gum drops. I’ll make these for him. I’m sure I’ll continue to be his favorite Aunt. (I’m the only Aunt he has, so I guess that helps. ๐ )
Joan Hayes says
hehe, I take favorite any time I can get it! I did get some sleep just no relaxing until the kids were back in school on Monday.
Kalamity Kelli says
I just love making my own grumdrops! yours are gorgeous. I got the ingredients for mine and will make them either this weekend or next – they go in something very special! you are just the greatest photographer – those looks fantastic! My mom loves the orange ones I made because they taste like those old fashioned Orange Slices she used to eat as a girl.
Joan Hayes says
I’ll have to try orange then! I used to love those orange slices but never the green ones, they always made those taste like mint. Can’t wait to see what you’ve got going on!
Meg @ Sweet Twist says
I think your weekend was busier than mine. That is a serious amount of baking!!
This is the second gum drop post I have seen lately. I really need to make these!!
Savory Simple says
I love these!
Erin says
These look fantastic. I’m exhausted just reading about your weekend! Yikes. Hope your week is much better (and calmer!) =o)
From Sugar Cookies to Peterbilts says
I am looking forward to shopping at Ikea on one of my next trips to Minneapolis. My trips are always so rushed, I want to know that I have a little bit of time to shop when I am there!
Anonymous says
I just made these! They are in the drying phase right now. What fun they were to make! I have made red (cherry) and green (lime) ones- I have been testing candies lately to go in holiday baskets. Can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing such a great idea ๐
Hey Mommy, Chocolate Milk says
This looks awesome. I would love for you to add it to my Mom’s Library Link-Up.
https://heymommychocolatemilk.blogspot.com/2012/10/moms-library-link-up-3-for-me.html
Thanks and be blessed,
Julie
Melanie says
Looks fun! I might have to try this with the kids.
Heather Kinnaird says
I’m exhausted just from reading about your weekend!
and I thought we were busy:0
my daughter is going to LOVE me when I make these gumdrops
I had no idea
Dani - Diane - ATA Girls says
Looks tasty – can’t wait to try. Joining from Wednesday Whatsits – https://allthoseartsygirls.blogspot.com/