Homemade Chipotle Peach Gummi Bears - YUMMMM!!

Peach, chewy goodness with a hint of yummy chipotle for an added kick!  Not only are these little bear gems a cinch to make, they taste good too!  When I first realized that one could make one's own gummi bears so easily, it quickly became part of my "To-Do-With-Kids" list for the summer.  Fortunately, Father's Day was right around the corner so I decided after our first gummi bear attempt (grape flavor), we would jazz up the next try to give it more of a manly adult flair.  A quick taste test and I knew we had a winner!  My husband felt the same way and polished off the gummi bears the same day we gave them to him!

(Word of caution:  if you are trying these with small children, make sure YOU handle the chipotle part and warn them that the chipotle part of the gummi bear will be hot/spicy.  You might want to try one first!)

We used the basic recipe from this blog (Skip to my Lou) and then added our chipotles (in step #5):  http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/01/06/homemade-gummi-candy/

YOU WILL NEED:

** 1 - 3 ounce box of jello (we used peach)

** 2 - 1/4 ounce packages of unflavored gelatin (I think we used Knox brand and I think we used maybe an extra half a package to increase the chewiness of the gummi candy)

** 1/3 cup of water

** small saucepan

** mold for making candy (We used one we found on clearance at a craft store.  Make sure it is safe to use for heated purposes because the gummi mixture will be hot at first.   Sorry I could not find a link to the exact mold I have; BUT if you cannot find one at a store near you, you might be interested in some of the other fun possibilities I found while searching - see links below.)

**minced chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (if you want to make the peach chipotle gummi bears)

RECIPE:

1.  Mix the jello and unflavored gelatin and water together in a saucepan (not over flame yet).

2.  Heat ingredients in the pan over medium heat until the gelatin has dissolved.

3.  Pour the mixture into a container for pouring (remember that it will still be hot so don't use a pouring container that will melt when heated).

4.  Pour mixture into your mold.

5.  If you are making peach chipotle gummi bears, this is where you would quickly add a small piece or pieces of your minced chipolte pepper by pushing them gently into the gummi filled mold - just enough so they get covered or semi-covered with the gummi mixture.

6.  You can let these cool completely on the counter or speed things up by placing them in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes (just don't forget them in the freezer!).

7.  Peel out of the mold, eat, and ENJOY!!  :)

Mommy and Me Activity - Handprint Ballet Tutu

Handprint Tutu with Bow on Waist (above)

Handprint Tutu without Bow on Waist (below)

I suppose the "endless" clouds of tulle draped about my daughter's waist just looked so akin to bunches of handprints that my brain made the necessary connection between the two and the idea for this fun craft began to take shape.  With all the hundreds of thousands of other mommies of petite prima ballerinas out there, I cannot imagine someone else has not thought of this same thing - but here is our version!  So "cheers" to all the mothers out there who have spent hours making tutus for their daughters, driving to dance class, and clapping at their little one's adorable first attempts which we all hope will one day be practiced, graceful movements!  :)

Materials:  canvas (find at arts and crafts store or see link below), paint, pink paper, regular white paper, glue, ribbon or rhinestones or other embellishments.

How To:
1.  Paint a hanger onto your canvas (you may want to draw this with a pencil first)
2.  Fold a white piece of paper in half (hot dog style) and draw half of leotard shape (length-wise).  Cut this out, open it up and you should have a symmetrical leotard shape.
3.  Trace that shape onto your pink paper and cut it out.  Glue to the hanger you painted and let it dry.
4.  Paint your daughter's hands and place them on the canvas around the leotard to create a full tutu effect.  On ours, we used four handprints in a light pink first, then after those had dried, we made two more handprints on top of the light pink handprints in a darker pink shade.  Allow these to dry. (BTW:  if you are using a pre-stretched canvas, you may want to place a book under the area of canvas where your child will be placing her handprints to avoid her denting or pushing through the canvas.)
5.  Glue a section of pink ribbon and a bow around the waist of your "tutu".  Make and glue a smaller bow to the top of your leotard or the hanger.  You might also want to add other embellishments of your own to the leotard and tutu (rhinestones, real tulle, etc.).
6.  Admire and display your cutie's handprints!  :)




Linking up to:

HOMESCHOOL - Growing Handprints!

Ah the signs of Spring - flowers, ladybugs, handprints.... Yes - you read that correctly - handprints! :) Surf homeschooling blogs long enough and you will find all sorts of fingers and palms in pictures and designs popping up throughout the year. Of course, we had to make at least one ourselves. So here's the scoop on ours in case you want to copy it (if you do, please share the blog love and link back to me)!

The flower is made of coffee filters my daughter painted with watercolors. Very pretty...buuuuuuut it seemed to be missing something. Wanting to add a pop of color and dimension, I dug through my things until I came across a bag of buttons. I think when we added a few to the center of the flower and made a border of them as well, it really gave it a fun twist! And the highlight? The handprints (grass) of course and a little thumbprint ladybug! :)