Jelly Marshmallow Rolls
Today is Memorial Day. The day always makes me think of Americans who have fought around the world as representatives of our country, and how some have given their lives for the commitment they made. I have not always agreed with the reasons they were sent, but I very much admire the fact they decided to go. Personally, I have always been too selfish to find a life or career in the military appealing, but know there are millions who see thinks differently. My dad was one of them. When he joined the U.S. Army and soon headed to Korea, even though he was in college and could have been exempt, I always wondered if he was running away from one thing or towards another. Isn’t everyone constantly making decisions to do one or the other? He never wanted to talk much about his childhood or time overseas, except of course the period when he met and married my mom in Germany. Now that he is gone I think more and more about what a mystery he was, in spite of always being around to support his family. Before I start crying about him – again – I want to share a little bit of color I added to the day. Little B is still too small to actually comprehend the meaning of Memorial Day. All she knows is her mommy is spending a third day in a row with her instead of heading to work. Here are some red and blue treats, which I chose to use to introduce Little B to the meaning of the colors in our flag: blue stands for fairness, faithfulness and sincerity, while red stands for courage and bravery, while white stands for faith and purity. Quite a vocabulary lesson was had by all.
Since I eyeballed the water measurements in the batch pictured, I think they came out stickier than intended, but the red, white and blue came through and the rolls held their shape. Here is what happened. I failed to realize we are still without measuring cups before getting Little B all excited about doing a project with me. I could not bear to tell her to wait while I went out into the dark, stormy night to buy a measuring cup, so I decided to wing it. Next time I will probably experiment with different colors AND use a measuring cup.
You can find my source for this idea here.
Jelly Marshmallow Rolls
1 3-ounce package red gelatin
1 3-ounce package blue gelatin
1 cup water
4 cups miniature marshmallows
Lightly spray an 11 x 9 inch glass dish with cooking oil. Place 1/2 cup water in glass bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the box of red gelatin and stir. Return to microwave for 1 minute. Add 2 cups marshmallows and return to microwave for 1 more minute. Stir until all the marshmallows are dissolved. Pour into prepared glass dish. place into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Again, place 1/2 cup water in glass bowl and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Add the box of blue gelatin and stir. Return to microwave for 1 minute. Add 2 cups marshmallows and return to microwave for 1 more minute. Stir until all the marshmallows are dissolved. Pour on top of the chilled red layer and return to refrigerator. Chill at least 2 hours before cutting. Start at one end and roll into a log. Remove from pan and place on a flat surface. Cut into spirals. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.