Jello Aquariums

For my girls' Under the Ocean birthday party, I wanted a little something special to serve as a snack.  I found this recipe on the Jello website and figured I'd give it a try (with a few adjustments).  They were a big hit when I brought them out at the party ~ although there were mixed reviews on the actual taste of them (I'll explain more later).

Pretty cute, isn't it?

Here's what you'll need (to make approx 8):

• two 3 oz boxes of blue jello (or one bigger 6 oz box)
• gummy fish
• clear plastic cups
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold water
• whipped cream (optional)

Here's what to do:

1.  Make the jello according the package directions ~ pour powder into a bowl, add 2 cups boiling water, stir about 2 minutes until completely dissolved, add the cold water.

2.  Pour approx. 1/2 cup of the jello into individual clear plastic cups and refrigerate for about 2 hours until it's soft set.  You want it to be gelled enough that the fish won't sink to the bottom, but not so hard that you can't push them in.

3.  Put about 3-4 gummy fish in each cup of jello.  I found it worked well to spear a fish with a toothpick, push it into the jello, then use another toothpick to release it.

Ready to put in my speared fish.

Using a second toothpick to release it in place.

4. Put back in the fridge for about another two hours to fully set.

Now, here's where the problem arose.  I had to make these the night before the party and by party time, the fish had developed a weird texture.  Although they pretty much retained their shape, they were almost totally soft like the jello and tasted kind of funny.  Some kids didn't mind at all, but several of them picked out the fish after the first bite.  Serving the jello immediately after it was ready would probably reduce the amount of texture change in the fish.  Overall, though, it was still a huge hit and I plan on making them again with my kids.  (NOTE: After the party, I did some more googling and found another recipe using thin slices of fruit cut into fish shapes ~ I bet that might work better!)

Here's our Jello Aquariums at the party:

You can see the texture change in the fish a bit.

A satisfied party guest!

Sharing this fishy treat at:

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