Thoughts on pondering

My favorite Book of Mormon scripture passage (ok, one of my favorites) is in 3 Nephi when Christ appears to the Nephites in the Americas after his resurrection.

You can read the entire chapter here. And my favorite site to use as supplemental commentary is here. (The author of this site uses quotes by General Authorities to confirm and validate the doctrine being taught. Its a great companion for Sunday School classes too).

Jesus spends time expounding scriptures and then perceives that they are weak in understanding.  He admonished the Nephites, 'Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand".  (3 Nephi 17:3)

"Of all the recipes designed to increase our spiritual understanding, this must be the greatest. Directly from the Savior, we are given a three-step instruction: 1) ponder, 2) pray for understanding, and 3) prepare your minds for more. Oliver Cowdery is famous for failing to translate because he skipped steps 1 and 3, Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me (DC 9:7-8, italics added).  (http://www.gospeldoctrine.com/)

"We might ask why the scriptures have to be pondered to be understood and appreciated. After all, we don't need to ponder newspapers or magazines. We understand them at a first reading. What makes the scriptures different?  An analogy might help. The scriptures are like a symphony. The problem with a symphony, if it can be called a problem, is that there is so much going on at the same time that an inexperienced listener feels bewildered, not knowing what to listen for, or how to make sense of everything. But the music lover knows what to do. He picks out a theme carried by the string section, compares it to a variation on that theme by the oboes, and hears the composer being playful or reflective or joyful. Unlike the novice, he hears and feels the effects of the details that give the symphony, in all its complexity, its power and impact." (Dennis and Sandra Packard, "Pondering the Word," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, p. 51)

President Gordon B. Hinckley said:
"We all do a lot of studying, but most of us don't do much meditation. We don't take time to think. I'd like to suggest that next fast day . . . everybody in this hall set aside an hour or two. Sit by yourself. Go in the bedroom and lock the door. Go out in the yard under a tree. Go in your study if you have one and shut the door, and think about yourself and your worthiness. Read from this great book [Book of Mormon]...There's a great word that's used, 'ponder.'
"'Ponder.' What do we mean by 'ponder'? Well, I think it simply means kind of quietly thinking things through. Ponder what you have read. Ponder your life. Are you worthy, are you living the commandments...?" (Church News, 01/06/96)

These passages made me think about how I spend my day. I don't ponder and meditate often enough,  but when I do, my day is so much more peaceful and there is less worrying about myself and more concern for others.

Another favorite scripture:  Psalms 46:10.  Be still, and know that I am God.

Painting the house - How about some input?

This shouldn't be this hard.  Its just paint, but I want this place to look charming.  I've got the exterior primed and painted and next week we'll take care of the trim and the door.  I thought I knew exactly how I wanted it to look but now I'm not so sure.  I'd like to know what your ideas are.

This is my house before the paint.  Very stark and white.  The green trim is way too green for my taste.

This is my yellow house now.  Next week the fascia and window trim will be painted as well as the door and porch posts. 

Since we're not able to do anything with the green roof we're working around it.  I love yellow.  But right now it seems a little too yellow without any of the trim painted.

Originally I was going to paint the fascia Saguaro Green.  (It really does look good against the green roof and the yellow house paint).  But I'm thinking it might need more soft white for the trim around the windows, door and fascia.  And what about the door?  I want to make a statement.  Help?

Martha Stewart Living Saguaro Green

These are a few houses that inspired me.

Ideas?

Zucchini Chicken Enchiladas

We still need to plant a proper garden.  I've spent most of this past year repairing and renovating our cute little house in the country.  But our friends down the street gave us two zucchini plants.  So we found a place to stick them in the ground not sure if they would grow.

Har.

Apparently we are untrained in the ways of zucchini.  I think its voodoo the way you can sift through those huge leaves and find nothing one day, but two days later the Godzilla of zucchini is staring you in the face.  

I've always liked zucchini but thanks to Pinterest, this year we've learned to love zucchini.  We've made zucchini noodles, zucchini cake, zucchini brownies, zucchini pizza bites, zucchini waffles and zucchini meatloaf.  But our favorite by far is Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats from skinnytaste.com

If I had taken pictures of how I made this, I don't think you'd want to even start.  I'm not a photographer, my kitchen is small and poorly designed and quite frankly it was a mess. 

Next time I make it I'll know what I'm doing.  But I like to cook so I don't mind the chaos.  Besides, the photos at skinnytaste.com are gorgeous.  

I'm also a "wing it" cook.  If I don't have the exact ingredients, I'll use what I have and adjust it as I go along.  So if you don't happen to have chipotle chili powder don't panic.  I didn't and it was delicious.  I also used a can of chili enchilada sauce instead of making it from scratch.  It was very bitter, but most chili enchilada sauce is.  I cut it with cream and brown sugar to take the edge off and it was great.

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 8 • Size: 1 zucchini boat • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 116 • Fat: 3.5 g • Protein: 12 g • Carb: 11 g • Fiber: 3 g • Sugar: 4.5 g
Sodium: 410 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

For the enchilada sauce:

• olive oil spray  (I used my Misto)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 or 2 tbsp chipotle chile in adobo sauce, more if you like it spicy
• 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2/3 cup fat-free low-sodium chicken broth
• kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

For the zucchini boats:

• 4 (about 32 oz total) medium zucchini
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 8 oz cooked shredded chicken breast
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
• 3 tbsp water or fat free chicken broth
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• salt and pepper to taste

For the Topping:

• 3/4 cup reduced fat shredded sharp cheddar
• chopped scallions and cilantro for garnish
• 
  

Directions:
For the enchilada sauce: In a medium saucepan, spray oil and sauté garlic. Addchipotle chiles, chili powder, cumin, chicken broth, tomato sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

For the Zucchini Boats: Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchini in half lengthwise and using a small spoon or melon baller, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces and set aside.
Drop the zucchini halves in boiling water and cook 1 minute; remove from water.

In a large saute pan, heat oil and add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Cook on medium-low heat for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and cilantro; season with salt and pepper and cook about 4 minutes. Addthe cumin, oregano, chili powder, water, and tomato paste and cook a few more minutes, then add in chicken; mix and cook 3 more minutes.

Place 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce on the bottom of a large (or 2 small) baking dish, and place zucchini halves cut side up. Using a spoon, fill each hollowed zucchini with 1/3 cup chicken mixture, pressing firmly.
Top each with 2 tablespoons of enchilada sauce, and 1 1/2 tablespoons each of shredded cheese.  
Cover with foil and bake 35 minutes until cheese is melted and zucchini is cooked through. 

Top with scallions and cilantro for garnish and serve with low fat sour cream if desired.


I'll definitely make this one again.

My favorite devotional speech (part one)

Part one because i have so many favorites.  Brad Wilcox, Shari Dew, Jeffery R. Holland and on and on.  And now David A. Bednar.  I'm grateful that inspirational talks are available to read, watch and listen to.  Some days I need a boost and other days I just want to add to the spirit of joy i feel.

Brad Wilcox gave the devotional talk at BYU called "His Grace is Sufficient" back in 2011.  This is an excerpt from the book he wrote in 2009 called "The Continuous Atonement".  This book has really made an impact on me and then hearing him speak made it more personal.

Its one thing to know that Christ died and that we are saved by grace but to understand what it means and what is required of us is empowering to me.

This is an excerpt from his talk where he explained how grace works to one of his students:

She said, “I know I need to do my best and then Jesus does the rest, but I can’t even do my best.”

She then went on to tell me all the things she should be doing because she’s a Mormon that she wasn’t doing.

She continued, “I know that I have to do my part and then Jesus makes up the difference and fills the gap that stands between my part and perfection. But who fills the gap that stands between where I am now and my part?”

She then went on to tell me all the things that she shouldn’t be doing because she’s a Mormon, but she was doing them anyway.

Finally I said, “Jesus doesn’t make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Seeing that she was still confused, I took a piece of paper and drew two dots—one at the top representing God and one at the bottom representing us. I then said, “Go ahead. Draw the line. How much is our part? How much is Christ’s part?”

She went right to the center of the page and began to draw a line. Then, considering what we had been speaking about, she went to the bottom of the page and drew a line just above the bottom dot.

I said, “Wrong.”

She said, “I knew it was higher. I should have just drawn it, because I knew it.”

I said, “No. The truth is, there is no line. Jesus filled the whole space. He paid our debt in full. He didn’t pay it all except for a few coins. He paid it all. It is finished.”

She said, “Right! Like I don’t have to do anything?”

“Oh no,” I said, “you have plenty to do, but it is not to fill that gap. We will all be resurrected. We will all go back to God’s presence. What is left to be determined by our obedience is what kind of body we plan on being resurrected with and how comfortable we plan to be in God’s presence and how long we plan to stay there.”

“So what’s the difference?” the girl asked. “Whether our efforts are required by justice or by Jesus, they are still required.”

“True,” I said, “but they are required for a different purpose. Fulfilling Christ’s requirements is like paying a mortgage instead of rent or like making deposits in a savings account instead of paying off debt. You still have to hand it over every month, but it is for a totally different reason.”

I don't know about you, but hearing it put that way makes it so clear.  How I feel about my Savior is very personal to me.  Sometimes its hard to put  into words, but deep down what I feel is love and adoration.  

If you have a minute (or 32) watch him present his talk at this BYU devotional.

I hope you have a wonderful day!

-Marcie

Today is the first day...

of the rest of my life!  (I found this unfinished post from October 2013 and decided to finish it).

Moving to a much smaller home after the kids move out has its challenges.  This house is 102 years old and is in the most beautiful area in southern Utah.  How we ended up here is another story in and of itself.  But where to put all our "stuff" is the question.  Actually, the question should be do I need all this "stuff"?

Learning to let go of material things is hard but empowering.  The nice mahogany furniture was sold at the consignment shop and the yard sale that would be isn't going to be.  I hate hosting yard sales more than root canals.  (Actually we finally threw it together last week.  I still hate hosting yard sales).  Anything that isn't given to friends and family is going to the thrift store.

Last week was my last week at The Alterations Shop.  I have mixed feelings.  Driving 40 minutes to work was getting to be too much.  I know there are people who commute much longer distances and my hat goes off to you.  But this was the right decision for me.  Giving up the income was a hard leap to make, but I still intend to do alterations from home.  This is also giving me time to make needed renovations to our cute little house.  One day it will be the cottage of my dreams.

Squirrrrel!!

We have a squirrel problem.  Our 100 year old home foundation is stone and mortar and is being hollowed out by a group of squirrels using it as their storage facility.  So we're taking matters into our own hands.  They have to go.

Hubby and I were pretty sure one died under there because he started smelling something that wasn't right and the flies were getting a little out of control.  Sure enough, each day the smell got worse and the flies were multiplying.  Fortunately for me, I didn't smell a thing.  I lost my sense of smell about 14 years ago when early signs of Parkinson's started showing up.

So guess who was nominated to go in after it?  I guess it makes sense.  I searched in the root cellar for a while in all the tunnels they've been digging.  Something smelled though.  Ewwwwwwwww.  Something's getting through!  If you haven't smelled a dead animal before, imagine rotten, oozing potatoes times ten.  Gross.  I won't go into details, but I found him outside in the hole he had dug.  He was stuck good!  Armed with rubber gloves and a pair of tongs, I finally got him out.

This smell thing is a blessing and a curse.  Blessing because I usually can't smell farts, but when I do smell something bad, it hangs around for hours.  I can't smell the wonderful aroma of good food, but I can taste it.  Go figure.

Wedding Plans

I've been out of it for a while.  Well, not out of it, but very busy with life.  My son is getting married in a week to the sweetest girl ever.  They were made for each other.  I'm helping with the reception so my brain has been on overdrive for a few months.

This is going to be a cute reception.  Very laid back with just a few decorations, hot cocoa and cookies.  After my experience with my daughter's wedding reception a few years ago, I learned that breaking my back isn't worth it.  You know I'm cheap, and the budget is small, so we're having fun with it.  It will be full of their personalities.  And I'll post photos afterwards.

Merry Christmas!

How do you get un-bored?

So who hasn't had their kids come up to them and say, "Mom, I'm bored".  Those three words make me want to tear my hair out.  There's always something to do.  If I find myself feeling bored, it's usually because I'm so tired I don't have the energy for anything else.  Sometimes sitting around doing nothing can be therapeutic.

I remember as a child, I didn't have the gadgets that kids have today.  The empty lot across the street or the orchard in the backyard were my playgrounds.  Or I'd get on my bike and ride.  That was freedom.

Has technology made our children lazy thinkers?  I don't think so.  But it has definitely changed the way they entertain themselves.  Video games can be time wasters, but they also can be logic and memory building, dexterity-improving and can help build creativity.  Agree or disagree?

When they would come up to me when they were younger and say "I'm bored" I'd give them the usual run-down:  Lego?  nah.  Read a book?  nah.  Puzzle?  nah.  Run through the sprinklers?  nah.  Clean the toilet?  Mo-om!

My response that would infuriate them the most would be, "Only boring people get bored".  That implies the worst thing ever: that my kids were boring.  They weren't though.  I said that to light a fire under them.  And they would usually wander off after that and find something to do.

Bored?  Here are a few ideas that have worked for me.

• Play cards.
• Read a good book.
• Color in a coloring book with brand new crayons.  The brand new crayons part is important.
• Write a letter to your grandparents.  The old fashioned way.  With a pencil.
• Play a board game.  My favorites are Clue, Monopoly and The Game of Life.
• Play a parlor game.  
• Build a blanket fort.  A big fan blown into sheets held down with books and other heavy objects makes a great balloon fort.
• Bake some cookies - use a recipe you've never used before.
• Put together a big jigsaw puzzle.
• Wash your car.
• Put your favorite song on the stereo - no headphones allowed - and dance like no one is watching.

And I love quotes.  

“The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.” ~ Dorothy Parker

“In order to live free and happily, you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice.” ~  Richard Bach

“There's no excuse to be bored. Sad, yes. Angry, yes. Depressed, yes. Crazy, yes. But there's no excuse for boredom, ever.” ~ Viggo Mortensen

“He who seeks rest finds boredom. He who seeks work finds rest.” ~ Dylan Thomas

“Another word for creativity is courage.” ~ George Prince

"I am never bored anywhere:  being bored is an insult to oneself."  ~ Jules Renard

"Nobody is bored when he is trying to make something that is beautiful, or to discover something that is true."  ~ William Inge

"When I get real bored, I like to drive downtown and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask me if I'm leaving."  ~ Steven Wright

"You get ideas from daydreaming.  You get ideas from being bored.  You get ideas all the time.  The only difference between writers and other people is we notice when we're doing it."  ~ Neil Gaiman

Life is fun.  Have a great un-bored day!

Making jam and jelly

I spent a lot of time this summer making apricot preserves, strawberry jam, plum jam and grape jelly.  Every time I finish a batch of one fruit, I say to myself, apricot (or any other fruit) is my favorite!  They're all my favorite.  :-)

Apricot preserves are easy because I don't go through the trouble of chopping the fruit.  Just cut them in half to remove the pit and cook the halves down.  I personally like chunks of fruit in my jam.  If you like a smoother jam, this method probably isn't the best one to try.

We have an apricot tree in the front yard that produces the smallest, sweetest fruit.  It always comes on about three weeks earlier than others trees in the area.  Maybe its a micro-climate in our yard, or just a different variety.  Either way, we get a bumper crop each year.  I was able to make 27 pints of preserves off this tree.  I like apricot because its not only heavenly with peanut butter, but its wonderful to cook with.  I like to call it my secret ingredient in a lot of pork and BBQ dishes.

Apricot Preserves
(This is half a recipe - if you double it, use a LARGE pot)

5 cups apricot halves
4 cups sugar
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/2 package pectin

Combine apricots, lemon juice and sugar.  Cover and let stand for four or five hours (overnight works too).  Place in a pot, add pectin and bring to a boil.  Bring it to a full rolling boil and stir constantly for four minutes.  Remove from heat and pour into sterilized jars.  Process 15 minutes in a water bath canner.  Makes about 4 half-pints.


My next batch was strawberry jam.  Costco was selling huge flats of strawberries this summer that we couldn't get enough of.  We would eat them whole as snacks while we watched TV.  Eventually, the strawberries we brought home would be a little long in the tooth so we decided to make jam.  I picked up a two more flats and went to work.

Strawberry Jam

2 quarts strawberry chunks (8 cups)
1 package pectin
1/4 cups lemon juice
1/4 cup water
6 1/2 cups sugar

Combine all ingredients except sugar in a large sauce pot and mix well.  Bring to a rolling boil and add sugar.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and pour into sterilized jars.  Process 15 minutes in a water bath canner.  Makes about 7 half-pints.


Gary's brother and his wife have a nice plum tree that they asked us to pick while they were out of town.  There were so many we couldn't eat them all soooo we made jam.  These I chopped up in the foot processor because I like plum jam less chunky.

Plum Jam

9 cups chopped plums
9 cups sugar
1 1/2 T lemon juice
2 packages pectin

Combine all ingredients except sugar in a large sauce pot and mix well.  Bring to a rolling boil and add sugar.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one minute, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and pour into sterilized jars.  Process 15 minutes in a water bath canner.  Makes about 9 half-pints.


We have concord grapes growing in our back yard.  We also have another variety growing near it but I couldn't for the life of me tell you what it is.  I like to call it a red flame, but I highly doubt that's what it is.  It has tight clusters of small blushing grapes that are full of seeds, but they're so sweet.  I pick both varieties and throw them in our steamer juicer at the same time.

A steamer juicer is a fabulous device that takes all the work out of juicing grapes.  Just wash and stem the grapes, throw them in and a few hours later you've got juice, along with a mash of skins and seeds that are great for composting.

Last year, my mother-in-law gave us a bag of elderberries from their cabin in Pine Valley.  Since we were on our way out of town, I threw them in the freezer along with the juice from last year's crop.  I decided to thaw them out when we returned and make jelly.  

So this year, I pulled out the frozen juice and elderberries (see how long it took me...)  The juice I let thaw, while the elderberries went into the steamer with the grapes from this year.  I actually made two different batches of grape jelly.  This year was Elderberry-Grape, and the juice from last year was just Grape.  I thought it would take me forever, but it went by pretty quickly.  (I sort of cheated - see my note below).  

Grape Jelly

(Elderberry-Grape is the same, just measure the finished juice)

5 cups juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package pectin
7 cups sugar

Combine all the ingredients except the sugar.  A whisk helps mix in the pectin completely.  Bring to a full boil and add the sugar.  Return to a full rolling boil and boil hard for one minutes.  Pour into sterilized jars and process 15 minutes in a water bath canner.

*Instead of making one batch and canning it before I moved onto the next batch, I made the all the jelly and poured it into the jars before processing any of them.  I added about 10 minutes to the jars to compensate for the heat that was lost while they sat.  I'm sure there are people who will say YOU CAN'T DO THAT!!!  I'd say back to them, I can if I want.  I also use a steam canner instead of a water bath canner to which they will say YOU SHOULDN'T USE THAT!!!  I'd say back to them, I've done it this way for almost 20 years and my jam is wonderful.  If you decide to use a steam canner, make sure you double the time for the water bath canner.

Why I need this, part one

This is going to be a new thing for me.  Occasionally I come across something that really tickles my fancy, or it might be something that will make my life incredibly easier.  Or at least I'll be convinced that it will.

I remember walking through the BYU bookstore back in 1981 and stopping to look at the greeting cards.  As I was flipping through the assortment, comparing the pictures on the outside to the verses on the inside, I came across one that made me LOL.  Seriously.  I chuckled out loud.  There were so many people walking by me that I'm sure no one noticed.  But I loved it so much I took it to the counter and paid for it.  On the front was a disgruntled beaver, Boynton-style, and inside all it said was, "Dam Dam Dam".

It may not seem like a big deal, but I was in a "mood" that day and it tickled my funny bone.  Have you ever read a comic or seen something that made you giggle?  It might not even have the same effect on you the next day, but at that particular moment, its just what you need.

A few years ago I was shopping at Target for who knows what...but I was wandering through the toy aisle.  I saw this action figure and seriously thought about buying it.  I passed on it thinking that it would be a complete waste of money.  I was right, and I know it's silly, but I always stop at that spot in Target hoping to see it again.  I seriously wished I had bought it.  I found it on the interwebs so I could show you what it was, and I promise I won't order it.  Just seeing it again makes me happy.

"Completely devoid of darting eyes"

"A gripping hand would be nice"

"Realistic fake hair"

Fox News ran a story on this back in 2001, probably the same time I saw it in Target.  Its nice to know that people with a sense of humor can make a dollar here and there.

When I find something that really does it for me, I'm going to share it here.  I hope you don't mind.  And please let me know what kind of things have made your day!

Apple Cider Vinegar Honey Tea

I wouldn't normally put those words together but I've got a sore throat.  This is the kind that makes me squint every time I need to swallow.  I'm not congested, but I'm hoarse.  My Bigelow I Love Lemon herbal tea is gone so I've been trying all sorts of home remedies to help ease the pain and I found something that is quite delightful.  


By delightful, I don't mean delicious.  Its not bad, but it really soothes my throat.  Apple cider vinegar has some great health benefits too, but it's very acidic and should be diluted because it can damage the tooth enamel and the tissues in your throat and mouth.  According to TLC, it can increase calcium and other mineral absorption and control blood sugar levels.  


So I mixed one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey in a mug of hot water and sipped it over half an hour.  Really, its not bad.  I'm just glad I can swallow without cringing.

Clairol is my friend

I'm going to grow old kicking and screaming.  My husband thinks I should just go grey gracefully (say that fast ten times).  Some people look absolutely stunning with silver or grey hair.  I don't believe I'm one of them.  Some twenty-odd years ago I painted a room off-white and got a little paint in my hair.  As I looked at myself in the mirror I couldn't believe how a few white hairs could make me look ten to fifteen years older.  Since that day, I decided that I would not be grey.


I just finished with Clairol 115-A.  As a matter of fact, my hair is still wet as I type this.  Trying to find a shade I like can be complicated.  I like a little gold or red, but not too much.  I really liked the shade I used last year.  I got a lot of compliments, so you think I would have kept the box or even written the number down.  But liking change, I don't think I would have kept using it for long anyway.  


This morning as I was squirting that stinky brown goo all over my hair, my husband walked in and the smell took his breath away.  He was so upset that I was subjecting myself to inhaling ammonia that he went and got a fan and tried to air the room out.  I don't think men understand the lengths to which we will go to try and look younger and prettier.  I think Billy Crystal, in Fernando's Hideaway on SNL, put it best:

It is better to look good than to feel good.  And dahling, you look maaaahvalous!

So for the next eight weeks, until the grey starts peeking through, I'll feel mahvalous!  What do you do to feel marvelous?

Remember Jell-O 123?

I used to love this!  

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, back in the late 70's and into the 80's, Jell-O had this cool dessert that was easy as 1-2-3.  Like the box says, one mix makes three layers.  Just blend it up and chill.  It separated by itself.  Talk about a neato dessert.  You could set it at an angle in the fridge and really make it fancy.

So last night I was really in the mood for something like this, but all I had in the house was cherry Jell-O, Ready Whip and fresh strawberries.

1. Make Jell-O according to package instructions
2. Pour half of your Jell-O into dessert cups and set aside the other half into another container and refrigerate
3. When it's set, combine the Jell-O that was set aside of with an equal amount of Reddi Whip and mix well.
4. Pour into your glasses of Jell-O and refrigerate
5. Top with more Reddi Whip and garnish with fresh strawberries

FYI - cherry Jell-O and strawberries don't go well together.  Something about the tartness of either the cherry flavor or the strawberries made it kind of weird.  It's an interesting idea, but don't follow the above instructions!

According to Kraft, Cool Whip is better, and by the way, use fruit that matches your flavor.  Duh.  Maybe next time.