Heavenly "Jell-O" Treats

“So then the Lord Jesus…was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.” (Mark 16:19)

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated 40 days after Easter, and this year that was yesterday (although some move the feast to the seventh Sunday after Easter, two days from now)! Either way, it’s not too late to include these tasty treats as you celebrate the completion of Christ’s redemptive work.

While this is not the healthiest snack for kids I’ve shared over the past few posts, this is an improvement over Jell-O (which contains artificial flavors, sugar or artificial sweetener, and dyes), and can be adapted by substituting your favorite juice. Leave out the whipped cream, and this is a perfect snack for a hot afternoon!

Note that this recipe does still use gelatin, but agar-agar is a good vegan substitute.

Heavenly Jell-O

Ingredients

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 cup cold blueberry juice

3 cups blueberry juice, heated to boiling

Heavy cream, for whipping

Directions

1. Sprinkle gelatin over cold juice in a large bowl; let stand one minute.

2. Add hot juice and stir until gelatin completely dissolves.

3. Pour into 9 x 13 pan or individual serving cups.

4. Refrigerate until firm, about three hours.

5. Enjoy with whipped cream!

The effect of a blue sky and white clouds isn’t evoked as well with the blueberry juice as blue dye, but the taste is heavenly!

For more traditional food celebrating the liturgical year, I recommend A Book of Feasts and Seasons and All Year Round.