Tag Archives: Halloween

Thanksgiving Jello Bites

Jello Bites Cut-outs

It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada and my mother-in-law asked me to bring some of my Jello Bites to eat alongside the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving dinner.

No problem!

Jello bites are little cut-outs of jello that can be eaten with your hands. Also called Jello Jigglers, this jello treat is made with less water than the usual recipe to make it more dense and jiggly. This adapted recipe for jigglers has a creamy layer too. But don’t panic, you don’t actually make 2 layers, this recipe mixes once and sets with 2 layers on its own. Hooray for small victories!

I first tried these cut into squares at my lovely neighbour’s house almost a dozen years ago and she generously shared the recipe with me; I’ve been making them ever since! I use cookie cutters to make them cute for whatever theme is happening -birthday parties, school events, even Thanksgiving! My kids love these wiggly, jiggly, creamy bites of jello (and my mother-in-law, too)!

They’re great for little hands with chubby fingers to hold and gobble up on Thanksgiving, or any time at all, give them a try!

Creamy Jello Bites

4 small boxes of same flavour jello
4 cups boiling water
3 sachets of gelatin (I use Knox brand)
1 small carton of whipping cream (250ml)

Pour the jello and gelatine crystals into a large heat-proof bowl. Slowly add the boiling water and mix well. Slowly add whipping cream into bowl and stir until blended. It may look a little globby as it blends, but it always sets evenly. Pour mixture into a 9×12 lasagna dish or deep cookie sheet and cover with plastic wrap. The jello and cream layers will form naturally as it sets.

Let set 3-4 hours, then cut with cookie cutters or into squares with a knife.

Keep chilled until served.

I pack them up in containers with parchment paper in between each layer to store in my fridge, ready for bringing to parties, school celebrations, and Thanksgiving dinner!
Jello Bites packed up -www.growingsigns.com

Happy Thanksgiving, my Canadian friends!

Learn how to sign more Thanksgiving signs in American Sign Language, too!

Gobble, gobble!

How to sign HAPPY THANKSGIVING -www.growingsigns.com

How to Sign PUMPKIN in American Sign Language

You can’t miss ’em. Vibrant, orange pumpkins decorating storefronts, school rooms, and houses are everywhere during October, and your little ones will notice them. Stop and point them out and say PUMPKIN a couple times while signing it:
How to Sign PUMPKIN in ASL  www.signingbabies.ca
To sign PUMPKIN in ASL, middle finger is held connected to thumb, then is flicked onto the back of the other hand which is held in a fist.

Even better than seeing pumpkins is holding and playing with a big pumpkin, or eating pumpkin. Have some fun with signing PUMPKIN this week, and stay tuned for more HALLOWEEN signs!

-Lee Ann

Signs of Halloween

HALLOWEEN is almost here! Much more than just candy and trick-or-treating, I’ve always emphasized the fun and playfulness of Halloween with my kids. Halloween is a very visual event, so take the opportunity to identify and talk about the things you see out in the world with your babies and kids. Putting ASL signs within your conversations will help your babies and kids learn new vocabulary, and it’s easy!

Here are some Halloween signs to keep you signing with your littles this week:

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Here’s a song you can use some signs in:

IF YOU’RE A GHOST (If You’re Happy & You Know It)
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
You say BOO,
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
You say BOO,
If you’re a ghost and you know it,
And you really want to show it,
If you’re a ghost and you know it ,
You say BOO!

Come inside for a little Halloween fun at my house!

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Yes, Halloween is one of my favourite family “holidays”. There’s lots of kid-friendly fun stuff to do outside at the farms, veggie stands, parks, and neighbourhoods. Inside the house, we decorate with crafts my kids have made in the past and present, and add some little scary touches. Little by little, we’ve found some traditions that have become our own which our kids look forward to every fall.

Around the second weekend of October, the Halloween bin comes out of the basement! We love to decorate the house a little, inside and out, to encourage trick-or-treaters. Decorating also allows our family to enjoy anticipating the big night. Outside, Christmas lights with ghosts on top light up our dark-at-night walkway:

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I’ve found that gel gems and wall stickers are one of the best bangs for my decorating buck because I’ve learned to be very careful in applying and removing them. And I always save the packaging and so I can re-use them yearly. These bat wall stickers were the perfect thing for our shoe bin in the front hall:

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Because my kids are old enough, I can let them help out (and go nuts) with decorating the bathroom mirrors and inside windows with gel gems (this guy greets us as we brush our teeth and also glows in the dark):

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Instead of emphasizing the candy, we always make lots of treats to eat at home and at parties. One of my favourite treats to make with the kids is creamy jello jigglers. I have a post with the full recipe for these, but here’s a look at the Halloween-themed jello we made this year:

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What kind of Halloween fun is your family up to?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Lee Ann