These Spiked Sparkling Apple Cider Jelly Shots do take a little time but are a fun and tasty way to ring in the new year.
We often talk about the New Year being a time of letting go of what not no longer serves us.
But we never think of friendships being something to let go of.
People break up with their significant others but why can’t we bring ourselves to dump a friend?
Funny thing about weddings where your venue only allows you so many people….you really start to analyze who is important to you in your life.
My fiance and I are being SUPER controversial at our wedding.
We might even be pissing people off.
But we are old and of that age where we don’t care. 😛
We came to the radical decision that when we look out at the 80 people at our wedding we don’t want to not know 40 of them because they were the date of the person we wanted at our wedding.
So unless you are from out of town, in the wedding party, or will know NO one at the wedding (there are a couple people) then you do not get to bring a plus one…even if you are married.
The men, even the married ones have been like cool whatever (and luckily we have way more men than women coming).
The women not so much.
Which I find funny because the majority of the weddings that I have been to, I do not spend it talking to my date unless I know no one.
The women gather as if it was a giant bathroom and then men gather usually around the bar.
I see my wedding being divided into the hockey people, the non-people, and family.
And well we aren’t having dancing…music will be played and you can dance if you so want to but no formal dance floor or DJ.
We will pretty much be doing what we do after hockey…eat, drink, talk, and talk, and talk.
For those who think you can’t sit around and talk for hours hasn’t met my friends.
We like to tell people it’s a more just like a party where we happen to be having a wedding ceremony right before it.
In all of this friend analysis I made the decision to not invite a longtime friend.
They don’t live in state.
They don’t talk, text, IM, email you name it, me.
I used to but gave up as it was always one sided.
Heck they don’t even LIKE things on Facebook (yet are always playing games on FB so I know they have the time).
They could not tell you the name of my soon to be step-children.
I doubt they even know the last name of my fiance.
Yet when I mentioned to a few people that I was not inviting that person they were beyond shocked….you have to!
I have to?
No I don’t.
That’s two seats for people who show that they care about my fiance and I.
I’m sure once that person hears or sees photos they will be pissed.
Though I am not sure why.
They obviously don’t want me in their life.
So as the calendar year is flipping over to 2014 I suggest that you really look at your circle of friends.
Be brave to get rid of those in your life who you might have a one-sided friendship (we all have one), a toxic friendship, the fun sponge (the one that sucks the fun out of everything), etc.
As you get older the more real friends you have vs the quantity becomes far more important.
Speaking of the New Year I decided to do a jelly (Jello) shot.
Spiked Sparkling Apple Cider Jelly Shots to be exact.
I used to be the main jelly shot maker over at my Tablespoon job but I kind of got tired of making them for a while but now I kind of miss it.
So when we had a surplus of Sparkling Apple Cider (it was super cheap at Costco) I decided to make a jelly shot using that.
You can make them virgin for the kiddies and just use all Sparkling Apple Cider.
But the addition of the apple pie liqueur is the way to go.
I used homemade Apple Pie Moonshine that my former goalie makes and packs quite a punch but you can buy it at the liquor store.
They were definitely a hit as well as a bit of a pain.
Cutting out all of those little numbers sure took some time.
I ordered these Wilton Fondant Alphabet Number Cookie Cutter Cut Outs, Set of 37 to get the numbers.
They are pretty small but it’s the size I wanted.
If you do one day shipping you could get them in time!
Want More Jello Shot Recipes?
Peanut Butter Grape Jelly Jell-O Shots
Spiked Sparkling Apple Cider Jelly Shots
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Sparkling Apple Cider, divided
- 4 envelopes Knox Unflavored Gelatin
- 5 oz Apple Pie Liqueur (I used the Moonshine that my old goalie made for us)
- For the Numbers:
- 6 oz gelatin flavor of your choice
- 1¼ cup boiling water
- *sugar crystals for decor if desired
Instructions
- Make the numbers first:
- Add 1¼ cup boiling water to the flavored gelatin (I went with lime because I thought it would go best with the apple). Whisk. Pour into a 9x13 inch pan that has been sprayed with baking spray and then wipe with a paper towel to remove excess. It will be shallow…you want that. The number don’t need to be deep.
- Let set up in fridge. Since it is so shallow it’s ready in about 30 minutes.
- Carefully cut out the numbers needed…you could just do 14 to make smaller shots.
- Put back in fridge until ready to use.
- For the shots:
- Spray a standard loaf pan with baking spray and then wipe with a paper towel to remove excess.
- Place 12oz apple cider a sauce pan and then sprinkle gelatin on top.
- Let gelatin soften and bloom in mixture for two minutes.
- Once the gelatin has bloomed, place saucepan over low heat and stir until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add in remaining 4oz of sparkling apple cider and apple pie liqueur and stir to combine.
- Pour ¾ of the liquid into the loaf pan reserving about ¼ of the mixture. Let the remaining ¼ come to room temperature.
- Put in fridge. Let set for about 30 minutes. It won’t be totally set.
- Carefully place 2014 on top of the apple cider gelatin. Do this with as many 2014 as you can fit in there…I got 10 per loaf pan.
- Slowly and carefully pour the remaining room temperature cider liquid over the numbers. If it is too warm it will melt your numbers and you don’t want that!
- Put back into fridge and let set up fully, about an hour.
- Run a butter knife around the edges and you should be able to lift the gelatin carefully out of the loaf pan and then place on a cutting board. Then cut so that the 2014 is showing in each one.
- Dip the tops into sugar crystals for decor if you desire.
Emily @ Life on Food says
We raised some eyebrows with our wedding invite list too. Oh well. It is your big day and should be how you like it. These are super cute jellies. I am sure you are sharing with those you care for.
KB says
That Jello is really impressive! I’m not sure I’d have the patience for it, but it’s super cute. Go you for inviting only the people who mean a lot to you to your wedding. To me it kind of cheapens things if you invite people just to invite them because you knew them once or your brother knew their aunt’s brother-in-law’s half-daughter’s dogsitter’s boyfriend. Okay, maybe that’s a bit ridiculous, but really. 😛 If I were getting married tomorrow, I don’t think I could name twenty people I’d invite to my wedding, just because I’d want the people who would be happy for me and that I love being with, not the people that I have to invite “because I have to.”
Peabody says
@KB- yes lots of patience. 🙂
MDP and I actually know a lot of people through hockey. And since we have been friends for so long before we dated we have A LOT of people who want to see us get married. I feel bad turning people down but we are getting to that point.
Jaime says
I totally applaud your wedding invite decisions. I too am getting married this year and we also made the decision to have a small(er) group of 90 people. It’s tough but we also didn’t want to be meeting people for the first time at our own wedding. We used the cut off of 5 years – if we haven’t heard from them in that time in this day and age of email, Facebook, Twitter, etc, they have no right to be upset that they didn’t get an invite. If they are, that’s their own issue. All the best and congrats!!! You will have an amazing time at your wedding 🙂 p.s this jelly shot is adorable!!
Wendy N says
I was just reading something a friend posted and it really made me think…..Who do you love the most? What 10 people would you put on a lifeboat in case of a universal tsunami / asteroid / zombie attack or any other realistic end of the world? Make a list. You can have a million friends on Facebook, but at the end of the day, you’re lucky if you can find 10 people you would die for and who would die for you. Remind them that if the world ends tomorrow, they’d be on your lifeboat.
I think you are doing the right thing…Invite the people that matter the most!! We did it at our wedding and we had the best time! We didn’t do dancing either but had music playing. To this day people still talk about how great our wedding was…it’s been 10 years and I still have no regrets! (By the way we had 35 people at our wedding, which was outside at our house under a bunch of massive Oak trees.)
Liz S. says
Thankfully i took the time to finally cut out the negative energy/people in my life. It made 2013 so much better and I’m looking forward to 2014 with 100% positivity as well. It’s not easy, and I commend you, Peabody, for cutting the negativity out as well. Your upcoming wedding will be that much more enjoyable, knowing that only people you care about and care about you will be there.
Wishing you an early happy New Year, Peabody!
Bebe says
I needed this. I have quite a few one sided friends the for some reason I try to make things work with. This hit me over the past few holiday weeks – if these were guys I was dating, I’d say F you!
Zainab @ Blahnik Baker says
If I have never said this before..i love you!! Amen to this post!! I was controversial too with my wedding invitation especially when it came to the plus ones and babies. My MIL still has grievances about her little grand nieces (all 6 of them under 2) not allowed to cry through my ceremony and reception. One of my ‘friends’ still doesn’t talk to me because I refused to invite a boy she had been dating for only 3 months at the time my invitations went out. I didn’t even know him. Of course she didn’t show up to the wedding and according to FB broke up with him before that. Anyway, I am so glad you are standing up for who you want at your wedding. Quality is definitely better than quantity in life..that’s my motto with lots of things 🙂
Happy New Year in advance!!
Sarah says
We had an outdoor wedding, which we paid for – and did it all for under $1,000. No wedding party, just us. Had our friends and all their kids there, with a BBQ lunch. It was very laid back. It was BYOB as well……
My MIL hated it, but no one ever offered any help $$ so yeah…..we didn’t want debt!
Mrs. L says
Okay, the New Years jello? Amazing!
We too kind of pissed some folks off with not inviting them to our wedding. We did many things “different” (like I had a straight guy as my maid of honor). We also didn’t have a band or DJ. Just a wonderful old pianist named, I kid you not, Dick Clark. There wasn’t dancing, but at one point my husband took my hand, took me out to where Dick was playing and we had “our dance”…only seen by a few, not videotaped or photographed, but it didn’t matter. It’s a moment that will stay with me forever. It’s those kind of moments that make a wedding…not how many people are invited. Enjoy YOUR day, however which way you celebrate it.
jacquie says
a very wise choice in terms of wedding invitations – very courageous as I’m sure you have taken some flack about it. and not just for weddings if I’m reading you correctly but in terms of life in general – correct? and why wait for the new year? does it apply to toxic family relations too – even if those are parents and sibs? while those might be just as difficult if not more so it might be important to cut those ties also. Or so do family members get a pass?
Becca - Cookie Jar Treats says
I’m definitely starting to see a rift in a few of my high school friends. I think I only talk to two of them on a regular basis and others only once in a blue moon. I’m not one to have many really good friends. I’m nice and polite and all that good stuff to everyone I meet, so I make a ton of acquaintances, but going to college in a different state has definitely put perspective with who I am still really good friends with and who I’m not. I’m only (6 days shy of) 20 and I already know I want a small wedding. I will invite the family that I enjoy being with, a few friends, and a few family friends since they treat me like family anyways plus the people my husband wants.
But this Jell-O shot looks so cool! I can only imagine how much time and patience it took to make! Happy New Year! 🙂
Mrs. H says
I’d love to taste those jello shots but don’t have the patience to make them. As far as your wedding plans, do whatever makes you happy. My daughter had a very small wedding-19 people, on a beautiful river view patio, with a dinner inside the restaurant afterward. It was the best day of my life as well as for her and her husband. Many relatives were angered and some friends didn’t understand but it was exactly what the couple wanted it to be. It was intimate, heartfelt, genuine and absolutely perfect. When my husband and I got married 37 years ago, my mom and his dad created the guest list, the church selected the music and the vows and although the reception was fun, we were just glad when it was over! So, do what YOU want to do! Happy 2014!
Jenni says
Years late to this party, but we did the same thing with our wedding. The rule was, if you didn’t know *us,* (not just one or the other) and we didn’t see you in the past year, you weren’t coming. One of The Beloved’s friends flew across the country for the wedding with his girlfriend. She didn’t get to come to the ceremony–only to the reception. We left out aunts, uncles, all manner of folks, but screw ’em. It was our day and we wanted to be surrounded by people whose friendship had either helped shape one of us or both of us. It was the best day ever. I hope yours was too. xo
Peabody says
@Jenni- yeah, we had a wonderful day. Luckily, we only had a couple people get upset. My husband didn’t invite two of his cousins that we never see and don’t interact with (and I had never met). We did invite the one cousin we see and talk to. But his aunt and uncle refused to come without the whole family…which whatever. They made a big deal over it. They were the only ones truly upset. Most of the single people were like oh, then I guess I will be getting to meet other single people.