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Tips & Ideas

THESE FLOWERS AREN’T JUNK

submitted by: Jamie McManamon

Not only are roses “old” and “over-done” but they are expensive! My husband and I have been separated (because of military duty) for every major holiday, anniversary and birthday. Each time we send each other gifts they get more and more creative!

Last year for valentines day my husband was away on some mission. I don’t know where he was but he still managed to send me flowers. Except these flowers don’t grow anywhere….these were handmade from his heart! He actually took miscellaneous parts from his helicopter (broken or spare parts of course), wires, bolts, things of that sort, a few things from his aid bag (he’s a medic) like IV tubing, gauze, and such….a little 100 mile an hour tape (duct tape) and some creativity and made me a “military” bouquet of flowers! 🙂

This year I want to send him something equally unique so since he is living in the barracks at another installation going to an intense training school. I though he could use something that would brighten his room for a few days AND be something he’d really enjoy. And since he loves flowers and he loves cookies, I am blending them together! I am making his a bouquet of “Jello Cookie” flowers. The dough is brightly colored and great tasting AND it’s the consistency of play dough so I can easily shape it into flower petals, leaves, and stems! I am making the flowers using all different colors of jello cookies, baking them, putting them into a florist box (got it from the florist unused) and having them delivered by FedEx. 🙂

Here is the recipe for anyone else to “copy” my idea!

JELLO Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 – 3oz package of jello (any flavor you desire)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix shortening, sugar, jello, eggs, vanilla, salt, and baking powder together. Blend in flour until the dough is thoroughly mixed. It will be thick like playdough. Normally
you roll into balls and place 3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. (**To make flowers roll into tubes and shape the flowers onto the cookie sheet. Gently joining each piece by pinching with your fingers. I make four batches of this recipe so I had four different colors to use**) Now take a glass and slightly dampen it. Coat it with a little sugar and use it to flatten the balls (or tubes) of dough. Put it into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes. (After baked the cookies should not brown or change colors.) Carefully move cookies from sheet to a cooling rack and let cool. Put cookies into a decorative box and you are ready to surprise your sweetheart! Children absolutely love these.