Layered Finger Jello

Snow day!  I'm sure those two words brought lots of joy to many houses in our community.  We are currently being slammed by another lake effect snow system.  Since we live so close to the lake shore, we are getting the brunt of the storm.  Since yesterday we've got about 10 inches of snow dumped on us.  And it's supposed to keep snowing until tomorrow afternoon!

Mike and I were thankful that he has 4-wheel drive on his truck because otherwise we probably would have ended up in a ditch last night.  I have all-wheel drive on my vehicle but I was still sliding around corners on my way home from work yesterday.  He was able to get to work this morning with out an issue.  I was supposed to work a side job for a couple hours, but I ended up cancelling because there's no way I'm driving even closer to the lake this morning!

I'm using my snow day to bake.  I have quite a few recipes that I'd love to make and I've decided that today is the day for that!  I'm sure many kids are spending their snow days outside making snowmen.  Of course, an afternoon curled up on the couch with blankets, popcorn, and a marathon of good movies doesn't sound too bad either!

Speaking of kids, what kid doesn't love Jello?  This is such a fun recipe to make, and to eat.  While it is time consuming because you have to wait for each layer to set before moving on to the next one, the visual effect makes it worth it.  I made this for a Christmas party, but decided to just use white and red layers so that I could post it for Valentine's Day.  (This year, I'm planning ahead!)  Everyone loved this dessert and because you can use any flavor of Jello, you can switch up the colors if you want to use this for certain holidays or special occasions.

Layered Finger Jello

24 servings

Ingredients:
5 (3 ounce) boxes Cherry or Strawberry Jello 
2 (14 ounce) cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
9 envelopes unflavored Knox Gelatin
Water

1.  Spray a 9x13" pan with nonstick cooking spray.  Wipe off any excess with a paper towel.

2.  Pour a red layer into the bottom of the pan.  Place in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, until the layer is set.

3.  While the red layer is setting in the fridge, mix up your first batch of the white layer.

4.  Pour 1/2 of the white layer on top of the set red layer.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5.  While the white layer is setting, mix up the next batch of the red layer.

6.  Pour red layer over white layer and return to the fridge for 15 minutes.  Continue alternating white and red layers until all 9 layers have been completed.

7.  After all the layers are poured, allow the Jello to set for at least 2 hours before cutting.

For the red layers:

One layer at a time, mix 1 envelope gelatin with 1/4 cup cold water in a small mixing bowl.

Add 1 cup boiling water and 1 box of Jello and stir gently until the Jello is dissolved.

For the white layers:

In a small measuring cup, combine 1/2 cup cold water with 2 envelopes gelatin.  Stir until dissolved.

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk into a medium bowl.  Add 1 cup of boiling water and stir.

Pour dissolved gelatin mixture into the condensed milk mixture.  Add 1/2 cup boiling water and stir.

**This will make enough for two white layers (use 1/2 of the mixture for each layer).  You will make another batch halfway through.

Source: The Pioneer Woman