The Great Bribe

Mr. H and I have struggled with infertility for the last 2 and a half years. We've had two stillbirths (Sam- August 06 and Jack- February 07) and have been waiting til the time was right to try again. It's been a very long journey, but we've made the decision to try to conceive again. We're hoping this time we come home with a live baby.

What does this have to do with gelatine hearts? Well, Mr. H's grandmother used to make him Knox Blox when he was a little boy. He hasn't had them since then and his grandmother has since passed away. When my grandmother had breast cancer and was in the hospital last February, I found a pristine 1974 issue of Ladies Home Journal. It was so surreal to glance through and I almost stole it from the waiting room, but I thought it needed to be shared with others. But while flipping through the pages, I came across an ad for Knox Gelatine and a recipe for those famous blox.

Mr. H asked me to make these for him and I refused. I made a deal with him 1 year ago that he would get his Knox Blox when he got me pregnant (you see for a long time I wanted to try again and he didn't). I am not pregnant, but since we're one step closer to getting there I figured I'd finally make his gelatine. The only stipulation was that they had to be hearts.

Fruit Juice Knox Blox

• 4 envelopes Knox Unflavored Gelatine
• 1 cup cold fruit juice
• 3 cups fruit juice, heated to boiling
• Few drops food coloring (optional, see note)

In a bowl, sprinkle gelatine over cold juice; let stand 1 minute. Add hot juice and stir until gelatine is completely dissolved.

Pour into a 13x9-inch pan, chill until firm. Cut into 1-inch squares or cut into shapes using cookie cutters.

NOTE: Make sure you use clear juice. You can use orange juice or other nectars, but you won't get that shiny translucent effect that the clear juice gives. Also, make sure the juice is the color you want. Hold the jug up to the light in the supermarket to see the true color of the juice. I used cherry juice and it was a little pink so I added a few drops of red food coloring to make them more vibrant.

Happy Valentine's Day!