Glow in the Dark Jello & Ice

Disclaimer: This is a long narrative post.

NOTE: All glowing referred to is under a blacklight (~$10 @ Wal-Mart).

I will admit to a weakness when it comes to things that glow--glowsticks, fireflies, glow-in-the-dark frisbee golf... Well, a while ago, someone who knows and enables me in this hobby forwarded a link for glow-in-the-dark drinks and jello. The only hitch--both were versions of the alcoholic drink: Gin & Tonic. So, I hid my disappointment and did my best to soldier on.

But then, I read on a blog somewhere that it's the quinine in the tonic in a G&T that makes it glow! Oh, happy day! You can get Tonic Water at your local grocery store:

At this point in time, a treasured vacation memory came of beloved family members sampling "Indian Tonic Water"...and searching for the first place they could spit it out! You see, the quinine in Tonic Water is NASTY. (I can only assume that Gin numbs the taste buds.)

But what can I say, I'm a dedicated glow enthusiast.

First I tried making jello, substituting 1/2c of the water with Tonic water. It glowed beautifully, but tasted...not beautiful.

I thought to myself, What would be strong enough--nay, robust enough to overcome the tonic water? There could only be one answer:

 Tampico Punch!

So, while Momma was out visiting me, we experimented. (She generously insisted that I should have the privilege of doing the taste testing.)

The good news: I could put up to 1:1 punch to tonic ratio without affecting the taste much (it just tasted like someone might have grated a little of the orange pith when they juiced).
The bad news: The punch was so opaque that the tonic couldn't thin it enough to glow.

So, the ultimate compromise is to use tonic water ice cubes in the Tampico Punch. For the ones shown here, I tried to do a layered look with water on the bottom and top and Tonic water in the middle (because it's carbonated, it may flow around and crystallize a little). Don't worry-the kids (and me) will love it anyway!