Oyster shooters - that used to be my favorite drink. There was a sushi place in at the foothills of the Angeles Crest. We knew the senior sushi chef well enough that he never asked us what we wanted, and we never told him. Sit down, and unexpected, intensive, surprising things arrive. He liked having customers who would eat absolutely anything. Such as the shrimp tail, so fresh that the shrimp's legs and antennae were still moving on your plate, until it was whisked away, dipped in boiling oil, and returned to join its rear end in your tummy. Mmm. Anyway, we always ended the evening with a round of oyster shooters. I recall small sweet oysters, sake, tobiko, thin sliced scallions, a drop of chili sauce, and maybe a drop of sesame oil? I think I'd like to have one again, of course I'd like to be thirty in Southern California again too, but I can have the oyster shooter. Back to the water tasting idea. I think it would be a fun way to get everyone to hydrate well. But I'm really more of a tap water person myself, so I need guidance. If I asked you to participate in a water tasting, would you think "this guy is a total tool" or "not again, tasting water is so pass�"? Is there really enough difference between different brands of sparkling and still water to interest you?

Hmmm.....signature drink for a Halloween party... Autumn leaves? 1 T frozen OJ concentrate, jag of cinnamon schnapps, shot of Grey Goose L'orange...another jag of gingerale...in a caramel swirled glass with a cinnamon stick. Zombie Blood...Shot of cran-ras juice, shot of vodka, 1/2 shot of lemoncello....garnish with a raspberry speared on a disposable hyperdermic needle. Bubbling cauldron.....shot of vanilla vodka, 1/2 shot of sambuca in a glass rimmed with crushed rock candy or decorator sugar crystals....served over a small piece of dry ice. I think there are a few more....but I will have to think.....and don't forget to hand a dead bird from the doorway. Should be a crow but that's against the law most places.

I'd open it first, and look and smell. If there's mold floating on top, scoop it off, the rest might still be okay if it smells right. If it smells awful, like sewer or sulfur, then it's shot. If there is a thick layer of solids fused to the bottom, or looks like cottage cheese, no amt of shaking will fix it. Casey

LOL! In a lot of these, if made with Jell-o, the proportions are all wrong because of the sugar. If it's a salad, it has to be one that goes with a sweet dressing. That's why so many are obnoxious. Plain gelatin saves one from both the sugar and color of Jell-o, but if those aren't replaced, it looks horrible and could scare children. Really well made, if it's not the dessert kind where the Jell-o, sweet and wiggly, is an honored guest at the party, there should be no lumps of visible goo with floaters. Ugh! But thanks for the proof that pickling liquid will set. With the beets I was thinking sweet/savory, the way plain beets are, and with no dessert flavors thrown in, but gelled beet pickle juice as a translucence that would be welcome (no weenies in the gel!). But I have foresworn experimenting on unsuspecting family at a celebration with yesterday's pickles. Though, in a more lucid moment, I did realize that I could use a strainer to remove the pickling spices. The goo isn't that thick! Re things that keep gelatin from setting, pineapple is notorious. It's those pesky enzymes. Cooking neutralizes them, and so canned can work, but I have a vague memory that even so, it's moderate amounts. Other, mostly tropical fruit too, like mango and kiwi, which is a shame because kiwi's so pretty. Oh, and ginger. I had an auntie who always brought Jell-o salads to family dinners, but they were mostly good, and there was one fruit one which was fantastic, but she never shared the recipe. She did something that still gelled, but was utterly transformative to the flavor and appearance of the Jell-o, and delicious.