Jello + caffeine = crazy delicious!

I'm not a little old lady, so I probably won't be posting too many recipes. OK, so maybe I'll get around to posting the recipes for homemade nitrous oxide and/or vegetable-oil-based biodiesel at some point -- cause, you know, those things are useful and necessary for any home. But my point is that this isn't a recipe blog. That said, I couldn't pass this one up:

How to Make Caffeine Jello Shots
(via Wikihow)

Whether you appreciate the benefits of caffeine but dislike the flavor of coffee, or you're just looking for a new, quick way to get a caffeine fix, you'll probably be pleased with the convenience and quirkiness of caffeinated Jello shots--provided you use them responsibly, of course, since you can overdose on caffeine, just like with any drug. With these instructions, you'll be able to make a batch, keep them in your refrigerator, and grab them on the go--or serve them to groggy guests.

Ingredients

• Caffeine powder (can be bought as pure powder or made from ground up caffeine pills; see Warnings)
• Jello, multiple flavors are recommended (so different colors can represent different dosages)
• Shot glasses (paper bathroom cups can be used, or cut down plastic cups)

Steps

1. Decide on the caffeine dosage of your jello shots. Then determine how many caffeine pills you will need. A 6 oz Jello package makes about 30 shots, so figure how much caffeine you're going to need total, and divide that by the amount of caffeine per pill, which is usually 200mg. (E.g. 30 shots at 50mg each = 1500mg total, divided by 200mg = 7.5 pills needed.) In this article, 30 shots of 100mg each will be made, requiring 15 pills, but your dosage can vary by the desired intensity:

• 50mg- Mild energy rush. About equal to the caffeine in a can of cola.
• 100mg- Enough energy for 80's dance night. Equals about a 2 ounce espresso.
• 200mg- Same dose as in 2.5 cans of Red Bull.
• 300mg- Twitching starts. Jello shots begin to taste very bitter.
• 400mg- Ingesting more than 400 mg of caffeine can be dangerous, with side effects including tremors, agitation, stomach ache, and irregular heartbeat. See Warnings.

2. Grind the caffeine pills with a mortar and pestle if available. Otherwise place the pills on a sheet of paper.

3. Fold the paper in half, and go over it with a rolling pin or some other dense cylindrical object. Use moderate force so that you can crush them.

4. Keep rolling until the powder is similar in consistency to the image shown.

5. Pour the ground up caffeine into a large bowl with the Jello powder, and mix thoroughly.

6. Add the boiling water (follow the standard Jello recipe on the box for exact amount of water) and stir thoroughly. Keep stirring until all the caffeine has completely dissolved into the solution.

7. Pour the solution evenly into 30 shot glasses (or small paper cups), and refrigerate for a few hours until jiggly.

Tips

Some people prefer to grind B12 pills into the mixture too. The specific amount of B12 used is not as important as the caffeine dosage. It is more of a season to taste, a few pills for a slight added energy boost or a few more to shift into hyperdrive. Remember, however, that it is possible to get too much and suffer ill effects.

Warnings

• Caffeine is a powerful stimulant (i.e. drug) and can be toxic at high levels. Remember, the poison is in the dose. At very high doses (about 2000 mg), the effects can be severe enough to necessitate hospitalization. Make sure you do the math right when measuring the caffeine: forgetting to carry the zero could be lethal.


• People with medical conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), coronary artery disease (heart disease) or history of cardiac arrhythmias (heart rhythm disturbances) should first consult a physician prior to using caffeine or any other stimulants.


• If you purchase pure caffeine powder, be sure it is food grade (i.e. tested for human consumption).


• The half-life of caffeine is anywhere from 3-10 hours, depending on individual health factors. Be sure not consume too many jello shots within a 3 hour period.