I'm Gumby Dammit!

When I was thinking about what to write about when I was making the following recipe “Gumby and Pokey” immediately came to mind.  So I started poking around . . . pun intended . . . to see what I could find about them that might interest me. What I found was intriguing.

Gumby and Pokey were clay stop-action animated characters in a children’s television show.  Gumby is a green humanoid and Pokey is an orange talking pony and is Gumby's sidekick.

Okay that much most people know. What I found interesting was how much art imitates life.  For example, the personalities of Gumby and Pokey; they nearly mimic hubby and me.  It’s almost scary. 

To quote the Saturday Nite Live character played by Eddie Murphy . . . I’m Gumby dammit!  Gumby is optimistic, trusting and happy-go-lucky.  That describes me fairly well. 

Pokey is cranky, pessimistic, skeptical and sarcastic . . . that totally describes hubby!  And just like in real life . . . Pokey is often trying to offer advice to Gumby; sometimes Gumby listens.  And, Gumby get Pokey to do things against his will.  Pokey goes along and even has fun on occasion. 

Just sayin’.

Along the same theme, when I was growing up we always had cats.  We once had a calico cat named Gumby and her daughter who was Pokey.  Again, art imitates life. 

Gumby was stretchy, long and pliable.  You could pretty much move her any which way and she was happy to have the attention.  One very cool thing about Gumby is that she would fetch toys and she would walk around with a little pillow that I made in her mouth. 

Pokey was a black long-hair and she was . . . in a word . . . slow.  As in mentally challenged.  She was sweet and loving but dumb as a rock.  She would sit and stare into space  for long periods of time.  What was most annoying and memorable was her lack of knowledge of claw retraction.   If you picked her up . . . claws.  If she was on your lap . . . claws.  If she was marching in a kitty parade . . . claws.  Not maliciously or evil . . . just claws. 

Gelatin Poke Cake

• 1 Recipe Yellow Cake (Or 1 Box Cake Mix)

- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

- 1 1/2 cups sugar

- 1 Stick unsalted butter, room temperature

- 1 cup milk

- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 3 eggs

• 1 Cup  Boiling Water
• 1 Pkg. (3 Oz.) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
• 1/2 Cup  Cold Water
• 1 Tub (8 Oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, Thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one 9x13 inch pan. Mix together the all the ingredients then beat with a mixer until combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.  

Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.

Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Stir in cold water.

Pour over cake. Refrigerate 3 hours.

Frost cake with Cool Whip. Refrigerate 1 hour.

Enjoy