Making Magical Memories 8/22/13

Another magic family day came our way on Sunday. Too many years ago for an old lady to remember, my kids and their cousins who grew up as neighbors, schoolmates and friends established an annual golf outing.  The ones who like to golf did so in a group while those who were not infatuated with the game gathered at the host’s home for a cookout later in the day. Since time changes things, families scattered and are busy with the next generation, there have been a few years that it went by the wayside. The custom was resurrected this year by my niece and her husband, who live in Ft. Wayne, and we were all invited to their home.  Golfing has moved from the primary purpose of the gathering to just spending time with each other.  Only four indulged in their favorite sport but many of us gathered for the food.  The main attraction of the afternoon was a Corn Hole tournament which was enjoyed by all. Even I participated.  Do not laugh, I did make one point, but was not on a winning team. Prizes were presented consisting of corn products.  Thanks Phil and Holly for a very pleasant gathering of friends first and relatives second.

Like I have mentioned before, magic can be found in the very ordinary things in an ordinary day. Last Friday late in the evening I received a very special phone call. The daughter of a member of my Home Extension Club who was a member a few years ago then moved to a different county called and wanted to visit me. I was very pleased since she is less than half of my age and younger than all of my kids. Why would someone that age develop an attachment to an elderly person like me?  My dad always told us to “not look a gift horse in the mouth” so I readily told her she could come the next morning since she was visiting her parents for the weekend.  She calls me Grandma Max and signs her messages “your adopted granddaughter”.  How flattering to me!! She arrived right on the dot of the time I gave her and we spent 2 ½ hours of very special sharing of experiences, inner feelings and laughter.  Thanks for a very special, magic filled visit, Kathy.

I was going to go directly to food, but I remembered that last week I promised to let you in on a secret that you do not dare to tell my kids.  They think I am perfectly capable of managing my own affairs and handling the little things required of living alone. I made a hurried but necessary trip to the store. When I came home I found that I had, as usual, picked up more things than I had planned on purchasing. Determined that I was not going to make two trips from the garage with my purchases, I had a lazy man’s load and not enough hands to carry all of my purchases and unlock the back door. What else could I do but set the gallon of milk on the back step to free my right hand.  So far so good.  About four hours later I remembered that I did not remember putting my milk in the refrigerator and must have left it in the car.  Imagine my amazement when I went outside. There it sat very majestically on the back step where I had placed it.  First I tried to blame it on my nosey, busy friend, but I hadn’t seen her anywhere. To ease my guilty conscience, I did confide in someone and they consoled my with the fact that It would possibly be O.K. since it had never been opened.  That seemed to be true, since it is nearly gone and is still edible.  Will I ever learn?? Probably not.

To go from stupidity to food is a giant step for mankind, but let’s try it. We will start with the dessert that I picked out from our new church cookbook. I made it often for my family and could not understand why we never had it when we were growing up because we had an abundance of bread, milk, and eggs. When my husband asked why I never made it, I used the excuse that my mother never did! This is my daughter’s recipe and is similar to the one I used.

                                    

BREAD PUDDING

2 eggs

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 ¼ cup sugar, divided, ½ cup and ¾ cup

5 slices bread torn into pieces

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup raisins, optional

2 tablespoons flour

1/3 cup butter

½ cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine eggs, cinnamon, ½ cup sugar, bread, salt, raisins and milk. Place in a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour. To make sauce, combine ¾ cup sugar, flour, butter, boiling water and vanilla. Cook until thick. After baking pour sauce over pudding, using a knife to loosen the sides of the pudding from the sides to allow sauce down sides.

Need a quick, different, simple salad? Try this one.

            

CHERRY COKE SALAD

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple

½ cup water

2 packages (3 ounces each) cherry gelatin

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filing

¾ cup cola

Drain pineapple, reserving juice. Set pineapple aside. Bring juice and water to a boil. Add gelatin, stir until dissolved. Stir in cola and pie filling. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Fold in reserved pineapple. Refrigerate until firm.  

How about topping it with whipped topping?