Familyandfarming is taking a Grandmaternity Leave this November and December! We have a new grandchild!

Everyone is well. While Grandpa is dealing with 6 additional inches of snow, gnashing his teeth over the rationing of liquid propane , and dealing with the worst harvest conditions he’s dealt with in a decade, Grandma will be helping with the grandchildren.

Grandmaternity Leave

I think I’ll trademark the phrase Grandmaternity Leave®… 🙂

Here’s a lovely poem written by Lila about childbirth.

Be Blessed!

Childbirth

 Let me write it down

before I forget.

Childbirth is a sustained musical note

with the pedal pushed down,

softly at first,

reverberating, fading.

Each twinge a louder and longer note

Until the note is not a note,

but pain,

Pain topped over by a cry,

a baby’s cry, my baby.

And the pain-note becomes music again,

music and smiles and joy.

Then, I forget the note.

I hear only the melody of love

welling and swelling in me,

And the sounds of my child

singing in my soul.

Love, Lila

Pineapple Fluff

Here’s a recipe you may not be familiar with. Pineapple Fluff. Cool Whip was invented in 1966 by food scientist George Lorant.

This is a recipe that was conceived right after George Lorant had his brilliant idea! It’s pretty simple and tastes great! It also contains surprise maraschino cherries hidden inside. Are you thinking about the line from the classic movie Some Like it Hot? “Have you got any maraschino cherries on you?” 

You can rationalize you are eating fruit, but realize you’d be better off eating plain pineapple without all of the fluff involved with this recipe. But we all know if you bring a can of crushed pineapple with a manual can opener to a potluck, most people would sniff and wonder what got into you!

So, try this inexpensive, pink, fluffy, makes-a-lot Pineapple Fluff! Your potluck friends will smile and toast George Lorant AND Marilyn Monroe!

Pineapple Fluff

Tools You’ll Need:

• Hand or stand mixer
• Large container to store in refrigerator

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• ¾ C maraschino cherries with ½ C juice
• ¼ C sugar
• 8 oz Cool Whip
• ½ C chopped nuts (I use walnuts)
• 20 oz can crushed pineapple

Be sure to soften cream cheese well. Add cherry juice and sugar to cheese and beat well, until there are no lumps. (This can take a while.) Stir in the rest of  the ingredients. Chill.