Traverse City Record-Eagle

Edna Shaffer: Grandma's Kitchen

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June 15, 2009

Grandma's Kitchen: Counting blessings

Today as I think of you this bit of verse comes to mind:

"Time rushes by so swiftly,

Problems come and go,

The moments we enjoy light upon us

then pass before our eyes.

Through it all I realize.

one simple truth remains unchanged.

It's the special people in our lives that matter most."

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I am so deeply indebted to all of you.

I am slowly easing back into the land of the living. My routine is different, but at least I have one. For five months I've been in a strange land without boundaries, but with the love and prayers of my girls, my church and Record-Eagle family I'm finding my new "normal," and it feels good!

I've debated whether I should mention my illness. But so many of you have asked it would not be possible for me to answer each letter individually. I'll be as brief as possible and promise not to revisit the topic again.

I was diagnosed just before Christmas with bladder cancer. In mid-January I had my first surgery at Munson, which was not successful, so I was sent to the University of Michigan hospital for a radical surgery Feb. 25.

After about 10 days there, I was sent home to recover only to run into a series of complications that sent me to the cardiac unit at Munson for another two weeks!

I have always believed that love heals and the entire staff there proved that to be so true.

The same loving care that I received was extended to my ever-present family. They were allowed to stay with me and help with my personal care. We saw so many miracles here and at the university hospital, too. It was another display of God's amazing grace through his people. We will never forget them. So now it's onward and upward to some happier days. Thank you for your concern.

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I have to tell you about the wintry February night when we hauled in home from the U-M to a huge mess. I opened the upright freezer door and there we saw a frothy stream of ice cream mixed with thawed meat juices, cascading down over slushy vegetables, fruits and leftover Christmas goodies.

Bless Molly and Ray for coming to my rescue. Now would you believe that this negative could turn into a positive? Well, it did! While the girls took turns caring for me, they cooked and froze enough food to last me all summer. Without that miserable freezer meltdown there would have been no room for all of their goodies. Now my "deli" boasts casseroles, stir-frys, soups and meats.

Today I pulled out a container that said "chicken soup" and "I love you, now we have a future." All's well that ends well!

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All the great asparagus we're enjoying makes us look forward to our other locally grown vegetables and fruits. Grilling is fun too, and especially around Father's Day.

I found some quick and simple recipes that can be made ahead and are good with brats and burgers.

This Watergate Salad goes back to the '70s. I consider it a dessert. If you have never tried it, maybe it's time you did. It's delicious, quick and easy.

Watergate Salad

1 (3-oz.) box instant pistachio pudding

1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 c. pecans or walnuts, chopped

1 (8-oz.) container Cool Whip

2 c. miniature marshmallows

In a large bowl, mix the dry pudding mix into the pineapple. Add the remaining ingredients, mix well, cover and chill up to 6 hours. Serve cold. Makes 6-8 servings.

I hope this recipe will find favored status at your house. It's a great salad and I like to top brats and hot dogs with it.

Sesame Slaw

For slaw:

1/2 medium head cabbage, shredded

1 bunch green onions, sliced..include tops

3 T. toasted sesame seeds

For dressing:

2 T. toasted sesame oil

2 T. soy sauce

1 T. rice vinegar, or to taste

1 T. sugar

Shred cabbage, add sliced onions and toasted sesame seeds in a large glass bowl.

Whisk all dressing ingredients in a separate bowl.

Toss cabbage with dressing, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to blend. Serve cold. Serves 10.

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Parting Shot:

"Many of the joys of life are overlooked because they don't cost anything."

-- William Ogden

Edna Shaffer is a local mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who writes about cooking from the perspective of an older adult. She can be reached at coachngrandma@charter.net. For more Grandma's Kitchen columns by Edna Shaffer, log on to record-eagle.com/ednashaffer.

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