Sometimes…You Just Have to Laugh!!!!

 
Two years ago, my mom was diagnosed with dementia. That’s definitely another story for another time. As you can imagine, it’s a difficult process to watch someone you love “disappear” …
 
 
 
So, now, added to Mom’s dementia diagnosis, she has diabetes. She’s in the hospital now as they try to get her blood sugar regulated.
 
 
 
I can’t do much to help, being so far away. But, I did think I could at least call her and let her know I was thinking of her.
 
 
 
I called the hospital and talked for a while with her sweet nurse. Then she handed the phone to mom.
 
 
 
The conversation went something like this,
 
 
 
“Hi, Mom. This is Rita.”
 
 
 
“Oh, Hi!,” She exclaimed. (That’s a good sign. She knew who I was today.)
 
 
 
Then things got a little weird.
 
 
 
I asked her, “How are you today?”
 
 
 
And she said, “Did you hear that?”
 
 
 
oopsy…The conversation was going south.
 
 
 
So, I repeated, “How are you?”
 
 
 
And she said, “Boy, I just can’t hear you.”
 
 
 
So, I talked louder, and louder, until I was SHOUTING into the phone.
 
 
 
It was the moment I found myself standing in my living room shouting, “I MADE STEAM PUDDING YESTERDAY” that I couldn’t take it anymore. I burst out laughing.
 
 
 
And Mom laughed along with me… It was fun to laugh. With Mom.
 
 

(This is me and my mom a few years ago…)

And, so today, I leave you with our family recipe for our traditional Christmas dessert – Steam Pudding. It must not be served without the sauce. It is so incredibly rich and scrumptious my sister says, “It could even make a leather shoe taste good!”

My motivation for making it this year was that it is our contribution to a Christmas party potluck we are going to this evening. Let me tell you…I’m ready for a party!

STEAM PUDDING

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. soda beaten in 1 cup molasses

1 egg

2 cups raisens

pinch of salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. cloves (ground, not whole!!:))

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

flour for stiff batter (about 3 1/2 cups)

Mix all above ingredients together. Butter insides of 2 coffee tins (mine are 369 gram sized) with Pam or shortening (NOT margarine!). Divide batter into cans so that they are 1/2 to 2/3 full. Cover cans with wax paper folded into 4s (or just so it’s thick!). Seal tightly onto cans with a rubber band and masking tape. Then top with aluminum foil. (Oops! I forgot this step yesterday, and they still turned out fine!). Place cans into large pot with enough water to go about 1/2 way up on cans. Place lid tightly onto the pot. Steam 3 hours, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove immediately from cans and cool on a rack. These can be made ahead and frozen. Just thaw and heat in microwave before serving.

STEAM PUDDING SAUCE

1 1/2 cups cream

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup butter

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla

Cook together in double boiler until butter is melted and it is heated throughout. You can substitute milk for the cream…but you MUST use real butter!:)

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2 Comments

  1. You can cook the cans of pudding in a crock pot, put paper towels folded to be thick on top & then the lid which sits on the paper towel. High for 3 1/2 – 4 hours. You can smell when it is done, & especially when it is over done. (I do one at a time)
    Love your blog, Rita. Sorry your mom is in the hospital.
    Love, Elaine

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