Recently with our past president, Ronald Reagan, dying after suffering for years with Alzheimer’s, memories surfaced concerning my mother who dealt with the same disease for ten years before she died. I started thinking about those last years with her and decided right away not to do that to myself. Instead, I began reliving the good times we had as mother and daughter. There were many.
My mother was a nurse and a very devout Christian who gave of herself to many in her professional life as well as her personal. At Christmas we used to have a steady stream of visitors to our house and she often had an open house on Christmas Eve before we would go to midnight services at the church.
My mother loved to cook and was very good at it with many recipes handed down from my grandmother. She would cook for days in order to have enough food for the open house. She loved to have friends and family over, especially during the holidays. Remembering those open house parties, I can see my mother’s smiles of greeting or her hugs when she consoled someone who was having a problem. She always had time for me and others, especially if we were going through a difficult time in our life.
When I think of my mother, I see what a wonderful example of a woman who turned her life over to the Lord. What a role model for me! When we went to church, Mom would march right up to the front pew and sit. Never in the back for her. She proudly proclaimed her love of Christ before everyone. And even though she didn’t sing particularly well (I got that from her), she sang every song at church as though she was the best singer in the world. She was quick to lend a hand if something needed to be done at the church and she knew so many members of the congregation, young and old.
One of my favorite verses, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” I like to think of when I remember my mother in her last few years when she didn’t recognize me as her daughter. I believe in my heart Jesus was with her to the end of her days, giving her what peace she needed, and now she is with Him in Heaven, healed and whole.
The recipe I want to share with you is one that could easily be served at a holiday open house. This looks very festive for Christmas because of the red jello.
Strawberry Surprise
2 cups pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 T sugar
8 ounces cream cheese (low fat acceptable)
1 cup sugar
12 ounces Cool Whip (low fat acceptable)
6 ounces strawberry jello (or another flavor of jello)
2 cups boiling water
16 ounces frozen strawberries (or another kind of fruit)
Make crust: Crush the pretzels in a plastic bag. Combine pretzels, butter and 1 T sugar in a 8”x11” rectangle pan. Press to make the crust. Bake for 8 minutes at 400 degrees.
Layer one: Whip together cream cheese, 1 cup sugar and Cool Whip. After crust has cooled, put first layer down.
Layer two: Melt jello in boiling water. Put frozen strawberries into jello. Set for 10 minutes then pour on top of layer one.
Put in refrigerator until ready to serve.
