banana punch

My cousin Sarah made banana punch for Kathy's shower. And Kathy had made banana punch for the shower she threw for Sarah and me almost a year ago. I swear there is no better punch out there.

We did not have tea at this tea party. Instead, we kept refilling our tea cups with this slushy goodness.

I took my first sip and had one of the strongest taste associations of my life. The moment I took a sip I was back in the entryway of my Aunt Louie's house, offering punch to who ever was visiting for what ever open house it happened to be. It is a sticky mess, fiercely addictive, and I believe Sarah and Kathy and I, serving as the punch pourers at every open house, drank as much as all of the other guests combined.

Banana Punch
makes 25 servings. Or three servings, if it's Sarah, Kathy and me.
4 cups sugar
6 cups cold water
46 oz. can unsweetened pineapple juice
12 oz. can lemon juice
Two 12 oz. cans orange juice concentrate
5 bananas (blended in blender)

Stir sugar and water until dissolved. Stir all ingredients together and freeze in a 5 quart ice cream pail (or a couple gallon pails). Set out so it gets slushy before it is time to serve. Mix 1/3 of the mixture with 1 liter of 7-up. (By mixing it in thirds, it will stay slushy for a longer period of time.)

**FUNNY STORY: my mom made this for my brother's confirmation and had just put the mixed, not yet frozen, banana mixture into the freezer in an kemps gallon ice cream container. My brother, not knowing it was not ice cream, grabbed the handle and pulled it out of the freezer, which dumped the sloshy punch stuff forward, spilling the lid and spraying a gallon of sticky juice stuff on every surface of the kitchen.

My mom has not made banana punch since.

Kathy's Baby Shower

We celebrated Kathy and the little life growing inside of her on Friday with a Baby Shower Tea Party. It was a lovely. It was good to be together just two days after Aunt Jan's funeral. It was good to celebrate life, to share a meal together, to ooh and ah over tiny baby things.

Kathy had lots of help opening her presents. I believe the five little girls in attendance (all under age six) were more than willing to help pull out each gift, get the tape undone on the sides, and start to take the paper off...all to assist Kathy.

A favorite moment: Kathy got a picture frame with a poem etched on the side. Mara said, "you probably could just take out that picture (the generic black and white photo) and put in a picture of your own baby when the baby comes." We all agreed that was a very smart idea.

The menu was divine:
Ham balls from the Welcome meat locker (like meatballs, but ham. blew my mind.)
Cucumber sandwiches
Tortellini Pasta Salad
Fruit Salad by Aunt Diane
Aunt Annie's Deviled Eggs
PBJ's cut with heart cookie cutters
Aunt Jan's shrimp dip with fritos
Clementines
Gold fishy and Animal crackers
Candy from Sugar Sugar
Frozen fruit cups
Cupcakes
Banana Punch

Oh did we eat well. And in a crazy twist, there was no tea consumed at this tea party. But that banana punch has earned itself a blog post all of its own. Stay tuned for that one.

28 weeks

...and 35 weeks!

Did you know that 28 weeks is the start of third trimester?!! Neither did I until the good people at The Baby Center sent me an email to let me know and I am elated. This has been one long pregnancy and I am happy to have hit this milestone.

However. Just to keep things in perspective. This picture is me and my cousin Kathy. Kathy is 35 weeks and is finishing her FINAL rotation of residency. She's a pediatrician and works 30 hour shifts. THIRTY HOURS! And she doesn't get any naps! She is one tough mama.

My belly is getting bigger. Ivar used to see my tummy and say, "baby." But now when he sees my tummy he says, "ball." It got a lot rounder this month.

Aunt Jan's banana bars

Aunt Jan was known for her date bars, brownies and banana bars. But given then choice at any event where all three happened to appear, I chose the banana bars. Emphasis on the plural of bars. Because I tend to have no self control when it comes to cream cheese frosting and don't believe I have ever eaten just one singular banana bar.

Here is the recipe. It is a winner.

Aunt Jan's Banana Bars
Cream Together:
1/2 cup softened butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs (beat)
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

Mix dry ingredients together and then add to above mixture:
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt

Bake in a 9 x 13 baking pan for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

And the Cream Cheese Frosting!
1/2 cup softened butter
8 oz softened cream cheese
4 c. powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla

beat well. Be sure the bars are completely cool before you frost them. And then cover and keep these bars in the fridge so they're well chilled. I think this was key to how much I liked them...they were nice and set up by the time you ate them at room temperature...not too runny or mushy.

"you're looking sharp, kid."

My Aunt Jan passed away on Friday night.

A long battle with cancer makes the ending a bit more complicated. There is relief mixed in with the grief. She fought hard. She fought long. And part of me is comforted by the fact that she is comfortable again. And feasting at a heavenly banquet after two years of a feeding tube. She has a voice again, with a whole and healed body.

But she still died too early. Cancer is cruel.

When Ivar and I were in Mesa he loved visiting Aunt Jan's house, because Aunt Jan clapped. And he could clap too. Without her voice, this is how Aunt Jan got our attention to look at her laptop or notebook so she could contribute to the conversation. Ivar thought this was the greatest. Before we'd even get through her front door he'd start clapping. "I like this lady, she's the one who knows how to clap!" And they would smile and laugh and clap and delight in the other.

Today we'll join in the clapping. Applause, applause to Aunt Jan, for a long and strong fight. For loving her grandkids to pieces and scrapbooking their childhoods (HUGE books for each of her grandchildren!), taking the time to interview, compile and print our family lineage, history, stories. Applause for maintaining strong relationships with our Swedish relatives through travel and endless correspondence. For spending her working days as an advocate for those with mental illness. For making the world more beautiful through her art: stained glass, knitted sweaters, rosemaling, and numerous crafts. For her love of color and kosta boda glass, her bright blue couch, thanksgiving feasts and banana bars.

Applause for coming to so many of my band concerts, plays and recitals. And for always saying the same thing each time she saw me, "You're looking sharp, kid."