Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Sweet Adelyn

Nothing changes your priorities like a new baby in the family. What you eat, when you sleep (good luck on that), how you talk to your friends and even how you relate to your family. It’s one of those steps in life that changes you permanently and hopefully for the better.

By now you know that brother Don and his wife Judy are beaming over the birth of little Adelyn Nicole Adams, daughter Amber’s firstborn and cousin to her sister Angie’s little Blake. What a beautiful pair they will make. I haven’t seen Adelyn yet, but pictures Don has taken prove she is going to be a beauty like her mother.

All parents look upon their firstborn as the greatest miracle that ever happened. The second child is welcomed with a tad less excitement because we’ve already been there and done that. By the time the third one comes along the attitude is “Don’t bleed on the rug.” 

Parents aside, it’s the grandparents who relish the joy of every grandchild. Their love for each one of them is unconditional.  The grandchildren are without doubt the best looking, smartest, and best behaved in the world. Plus, they and their grandparents have a common enemy, the child’s parents. So what if the child refuses to eat all its carrots. The grandparent is there to argue the grandchild’s case.  

Grandparenting is the most wonderful job in the world.  The bond between them and their grandchildren is one of the strongest, most unbreakable ever. And it’s a beautiful thing to watch. It brings sunshine into a life that otherwise could be fraught with thoughts of nursing homes and cemetery lots.

And nowhere is a grandparent more revered than in the mind of the grandchild.  How many times have you heard a successful person refer to a grandmother or grandfather as their role model in giving credit for their own success. Grandparents provide the understanding, the love and a soft place to depend on when they can turn to no one else.

So welcome to our world, little Adelyn.  You picked a wonderful place to land.

This is a wonderful side dish to add a little something special to green beans and mashed potatoes. It is so delicious you will think you could eat it for dessert. Great for taking to a potluck.

Baked Pineapple

1 (20 ounce) can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

3 tablespoons white sugar

6 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

25 buttery round crackers, crumbled

Drain pineapple, reserving 3 tablespoons juice.

Combine pineapple, reserved juice, sugar, butter or margarine, flour, and cheese. Mix well. Spoon mixture into a buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish; top with cracker crumbs.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.  

Serves 6.