'Nanner Puddin'...

My mother was a great cook. She cooked simple southern foods, but she did a bang up good job of it. As a child my memory of my father's eating habits were that he ate simply to stay alive. He always enjoyed sweets and Mimi was happy to keep a pink depression glass cookie jar full of fudge, divinity, peanut brittle or some delectable sweet for a quick munchie. But my memory of my father and dinner was a cellophane bag of vanilla wafers and a jug of milk. He would take a big bowl, fill it with vanilla wafers, add milk, let the vanilla wafers soften, mash them with a spoon and eat. As he ate he would add more vanilla wafers if there was too much milk or more milk if there was too much vanilla wafer. Papa would do this until the milk and the vanilla wafers equaled out. To Papa this was a king's meal. Now that Mimi can't cook I sometimes try to remember things that she made that Papa liked. Today was one of those days. We had Papa and Tiny out for dinner on the deck. Claude grilled a pork tenderloin and some moonshine corn-on-the-cob. He made a salad and I heated up the rolls. We had a wonderful meal until it started to sprinkle and we hurried inside and finished our meal at the breakfast room table. After dinner I cleaned up the dishes while the men enjoyed a bit of TV. Then I brought out dessert. I made banana pudding from Mimi's recipe. Mimi made this frequently for Papa because it was one of his favorites. Today it turned out just like Mimi made and Papa was one happy camper. Now, I believe all families have words they say in a silly way. Sometimes it is a result of a child's developing speech. Sometimes a word comes out funny and the family says it that way forever after. I'm not sure how it started in the Lawrence family but we always called banana pudding 'nanner puddin'. Today, I share Mimi's 'nanner puddin' recipe with each of you. May you enjoy it in good health!! BANANA PUDDING: Mimi’s Recipe Mix together: 1 cup sugar, 1 heaping tablespoon flour, a dash of salt, 3 egg yolks, and 2 cups milk Cook till thick. (It should be boiling with thick bubbles.) Add and mix: 3 stiffly beaten egg whites and 1 teaspoon vanilla Layer: Vanilla wafers, bananas, and pudding three times in that order (end with pudding). Top with crushed vanilla wafers Refrigerate until ready to eat.