A Recipe for Summer

I'm feeling a little fifties retro today.  In honor of Anne's mother's childhood, how about a recipe for a jello salad?

This one comes from my mother and has always been a favorite of mine.  Enjoy!

Apricot Salad

2 pkgs. (small) apricot jello (can find at Kroger)
2 cups boiling water
2 cups cold water
2 large bananas, cut up
1 cup #2 (size) crushed pineapple, drained  (save juice for topping)
1 cup mini-marshmallows

Put bananas, pineapple and mini-marshmallows in bottom of medium-sized glass dish.  A covered glass bowl works well because it looks pretty to serve.  Prepare jello and pour on top.  Let set in refrigerator per directions.  Prepare topping when jello is set.

Topping--

1 cup pineapple juice
1 egg slightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour

Cook this all together.  When thick take from stove and add one large package cream sheese.  Let cool.

  Whip one package Dream Whip per package directions.  Fold into topping.  Spread on jello.

Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.  It helps to have a lid for your casserole so some of the topping does not come off on your saran wrap!

ENJOY.  This is COOL and delicious.

Why "Night Walks Softly?"

Hi Readers,

The title for my book comes from a French poem I especially like.  The poem is "Recueillement," by Baudelaire.  Briefly, it is a peaceful poem about taking the time to reflect and regroup.

Of course it is quite "Baudelarian" and would take several class periods to analyze effectively.  I like it for the message, the imagery, and the way it sounds.

This is the last line in French:

Entends, ma chère, entends la douce Nuit qui marche.


(Hear, my dear (female), hear the soft/sweet Night walking.)


And from there, we get Night Walks Softly.


It works perfectly with Anne's story.

A Steamy Sunday in July

Hi Readers!

Hopefully some of you are busy reading Night Walks Softly.   It is steamy hot here in the Midwest.  I am just back from a five-hour drive where at least one hour involved near monsoon conditions, dozens of cars pulled off the highway and at least two accidents that I saw, fortunately for me, on the opposite side of the highway.  It was wonderful to get home.

Since Night Walks Softly has a focus on cooking, I plan to post recipes from time to time.  Look for them soon.  

Take care!  Keep reading.   I have finished the first 200 pages of my second novel Should Night Come, and am at that invigorating point in novel writing where the words seem to bounce from my fingers to the word document.

M.H. Gerber

Welcome to my blog!

Night Walks Softly is now available on kindle at amazon.com.  Hope you enjoy!   I'm busy finishing my second book, also set in Yellow River.  Look for it Fall 2011.

Enjoy SUMMER!

M