A yellowed five by three index card
Stained and brittle
Pulled from a green metal recipe box
Catapults me back to my childhood
And Thanksgivings and Christmases past

The recipe is from that era of regrettable food
When marketers made their way into our kitchens
And “convenience” replaced time honored traditions
And yet, here it is, a recipe handed down
From one generation to the next

The writing is in my mother’s hand
(Is it really twelve years she’s been gone?)
But the recipe itself, is from my father’s mother
As is indicated after the title
And within parentheses, “Pauline Z.” it reads

I’m back in the kitchen, with my mother
Learning to cook, and prepare the "festival meal"
Learning to bring some ingredients to room temperature
Chilling some and boiling others
It is one part chemistry and many parts magic

And in-turn, as the years pass, it is I
Showing a younger sibling how to smash
Cream cheese with the back of a fork
How whip cream and drain pineapple
And the importance of reserving the juice – as it WILL be needed later

Did anyone ever really like this dish?
I remember everyone always politely taking some
But like mysterious loaves and fishes
It always seemed there was more at the end than at the start
Leftovers to haunt us for days upon days

And here I am sitting on the floor of my kitchen
Tears welling in my eyes
Feeling the loss of my mother - as though the hurt is new
And longing for Thanksgivings and Christmases past
And contemplating making myself some Lime Frost Salad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lime Frost Salad (Pauline Z.)
1 pkg. lime jell-o
1 3oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple
½ pt. heavy cream
1 c. boiling water

To jell-o add water + the liquid from pineapple + enough cold water to make 1 c.
Place in refrig. Allow to begin jelling;
then add pineapple, cream (whipped), + cheese
(mashed w/ fork after having been left @ room Temp.)
Return to refrig. Yield: 4-6 servings.