1. Are persimmons worth the wait?

Christmas is over. The view from our Gopher Hill Cottage is crisp and clean. The steam was rising from the neighbor's horses when we took our walk this morning. Maggie, our soon to be 2, Cocker, thinks life is just grand. With her Santa hat at a jaunty angle, she prances and bounds down the road not a care in the world. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could be so care free?

Men seem to be more care free than women. Especially mothers. It is almost impossible for me to let it all go. Some problem seems to always be lurking around the corner just waiting for you to let your guard down. Then "POW" right in the kisser. I know it is a complete waste of time to worry. There is a formula for worry, they tell me. 80% of the things you worry about never happen, 15 % you can fix, 5% you can't fix at all and you have to just deal with it. It helps sometimes to tell myself that. My husband, Bob, practices that and manages to whistle and sing his days away. I on the other hand manage to dream up a worry and have the dandy wrinkles to prove it.

Several years ago, as a family, we decided not to go overboard gift buying. So, at least I don't suffer from buyer's remorse with a stack of credit card bills. That's a good thing! As usual, today Bob found a gift for Preston, our grandson, stuck in something in our car trunk. One or two always seem to hide until after the big day. It has been a family joke to see who receives that hidden gift. Oh well, it's just as good today as it would have been on Christmas. We are blessed with abundance.

Our neighbor's persimmon tree is loaded with fruit. It is an odd thing to behold. The branches are bare of leaves but those same branches are loaded with bright orange persimmons. If you have ever waited for a persimmon to ripen, you know you are in for a wait. If you try to eat them too soon, it is like a mouth full of alum. The dictionary says they are sour and astringent when green, but sweet and edible when 

thoroughly ripe. Thoroughly is the key word. I've never been sure they were worth the wait.

Many years ago our neighbor presented us with an armful of the fruit with a recipe for persimmon pudding. His instructions were to place them in the kitchen window and wait a couple of weeks. When the flesh gave slightly with pressure they were ready. Several months later when we were on that side of the house doing some yard work we noticed a strange substance oozing down from the window. Our guess was the persimmons were past their prime.

If you can wait for your persimmons to ripen, you will enjoy the pudding. It is more like a heavy
cake to me, but good just the same.

Persimmon Pudding

2 cups of persimmon pulp
1 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking soda
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 cup of raisins
1 cup of flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of butter(melted)
1/2 cup of nuts (we prefer pecans)

Thoroughly combine the pulp with the sugar. Add dry ingredients stirring well. Add eggs then
raisins, nuts, vanilla and butter.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven. Sit pan in a larger pan with an inch of water in larger pan.
This creates a Bain Marie or water bath. It add moisture to the oven making a denser product.

Until next time. Relax and let the wind blow through your hair! Life's too short to care!