Dirt Pudding--Connie Ahlden Recipe

Dirt Pudding is delicious, but I am beyond tired of seeing pudding, yogurt, ice cream, mashed potatoes, and soup!  This week, my boyfriend had his wisdom teeth taken out, and I had a lesson in showing sympathy towards others.  My family always jokes that the world should be thankful I did not choose a career as a doctor or a nurse.  I am terrible with people who are sick or in pain.  If I can’t physically feel their pain or injury, I have a hard time sharing in their hurt.  This week, as “girlfriend nurse”, I had to suck it up and learn to be patient and sympathetic. 

The day before the wisdom teeth removal, I recruited my number one woman, Grandma Ahlden.  Since she raised six children and worked in hospitals and nursing homes, I thought she could give me some good tips on how to be a helpful “home nurse”.  Grams told me that when she worked in the hospital, she found that what patients needed most was simply to know that someone cared and was there with them.  She said how people she didn’t know would just want her to sit with them and maybe hold their hand for a while.  While we crushed Oreo cookies using a marble rolling pin, Grams and I talked about the ladies she used to do “home care” with.  I can remember when Grandma Ahlden took care of an elderly lady in town.  Occasionally, I would stop by to visit Grams and the lady.  Usually I would see Grandma and the woman just talking in the living room or Grandma reading from a book.  It was the sincere company and compassion of Grandma Ahlden that helped this elderly woman to feel better.

Since I can admit that I am a bad nurse, I decided to start of strong by preparing this post-wisdom tooth Dirt Pudding Dessert.  This is really a good treat, and shouldn’t be reserved just for mouth injuries.  What I like most is that the Oreo cookies turn into a soft cookie texture after the layers blend.  Like the Oreo cookies, throughout the week, I started turning a bit more “soft at heart” towards my healing boyfriend.  As Grams and I finished layering the Dirt Pudding, I thought back to the times I was sick as a child.  Having two working parents, it was often Grandma Ahlden who spent the day with me on the couch when I was too sick to go to school.  She wasn’t a doctor and didn’t make the cough go away, but she did make me feel better snuggling under a warm blanket and bringing me hot chocolate.  Even today, Grams can make me feel better by just being near her.  Highlighted again on the list of things I hope to learn from Grams—PATIENCE AND SYMPATHY!

DIRT PUDDING—CONNIE AHLDEN RECIPE

1 large vanilla instant pudding

2 cups milk

1 large cream cheese

1 10 oz container cool whip

Mix all and pour over crushed Oreo cookies in 9 x 13 pan.  Top with crushed Oreos.

**add gummy worms for a fun kids’ treat!