Linda Rondeau – Recipe for Romance – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Romantic Suspense author, Linda Rondeau shares a recipe for the Green Stuff & a chance to win an e-book copy of  The Other Side of Darkness. Every time you comment on this post, your name goes in the drawing. Deadline: Dec 30th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Linda:

GRANDMA’S GREEN STUFF (AKA Pistachio Pudding) 
1 package Pistachio Pudding mix
1 can crushed pineapple drained
1 package cool whip
 Mix together then chill until set.
A simple recipe that Mother threw together for holiday dinners and one the children looked forward to every year. Every year, the children looked forward to Grandma’s Green Stuff, as they nicknamed it. Sure enough, Mother always delivered without being asked. Even after Alzheimer Disease claimed her memory, she somehow managed to bring the Green Stuff…her way of showing how much she really did love her family.   
Life is ever-changing and family gatherings never remain the same. The older generation eventually passes on and the younger generations begin new traditions with their growing families. My husband and I take turns visiting during the various holidays and on occasion a family might come to visit us. But wherever we end up spending Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter, there is always a request for Green Stuff. 
As an adult, I better understand my Mother’s bouts with depression manifesting itself with constant criticism that seemed mostly aimed at me. However, it was difficult living with a woman who seemed to blame me for everything ill in her life. But when her Alzheimer Disease hit, she gradually forgot why I had been a bitter disappointment, allowing me the joy of a good mother-daughter relationship for the last years of her life.
But, her son-in-law could do no wrong. How she adored him. 
When Mother went into the nursing home, my husband took up the cause of the Green Stuff, continuing the tradition after she passed away. Wherever we spend the holidays, he makes certain a bowl of Green Stuff is on the table…his tribute. 
Funny thing, though, when the Green Stuff comes out, I forget my often tempestuous relationship I had growing up with Mother, and recall only the good, the visible reminder that love surpasses all obstacles, even a fractured relationship…love that arrives in a tasty green delicacy.  
About Linda: Award-winning author, LINDA RONDEAU, writes for the reader who enjoys a little bit of everything. Her stories of redemption and God’s mercies include romance, suspense, the ethereal, and a little bit of history into the mix, always served with a slice of humor. Walk with her unforgettable characters as they journey paths not unlike our own. After a long career in human services, mother of three and wife of one very patient man, Linda now resides in Florida where she is active in her church and community.  Readers may visit her web site at www.lindarondeau.com.
About the book: Manhattan prosecutor Samantha Knowlton is stranded in a quirky but intriguing Adirondack town. But she must return to NYC to repair the unraveling case against convicted child killer, Harlan Styles.
Teacher Zack Bordeaux fears he is doomed to a life of mediocrity if he remains in Haven but would be willing to stay if it means a life with Sam.   
Landscape artist Jonathan Gladstone feels bound to an estate he both loathes and loves, haunted by the deaths of his wife and son until he falls in love with a spirited attorney and rediscovers his artistic passion.                                                                                                                                                                                            
These three, betrayed and betraying, must find their way from the darkness of broken hope to the light found only in Christ, our surest haven.     
PURCHASE LINKS:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-other-side-of-darkness-linda-rondeau/1107148775?ean=2940013493407&itm=1&usri=linda+wood+ron
Come back Dec 26th for Roseanna White.