Feeding birds and a Sunday recipe

"April 20, 1990:  Lester took Shirlee to Omaha to fly back to Florida.
April 30, 1990:  Ice on bird bath Saturday morning and Monday morning."

Ice?  In April?  I think Grandpa already had a bird bath heater by this time, but he had probably retired it for the winter.  Grandpa had at least two birds baths and he liked to feed the birds as well.  It was always a safe Christmas or Father's Day gift to bring an industrial-sized bag of bird "feed".  Grandpa corrected us if we said bird "seed" because he didn't plant it to grow birds.  He would act disgusted that we would make such a silly mistake, but he was teasing, of course.  One of my earliest memories of doing something with Grandpa was when we built a bird house together.  Simple four sides and a roof.  And the hole was small enough that the sparrows couldn't use it; Grandpa liked wrens better.  Maybe drilling that hole for the wrens was what led me down the path of distructive drilling, which will be my story tomorrow.

The recipe is for Monkey Bread.  I think there are many variations, but this is the one Grandma made, and accordingly the one we like best.

Monkey Bread

2 loaves frozen bread dough (don't rise)
2 T. milk
3 oz. pkg. vanilla pudding or butterscotch pudding (not instant)
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. brown sugar
nuts

Snip 1 loaf of thawed bread in date-sized pieces into greased 9x13 inch pan.  Melt margarine.  Add milk, brown sugar and pudding mix and nuts to margarine.  Mix and spread mixture over bread in pan.  Snip second loaf over mixture.  Let rise 2 1/2 hours or until dough comes to top of pan.  Then bake in 300 - 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour until top is brown.  Remove from oven and tip over on foil.

This is good stuff.  I made this recipe once and to thaw the bread and not allow it to rise, I think I put it in the refrigerator overnight as per Grandma's suggestion.  If you don't often have dates around to compare in size, snip the pieces to be the size of the hole you make with your finger and thumb.  That should do it.

Oh, and the picture has absolutely nothing to do with anything, but it makes me laugh.  I have no idea why Dale and I felt compelled to make a doll-headed scarecrow in the bathroom, but we look rather pleased with ourselves and Mom thought the event worthy of a photograph.