I wanted to share this recipe here because we almost lost it, and I wanted to make sure it’s somewhere we can easily find it again.
This was a summertime staple when we gathered around the swimming pool at my in-laws’ place.
It feels a little misplaced to revere a recipe for an alcoholic beverage at a time when many people, including ourselves, are drastically reducing how much we consume, but there it is.
Our kids were three and five when Mark’s parents moved to Ottawa from Orillia. I remember pulling the rope across the pool, marking off the shallow end. At that time, Sarah, the youngest, was barely able to hold her face above water as she stood on the bottom.
Those long summer days always included bowls of Party Mix and gummy worms for the kids. We’d dangle the wiggly “worms” over the edge of the pool, and they’d swim over to eat them, pretending they were fish.
And of course, there was that rum punch recipe. I’d have a glass of this frozen concoction and fall asleep on the lounge chair or while floating in the pool. (What can I say? I’ve always been a lightweight.)
As the sun crossed the sky, the girls’ fingers and toes would start to get pruny. It won’t be a surprise to anyone when I say that convincing them to get out of the pool was nearly impossible. Mark’s dad would light the BBQ, and we’d have burgers or ribs for dinner. Mary and Gary loved telling the story of their poodles, gone for many years now, who had been put on a diet and were so hungry they stole a rib-stained paper napkin off someone’s lap and ate it.
Mary passed in August 2019, and Gary lived alone until he needed more care and moved into assisted living. I was cleaning out a closet at their place when I found the famous frozen rum punch recipe. I actually cheered when I came across it, tucked into a stack of papers that had been shoved into an old bag.
I had my doubts about finding it. I had wondered if his parents even referred to a printed recipe during those last few years, that’s how frequently they made it. Now that I’m looking at it with fresh eyes, I noticed the wee pun in the top corner of the recipe card. ;)
We are definitely making this recipe once the weather warms up a bit. It will be the first time we’ve made it since Mary passed. We don’t have a pool, but we do have each other. We will raise a glass to the lovely summer memories we shared together, not that long ago.
