Heavenly Hash

So the past seven days are really a blur. The details of our week are vague; however I am pretty sure I have not made a meal since last Sunday. A funny concept since I spent the entire week entertaining. Note to self: cooking and entertaining are not mutually exclusive!Suffice it to say, between hosting Easter parties, our church Wednesday night supper, and shuttling children with overloaded dance cards, I spent the week wired on grande-non-fat-one-Splenda-lattes.

Thank goodness I had the weekend at my mother-in-law’s to come down off my adrenaline buzz. I caught up on several FoodTV and HGTV shows, watched Gidget and It Runs in the Family, and finished needle pointing one of the elephants on my son’s Noah’s Ark stocking. I didn’t cook, wash, clean or even make my bed! And, it was delicious.

Our Easter feast was traditional with expected favorites including spiral glazed ham, potato salad and baked beans. Perhaps the unsung hero of the day was the Heavenly Hash. I remember a variation of the dish my grandmother added to holiday meals, so today’s rendition struck my tongue as one part nostalgic and two parts unfamiliar. In my wildest dreams I could have never come up with this concoction of marshmallows, cherry pie filling, pineapples and Cool Whip. Yet the sugary-sweet pink cloud stole the show. When asked what the best part of the meal was the girls responded without hesitation, ‘the pink stuff’.

In my opinion Heavenly Hash gets a bad rap. Yes it’s sinful, but thankfully it’s not addictive. In fact, Heavenly Hash is one of those dishes you are embarrassed to admit you actually really like. But, it’s so damned good eventually you just give up and dive in head first.

Don’t get me wrong, Heavenly Hash definitely has its place. The pseudo fruit salad dessert wannabe isn’t fit for every affair. It won’t grace the occasional table and might only make a cameo if requested by really insistent children. Or will it?!??!

As I was driving my snoozing family back home down I-35, I resisted the temptation to plan this week’s meals. The weekend’s not over yet! Besides I’m still noshing on chocolate eggs, jelly beans and secretly dreaming of Heavenly Hash.

Heavenly Hash

• 1(14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (16 1/2 ounce) can cherry pie filling
• 1 cup miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 large container Cool Whip, thawed

Mix all ingredients together. Refrigerate overnight.