A couple of weeks ago I asked my Grandmother what some of her favorite recipes were and she mentioned Rouladen. I’ve heard her talk about Rouladen before but I’ve never eaten it so my mom and I decided to make it for her.

Rouladen is a German meat roulade usually consisting of bacon, onions, mustard and pickles wrapped in thinly sliced beef (flank steak) and then cooked. Instead of pickles we used carrots because that’s how my Grandmother made it.

With my Grandmother’s help and this recipe, it turned out delicious. You should give it a try.

Here is the Rouladen all rolled up and ready to be put in the pan:

After we browned all the sides, we added water and a bouillon cube and let it simmer for about an hour:

Then we made a gravy:

And it was ready to be served with mashed potatoes and cooked red cabbage. (You don’t see red cabbage on my plate because I don’t like it):

It is definitely not a low calorie meal but maybe that’s why it’s so tasty. I think I will make it again sometime.

Easter Sunday, my Grandmother (my mom’s mom) was sent home from a rehab center with hospice. The doctors were not able to accurately diagnosis or determine a treatment plan after a week or so of being in the hospital and then rehab. They had a long list of symptoms but no real diagnosis or solution for all the symptoms. Her main concern being that the oxygen level in her blood is very low and, despite different treatments, was not improving.

Our Pastor came and prayed with my Grandmother to help her make the decision about what she wanted to do and she said that she was ready to go home to heaven.

My Uncle came in from New Jersey and spent a couple of days here. It was great to see him again and I’m so glad he had the opportunity to say goodbye. I think my Grandmother was very happy to see him.

My sister also flew in for a short trip (the day after my Uncle left). It was very hard to see her say goodbye. I don’t think I’ve seen my Grandmother cry in a long time.

Joey took a picture of all of us together – too bad he couldn’t be in the picture:

But here he is with her and me:

This last week has been very busy with lots of late nights. We’ve been spending lots of time with my family after work but I am so glad we are able to. However, I might gain a few extra pounds spending this much time with my family. My Grandmother really loves desserts so every day we ask her what she would like. Today she requested cream puffs, which Christene made from scratch. They were delicious!

I can see that my Grandmother is getting closer to dying. Besides being so weak, she has said many profound statements to us and will just break out in prayer quite frequently. I am definitely going to miss my Grandmother. I have so many memories of her and I just can’t imagine my life without her – especially all her prayers!

Please pray for my family.