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Grandparent's Day - who invented that holiday? Actually it was not The Hallmark Card Company, although they probably profit from it. It was Marian McQuade and she wanted to a way to remember the elderly in nursing homes. In 1978 President Jimmy Carter proclaimed the first Sunday after Labor Day would be Grandparent's Day. This year it is celebrated on Sunday, September 13th.
You do not have spend a fortune on Grandparent's Day. What do all Grandparents want? They want to spend time with their Grandkids - that will make them the happiest. And with all these other holidays that we go overboard on, keeping this one low key will make it extra special.
Long distance Grandparents would love a phone call or an email note to say hi. Why not post on your Grandpa's Facebook page "I Love You!". Send a card - homemade cards are extra special. For young kids just take a piece of paper out of the printer, give them a crayon and make a card. Grandparents will treasure this.
For Grandparents that live around the corner - go by with bagels and homemade cards. Go for walk by The Bay with them. Invite them over for dinner. Just spend some extra special time with them, they will cherish it.
If you or your children no longer have Grandparents, you can still celebrate the day. Do something nice for an older neighbor - bake cookies and pick her some flowers. Or spend some time remembering a Grandparent that has passed away by bringing out the family photo album. Children love looking at old pictures and hearing old family stories. It's a nice way to remember them.
We celebrate Grandparents Day in our house by inviting all Grandparents and Great Grandparents over for an early dinner. Our traditional Grandparent's Day dinner is pesto - it is a simple and delicious meal. Pesto is great this time of year. Right now on Long Island everyone's basil and parsley plants are huge. Then the kids help make some cookies for dessert and along with their homemade cards - it is a great afternoon that will make Grandparents feel terrific!
Pesto Recipe
* 2 cups loosely packed basil leaves, no stems, washed and dried
* Small handful parsley leaves
* 2 cloves chopped garlic
* 2 tablespoons pine nuts (optional because they are expensive)
* 1/4 cup olive oil
* 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Combine basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and 1/4 cup olive oil in food processor. Pulse and add more oil if mixture seems dry. Add grated cheese and mix with freshly cook pasta. Makes about 1 cup of pasta.
