Noodle Pudding

Everybody’s noodle pudding’s
Baked a different way.
If you lined them up, you’d find
A real diverse display.

Mine, which is delicious,
Has two different kinds of fruit –
Orange slices from the can
And pineapple, to boot;

Sour cream, vanilla, butter,
Eggs and cottage cheese.
It disappears so fast, there’s not
A piece left I can freeze.

My friend makes hers with cream cheese,
Also pineapple and milk!
She bakes it half as long as mine
And says it’s smooth as silk.

Some recipes have raisins
And use cinnamon for spicing.
That combination, to my palate,
Isn’t that enticing.

In spite of the ingredients
That they’re concocted of,
All kugels* taste delectable
If they are made with love.

Yet every cook who makes one
Would be proud to take a test
Just to prove what she knows in her heart –
Her noodle pudding’s best!

*Yiddish for noodle puddings or other baked dishes