RecipesEntire Site

Celebrating Mom with a Family Meal

No matter how our lives change, when we think of Mom we are most likely to think of nurturing and caring. So when we want to thank her, it’s natural to turn the tables and feed her for a change. And nothing nourishes like a home cooked meal that everyone can share.

Here are a few thoughts to help make your project a success: Keep in mind the preferences of the person you are celebrating. Would she like a pancake breakfast, a full-course dinner, a tea party, a picnic? Does she want you to bring out the good china, or does she appreciate paper plates? What kinds of foods does she enjoy? Is she a salad type? A barbeque fan? A lover of desserts?

Try to be realistic about how much you can comfortably manage. Any meal involves planning, shopping, preparing, and cleaning up. Your goal should be to get through each stage without asking Mom for help, and without leaving reminders of your efforts all over the kitchen. Still, a memorable experience doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. If young children are involved, the meal can be quite simple: a sweet roll and coffee on a home made placemat can be a milestone. Of course, for those of you who are older and more skilled, the bar is set considerably higher. You should produce something that looks festive and tastes good, and you should produce enough for all of you. Just think of all the meals that Mom has prepared for you!

Keep in mind also, that families are made up of many mothers, and that Mother’s Day, like every day, presents more than one occasion to sit down and eat. One meal might celebrate the mother of young children, while another can honor the family matriarch. You might also want to include some of the other maternal figures in your life – aunts, neighbors, family friends – people who have put in caretaker duty, encouraged you, worked for your well-being. Mother’s Day is a great time to thank them as well.

And let Mom (or Grandma, or Aunt Suzie) know what she has meant to you over the years. A couple of specifics – things that might have seemed small at the time but have grown in retrospect – show that you’re not just a great meal provider but a loving family member. (You had some wonderful role models, after all.)

• Back To Miriam's Articles