This Sunday we honor and celebrate our mothers. Our mothers give us life and love and nurture us for the rest of their lives. I don’t think we ever stop depending on our mothers in some way. Sometimes roles become reversed and we begin to care for them as they have cared for us. Mothers come in all ages, shapes and sizes. The older our children get, the smarter we become. Those eye rolling teenagers become young adults and actually listen and even follow our advice.
My Mama passed away six months ago, so this year has been a little tough. Mama was beautiful, smart and talented in so very many ways. I still catch myself thinking that I need to ask her something or show her something. Her culinary advice was second to none. It is hard to explain, but I feel like a 65-year old orphan. I’ve brought several of her things to my home just to feel close to her.
While going through her things, I ran across a lot of interesting pictures and things she had saved. I thought this list of motherly advice was a great thing to share to honor our mothers.
• Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
• Marry someone you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
• Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
• When you say, ‘I Love You’, mean it.
• When you say, ‘I’m Sorry’, look the person in the eye.
• Be engaged at least 6 months before you marry.
• Believe in love at first sight.
• Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.
• Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it’s the only way to live life completely.
• In disagreements, fight fairly, no name calling.
• Don’t judge people by their relatives.
• Talk slowly, but think quickly.
•When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, “Why do you want to know?”
• Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
• Say “Bless You” when someone sneezes.
• When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.
• Remember the 3 R’s: Respect for self, Respect for others, and Responsibilities for your actions.
• Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
• When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
• Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice.
• Spend some time alone.
Hope you enjoy today’s recipes. I wanted to include my favorite recipes of hers, but there is no way I could just choose three. I selected a few of my favorite main dishes. Any time I have a recipe with Mama in the title, it is a good one. Mine never taste as good as hers, but there is no substitute for a mother’s love. If you are fortunate enough to be with your Mama today, give her a special hug and tell her how much she means to you. Happy Mother’s Day. Thanks for reading.
GOURMET GOULASH
1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 (5-ounce) package wide egg noodles, uncooked
2 ½ cups tomato juice
1½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1½ teaspoon celery salt
1 can beef broth
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
1 (3-ounce) can sliced mushrooms
1 cup sour cream
Brown beef and onion in a large skillet; drain fat. Add all remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until noodles are cooked. Add sour cream and heat thoroughly.
SEAFOOD CASSEROLE
4 tablespoons chopped onion
4 tablespoons chopped green pepper
2 tablespoons diced pimiento
2 tablespoons butter
1 can shrimp, drained
1 can crabmeat, drained
1 can cream of celery soup
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained
Mashed potatoes — for topping (I use instant ones)
Saute onion, green pepper and pimiento in butter; add and mix soup shrimp, crabmeat and mushrooms. Pour into a greased casserole dish; top with prepared mashed potatoes. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
POULET d’ ARTICHOKE
2 (14 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon curry powder
1½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1½ cups bread cubes
2 tablespoons melted butter
Arrange artichokes in the bottom of a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish; spread chicken on top. Combine the soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder and pour over the top of the chicken; sprinkle top with cheese. Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and place on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over prepared rice.
