“By and large, mothers and housewives are the only workers who do not have regular time off. They are the great vacation less class” – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Recent research conducted by Salary.com, a firm that specializes in determining compensation, showed that if mothers were paid for their work as a mother, they would be earning almost $140,000 a year! The study concluded that “the typical mother puts in a 92-hour work week, and works at least 10 different jobs including: housekeeper, day-care center teacher, cook, computer operator, laundry machine operator, janitor, facilities manager, van driver, chief executive officer and psychologist”.
Therefore, with Mothers Day coming, the least we can do to thank Mom for her endless work is to do something different, do something creative and exciting. Try to make it special this year by doing something out of your realm – try cooking a wonderful meal. In addition, this could be a great opportunity to get your children into the kitchen with you. It was great to see the write up on the new children’s cooking school in Lake Way, Young Chefs Academy, and the wonderful opportunities they are creating to bring children into the kitchen. What a better time than this coming Mother’s Day weekend to start cooking with your children? I understand this means cooking, cleaning, and keeping an eye on your children which may not be ideal here but … if you’re planning a surprise meal for mom that you’ll cook and clean up yourself; here are a few safety cooking tips as well as some great recipe ideas to help you on your culinary journey.
Child Safety Tips:
- Provide your child one task at a time and stay focused – This will decrease problems and keep the child interested in the kitchen
- Provide your child with the proper tools – Smaller bowls, smaller cutting boards, and smaller knives will keep accidents from happening
- Provide your child with a working table suited to their size – This will provide comfort thus decreasing accidents and it will make them feel like they are working in their own kitchen and truly providing something to the meal
Now to the food – try to keep the menu very simple but special in that it will be tailored to her specific culinary tastes and cravings. Below are some recipe suggestions that you can both follow to a tee or just use as a guideline and then tailor to her likes:
Citrus fruit surprise – Add 3 parts freshly squeezed orange juice to 1 part freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Blend well, add to a small glass with some ice and enjoy. If she does not like grapefruit, no worries – other great combinations are strawberries and lemonade or orange juice with a splash of pomegranate juice.
Fruit Salad in Melon bowl – Cut a melon in half and with a spoon take out the seeds and flesh. Once most of the flesh is out and all the seeds are taken out, add any combination of fruits your Mother likes. Some suggestions are strawberries and kiwis / bananas, grapes, and oranges / mangos and pineapples / figs and cherries
Mini or regular size muffins – Follow any muffin box recipe but integrate your personal touch to it by adding your mother’s favorite sweets such as chocolate chips, dulce de leche, orange juice and orange peels, dried cranberries, blueberries, etc.
Eggs in a hole – Butter some quality white or wheat loaf bread and make a big hole in the middle. Turn the pan on Med-High heat and then place the bread in the pan with a little bit of olive oil. Once the bread turns a golden brown on the bottom, flip it over and immediately crack the egg in the hole and cook until the yolk sets and is warm. Season with salt, pepper or any other condiment you know Mom loves.
Remember, keep things simple but tailored to her interests. Not only will she be excited about something different and something other than the same old Mothers Day brunch at that five star hotel, but more importantly she will truly feel loved by the sincere gesture in your attempt to make her feel special. Although your Mother may never receive $140,000 a year in salary, you can provide her with the intangible benefits a company could never offer – a sincere and loving acknowledge for her work.
