Sara Jane: Mother's Day

Mother’s Day....

My mother with B.

Since I became a mother a little over 4 years ago, this holiday has become the most meaningful holiday to me.  It’s not for the reason you may think – that I became a mother- but rather because now I understand my own mother so much more.  I understand her frustrations, I understand her worries, and I understand the love that she has for each of her own children.  My mother raised 7 children and yes, SHE raised us.  I have a loving father who was and is very involved in my life but it was my mother who waited up at night until I came home.  It was my mother who would go on long walks with me and we would talk and talk and talk about life.  It is my mother who still lends her shoulder for me to cry on probably way too often.  I will never be able to pay her back for the sacrifices she has made in her life to be MY mother. 

This  year for Mother’s Day, I decided to involve the kiddos in MY mother’s gift.  My mother LOVES flowers.  Every time I go to her house (which is a good 3 or 4 times a week), she will have new flowers sitting on her front steps just waiting to be planted.  My parents have a lovely flower garden in the backyard (as well as flowers in the front) where they spend many hours.  So, for my mother’s gift, we decided to make hanging flower baskets that she can enjoy all spring/summer.

What you will need:

                Potting Soil                                    A variety of flowers                            Basket

How to put it together:

I love gardening, but I didn't inherit my parent's green thumb.  However, hanging flower baskets are SO simple and the end product is very charming.  After picking up the potting soil and flowers from our local nursery (if you live in the Linden, UT area, check out my aunt and uncle's nursery...The Linden Nursery...it's pretty cool), I put a little bit of soil in the bottom of the basket and then just started arranging the flowers.  I  put the taller flower in the middle and surrounded it with smaller flowers.  When all the flowers were in place, I filled in the holes with more potting soil.  It's that easy.  I tried to pick flowers that hadn't fully bloomed yet since Mother's Day isn't for another week and a half.  I think they turned out quite pretty.  What do you think???

If you are in need of a dessert this Mother's Day, try baking a Lemon Meringue Pie.  I baked one for the first time the other night and it was absolutely heaven.  There is the perfect amount of lemon in the curd and the meringue is soooooo light and fluffy.  My kids just wanted to eat that.

In need of a good recipe?  Try this one from my absolute favorite (and most used) cookbook from the  Grand Central Bakery.  This fabulous bakery here in the Northwest (Portland and Seattle).  A few years back, my brother-in-law gave me their cookbook in hopes I would make him their yummy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.  Well, let's just say that that cookie recipe is the ONLY one I use now and we have them at least once a week.  The cookbook would be well worth your time and money if you are in need of a fabulous new book.

Happy Mother's Day!

Sara Jane