May 11th is Mother’s Day. I am the mother of three adorable girls, and Mother’s Day has taken on a different meaning for me.
When I was a child, Mother’s Day was all about the special breakfast my brothers and I would make for our mom. We would always start with oozing, partially cooked hot cakes, drowning in syrup. Next, we served Raisin Bran cereal covered in orange juice because all of the milk was used in making the hot cakes. Lastly, we served eggs—however, I don’t think any of you want to know the details on the eggs. All of these dishes were presented beautifully on a tray with coffee, tea and orange juice. How Mom held it together during this dining experience is beyond my comprehension. But she always managed to make us feel like gourmet chefs.
Now that I am a mother, I take the opportunity to use Mother’s Day in a different way. Each year, I make resolutions that will help me become a better mother. One resolution that always tops my list is to spend more time with each of the girls.
Since extra time is a luxury very few of us have, I am a great multi-tasker. Cooking with my girls serves many needs. We spend valuable time together, and they learn math skills and the keys to healthy living. Yes, having your children help in the kitchen may take the patience of Job. However, they will listen and learn.
I always say that one of the reasons I love to teach cooking classes is because I have one husband, three daughters, one dog, one cat and three rabbits that don’t listen to me. In my cooking classes, I have everyone’s attention. At home, this is not always the case. But the other day I gave the girls some biscuit dough to play with. I overheard the older sister, Stott, correcting the two younger ones by telling them they were overworking the dough and the biscuits were going to be tough. Lucia piped up and said that Mary Paxton was twisting the biscuit cutter and the biscuits would not rise properly. Then Mary Paxton chimed in that the other two were putting the biscuits too close to one another and they would grow together in the oven.
Hallelujah! They do actually listen sometimes. This Mother’s Day, give your children the most valuable gift: your time. Even if you are just baking slice-and-bake cookies, they will listen, learn and remember.
Elizabeth Heiskell is Chef/Instructor, Viking Cooking School.
