For the mama

On Mother's Day, I made dinner for my parents. 

I planned the menu to include all of my sweet mom's favorite things.

We started with appetizers:  Spanish olives, pimiento cheese, cheese log, spinach dip, soppressata, carrots and crackers.  Yummy.

Pardon the disarray of serving dishes.  We are moving, after all.

For the main event, I was so busy running around the kitchen, that I didn't take pictures.  Well, I took this one of the lamb before I popped it into the oven.

Anyway, here's the menu:

• Roast Leg of Lamb (Courtesy of Emeril.  I didn't make the sauce because Mom likes her lamb with mint jelly.  Don't judge til you've tried it.)
• Macaroni and cheese (Courtesy of Alton Brown.  This recipe rocks.)
• Peas (Mom's favorite vegetable.)
• Fresh Asparagus (Mom's second favorite vegetable.)

One of Mom's most favorite desserts is peppermint stick ice cream, preferably with chocolate sauce.  You know what?  That is Hard To Find.  I toyed with the idea of making it, and had found a recipe and everything.  But, on the day of the dinner, I realized that I had to stop myself from being too much of an overachiever.  As in, "Heather, you are packing your house to move and have a 2 year old.  Perhaps today is not the day to attempt making ice cream."  

I decided to get whatever ice cream looked good at the grocery store and just go with it.  (I figured that after the leg of lamb, I'd be covered, and ice cream is good, period.)

Lo and behold, the awesome Texas Blue Bell came through for me.  I could not believe my eyes.

Now, here's the confession.  I had never eaten peppermint stick ice cream with chocolate sauce.  I don't eat a lot of ice cream.  I like it, but whatever.  So, I didn't think this sounded particularly awesome.  But, what Mom wants, Mom gets, right?

Well, I WAS WRONG.  Let me be the first to tell you:  Peppermint stick ice cream with chocolate sauce (not Hershey's; get the good stuff in a jar) is AWESOME.

Mom was over the moon.  We all were, in fact, because dinner was delicious, if I do say so myself. 

Mothers' Day is really special to me now that I am a mom.  I realize just what goes into motherhood.  It's like taking it all to another level:  love, worry, joy, responsibility, poop.  All of it, just ratcheted up a big notch.  So, it was special to me to feel honored while honoring my mom, who, bless her heart, raised four of us, boiled glass baby bottles, and used cloth diapers for us all.

[BOWING DOWN]

Thanks to all the mamas, especially mine.

Talk later,

Heather