Mother's Day originated as a Christian celebration that has now become a global event to show 'mums' (grandmothers, step-mums and other matriarchal figures) how much we appreciate them.
It is always on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday.
This year, Mothering Sunday falls on 11th March.
"It's not easy being a mother. If it was, fathers would do it too." (Dorothy, The Golden Girls).
Here are a few ideas to help you say 'thanks mum' - on behalf of your children, with your children, or with a nice supper when they've gone to bed.
Eggy Bread or French Toast ?
Something that should be in the repertoire of every dad to make with the children on Mother's Day morning for breakfast in bed. But just what is it? Is it Eggy Bread or French Toast - 'Pain perdu' perhaps, which literally means 'lost bread'. It's all pretty much the same thing.
Alternative names and variants include Bombay toast, German toast, gypsy toast, poor Knights (of Windsor) and Torrija.
Here's how:
Beat four eggs and four dashes of milk in a bowl (as you would preparing scrambled egg). Pour the mixture into a flat based dish. Soak each slice of bread in the eggy mixture on each side to absorb the lovely liquid. In a pan of foaming hot butter, fry each slice for 2 minutes on each side or until the coating starts to brown.
Delicious variations:- Serve your eggy bread with crispy streaky bacon
- Add a good dollop of Stokes Brown Sauce on the side
- Drizzle with maple syrup
- Make a sandwich of ham and cheese before soaking in the egg mixture, fry on each side and finish in a hot oven to melt the cheese.
- On a tray
- With flowers
- Accompanied by smiling children
- Bearing cards and chocolates
The main event
Right dad, that's brunch out of the way, now a late lunch - starter, main course, chocolates and coffee.
Start with something simple that the children can help with...
Smoked salmon gravadlax blinis.
You'll need:
- A pack of blinis
- Smoked salmon
- Jar of egg roe
- Tub of cream cheese
- A jar of Stokes Mustard & Dill Sauce
Here's how:
Simply set up a production line of all the ingredients and make a 'Blue Peter' type example for your helpers to follow. Take a blini; a dot of Mustard & Dill Sauce; a gentle spread of creamed cheese; a dainty roll of smoked salmon; and a teaspoon tip of roe.
Prepare these in advance and serve with a chilled glass or two of Prosecco, well away from the danger zone that is the kitchen where you're putting the finishing touches to the main course...
...beef casserole with horseradish mash:
Ask your butcher for enough cubed beef to make a casserole for four (or however many you are catering for). Tip the meat into a big bowl and coat in flour with a little salt and ground pepper.
Fry a handful at a time in a casserole dish to brown, replacing each handful until all the meat has been browned and set aside.
Add more oil to the dish and fry 1 sliced onion for five minutes.
While they are cooking, roughly chop 2 large carrots,
2 sticks of celery and 1 sweet red pepper.
Pop them in the pan with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, return the meat and cover with 450 ml of beef stock and a good glass of red wine.
Pop them in the pan with 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme, return the meat and cover with 450 ml of beef stock and a good glass of red wine.
To really boost the flavour - add some magic 'taste' - stir in 2 tbsps of Stokes Brown Sauce, the same of Stokes Bloody Mary Ketchup and 1 tbsp of Stokes Classic English Mustard. Bring to a very gentle simmer, cover and cook on a low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
Because all the vegetables you'll need have been cooked with the beef in one pot, all you need is some buttery mashed potato to serve with the casserole.
TOP TIP
To turn your mashed potatoes from great to exceptional, add a tablespoon of Stokes Creamed Horseradish Sauce to the potatoes at the mashing stage. It sits particularly well with the beef and wins loads of 'great taste' awards from your family.
Have a lovely Mother's Day weekend.
More foodie thoughts for the week:
Fine food for the Feast of St Patrick here.
Top tastes in a tick here.
Facebook gift offers and other reasons to follow Stokes here.
If good food makes you happy
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)
...adding Stokes will make you smile ;)
FOOD MADE BETTER
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