Kim Dannies: Lifestyle & Adventure writing

Mother May I?
May 8, 2003

Here’s some advice for family members who are thinking about cooking up something special for Mother’s Day: the first thing you should know about Mother’s Day is that even though it is supposed to be a holiday for Mom, it has the potential of becoming a very stressful day for her. Mothers are used to orchestrating holidays, planning meals and generally running the show, so to take her out of the action is not necessarily a guaranteed treat. It’s kind of like President Bush telling General Tommy Franks “go ahead and take that vacation now that the Iraqi invasion is underway.” How do we please the conflicted party girl without suffering casualties from friendly fire? The key is to convey competence. Start by planning a homemade gourmet meal, but remember that this kind of food is good only when it is superior in taste to its store-bought counterparts. Wisdom dictates adopting some no-fail shortcut strategies to ensure a dinner victory. Start with a crisp chardonnay: set Mom up in her favorite chair and pop the cork. Now, prep the hors de oeuvres. Pre-purchase a variety of olives from the deli, grab a container of hummus and a bag of baby carrots, toast some pita bread and snap into chips. Plate the goodies, and Viola, the party has begun! Now dump some boneless chicken breasts into a Ziploc bag, pour Ken’s Lite Caesar dressing over them, and marinate for a few minutes, while you quarter-cut colored peppers and a couple of red onions. Place the veggies in a second Ziploc bag and add some more of the dressing. Fire up the grill. Cook some boxed Rice Pilaf and add a small can of spiced and diced tomatoes for firepower. (15 minutes to go ‘til you’re a hero.) Grill the veggies and chicken, and arrange on a serving platter with the rice. You are now in the home stretch: bring out the beautiful cake you remembered to buy yesterday, toast your smiling Queen, and smother her with kisses.