Happy Mother’s Day!

It was Mother’s Day yesterday, and for the second time my mom and I are on other sides of the country. It was nice to have a short visit with my Mom when JC and I were having our engagement party, but otherwise special occasions like birthdays, xmas, and “family” days are hard, because I want to do something special, but I’m far far away. I arranged for a bouquet of flowers, a card, and a “Gift of Hope” from Plan/Because I’m a Girl, but it all feels a little hollow. But that might just be because I miss her. Skype, the phone, and other digital communication only go so far.

Like many people, my first culinary experiences are tied to my mom and my late grandmother. Making perogies, bigos, borscht, pickles, sauerkraut, and other dishes, were introduced quickly into my kitchen repertoire, and without them, I know I’d have a much less adventurous palate. I appreciate greatly the home cooked meals I used to eat, and especially those my mom created after I went vegan when I was a kid.

My Mom also instilled in me the desire to support people less fortunate than me. So I chose to donate a Fuel Efficient Stove in my Mother’s honor, because of the impact she had on my love of food and cooking for others. According to the Plan Canada – Because I’m a Girl Blog, Fuel Efficient Stoves are:

…used by women in refugee camps who would otherwise be trekking for many kilometres to collect enough firewood to cook for their families. Less smoke means these moms can help protect their children from inhaling smoke, decreasing their risk of respiratory disease. This gift also means women have more time to take care of their children, earn an income and cook up a better life.

From a press release last year it looks like they were working with a Californian Non-profit, the Darfur Stoves Project, now called Potential Energy.

I’ve also recently acquired a second “mom” in my life, soon to be mother-in-law. We went out for brunch at Disgraceland with all of JC’s siblings. So I wished her a Happy Mother’s Day as well.

JC and I went to The Depanneur‘s/Rusholme Park Supper Club‘s special Mother’s Day Dinner, cooked by Chef Emily Zimmerman, which I will have to post about very soon.