Special day for moms

Douglas Perkins, Wikimedia Commons

Present Mom with a plate of fluffy pancakes, topped with whipped cream, syrup, candied ginger, apple butter or her favorite type of fruit.

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Right off the bat, I am going to confess that I am not going along with the term “birth parent” as a replacement for the word mother or mom. I think the vast majority of people are proud of what it means to be a mom, whether they are one themselves or if they are thinking of their own moms.

Granted, not everyone has or had perfect parents, but individual people fall into place everywhere along the scale of “good” or “needs improvement.” In general, though, may I venture to guess that most people are happy to participate in Mother’s Day, which is Sunday, this year.

I can always tell when it is drawing near, even without a calendar, because I have some wild irises that always bloom on or near Mother’s Day. I always anticipate those blooms, as I was told wild irises will not tolerate being transplanted, and the ones I placed along my dry creek are doing great. I like to think of them as Nature’s Mother’s Day gift, blooming in all their beauty and grace.

Here are a few recipes that you might wish to try for your own Mother’s Day celebration.

Strawberry Bellini

3 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon brandy

1 1/2 cups chilled sparkling wine

3 large strawberries

1. Blend 3 cups strawberries, confectioners’ sugar and brandy together in a blender until smooth. Chill in refrigerator for 10 minutes.

2. Divide the strawberry mixture among 3 champagne flutes; top each with about 1/2 cup sparkling wine; stir. Garnish each glass with 1 strawberry. Makes 3 servings.

Pineapple upside-down cupcakes

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

24 maraschino cherries

1 can (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 package (18.25-oz.) pineapple cake mix (such as Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme)

3 eggs

1 1/3 cups pineapple juice

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar for dusting, or as needed

1. Move an oven rack into the middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 24 muffin cups with cooking spray. Line a work surface with waxed paper.

2. Spoon 1 teaspoon melted butter into the bottom of each sprayed muffin cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon brown sugar in each muffin cup. Press a maraschino cherry into the center of the brown sugar in each muffin cup. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of crushed pineapple over the cherry and compact it with the back of a spoon into an even layer.

3. In a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed, mix pineapple cake mix, eggs, pineapple juice and vegetable oil until moistened, about 30 seconds. Turn mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes.

4. Pour pineapple cake batter into the muffin cups, filling them to the top.

5. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

6. Allow cupcakes to cool at least 5 minutes before inverting muffin cups onto the waxed paper to release. Serve with pineapple and cherry sides up. Sprinkle cupcakes lightly with confectioners’ sugar. Makes 24 servings.

Applesauce pancakes

2 cups dry pancake mix

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 eggs

1 cup applesauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 cup milk

1. In a large bowl, stir together pancake mix and cinnamon. Make a well in the center of the pancake mix. Add the eggs, applesauce, lemon juice and milk; stir until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot. Good choices for toppings are maple syrup or apple butter. Makes 4 servings.

Turkey sausage patties

These are good served with pancakes. I like to add some whole anise seeds and/or anise extract. Also, I find the sausage to be more flavorful if the meat mixture is prepared the day before cooking. If you don’t have powdered sage, poultry seasoning is a good substitute.

2 pounds ground turkey

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger (optional, as this kicks up an otherwise mild flavor)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon dried sage, or more as desired

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1. In a large bowl, mix together ground turkey, ginger, salt, sage, cayenne pepper and black pepper until well blended.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and coat with nonstick cooking spray. Form the turkey sausage into patties, and fry until browned on both sides, and no longer pink in the center. This should take about 15 minutes. Makes 8 servings.