May Basket Variation

When my children were small I loved to read to them. Some of our favorite books were about the relationship between children and mothers. Heather adored Is Your Mama a Llama? by Deborah Guarino.  Josh used to ask for Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown over and over again. He also loved Goodnight Moon by the same author. We never met an Eric Carle book we didn’t like. One of his best is Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? I used to own a copy of Vera Williams’ A Chair for My Mother and Maurice Sendak’s Mommy? I don’t know what’s become of them. Most of those books are out of print, but might be found in the library. In the bookstore you can find Mama, Do You Love Me? and I Love You the Purplest by Barbara Joosse, Hush! A Thai Lullaby by Minfong Ho, and Robert Munsch’s I Love You Forever.

Blueberry Pie

For my mother and my niece Rebekah – Thanks for a very enjoyable lunch last Tuesday. We should definitely do this more often!

Creamy Pesto Dressing

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup mayo

3/4 cup buttermilk (Use substitutes for other recipes; not for this one!)

2 tablespoons grated Romano (In a pinch, I've used Parmesan.)

2 tablespoons dried basil (If you’re using fresh basil, measure out 6 tablespoons.)

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

1 clove garlic, minced

Dash of hot sauce (We prefer Cholula, but I suppose Tabasco will do.)

In a large bowl, combine the oil and mayo with a wire whisk. Add buttermilk, cheese, basil, salt and garlic. Mix until well combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Delicious over mixed greens, and also makes a lovely marinade for chicken. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Sixteen Rocky Mountain Puzzles

Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole

1 dozen eggs

1 cup milk

2 pounds frozen hash browns, thawed

1 pound of bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled (You can substitute bulk sausage.)

1/2 cup onions, diced

3 cups shredded medium cheddar

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Beat eggs until blended. Stir in milk and seasoning; set aside. Spread 1/3 of the potatoes in buttered slow cooker and sprinkle with 1/3 of the onions, bacon and cheese. Repeat with another 1/3 of the potatoes, onions, bacon and cheese, then top with the last third of each. Pour the egg mixture over all the layers. Cook for 7 to 8 hours on low until eggs are completely set. Serve warm with catsup or salsa. Serves 8.

Red Comet

“The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. That which is taken away from those who love the Lord will be added unto them in His own way. While it may not come at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned a hundredfold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude. One of the blessings of the gospel is the knowledge that when the curtain of death signals the end of our mortal lives, life will continue on the other side of the veil. There we will be given new opportunities. Not even death can take from us the eternal blessings promised by a loving Heavenly Father.” – Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

Nine Rocky Mountain Puzzles

May 28, 1876, Mrs. Ann Reeves Jarvis was teaching her Sunday school class, which included her daughter Anna Jarvis, then 12, about famous mothers from the Bible. It was perhaps the first time that little Anna realized what a thankless sacrifice motherhood could be. As an adult, Anna would claim her mother’s lesson inspired her to create a holiday honoring mothers and motherhood. She wrote thousands of letters to prominent figures of the day (including President Teddy Roosevelt and Mark Twain) asking for their support in her endeavor. Mother’s Day became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. Jarvis would later denounce the holiday’s commercialization and spent the latter part of her life trying to remove it from the calendar. Jarvis herself never became a mother; she died a spinster in 1948. In fact, only one of Anna’s siblings – a brother - had children, and his only grandchild died childless in the 1980s.