Happy Mother’s Day

I can’t believe that this year I will be celebrating my second year as a mom.  I feel very blessed to have two wonderful children and another on the way.

Shawna and I hope that all of the Moms out there have a fabulous Mother’s Day and are spoiled rotten by their families.  We wanted to share a few Mother’s Day ideas with you in case you (or your family) need some inspiration to make this a memorable holiday weekend.

First of all, I have been wanting to share this recipe with our readers and Shawna gave me the idea to share it in preparation for Mother’s Day.  Our thought is that this recipe can be used to make Mom breakfast in bed 🙂

It is a recipe for Oatmeal Sunflower Seed Pancakes from a cookbook entitled, “The Frog Commissary Cookbook”.  This is one of many fabulous recipes contained in this book and for a fairly healthy pancake (if there is such a thing), I find it absolutely delicious!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut
• 1 cup whole wheat flour or 1 1/4 cups white flour
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon corn oil
• 2 cups milk
• 1 egg

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.  Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes, tossing occasionally so that it colors evenly, until golden.  Cool and combine with the other dry ingredients.  Beat together the oil, milk, and egg.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and stir just to combine.  Cook the pancakes on a greased griddle until browned and golden on both sides.

Suggestions/Variations:

• The cookbook authors recommend serving the pancakes with honey butter.
• We typically serve the pancakes with butter and syrup, sautéed strawberries or apples.
• I do not always include the sunflower seeds (because I usually don’t have them on hand) or coconut (because I am too sleepy in the morning to take that extra step).
• I use vegetable oil instead of corn oil.
• Sometimes I will add the following additions to the batter:
• Lemon zest
• Cinnamon and nutmeg
• Vanilla extract
• Coconut milk instead of regular milk
• Flaxseed
• The cookbook states that you can substitute pecans or walnuts for the sunflower seeds if you desire.
• Leftover pancakes can be frozen and reheated wrapped in foil in a single layer in 350 degree oven.
• To use this batter for waffles, increase oil to 1/4 cup.

Also, there are lots of fun activities going on this weekend that moms may enjoy.

Tiffany’s at Westfarms Mall is holding a Breakfast at Tiffany’s event on Saturday and Sunday to give moms a sneak peek at their new Spring 2012 line of sunglasses.

The event will be held from 10-Noon on Saturday, May 12th and Noon-2 on Sunday, May 13th at The Westfarms Mall in Farmington, CT. They will be having a catered gathering and Store Director Nanami Shiiki will be on hand to answer questions about the new collections.  RSVP by calling 860.509.7004.

The Hartford Junior League will be hosting the 2012 Decorator Show House Tours all weekend and through the end of May.  Local designers have re-done a house on Scarborough Street in Hartford’s historic West End.  Over 25 rooms have received a makeover and you can see all the changes for just $35.  Grab a few girlfriends or your mom and get some time away from the kids by attending this fun event.

Our blogging friends have also put together some great lists of fun activities for this Mother’s Day weekend.

The Connecticut Office of Tourism and the West Hartford Patch have put together a list of activities including Mother’s day tea, brunch and even a road race.  Check out all the details here.

Mommy Poppins has also put together a list which includes more brunches and an Arts & Craft festival.  Check out all the details here.

So celebrate your mom by making her breakfast and doing something fun this weekend!  It is a special time to think about all the blessings in your life and even to remember those moms who are no longer with us.

I will be celebrating my 3 sweet blessings and will be remembering my mom who lost her battle with Ovarian Cancer in 2001.

I will also be thinking about my friends and family who are celebrating their first Mother’s Day (especially my sister Caitlin, my sister-in-law Marlena and my cousins Rachael and Kim).

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there.  As Oprah always said, being a mom is the hardest job in the world.  We all know that is true, but we also know it is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.

Have a great weekend!