Monday, May 11, 2009

One Mother of a Week


I want to take a moment to thank the mothers and grandmothers that have touched my life, so what better way to do that than to have a week full of recipes that remind me of them?!
The first installment of this series belongs to my mom. She is truly the inspiration behind my love of all things food. Growing up with a mother like her taught me the passion, attention to detail, patience, and creativity required for success in the kitchen. There are so many recipes I could have chosen, but her chicken salad happened to be the first that came to mind. The base recipe was originally used at my mom's wedding shower by Gert, a special family friend. Over the years my mom made it her own with the addition of whipping cream and several of the fruits and veggies. Not only does this salad scream Spring to me, it also fills me with warm memories of my mom in her little yellow kitchen up to her elbows in tasty creations for the latest coffee hour at church or a special delivery for an elderly friend who needed a pick-me-up. So, thank you mom, for showing me that by making a homemade treat for someone you care about you not only lift their spirits, but also give yourself a good feeling by sharing your talent with them. Hats off to you mom, the world is a better place with you in it!

Mom's Chicken Salad
**There is no real recipe for this, but the whipping cream is a must! I have only listed ingredients, amounts are always evolving:)

macaroni elbows
sweet pickles
celery
carrots
broccoli
radishes
onion
green onion
slivered almonds
chicken
hard boiled eggs
grapes
whipped cream
Hellmann's real mayonnaise
candied sliced almonds


3 comments:

  1. Courtney,

    Thank you so much for the tribute and if you must know, tears are streaming down my cheeks right now. It was always my extreme pleasure to spend time in the kitchen creating something to make someone happy, especially my family!

    I must shout to the world that I have the best family in the ever! They are my inspiration!

    My parents set a great example for me to follow and Grandma Bessie and Uncle Alfred also had their impact. When Ben and I married I knew my cooking must move up a notch...his mother loved to bake and make baked beans like none other. When we decided to have children, the Lord blessed us with two beautiful and loving daughters and they grew up quickly and are now married to the men of their dreams. We did not lose two daughters to marriage, but gained two sons-in-law that we are very proud of.

    I am the most blessed Mother in the world! Thank you taking the time to honor me with your kind words and a recipe that screams Mom (and Gert)!

    I love you and Matt,
    Mom

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  2. Sorry about the second paragraph, perhaps I should have wiped the tears away and then maybe I could have caught the mistake...it should say: I have the best family ever!

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  3. My mouth is watering!! There isn't a yummier spring meal than chicken salad with carrot muffins. Delish! And Court, you're so right - we've been blessed with THE best mother around!! I think your idea for doing "moms week" on the blog is exciting....I can't wait to see what else you choose to share with us. Love you :)

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