Mother's Day is special not because I feel I deserve any gratitude for looking after my kids – that’s just what I do – but because it’s a time to think about all the mums, grandmas, aunts, sisters and all those special women in our lives who have helped to shape us and make us who we are today. So on 26th March this year, wouldn't it be nice to just tell that inspiring female figure in your life that you appreciate everything she does for you?
Being a Sikh, I am very proud that women are, and should be, held in the same esteem as men. The holy scriptures of the Guru Granth Sahib teach: "From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all."
In our household, I love being given handmade cards from my kids, even when most of the time all I want is a hug and to spend quality time together. We also try to get all the mums together so the boys can cook up a big family lunch, whilst we sip on bubbles - perfect!
Make it Special This Year
Did you know that Julia Ward Howe and Anna Jervis invented Mother’s Day to honour their mothers but they later petitioned to rescind the holiday because they got totally fed up with how commercial it had all become?
This year, take a leaf from Julia and Anna's book and do something really meaningful that's from the heart, just for your mum. My suggestion is to keep it simple, do something you both enjoy and make memories together. For instance, take your mum out - a spa day is always fun, get your nails done together and spend the time nattering, go for a walk, get some flowers or simply cook something delicious together. My cookery classes are a great way to spend the day with your mum too, I get lots of mother and daughters coming along together.
In fact, cooking is one of my favourite things to do with my mum. She always comes out with a new nugget of information or some kind of cooking wizardry I had no idea about. But regardless of the food, what I really love is the gossiping and the giggles that make that time spent together magical. My daughter has caught on to this and now my mum, daughter and I will cook together whenever we can - it's our happy time together.
Recipes my mum passed down to me
I've always cooked with my mum and it's something that I now do with my daughter and son all the time. It's great to pass on knowledge but also to give children basic life skills that will help them as they grow into mature adults. I hope it's one of the things they will teach their children too because cooking with kids can be a lot of fun!
Thari wala Chicken
It's all about learning the basics - well that's what mum would say to me all the time! This is a great dish to start with and once you've mastered the masala for this you can use it in lots of different dishes.
Roti
Its only taken me 30 odd years but my rotis are finally round and perfect - this is a skill that is very important and my mum got me started pretty early. The first one I ever made was doughy, a bit charred and so big it covered the entire pan but my dad still ate it with a smile and said it was the best thing he'd ever tasted!
Saag
This pureed spinach meal is a classic Punjabi dish that forms such a strong part of my upbringing. As a child, I can remember mum literally spending the whole day cooking this dish. Spinach was quite hard to come by and it was always the mature leaves which took some cooking, plus it is was in the days before pressure cookers came into being. Mum would cut these greens on an upright blade that would never pass any health and safety inspections today, slowly cook the spinach, then hand grind it in a huge pestle and mortar and then cook it again. When cooking takes this much preparation and energy the satisfaction is much greater. It's much easier to prepare now and it's a real favourite of mine.
Remember you don’t have to shell out on an extravagant gift – you can do something really special at little cost that says so much more - Happy Mother's Day!
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