Show Mum She’s Your Hero This Mother’s Day

7 May 2019 By

Every Mother’s Day, the time comes to honour Mum for all she does for the family. I feel that the best way to do that is through food! Of course, Mums have traditionally been known as the ‘feeder’ of the family and it means so much more than putting meals on the table. A chocolate biscuit with a hot cup of tea is a wonderful accompaniment to a chat; a bowl of ice cream soothes a sore throat and a bag of jellybeans from the chemist after a vaccination, is the cure for those wobbling chins. Mums lovingly put notes in school lunches, write messages on banana skins and cut crusts off sandwiches. Mums see that it’s raining outside and have a pot of soup ready on the stove for when everyone gets home. And Mums know everybody’s favourite dish and serves it on their birthday.

Remembering Mother Teresa of Calcutta

One of the most meaningful ‘mother’ stories for me is that of the late Mother Teresa (now Saint Teresa of Calcutta). This deeply passionate woman dedicated her entire life to feeding the poor and starving of the world. Among the countless examples of service she performed in her lifetime; feeding the hungry was one of the highest on her agenda. She once said: “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one”. The humility in that statement is mind-blowing since she alleviated the hunger of untold numbers of starving people over the course of her 87 years. Mother’s Day is a great time to pause and reflect on the kindness shown by this woman; who, although she didn’t have children of her own, was the very essence of motherhood.

Making Mum feel special this Mother’s Day with food

Whether it’s a big, extended-family gathering, a visit to church, breakfast in bed or a day of taking over Mum’s chores, there’s always room for some tasty food moments.

Breakfast: When Mum wakes up on Mother’s Day, be ready with some simple yet tantalising breakfast ideas. Whip up a batch of Black Forest pancakes by spooning over a generous amount of my Cherry Chocolate Dessert Sauce. Add a little whipped cream and maybe some grated chocolate for next-level indulgence. (You can even buy ready-made pancakes and warm them in the microwave before adding the toppings.) If Mum enjoys scrambled eggs, try drizzling with a little Chilli Oil to really warm things up.

Lunch: How about a picnic out in the fresh air and sunshine? Make up a batch of sandwiches with fresh, crusty bread, delicious cold cuts and spread with some chutney or relish. Try corned beef, cheese and Red Chilli Onion Relish, or for a vegan mum, pick up some grilled eggplant and embellish with Zingy Tomato Chutney. Toss a salad of canned lentils, chopped baby spinach, half a medium red onion, third of a cup pitted Kalamata olives and third of a cup sun-dried tomatoes then dress with my Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. You also crumble in some feta if Mum enjoys it.

Dinner: The kids will love helping to prepare these barbecue ideas (and they’ll lick their fingers when they eat any of these dishes)! My Chicken Tikka Skewers are incredibly simple; serve with some steamed rice and leafy greens. This Tandoori Lamb Cutlets with Chickpeas recipe is a huge hit with little ones, especially if you call them ‘Indian Lollipop Lamb’! Even small hands can manage to hold these bones and gnaw away at the succulent meat.

Making Mum feel special with Latasha’s Kitchen gift hampers

When I’m out and about running market stalls; I meet lots of mums and hear loads of stories about how they’d like to liven things up in the kitchen. Poor Mum, she often finds herself stuck in a rut when it comes to cooking. She doesn’t want to invest in a dozen different ingredients just to whip up something tasty that the whole family will enjoy; and she certainly doesn’t have the time to spend hours on meal prep. The beauty of my products lies in several key points:

  • Everything is made with clean, fresh, natural ingredients you could buy yourself.
  • Every product is so versatile that you can make many different dishes from each one.
  • Flavour is maximised by reduction cooking and through the intensity of spices (not by chemicals or MSG); which makes every spoonful go a very long way.
  • You can mix and match my products to suit Mum’s dietary preferences (vegan, gluten free, low FODMAP etc.).
  • Every jar is bursting with inspiration and there are plenty of recipes on my website for guidance.

I would suggest that you look at my gift hampers and see which one best matches your mum’s personality, tastes and dietary preferences.

Vegan’s Glee Hamper

Not only does this one feature two outstanding curry pastes but it also has a couple of sauces and a chutney. There’s Chilli Salt for adding effortless heat to dishes and my hugely indulgent Cherry Chocolate Dessert Sauce. Mum will be in seventh heaven playing with these beauties and don’t forget, every product is 100% vegan!

Royal Festive Banquet Hamper

Give Mum the royal treatment with this beautifully boxed collection of chutneys, sauce, relish and award-winning curry paste. She can experiment with curries, stews, marinades, sandwiches, salad dressings, rice dishes, stir fries, barbecues and so much more; and it’ll all be incredibly simple. This hamper also comes with decadent Whistler’s Dark Chocolate Bark for Mum to hide and keep for herself!

Seafood Bounty Hamper

If your mum is a seafood lover then this is the ultimate foodie gift for her. It contains my Homestyle Seafood Curry Paste and Kuruma Masala Paste and there’s also my mouth-watering Green Chimichurri Sauce which can be used as a lovely earthy marinade for prawns and fish. Seafood is always better with salt and vinegar so the hamper also features my Caramelised Apple Cider Vinegar and some beautiful Australian sea salt.

Asian Bonanza Hamper

Wouldn’t Mum love a fabulous collection of seven different Asian curry pastes? Imagine the aromas wafting from the kitchen with this hamper in the pantry! It also includes my Chilli Oil which should be a staple in the kitchen of every fan of Asian cooking, plus a lovely scented candle, all bundled into a charming wicker basket.

As a mother myself, I’d like to wish all mothers a very special day of love, family and laughter.