“Mother’s Day, is Every Day”

By

Gerry Niskern

Moms and food go together. With my mother, it was food and family stories with a moral.

One of my first memories is of my mother making cottage cheese. Of course, that brings us to buttermilk; cold, tangy, buttermilk. When I was three, I was allowed to help pump the churn plunger up and down.

Dad worked in town, but mom loved living in the country. She plowed, planted and hoed large gardens; then canned vegetables and fruit every summer. She made deep fried fritters with chunks of peaches, apricots and plums.

I enjoy the ongoing debate of today’s young mothers. Should they work or be a stay-at home mother? With mom, there was no question. She was a working mom; in the barn, kitchen and the garden.

But always, along with the chores was a running monologue of her opinions on democracy, morals and life in general.

In the l930’s, during the dark days of the depression, one or two men came to our back door every day. They asked if they could get a drink from our pump and  could do some work for a bite to eat. Mom never let anyone go away hungry. Occasionally, I was trusted to carry a battered tin pie pan heaped with steaming eggs and generous slices of homemade bread out to the destitute man. Mom followed with a fresh pot of coffee. She never allowed anyone to call them Bums, they were just men looking for work.

When my adult kids are reminiscing about grandma’s cooking, they ask,  “Was the Sunday roast beef, with mashed potatoes and gravy, the “to die for” meatloat, or the fresh green beans, seasoned with bacon , the best? “

Personally, I think the chicken and homemade noodles win, hands down.

On second thought, I forgot to mention Halupkis. Every European country had  their version of cabbage rolls. Each roll, (leaf of cooked cabbage), contained a delicious mixture of ground beef, pork and rice.

I should mention the creamy dill flavored potato soup. Of course, my husband voted for her pies.  She baked two every Saturday up until the day she left us.

In her kitchen, while cooking, Mom taught me many things about honesty, hard work and putting family first.

I wonder if many of today’s young mothers who occasionally announce that they are “cooking tonight” will be remembered so well?