Lessons I learned from Mom **GIVEAWAY**
Picture me and my mom baking brownies together in her cozy kitchen. I am about five years old, with long pigtails, smiling ecstatically as I smear frosting over the brownies, my clothes and my face. Mom is wearing her favorite baking apron – the one with the little pictures of mixing spoons and bowls — and beaming at her little pastry chef. She’s proud to pass on the secret family recipe for perfect brownies to a daughter who will treasure it.
Got that firmly in your mind? Good. It’s the only way you’ll see such a picture because it doesn’t exist and that sweet little scene never happened. That’s because my mother (who is a fantastic mom in just about every way) is kitchen-phobic to the point that she tried to build our house without That Room. She settled for placing it off to the side of the house by the garage so she would never have to walk through it. And she succeeded in passing on her aversion to all things culinary (except take-out food) to Yours Truly. Neither of us was likely to win a Domestic Diva of the Year award.
That was then. So life takes funny turns and I wind up not only learning to cook and bake to feed my family, I turn it into a full time occupation, well you know…
So while I can’t share my mother’s tips for the fluffiest soufflé or the softest brisket, I can share her undying encouragement for anything I decided to take on – basketball, my bachelor’s degree or baking. I am now married just over 7 years and she does not miss a beat when it comes to complimenting my new recipes, or even commenting on the perfect piece of fish or lightest slice of challah. I have to hand it to her. For a mother who never pictured her educated, mega-career oriented, 21st century daughter as a Yiddishe balabusta, it’s a wonder that she’s so enthusiastic about my choices and achievements. But she is – and she is truly proud. She tells everyone I am “the best cook,” and she says it with buoyancy that proclaims that I’ve reached the pinnacle of her aspirations for me.
My mother never gave me any priceless heirloom recipes. But she instilled confidence and gave me unconditional support and love and positive reinforcement at every turn. And that is more valuable than kitchen tips; I can learn those from anyone. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
GIVEAWAY!!!!! In honor of Mother’s Day we have an awesome giveaway for you! But you have to be quick – contest is over in 24 hours!! You can win a gift basket (for yourself or to send to your mom) of delicious gourmet goodies from Kosher Care Packages – including 1 lb. of custom ground French Roast coffee, 6 assorted Exceptional Brownies, over 1 lb. of dried fruits and nuts and 1/2 lb of milk chocolate pansies. This gift basket contains dairy and pareve items which are certified by one of the following: OU, OK, OU-D, Kof K-D. This gift basket is worth $80.00!
In order to enter leave your answer to the following question in the comments – What’s your fondest childhood reminiscence of your mother? Only one entry per person, ONE winner will be picked at random from qualifying comments. Contest is open to US residents only. Contest closes Wednesday May 4th 2011 at 9am. Good Luck!!
***GIVEAWAY EXTENDED 12 HOURS – CONTEST CLOSES Wednesday May 4th 2011 at 9 PM***
Posted in
Tags
About Jamie Geller
comments
141 Responses to Lessons I learned from Mom **GIVEAWAY**
About jamie geller
Jamie Geller is a bestselling author of the wildly successful QUICK & KOSHER cookbook...
Like Us
Follow Us
Watch Us
Pinterest
Google Plus
My fondest memory is of my mother is having a picnic with her and my Grandmother at the Bronx Botanical Gardens.
Hi Jamie;
Thanks for sharing your memories and offering this giveaway. My mother died when I was very young but I remember her most for teaching me to sew. She was self-taught and was an excellent seamstress as well as an expert knitter and embroiderer. She loved pretty things and making them herself and that is one of the things she passed on to me and is something I am most grateful for. She was definitely a domestic diva and did it all with style.
Once a year my mother would take the day off work and we would go into New York City for a day. We both liked art so we would either go to a museum or the art galleries in Soho. We would then find a fun and interesting place for lunch and maybe do a little shopping. It was always a wonderful day.
i have so many! I always loved getting to “help” her bake goodies on holidays to give to all of our friends. Through that, she instilled in me a love of cooking.
every taanis/fast day since i can remember my mother and i would pass the time by baking her chocolate chip mandel bread. I’ve been out of the house for about 8 years and still use the same recipe every fast day
My mom taught me how to do needlepoint. I remember sitting in the living room in our apartment on cold winters day while a fire was going and we would embroider together.
My fondest childhood reminisce of my mother is when we would work in the garden together!
My mom was a Navy wife and Daddy was gone for long periods of time. With four kids to raise, one of them her own little brother, they didn’t have much money so stretching a dollar was important for feeding a brood. She could make the most tasty dishes out of anything and to this day none of us have found anyone else’s potato or macaroni salad to compare! I’ve never met anyone who could look into a cupboard or fridge and whip up a miraculous meal to feed a small ship’s crew, with style. I seem to have only inherited the dessert gene for cooking and since I’m always watching my waist, I only get to make goodies for other people. My mom never stops making the most of every day and at 80 years old (in June) just renewed her CA nursing license! She’s my best friend and a woman whose compassion and competence has been the sustaining hub in our family. Oh, yeah…she got a tattoo to celebrate her 70th birthday! She’s the energizer bunny on steroids!
My mother was the one who took me ice skating when I was barely even steady on my “walking” feet.
I loved those outings, and she instilled in me a love of the sport that lasted long into the ages where I wouldn’t have been caught dead skating with my Mom.
But I never forgot…..
My fondest memory of my mother and cooking with her is when she taught me how to make the best pie crust in the world. She explained how putting this together is a matter or practice and doing it over and over again until I could get the “feel” of the dough and know if and when to add just a bit more water to it. Too much water and the crust didn’t bake properly; too little and it was tough and dry, and crumbled easily. I slowly learned to sense when the dough was just right, and rely on that recipe and my mother’s technique to this day.
And in connection with pie crust, another favorite memory is of my father coming home on Friday nights after working a long week and looking up on top of the refrigerator to see if a pie was there, cooling. And the joy in his face when, YES! There it was. We had wonderful Shabbat dinners, followed by that delicious, flakey textured, pie, delighting in the crust almost more than in the filling. How wonderful to have such warm memories of my family’s Friday night Shabbat dinners!
Thank you, Jaime, for offering this giveaway and for giving me an opportunity to remember my mother and our times together in the kitchen. May she rest in peace.
Ellen
Born in 1913, my mother was a woman of her times: unemployed, non-driving, unliberated, apron and bra-wearing. She was a wonderful cook and superb baker, but more than that, she was the best wife a man could have. Taking care of Dad was her hobby, her recreation and her pleasure. While certainly not 2011 standards for an equal relationship, the love my parents had for one another provided incredible stability and showed my sister and me how important it is to make your partner’s needs your own.
My fondest memory of Mom is when she made fudge the old fashioned way. We’d help her get all the ingredients together and watch her put everything into the pan and cook it till it was ready for the “stirring”. I came from a large family so all us kids would have to take turns stirring till the fudge was ready to pour into pans. What fun to stand around an empty pan, sticking your hands into it trying to scrape some of the leftover creamy goodness out (I think mom left some in there just for us kids!). We ended up looking quite the sight, all messed up in chocolate, but it was so much fun. I miss Mom. Thanks.
I remember my mom making apple cake. She would peel the apples and leave the peels extra thick so we could eat them as she peeled! I still remember the smell and her apple cake is still as yummy!!!
my mother picked me up every day after school and often would take my sister and I out on an errand or for ice cream and would ask about our day…til today i cherish those moments talking about my day with my mother and i’ve continued the tradition even today, always ending my day with a phone call to my mother
I fondly remember my mother baking delicious oatmeal raisin cookies for us to have as a snack after school. Oatmeal raisin cookies are still my favorites. I also remember the intoxicating aroma of her apple pies. My mom is no longer well enough to bake or cook. My love of baking and cooking has been life long and for this I thank my mom everyday.
One of my beloved mom’s pearls of wisdom:
“If the heart is willing a person with a house with one room can accommodate ten people.
If the heart is not willing a person with a mansion of ten rooms cannot accommodate one person.”
When I was about half-way through high school, a time when most people are thoroughly embarrassed of their mothers, I got to see one of my mothers greatest strengths.
She’s not loud, not very vocal, doesn’t try to run other peoples lives (including her kids).
One Shabbos afternoon a friend of hers dropped in for a short visit, and as they were catching up on events in their lives, this friend suddenly stopped and said “Oh, I really shouldn’t tell you this, but you never tell, and you’re kids don’t, either.” It can be hard not to take the bait, but without any difficulty or regret, my mother interrupted her gently with “So don’t. It’s not yours to tell, and you’ll feel better not saying it.”
A person as they are in the present is a result of all of their experiences (and some genetics). How often do we get to watch moments in action which we recognize as ones to shape the rest of our lives?
My fondest memory of my mother is when I fell out of a tree and broke my leg when I was 8 years old. She waited on me hand and foot, took such good care of me that I wasn’t that sad about spending the summer in a cast, no swimming, no running I wouldn’t be the person I am without her.
My Mom was in and out of psychiatric facilities when I was growing up so I was often left to take care of my younger sisters, with no father around. The most important thing my Mom taught me was to always wear clean underwear – and we will survive and be stronger as a result.
Little did she know then how right she was. Now she is so happy that her grandson, my son, is in Yeshiva to become a Rabbi. We all worked hard and have been rewarded again and again as a result!
My parents divorced when I was young, and as my dad had full custody, we didn’t see my mom all that frequently. During those times I remember her laying down next to me, and talking to me about all sorts of things, from school to boys. But even better, was her listening to me talk about what I wanted, what life was like–the time she gave me, even those few precious minutes, when she listened to me was just amazing.
When I tuck my own kids into bed now I try to recreate that for them. I realize it’s not the same–for one thing, we share the same household!–but it meant so much to me then that I want to pass along that time to my kids, so they know that their thoughts, feelings and experiences are important!
My mom and I spent a weekend together at the beach on Sannibel Island in Florida. It was a great bonding experience. Walking on the beach, gathering shells, staring at the sunsets.
My mother went to work right after Pearl Harbor at Douglas Aircraft as a rivitor because many of the men went to join the war effort. She made it a habit to take my sis and I out to Chinese dinner every Friday after she got paid. She also worked the weekends at a local restaurant so she often left us money so that we could go roller skating with our neighbor kids next door. It was a good life for us even with her being divorced from our father.
I played Little League baseball until I was about 12 and was usually the only girl on the team. My Mom was in the stands for almost every game cheering loudly “Go Shay!” After one game, one of the fathers asked her “Shea? Is that short for Shea Stadium? Is your family from Queens?” And my Mom went on to explain that Shay was short for my Hebrew name, Shayna Malka which means Beautiful Queen. All the boys on my team snickered. I think I punched one of them. End of story.
My mother was our Brownie leader, although I spent a whole lot more years in Cub Scouts – long before girls were allowed! At Brownies, Mom would have dress-up clothes for us to put on and we would take turns strutting to the tune of “Strut, Miss Lizzy”. That was long ago and far away!
I remember waking up early in the morning with the whole house smelling of brisket before the holidays. My mom is an amazing cook and I am lucky to have her.
Every year come rain or shine, my mom would take me to the circus. We both loved it and really had a grand time and then we went to eat out in a beautiful restaurant and had the best roast beef ever. Thanks much, Mom.
When I was a young adult, my mother insisted we take my then-elderly grandfather for a picnic lunch. It was very important to her that we feed the geese with him while we could. It was a glorious afternoon. He was honored and touched. I had a great time, and she gifted me with a wonderful memory of him (it was his last spring to picnic in the park) and a searing memory of her kibud av – her honoring and caring for her father, z”l.
1 of my fondest memory is my mother learning to bake from the mother’s helper we had. She was a wonderful Hungarian women that would do a lot of baking with my mother for all the celebrations, from holiday’s to birthday’s and everything in between.
Now my mother has thought my daughter how to make my favorite cake recipe. Which I used to get every year for my birthday.
I remember my Mom, A”H, visiting me in camp when I was a teenager. She would bring me her delicious Coffee Crumb Cake for me and my bunkmates to enjoy!
Though she’s gone now, I enjoy making that recipe for others to enoy, too! It gives me a warm feeling every time I take a bite, as that recipe has a special place in my heart!
The fondest memory of my mother is when she became my brownie scout troop leader. She did this for me, since she really did not have the time. I so appreciated and loved her for it.
My fondest childhood memory of my mom is baking chocolate chip cookies together. From a young age, she would ask me math questions as we worked, like “how many half cups make a whole cup?” Now I’m an actuary (thanks Mom!) and I also love making and eating chocolate chip cookies.
my fondest memory of my mom is baking and cooking in the kitchen
My mother always took me out to eat (or for tea or something) to spend quality time with me…or make special announcements. Like the 5 times she told me I was going to get another sibling. Yes, I’m the oldest of 6 KA”H!
We still go out on special occasions for some Mommy and Me time over 30 years later and laugh when we realize that she started the tradition, and I continue it. I usually take her out for brunch on Mother’s Day, but I’ll be away this year and would love to have something special delivered to her on Mother’s Day on my behalf.
My brother and I got to lick the mixer beaters whenever Mom baked. What joy-!
I had half-days on Wednesdays, and I can remember my mother picking me up from school and taking me out to lunch at Schrafft’s on Madison Avenue in NYC. Her health wasn’t good, and I had a sister with multiple behavioral/psychiatric problems … time with my mother was rare. But the Wednesdays were always special — she made time for me, and she treated me like a grown-up instead of taking me for “kid food” …
My mom and I “squeeze fingers” – we could sit on the couch for hours just holding hands…..
it’s going to sound odd but i have fond memories of rolling stuffed cabbage with my mom!
There was a hat decorating contest at the religious school I attended on the weekends. My mother spent hours and days using her amazing and overwhelming creativity–she used to make us dresses as well–to make me the best papier-mâché hat in the competition. It was practically twice my size but I won the competition hands down. Actually, WE won. I remember being so proud of myself but mostly, proud of her because her mental illness got in the way of her being a great mother. But that day, she was an awesome one.
My fondest memory is learning how to make baked macaroni & cheese, from scratch, with my mom. We still take turns making it.
I loved learning to cook with my mother- so much as a youngster in the kitchen.
My mom passed in ’92, but my fondest memory was reading together, playing cards together, and cooking together. We always hung out with one another. One of the hugest things that stick out was while she was taking a bath, she would ask me to bring in a paper and a pencil and she would give me these hard math quizzes. Completely turned me into a math whiz… she was very kind, smart, and a wonderful teacher!
My mother is a tremendous cook/baker/seamstress. While I can think of loads of memories where she’d help me as I learned to knit or knead bread, my favorite memory was our annual ice cream binge. We’d skip breakfast (I know I know…and she was a home ec teacher too, so she knows a thing or two about nutrition) and go to a local ice cream shop. They made everything from scratch. We’d each order a hot fudge sundae…I remember one year it was fresh blackberry ice cream with hot fudge. We’d sit and savor and talk and then say “Oy I ate too much we shouldn’t do this again” and we wouldn’t – for another year. The great thing is that when she comes to visit now we still always make time for a (much smaller) trip out for an ice cream and a chat.
Walking into the kitchen and smelling the delicious food she would be cooking.
WATCHING HER DANCE – SHE WAS SO GRACEFUL
AND SKILLFUL…
Eating dinner together with my family. My mother always made sure our whole family ate together.
going on family vacations. Mom always picked places that we loved (like Disneyland)
Trying to make sure we all had a new Easter Outfit (There were eight of us)
Since this is a blog about cooking, I would like to share my fondest moments in the kitchen with my mother. She didn’t like people helping her in her TINY kitchen, but I wanted to cook. Whenever I asked her what I could do to help, she would only say “prepare the oven!” This meant that I got to go to the oven, take out all the cereal and chips that were stored in there and turn it on. She always said I was a great assistant.
making rum balls with my mother, obm. and rolling the balls into powder sugar. yummmm!
my fondest memory is fun days at the beach with my mom!
jagar0047 at yahoo dot com
My fondest childhood reminiscence of your mother is when my mom worked 3 minimum wage jobs to support us 8 kids when my father abandon us until she graduated nursing school. She taught me to be persistant.
I was in a panic trying to think about how I was going to tell my mom that I wanted to leave college. When I finally spit it out, she was very understanding and told me that college wasn’t for everyone, and that as long as I applied myself to some worthy task elsewhere I’d be fine. And she was right!
I remember standing next to my mom cooking for Shabbos. I stood on the stool and helped mix everything – and got to lick the bowl of course!
I REMEMBER MY MOM SAYING TO ME….WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES SOMETIMES….AND WE DO
After I’d been very bad once, I asked my mother if she would forgive me. She said, “Of course, I do,” as if that were obvious. I still remember the tone of her voice, with forgiveness in it.
I am still living at home so I don’t know that I can exactly place 1 memory!
My Brother and I would bake holiday cookies with Mom in late December every year!
anytime i spend time with her
My mother always instilled in us that we can do anything if we try. From Skiing to reupholstering, as long as we put our mind to it we can do. Always so encouraging and motivating, I couldn’t ask for a better mother. My kitchen memory with my mom, is that we used to love baking challah together. She would always take off her rings before she would knead the dough. She gave me one of the rings when I had my first child. I treasure it and already promised it to my daughter.
I remember coming home from school and my Mom would usually be doing laundry and watching soap operas. I’d sit with her and watch them too and talk about my day at school.
My mom did the best she could. She always loved me.
As I’ve gotten older I really appreciate all the time Mom took to cook us homecooked meals every night for supper.
I remember years ago,I was a scared teenager pregnant and not wanting to hurt my mom.But when I told her about the baby she couldn’t have been more supportive.
Thanks for the chance to win!
deb55106{at}gmail{dot}com
My fondest childhood memory of my mother is the time she took me the park and we rode the bubble bouncer there, it was fun and we went round and round and up and down
My fondest childhood memory of my Mother, when I was 3 or 4 she would take me to high school that my brothers and sisters attended and we would run the student store during morning brake and lunch. We sold donuts, and pencils and pens etc. My Mom would teach me the different items and how to make change–we had lots of fun and met lots of fun people.
kakihararocks@gmail.com
actually, baking with my mom is my favorite memory, cookies and brownies mainly
I remember making playdough with my mom and her letting me add as much food coloring to the dough as possible and then making me have to play with it outside so I wouldn’t squish it in the carpets.
My mother and I are very, very close, we talk on the phone for several hours each day. My fondest memory with my mother is when she used to take me to ballett class in the 65′ Mustang while we listened to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young with the windows down.
I remember the first time my mom and I went to NYC together months after her open heart surgery. That was a very special trip!
It wasn’t really when I was a child, but one of my fondest memories was the day that I asked my mom to go with me to a college to sign the financial aid paperwork after I didn’t complete college right after high school. She was totally not expecting that request, but was really happy that I was going back to college.
I always loved watching her cook and bake. She is a really great cook.
my fondest memory was when my mom stood up for me when a group of kids was picking on me, unconditional love!
I remember s making rice krispie treats and a marshmallow sticking to her leg..my sister and I laughed so hard
I remember making cookies for holidays and preparing holiday meals with my mom. The house smelled wonderful!
Every Saturday after my bath she used to take a curling Iron and make me locks. It made my hair look so pretty.
my mom was the most awesome cook.especially her fried chicken which she would never reveal her recipe to anyone and nobody can ever seem to get it right
my mother always cooked the best food for all 7 of us and now I cook for her!
My fondest childhood reminiscence of my mother is baking together for dinners and desserts
My mom was the Sunday school administrator at the synagogue all through my elementary-high school years. I remember one Pesach she invited over the kids from the synagogue that she knew wouldn’t be having Seder at their home and held a Seder for all of them. She did such a fun Seder – throwing around marshmallows for the hail, giving us red candies to represent “boils”, etc, and singing tons and tons of songs. The kids – who are now grown adults – still talk about what a fun Seder it was. And, I’ll admit, it was probably the best Seder I’ve ever been to also.
Sitting down for family dinners. Our whole family always ate together.
Back in the 50′s very carefully picking out a fuzzy duck mother’s day card. Gave it to my mother and she didn’t like it. I never forgot!
My Mom was a better grandmother than a mother. My favorite memory of her was when she played sword fights with doodle tubes with my son when he was small.
What’s your fondest childhood reminiscence of your mother?
I actually have a few such memories. But I will only mention two of them. Oddly enough they both relate to the kitchen/cooking!
The first one is long ago as a small child when I was first learning how to write. The teacher wanted us each to write something special about our mothers for mothers day. What did I write? “My mother does dishes.” My entire family still laughs about it today more than 40 years later. And I think my mom still has that mothers day “gift” from my school.
The second is the first [real] thing my mom taught me how to cook. By “real” I mean, not something heated up in oven or toaster, and not simple eggs or other one-step processes. I recall that it was schnitzel and she patiently showed me how to prepare the egg mixture, the bread crumbs/flour, the oil, the pan, the heat, the breading, the frying, and the laying completed ones on a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
My Mother was the best…She always made sure my sister and I were very loved..
I think she has taught me how to love unconditionally..
My mother worked really hard and many hours. When we were little, she always seemed proud of us. When we went to the video store as children, my mother was impressed by this new machine one could purchase, “A Video camera” and while the store owner wanted to show her how it worked, she encouraged my sister and me to dance in front of the video so she’d have something wonderful to watch!
my mother told me that my health would be the most important thing in life, without it, we are nothing
My first batch of brownies (age 11) burnt but my Mom ate them anyway and pronounced them “Dee-licious!”
my fondest childhood reminiscence of my mother is cuddling on sunday mornings
My mother would always gave me the confidence to know that i could accomplish whatever I wanted. It didn’t matter how outrageous the idea was. She taught me how to have a vision and reminded me to be very clear about what i wanted…because one day I just may get it!
I remember Mom taking me shopping for a special outfit for my birthday. She taught me to be a good dresser!
I remember that my mother always supported our decisions. She never batted an eye when I brought home a snake, salamanders, toads, frogs, turtles and a cat. (Not all at the same time.)
I loved the holidays with my Mom. She was huge into decorating and made every holiday so special. Those are my favorite memories.
My fondest memory is of my mother giving charity, when we didn’t have enough money for ourselves. When I asked her why, she said that Hashem will take care of us if we take care of others. I have never forgotten her kindness to others nor her words.
As my mother is no longer here to share her kitchen secrets with me I am left to marvel at the lists and recipes that she has left behind. When looking through her Pesach pantry, shortly after she passed away, I was smiled when I found her list reminding her what she used and bought too much of from Pesach 1987 yet I was not shocked or utterly surprised. She was meticulously organized and exact with everything especially her kitchen. My mother, although all she let us help with was peeling potatos, instilled in us a love and warmth for cooking and baking in specific. Everything was “from scratch” and cake mixes were never bought. I now love to bake and often do so with my children.
My mother, may she rest in peace, was a true model of an Ayshet Chayil. She taught all of her five (5) children, and her seven (7) grandchildren about the meaning of Community Service. My mother was a member of Mount Sinai Chapter of JEWISH WOMEN INTERNATIONAL the President from 1984 onwards. She was very active with the JEWISH CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL began her “volunteer” career with a position in the Gift Shop. She worked with MEALS ON WHEELS, preparing and delivering food to the Elderly, and eventually acting as the Chair of the Program. She acted as the President of the Women’s Auxiliary, which helped to raise funds to buy more hospital beds. Her life was devoted to supporting, helping and working to improve the lives of other people. When she moved into a residence she organized the women, received donations of wool, helped them to knit, and gave the finished products to the MOUNTAINS OF MITTAINS project in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). We all learned to be of help to others, whether preparing, or delivering meals, or just with a kind smile and a gentle helping hand.
My Mom was always home when we came home from school, she was our room-mother in public school and religious school, & she was my Brownie Leader. She was & is a true Hands-On Mom for the three of us and many others. She was my role-model.
My fondest memory is of my Mom dressing up to go to a wedding. Her hair was styled fashionably into a beehive (1960′s) and she wore her double stranded pearls to accessorize her A-line gown. To me she was a princess getting ready for the ball.
My mom and grandmother started a small clothing shop, which evolved into my mother managing a beauty salon and having her own small jewelry business. I treasure the many years of helping out at the salon during weekends and summers, of going to her shop after school to share my stories of the day, and later, learning my way around the jewelry district downtown, making purchases for her and earning her trust, respect, and gratitude. For the rest of her life, we continued to meet after our mutual days’ work, (my various itinerant jobs and her beloved “bling” sales), catching up as we both grew and evolved, over cappuccino and appetizers instead of cookies and milk. Regardless, love of pretty things, customers and co-workers, and most of all each other, was always the through-line.
My fondest memory is of my Mom dressing up to go to a wedding. Her hair was styled fashionably into a beehive (it was the 1960′s) and she wore her double stranded pearls to accessorize her A-line gown. To me she was a princess getting ready for the ball. She taught me to take the time to look your best. I can still smell the perfume she spritzed at the end.
My fondest memories of my mom are “mental health” days. Every once in a while, mom would let me take a day off from school (and later work) just to recharge my battery. Often we’d go shopping and have lunch together. It was super.
I loved going shopping with my mom for dollhouse furniture for the custom dollhouse she had made for me. We would spend hours picking the perfect furniture to decorate the whole house. I loved it.
My fondest memory of my mother is when she would brush my long tangled hair after a bath. My mother always made me feel special, smart and beautiful. My Mom is 89 and lives in a nursing home. We are sitting here together now. Every time she sees me she tells me how beautiful I am. I am 59 years old and she has never failed to make me always feel so special no matter what.
i always wanted to cook and bake- even as a small child.
my mother used to let me take all of the pots and pans out of the drawers and pretend i was cooking a meal on the floor
Going shopping and to the movies
My best memories from my childhood about my mom are the summers. I can still remember dusting the house, with the windows open and some soft music like Big Band or Linda Ronstadt playing on the radio while my mom did other cleaning around the house. That same sweet music would filter out the windows to where I would play in the shade of the trees. We would sit down after we were done cleaning and drink glasses of sweet iced tea while still listening to those mellow sounds. I loved it! I try to create that same atmosphere with my own son! Love you, mom!
I often find myself telling my daughter, as she is raising her two young boys, the advice my mother always gave me on days when I was having a hard time with my own children when they were very young…”This too shall pass”.
As to a favorite childhood memory, that would be watching, fascinated, as she magically rolled out dough with a wooden rolling pin to make kreplach. After cutting it, she carefully layed each square out on a damp tea towel on the kitchen table while she chopped flanken in a large wooden chopping bowl to make the filling. Try as I might, I have not been able to duplicate the taste of my mother’s kreplach, perhaps because there was so much more than mere ingredients that went into it!
Jamie,
The fondest memory of my mother was how beautiful she was. Everything about her was beautiful to me. Her perfume I’ll never forget her favorite White Shoulders. She used to love to celebrate the holidays and besides decorating she would cook and bake the best food. My mother Barbara Ann really loved her family and to see us enjoy the meals that she would prepare. My mothers love and success of cooking, baking is a challenge for me to live up to. I thank HaShem for giving me such a beautiful roll model of a mother as mine was and with a Grandmother equally if not more beautiful than she was. Thank you HaShem. With Love…Chaviva Devorah
You are articulate little girl, Gd bless you! Personally I didn’t learn concepts, let alone words, like career, souffle, aspiration, and whatnot, until I was much older! Your mom has a wonderful resource in you!
The fondest memory that I have of my mother of her Channel#5 perfume. She would keep the bottle nestled in it’s box, that was lined with this peachy colored satin. I would love to sneak into her room, take the bottle out ( ever so carefully) and just smell the bottle. To this day I just love the smell of that perfume.
My mom was crafty not culinary so my fondest memory is of her art projects. One in particular was when she was in charge of the decorations for the Sisterhood’s annual luncheon. Since it was in the spring, she created birdhouses by cutting circles into Pringles cans and covering them with tin foil. Then she perched stuffed birds on sticks and poked the sticks into the holes. She worked diligently into the wee hours of the morning on these sweet little centerpieces. Not exactly Picasso, but “on budget” and on time! While the birdhouses were a far cry from what we see at today’s Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, I’m sure if my mom was alive today she’d volunteer to help me create something precious and full of love for any celebration. I miss her and her heartfelt creativity this Mother’s Day- and every day of the year!
The fondest memory i have of my mother of blessed memory is the one best lesson of all the many best lessons she taught me: “life isn’t always fair.” Please note she did NOT teach that “life isn’t fair.” That would never have been her view. No. She said life isn’t ALWAYS fair… a much better lesson to learn, and one I have remembered all my life (and I will be 66 next week). She had great belief in my ability to solve problems — i guess she knew i was paying attention to all those lessons! She had quite an aversion to the kitchen so I came away from my childhood with no secret recipes, but lots of inner strength!
one of my many fond memories of my mom is that whenever i received or purchased new clothing or shoes she would say “wear it in good health.”
I think the fondest moments I have of my mother is when she came to live with us as she was undergoing treatment for lung cancer. My husband became her confidant and we shared our love and strength with her over those months. Seeing her sit and watch “America’s Funniest Videos” with our then 8 year old grand daughter and hearing them giggle at the same antics was priceless. She has been gone for several years now and sometimes I can still hear her laughing. Happy Mother’s Day to all moms past, present and future.
After the divorce when I was upset I was allowed to ask for “love” anytime. My mom would stop whatever she was doing and sit me on her lap and cares or softly tickle my arms and back for a few minutes.
My mom has always been an inspiration to me. Whether it was her constantly finding an apartment right near us for her parents whenever we moved, or taking my grandmother in to live with us for 17 years. But my favorite memory of my mom would have to be the time she and I went shopping for fruit. We had walked several blocks to the store and were on our way home carrying bags of fruit and laughing at one thing or another. All of a sudden the bottom fell out of one of the bags and the fruit was rolling all around the street. The two of us proceeded to practically collapse in hysterical laughter as we futilely tried to gather our produce! We still talk about it and it must have happened 45 years ago! My mom is the best!
Everyone who meets my Mom just Loves her instantly. Shes so Warm and inviting. So Sweet. She should be America’s Mom.
My mother still is a phenomenal cook at the age of (K’H)87. One of my favorite things that she baked was a special cake. I remember, after I was married for a while, going to her and asking her for the recipe. Well, she didn’t have exact measurements, but knew how many Yahrtzheit glasses of flour, sugar, crisco, etc. was needed. I stood there with her that day and tried to take her Yahrtzheit glass measurements and convert it into actual cups. My version comes out well, but not as good as hers!!
My memories all melt into one- it was that whenever I needed my mother, no matter what, she was always there for me. She shared in my joy and in my pain. She helped me in any way that she could, whould give up so much of her time for me and always made me feel loved.
I do remember of how much my mom loves to spend time with my kids. She loved them so much! I miss her!
Baking kokosh and cinnamon buns
my mother had a very hard life and always had to work out of the house . i am great full of the safe home my mother created and loved just knowing i have a warm home to come home to.
If I had to pick just one thing I think it would be all the wonderful arts and crafts we did for the Jewish Holidays — like making menorahs out of clay and miniature sukkahs out of candy and graham crackers (which my dog ate!) — my mom is so creative and makes everything fun.
My fondest memory of my mom was when I would get a cold or sick, she would always make me rice pudding, tea and of course chicken soup. She was always there to care and nurture me. Rest in Peace Mom!
I came from a family of eight children. My mother found some special attribute in each one of us and would help us to develop that talent in a way that would help us build self-confidence. My sister Rebecca, loved to sneak a needle and thread and try to sew. When my sister was 5, my mother once found her in our bedroom, a bit stuck, as she had sewn a pillow case to itself, her nightgown and partially to the bed sheet. The next week she was enrolled in sewing classes at our JCC and now, at 55, my sister makes fabulous quilts for fundraising auctions for a Jewish senior centre. An older brother was especially shy in front of groups. She asked my father to join Toastmasters, as he spoke often in front of groups, and my brother would go with him. He recently retired as a 4-Star General, after attending the Air Force Academy and had made many relaxed appearance in interviews on nation television. I enjoyed cooking. The first thing my mother ever taught me to cook was a basic white sauce – I remember her standing next to me, her tattered and spattered cookbook open before me, telling me that standing in front of the sauce, making figure-8s in the sauce until it was done, gave me a bit of ‘alone time’ that every woman craved once they had the responsibility of a family. She was right. I now make classic and gourmet kosher meals from my home and have taught cooking to many children of that same age group, both boys and girls. My one daughter is also an excellent cook, schooled by both my mother and me and headed off in her own direction of healthful kosher cooking. As each of my siblings have shared what my mother saw as their special, albeit raw talent, we have found that each one of us were treated as individuals and the encouragement that my mother gave us helped us to achieve some measure of success in life, especially those of us who have been blessed with large families. We also all learned to identify the special talent within each of our children and help them to build on it.
Sometimes the fondest memory is the one that makes you laugh. And that’s the story of what my mom called “Lasagna Roll-Ups”. Mind you, my mom was a great cook…..For certain things, but Italian cooking was just not part of her repertoire. As a matter of fact, until college I honestly didn’t know how Lasagna really looked, let alone how it tasted. So what was the recipe that left my sisters and I totally innocent to The Italian Dish?… OK, here it goes: You take a Lasagna pan and place a layer of boiled Lasagna noodles on the bottom. (That’s the first and only step where my mom’s recipe even remotely follows any Lasagna recipe!)Then you take a can of Manischewitz tomato sauce with mushrooms and pour it over the noodles. It is very important NOT to add ANY seasoning or cheese what –so-ever. Next, roll up each noodle and secure each individual roll-up with a toothpick. Stick it in the oven and there you have Lasagna Roll-Ups! My mom has passed on, and I do have many wonderful recipes as well as practical advice that she has left us with. But Lasagna Roll-Ups even tops her Jewish Spaghetti (spaghetti with ketchup and cottage cheese) for a warm smile and loving laugh. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. I love you.
My fondest memory of my mother is going to the Philadelphia Flower Show in the Spring every year during high school. We would tour around the flowers and sometimes grab some to take home.
My fondest memory is my mother, grandmother and I getting ready for the holidays together. We would cook a lot and most importantly laugh a lot.
My sweetest memories were sitting in the kitchen with my mom while she cooked for us and telling her about my day. She has always been so interested even in the silly, little things of my life and it makes me feel so special!
I loved going to historical monuments with my mother, she had such a passion for history and learning.
My childhood memory is actually of my grandmother and I standing at the table on Passover, at her house, and she is teaching me how to make Passover rolls. I always enjoyed that.
The last year before she and grandpa moved to Florida, I got to bake them myself.
The smell of Jergens Hand Lotion on her hands while
my Mother sat on the edge of my bed and read my favorite book that we had bought together at the book Fair when I was in kindergarten, The Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Anderson. I have the book till this day and when I look at it I still flash back to that memory.
My mother was a single mother who had to work part-time to support us, so we didn’t have much quality time during the week. Saturday, however, was our day together. We would go shopping, have our hair done, go out to eat (this was way before I kept kosher or Shabbos), go to a carnival, or do something else fun. To make it more exciting she would keep our destination a secret until we got there. She would just give me a small hint, and I would spend the rest of the ride trying to figure it out. When we reached our destination, I was never disappointed!
One of the fondest memories was making Lemon Meringue Pie together. My mum would give me my own special dough to play with and in the end add some of the filling – no meringue on mine- I didn’t like it! Both the pies went in the oven, both were served for dessert and wow was I proud when my dad said he’d try the one without the meringue. This began when I was 4 and Lemon Meringue is still my favorite pie (my tastes have evolved – love the meringue now too).Most important was the time spent together and sharing in cooking for the family.
My fondest memory of my Mom is going with her to the beauty parlor on Friday to get ready for Shabbat. My mother would have her hair done in a Martha Washington hairdo- high and stiff with lots of hairspray.
Then she would have her nails done in a pretty shade of red or coral. She always looked perfectly made up to greet the Shabbat.
One of my favorite memories of my mother is snuggling in her bed after I had a scary dream. I loved feeling her warm hug and feeling safe and secure.
My Mom A’H was a Holocaust survivior and she lost her parents and most of her family. She tried to make a new life here for my Dad A’H my brother and me by being the best Balabousta you could imagine. A sparkling home and the most fantastic Viennese and Hungarian recipes, which were passed along to her from my grandmother . We cooked and baked together along with my Omi, A’H my Dad’s mother who miraculously survived and lift in the apartment downstairs. My Omi was an amazing cook and baker and so I learned from them both.
My fondest memory was helping cream the batter for them to bake various confections, using only a large bowl, several small bowls of ingredients, and a wooden stirring spoon, and whipping egg whites for snow, with a whisk which she called a ‘shprudle’.
It wasn’t until I was maybe 10 or so that she got an electric mixer. I have all her cherished recipes including those, which belonged to both of my late grandmothers. I think of her and my Omi time I cook or bake anything especially for Shabbos and Yom Tov.
My mother is one of the strongest, most beautiful women I know. The most amazing thing about her – my fondest memory and my amazing present – is that she was and is always there for me. Whenever I needed a hug, she knew and still does. I am now so blessed that I am able to let my own girls know that I am always there for them and that I am their biggest fan with a hug and a kiss!
One of my favorite memories is a baking with my mother and my maternal grandmother when she would come to visit. I am so lucky to still have my mother in my life!
My mother, a Holocaust survivor, never had a childhood. When she came to the USA she savored each new experience. She grew to love the theater and would tell us how, in the early days, on her meager salary, she’d buy SRO tickets and stand for the entire performance. I have special memories of my mother taking me to the theater and introducing me to plays she loved.
I always enjoyed hearing my mother sing. She would sing to herself while cooking or cleaning. She would hum a quite tune as she rocked me in her wooden rocker when I had a bad dream. I really enjoyed when her and my dad would sing in the car. As I sat in the back seat of our station wagon with my 4 other siblings , I enjoyed listening to my mom sing the harmony and my dad sing the melody. Seems like the songs were always praise songs to God; songs about hope, peace, joy, and God’s great love.
CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!!
AND….drum roll please….. The Winner is JEN GERSCH! Jen – check your email for a message from me!