Mother's Day

Mother's Day, a day honoring mothers, is celebrated (on various days) in many places around the world. In the United States, Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand and a number of other countries, Mother's Day, this year, will be celebrated on Sunday May 13th, 2007.
In the United Kingdom Mothering Sunday ("Mothers' Day") falls on the fourth Sunday of Lent (exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday).
In the USA, Mother's Day is copied from England by social activist Julia Ward Howe after the American Civil War with a call to unite women against war. Her idea was influenced by Ann Jarvis, a young Appallachian homemaker who, starting in 1858, had attempted to improve sanitation through what she called Mothers' Work Days. She organized women throughout the Civil War to work for better sanitary conditions for both sides, and in 1868 she began work to reconcile Union and Confederate neighbors. Julia Ward Howe wrote the Mothers Day Proclamation in 1870 as a call for peace and disarmament. An excerpt follows:

"From the voice of a devastated Earth a voice goes up with

Our own. It says: "Disarm! Disarm!

The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.

"Blood does not wipe out dishonor,

Nor violence indicate possession.

As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,

Let women now leave all that may be left of home

For a great and earnest day of counsel.

Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.

Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means

Whereby the great human family can live in peace..."

Here is a delicious (and yet simple to make) recipe you could try out on Mothers Day (courtesy of Janet) :

STICKY CHICKEN (serves 4 - 6)

Ingredients:
1.5 kgs chicken pieces
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of water
½ cup of chutney
¼ cup of apricot jam
2 teaspoons of fresh garlic
1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger
1 packet of Brown Onion soup

Method:
Remove the skin and all visible fat from the chicken pieces except the wings.
Rinse the pieces and place in an oven proof dish in a single layer
Mix together the mayonnaise, water, chutney, apricot jam, garlic, ginger and brown onion soup in a mixing bowl and pour the mixture over the chicken.
Bake for 1¼ - 1½ hours in an oven at 180°C
About 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, switch the grill on to get the chicken brown and firm.

Serving suggestion : Goes well with Basmati rice and oven roasted vegetables (roasted with sprigs of rosemary and whole garlic cloves) drizzled with olive oil and salt and pepper to taste..

NB. This dish contains jam and chutney which have a high sugar content, so it is best you check the progress every 20 – 30 minutes to ensure that it is not burning.

Enjoy it !! – any feedback / comments would be welcomed.

To all the mothers reading this post, "HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !!!" for Sunday 13th May.