Tea Time for Mom

Once upon a time women were told their purpose in life was to find a good husband, have children and that was it. If you have reached these goals, then you have reached your full potential. Don’t get me wrong, I think a call to being a wife and mother are admirable.

I am no expert, but I think as the world began to open up, women resented being seen as the little women of the house. And rightfully so. Running a house successfully is not easy. Along came women’s lib. It’s no secret that I think women’s lib did a disservice to women. We didn’t need to be freed from the bondage impossed by the roles of wife and mother. What we needed was to be appreciated, and to be recognized for the many contributions these roles have made to better the world. Instead there was a movement in this country, and in many other parts of the world, that made women feel ashamed if they did not seek a career outside the home, and strive to one day be president of a massive corporation or the most sought after attorney or whatever else seemed prestigious as a ultimate purpose for our existance.

While this is a blanketed statement and does not apple to every man and every women on the planet, we are different, with different talents, different skill sets. That is not a reflection on intelligence. It’s more an observation on how men and women are hard-wired. Both emotionally and physically we are different. These differences were designed to compliment one another. Two sides to the same coin.

Every human being on the planet has two things in common – a mother and a father. Mother’s Day is a day set aside to show appreciation toward the importance of motherhood. While it takes a man and a woman to conceive life, it is a women who has been blessed with nurturing that growing life within her. That is something a man will never know. Motherhood is a beautiful calling. Children are gifts from above.

Of late there has been a growing movement recognizing the importance of marriage and family in society. I for one am glad.

Happy Mother’s Day

BLT Tea Sandwiches
4 slices Bacon
8 Green Leaf Lettuce Leaves
1 Roma Tomatoes
16 slices Sandwich Bread
Mayonnaise as needed

Cut bacon into 4 pieces. Fry until crisp, drain on paper powers and set aside.

With a round cutter about 2-inches round cut 2 rounds from each lettuce leaf. Trim ends of tomato, then remaining tomato into 2 rounds each. Cut rounds from each slice of bread.

Place all the bread rounds on a work surface. Spread a little mayonnaise on each round. Top with a lettuce round, a tomato round and pieces of bacon. Close with remaining round of bread, mayo side down.

Garlicky Horseradish Roast Beef Canapés
4 tablespoons Butter
4 Garlic Cloves
1 small Baguette
2 tablespoons Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Prepared Horseradish
1/2 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
8 oz Deli Roast Beef
Fresh Parsley

Let butter soften. Once soft place in a small bowl. Press garlic over the butter, mix well. Allow mixture to set for about an hour for the flavors to fully blend.

Note: Can refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature before proceeding.

Trim ends from the baguette, then slice remaining bread into 8 rounds. Butter each slice lightly with butter mixture. Place on baking sheet and toast lightly under broiler.

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, horseradish and Dijon mustard; blend well. Place roast beef on each baguette slice. Top each with a small dollop of sour cream mixture. Garnish each with a little snip of parsley. Arrange on serving platter.

Dill Egg Salad Sandwiches
4 Eggs
5 Bread and Butter Pickle Chips
1/2 tablespoon juice from pickle jar
2 tablespoons Mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon Yellow Mustard
2 tablespoon Dill
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
8 slices Sandwich Bread

Place eggs in a small saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover pan and let steep for 15 minutes. Plunge eggs into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let eggs cool.

While the eggs boil, pat pickle chips dry on paper towels. Finely dice pickles, place in a bowl. Add juice, mayonnaise and mustard, whisk to blend. Once the eggs are cooled, dice and add to the Deviled Egg dressing. Snip dill, fold into eggs.

Trim crust from bread. Lay four slices of trimmed bread out on a work surface. Divide egg salad between bread slices. Top with remaining bread. Cut each sandwich in half to create 8 triangle sandwiches.

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Finish off this lovely tea-time assortment with some bakery-bought Scones, muffins or breakfast breads. Arrange sweets on a serving platter and enjoy.

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Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.