Mother knows best

Darina Allen has some tips on how to give our mums a well-deserved treat this Mother's Day

Mother's Day is on Sunday, 26 March and every mum looks forward to having a bit of fuss made of her at least once a year. So how about chasing her out of the kitchen? After all, the way to everyone's heart and all that! It doesn't matter if you are not an ace cook – it's the thought that counts.
Breakfast in bed on a pretty tray with a little posy of flowers always gives me an “oops” in my tummy. My mum still speaks fondly of my first attempt to bring her tea in bed.  Years later, I discovered that apparently the kettle hadn't even boiled properly, but she never gave me the slightest hint that the tea wasn't perfect when I arrived in her bedroom beaming from ear to ear.
Breakfast doesn't have to be the full Irish – some freshly squeezed orange juice only takes a few minutes to make and always delights. Blood oranges are in season so seek those out for an extra treat. Better still, why not chill a bottle of sparkling wine or Prosecco and serve a bubbly Buck's Fizz instead.
Scramble a few free-range eggs, add a few cubes of good smoked salmon and pile it high on some hot, buttered toast. If you can't rise to homemade jam or marmalade, then seek out a fresh honeycomb. Or how about lemon curd (see recipe, right) – it's fresh and delicious and literally made in minutes.
If breakfast in bed doesn't fit into your schedule, how about a cake,  a few bikkies or some buns? It doesn't matter what they look like – sticky, misshapen or gooey – they taste delicious to me and I've had my share over the years. When the kids present their “piece de resistance”, I just melt with delight.   So remember, a hand-made treat wins hands-down over bought gifts. You can even have fun piping funny faces, or soppy, irreverent or cheeky messages on top. Add some sparklers for extra drama when the moment comes.
Or perhaps you'd like to treat Mum to an evening off and take her out for a slap-up meal.
Presents are all very fine – a bunch of flowers and some yummy choccies are always welcome – but what really says “I love you” is putting in some real time and effort.
Particularly for those of us with older parents, time is the greatest gift we can give. Nowadays, so many of us have got into the habit – and a habit it can be – of always being busy. There's always something more important than taking an afternoon or a weekend off to spend some special uninterrupted time with our parents who have given us so much. As the years speed by, we can take it for granted that they will always be there, failing to realise that at any moment things can change utterly – an accident, sudden ill-health and we are left with a feeling of regret that we didn't spend more time together.
So lets make this a very special Mothers' Day and even if cooking a special meal is not your scene, you can still give the gift of time.