As Mother's Day approaches, our hearts swell with gratitude and appreciation for the women who have shaped us in profound ways. Among the myriad of memories we hold dear, perhaps none are as cherished as those spent in the kitchen, where the aroma of home-cooked meals intertwines with the warmth of a mother's love. Food, more than mere sustenance, serves as a conduit for connection, a way to pass down family heritage, and an expression of the bond between mother and child.
In countless households around the world, the kitchen becomes a sacred space, where generations converge to share stories, laughter, and of course, delicious recipes. From the sizzle of frying pans to the gentle hum of the oven, every sound echoes with the memories of mothers who have lovingly prepared meals for their families. Whether it's the comforting embrace of a steaming bowl of soup on a chilly evening or the tantalising aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, food has an unparalleled ability to nourish both body and soul.
But beyond its nourishing qualities, food serves as a powerful symbol of love and nurturing, embodying the selfless dedication that defines motherhood. In every carefully crafted dish, there lies a piece of a mother's heart, infused with her love and devotion. It's in the simple act of stirring a pot of soup or kneading dough that mothers impart not just culinary skills, but also invaluable lessons about resilience, creativity, and the importance of nurturing those we hold dear.
This Mother's Day, as we celebrate the remarkable women who have shaped our lives, let us honour the timeless tradition of sharing food and recipes passed down through generations. At Care for Kids, we recognise the profound significance of these culinary legacies, which is why we're delighted to share some heartfelt stories and cherished family recipes from our team members and their mothers.
Jacqui’s (Head of Marketing) Recipe: Green Borscht
1. Sauté 1 x brown onion, 1 x celery stick, 1 x carrot and 1/2 bunch spring onion all finely chopped. (Add a few bay leaves and salt and pepper at this stage)
2. Once sauté is done, add 2 x zucchini, hand full of green beans, a few diced potatoes (can use sweet potato as alt) a kettle full of water and a few stock cubes. (I like to use chicken stock even for this veggie soup) bring to the boil and then simmer until potatoes are cooked
3. Wash a whole bunch of spinach including stalks (if you can get an organic bunch is best) and add to the pot with remainder of spring onion bunch diced and 1/2 bunch dill chopped. Cook for about 5 mins until spinach is soft. Check seasoning at this point
4. With a high flame quickly crack (1 at a time) 2 or 3 eggs into the soup - use a fork to scramble them in the liquid. Should get the streaky egg. Then turn heat off.
5. Add squeeze of lemon and, if you feel like going full the full Russian, a dollop of sour cream to serve.
Tegan’s (Customer Success Manager) Recipe: Thai Omelette (Kai Jeow)
Tegan’s mum doesn’t usually follow specific recipes, and has tried to teach Tegan many times to make dishes without much success! This Thai omelette is super easy and tasty, perfect for even the most unskilled of chefs!
You can make it really simply with just eggs and fish sauce (use soy sauce if you don’t like fish) or add some additions like spring onions, minced pork, minced prawns, crabmeat, diced onion, diced tomato, chopped chillies, garlic or basil leaves.
1. Take one spring onion and remove the root. Then, finely chop the rest and set aside.
2. Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. Crack an egg into a bowl. Add the chopped green onion, ½ teaspoon of fish sauce and beat together with a fork.
4. Check if the oil is hot enough. It should be lightly smoking hot. You could test by dipping a chopstick into the egg mixture and then into the oil. If it sizzles, that means it's ready. You can then pour the egg mixture into the centre of the pan and fry for about 1 minute or until golden. If you're not sure, use a spatula to lift one edge up to see.
5. Once one side is golden and the egg mixture holds together, flip the egg with a spatula and fry the other side for another minute or until golden. Then, turn off the heat and serve.
Georga’s (Project & Campaign Manager) recipe : Boiled Chocolate Cake
For as long as Georga can remember, her mum has made this cake for every birthday, celebration or just because. It’s delicious and moist and so easy to prepare.
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter
4 heaped tbsp cocoa
3 cups white sugar
2 cups water
1 cup desiccated coconut
4 well beaten eggs
3 cups self-raising flout
1 heaped tsp bi-carb soda
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a 27cm round cake tin.
- Place the butter, cocoa, sugar, water and coconut into a saucepan and gently bring to the boil. Allow to cool.
- Add eggs, flour and bi-carb soda and mix together well.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Tyla’s (Sales Manager) recipe: Self Saucing Fudge Pudding
Ingredients
1 cup self raising flour
Pinch of salt
¾ cup white sugar
⅓ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
60g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup water
3 tsp coffee powder
Method
- Sift flour, salt, white sugar and 2 tablespoons of the cocoa into a 2-litre casserole or souffle dish. Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla essence. Mix well, scrape down from sides of the dish and level the top.
- Sift brown sugar and remaining cocoa over the top of the pudding mixture.
- Combine water and coffee powder and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Pour carefully over the pudding.
- Microwave the pudding on high for 8-10 minutes or until the pudding rises up through the sauce.
Kate’s (Customer Success Support) recipe: Carrot Cake
Some of Kate’s favourite memories are of sitting at the kitchen bench watching her mum bake this delicious cake and licking the bowl at the end!
Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
¾ cup cooking oil
½ tsp salt
1 & ⅓ tsp baking powder
1 & ⅓ cups plain flour
1 & ⅓ tsp bicarbonate soda
1 & ⅓ tsp cinnamon
2 cups grated, raw carrot
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
- Grease a 25cm square cake tin. Preheat oven to 150C.
- Beat eggs and sugar until frothy.
- Add oil then stir in sifted dry ingredients and lastly fold in carrot, nuts (if using) and vanilla.
- Bake for one hour.
- Allow to cool, then ice as per the below.
Icing
Combine 125 grams of cream cheese with 250 grams of icing sugar, 3 tbsp of butter and 1 tsp of vanilla.
