By Charity Montieth/managing editor
On a tight budget? Here are gift ideas to make mom feel special without draining your bank account. Even if you aren’t “crafty,” these gifts are simple and inexpensive. Mom will appreciate the smallest gesture, as long as it comes from the heart; that’s why she’s special.
• Instead of a whole bouquet, buy a single stem. Ask your florist or visit www.aboutflowers.com to find out what each type of flower signifies. Attach a note of gratitude mom can keep long after the flower dies.
• Cook mom an elegant breakfast. Recipes like bacon and cheese frittata and strawberry bruschetta (see recipes below) are luxurious entrees, easy to prepare and inexpensive. Pull out the linen napkins and serve on china. And be sure to clean the kitchen afterwards.
• Spend the afternoon with just mom—no kids, boyfriends or even dad. Use this precious time alone to look at photos, reminisce about favorite memories and talk. Help mom with her favorite activities—gardening, scrap booking or baking. The point is just being together.
• Wash mom’s car—inside and out.
• Make homemade bath salts (see recipe below). They’re simple and most materials are found at drugstores.
• Say “I love you” and give mom a hug—without being asked. Make sure mom is the first to let go.
• Make mom’s favorite dessert and present it with a certificate entitling her to homemade dessert for a year.
• Make gift certificates for those tasks mom hates. Some ideas include cleaning the bathroom, shopping for groceries, doing laundry, cleaning the kitchen, putting gas in the car, going to the cleaners.
• If you have younger siblings, give mom an entire day to herself by taking them on an outing to the park.
• Clean out the garage or “that” closet.
• Create a collage of photos you have taken and frame them in an inexpensive frame.
RECIPES
Homemade Bath Salts
What you need:
Epsom salts
Perfume
Glycerin
Food coloring (optional)
A small jar or decorative bag
Pour epsom salts into large bowl. Add about 3 tablespoons of glycerin, about 1 tablespoon of perfume, and stir. Add either red or blue food coloring to tint pink or light blue. Stir. Put into bags or jars. Can be put into cards. Add a note about enjoying a bath using 2 tablespoons of bath salts.
Bacon and Cheese Frittata
5 slices bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
8 large eggs
1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
2/3 cup crumbled goat cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, flipping once, until cooked but not crisp. Drain on a paper towel, then chop into bite-size pieces.
Pour off the bacon fat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 minutes. Let cool.
In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Add the onion, the bacon, the cheeses and the salt and pepper and stir gently. In a 9- or 10- inch ovenproof skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil (swirl the oil to coat the bottom and sides of the skillet). Add the egg mixture and cook over medium-low heat until the sides start to set, about 3 minutes. Bake in the oven until the frittata is firm, 20 to 25 minutes.
Gently run a rubber spatula around the sides of the skillet to loosen the frittata. Place a serving plate over the skillet and carefully flip the pan to release the frittata.
Strawberry Bruschetta
4 thick slices whole-wheat bread
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups sliced or diced hulled strawberries
4 tablespoons cream cheese
Toast bread in a toaster.
Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over high heat. Add sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and cook, stirring, until the sugar melts and the mixture begins to bubble, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add strawberries and stir until juices begin to exude and the berries are heated through, 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese on each piece of toast. Top with the warm berries.
