Growing up we never had much fanfare on mother’s day; my mother would say that all she really wanted was to “just be together.” As we did with most holidays, we would sit around the table, while my grandmother and great-grandmother recounted family tales, drive each other slightly crazy, but most of all meticulously talk through the process of how each dish was (or should have been) prepared.

I grew up surrounded by three generations of wise women, and it wasn’t until I started losing each of them that I realized just how truly lucky I was to be able to “just be together” for all of those meals. For the last several years, as mother’s day has arrived, I’ve thought back to those feasts with a heavy heart.  

This year, my first year as a mother myself, I wasn’t sure how the day would feel. For the last few years I’ve opted to turn off social media and pull back from the day.  And yet, as the day came closer, I heard myself say to my husband that all I wanted was to “just be together.” He planned out a brilliant day that allowed me to sleep in (ok, I didn’t need to be together first thing in the morning — I was happy for that extra bit of sleep), eat a brunch of eggs benedict, take our little guy on his first hike, and be treated to a home made meal by my father.

Today, as we walked through the woods, I was thinking about the mother I hope I can be for my son and the partner I can be to my husband. I hope that I’m able to live up to the high standards set before me by my mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Today reminded me that this day is not just about the mothers that sat around our tables tonight but those that we’ve sat with throughout our lives.

This dish is the last of our jalapeno adventures! Many of you suggested we make jalapeno poppers and I was surprised how easy they were! I actually made them in our toaster oven and will definitely make this next time we have a party (though that could be a while….).