Happy Day to Mothers Everywhere!

"An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy."--Rudyard Kipling

     This Mother's Day turned out to be really nice.  My husband and children worked hard to put a wonderful dinner on the table.  Last year he made blackberry crumble with ice cream for dessert.  It was such a big hit that I requested it again this year.  The recipe is from the book Blackberry Crumble by Josi Kilpak.

Blackberry Crumble

(From the book with the same name by Josi Kilpack)

4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries                 ½ cup rolled oats

2 T flour                                                          ½ cup brown sugar

3 T sugar                                                         ½ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup butter                                                    ½ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup flour                                                      1 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix berries, 2 T flour and 3 T sugar together in a large bowl. Spread in an 8x8 pan. In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients; adjust spices to taste. Use a pastry blender to cut ingredients together until pea-sized crumbles form. Sprinkle over the top of the berry mixture. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until crumb topping is browned. Let cool slightly. Serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired.  Serves 6.

Note: You may want to add a little lemon zest to the topping.

     Yesterday, I was able to spend some time with a couple of friends at the HMQS quilt show held at the South Towne Expo Center in Salt Lake City.  The quilts on display were absolutely incredible.  No picture that I take can do any justice to show just how beautiful they were.  My friend, Shelly Dahl, had a quilt on display and won a prize in the Sparkling Star category (or something like that).  The quilt that won Best of Show was created by a woman from Wyoming.  There were quilts from all over the United States exhibited.  Many of them were embellished with tiny swarovoski crystals.

     Mothers are always trying to find ways to improve their lives and get more meaning out of their days.  I just finished a remarkable book.  It is called If Life is a Game, These are the Rules, written by Cherie Carter-Scott.  It's a small, sweet book that is full of valuable information that just might be life altering.  I enjoyed every chapter.  My husband read it first and we've had some very thought provoking conversations since.  I highly recommend it.