Happy Mothering Sunday

To all the mothers near and far, hope you had a lovely Mothering Sunday surrounded by love of your family. 

From International Women’s Day to Mothering Sunday, it’s been a wonderful week celebrating all the lovely women in our lives. Thank you for unconditional love, support, and guidance. 

Being both American and British, I am lucky to celebrate Mother’s Day twice. In America, Mother’s Day is always observed on the second Sunday of May. Here in the United Kingdom, Mother’s Day changes every year as it follows the Christian calendar. Also known as Mothering Sunday, Mother’s Day always falls on the Fourth Sunday of Lent. As such, Mothering Sunday usually falls in the month of March which is my favourite month and the beginning of spring.

Yesterday, we marked the occasion and celebrated Mother’s Day with a small Sunday roast at home. It’s hard to believe this is the second Mothering Sunday under lockdown restrictions here in London. Restaurants and pubs will remain closed until April when outdoor dining can reopen under the “rule of six”. And so it was meal at home.

Having done every kind of British-style Sunday roast from prime rib, leg of lamb, and turkey during the lockdown, it was time for something different. Inspired by my Italian friend, I opted to make a porchetta served with butter mushroom rice instead of the standard roast potatoes. This fatty cut of boneless pork roast is essentially pork belly lined with bacon and stuffed with toasted fennel, sage, garlic, and rosemary. 

After a big lunch, it was on to another family tradition we started during lockdown. On Sundays we always do a family movie on Disney+.  For Mothering Sunday, it was a choice between two Disney classics: Aladdin or Bambi. Lady Yeya picked Bambi. With her Schleich deer toys, Lady Yeya snuggled up on the sofa with her doting parents and watched Bambi. This classic 1942 Disney movie is perfect for Mothering Sunday, a story about a curious and inquisitive young deer who is guided through the beauty of life by his loving mother. 

I am grateful everyday for the joyful gift of motherhood.