A mother's day picnic: give mom a happy—and healthy—holiday

In researching Mother's Day, I found that it originated in ancient Greece and Rome. Their "mother's day"--a festival honoring the Roman goddess Magna Mater, the great mother whose origin dates back to 250 BCE--was held in mid-March.

Mother's Day in the United States started in Max of 1907, when Anne Jarvis of Philadelphia held a special church service honoring the anniversary of her mother's death. This event was so well received that the word spread, and in 1914 President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Mother's Day a national holiday.

In America, we like to give moms the day off. We send them candy and flowers and take them out for brunch, lunch or dinner. For this Mother's Day treat, I thought it would be fun to welcome spring with a picnic in the park or in a nice sunny spot by the window. All of these recipes can be made the day before, so you can enjoy free meal with Mom. Have the kids help, and Mom will love it even more.

Garden Fresh Gazpacho

SERVES 4

This "no cook" soup is easy to
make. The crunch of the sweet
spring vegetables lets you know
that summer is just around the corner.
Mom will thank you for this
gazpacho: It's loaded with vitamins
(such as C found in the peppers),
garlic to protect against stomach
cancer and celery to help cleanse
the digestive tract.

  2 cups tomato or vegetable juice
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced yellow bell pepper
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil
  1 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
  1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  1 tsp. minced garlic

Mix all ingredients together in a
stainless steel bowl. Chill overnight.
Remove and taste. Adjust seasonings
if needed. Keep chilled until
ready to serve.

PER SERVING: 46 CAL; 1.6C PROT; 0.3G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 11G CARB; 0MG; CHOL;
676MG SOD; 2.3G FIBER; 0G SUGARS

Creamy Caraway Coleslaw

SERVES  4

The caraway gives this coleslaw
a nice twist. Perfect for a picnic.
Cabbage is a good source of both
soluble and insoluble fiber. Enjoy!

  2 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
  1 Tbs. caraway seeds
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
  1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  1 tsp. seasoning salt
  1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
  2 Tbs. pineapple juice
  2 Tbs. demerara sugar or brown sugar

Mix all ingredients in a stainless
steel bowl. Chill for at least 1 hour.
Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed.
Keep chilled until ready to serve.

PER SERVICE: 243 CAL 2G PROT; 17G TOTAL
FAT (3.3G SAT. FAT); 23G; CARB; 17MG CHOL;
687MG SOD: 2G FIBER 12G SUGARS

Organic Couscous with
Asparagus and Lime

SERVES 4

Couscous is a mini pasta. This
whole-grain version with asparagus
and lime is both high in vitamin C
and full of antioxidant power.

1/2 lb. asparagus
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup whole-grain couscous
  1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup diced onions
  2 Tbs. virgin olive oil
  2 oz. fresh lime juice
1/4 lb. grape tomatoes
1/4 tsp. black pepper

1. Cut asparagus into 1-inch lengths.
Heat vegetable broth in a medium
saucepot over high heat.

2. While broth is heating, place
couscous in a large stainless steel
mixing bowl. Once broth comes to a
boil, pour it into howl with couscous,
and mix thoroughly. Cover
bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside.

3. Add 4 cups of water to medium
saucepot, and bring to a boil. Add
1/2 tsp. of salt, asparagus and onions.
Cook for 2 minutes.

4. Remove from heat, drain water,
and rinse onions and asparagus
with cold water. Add asparagus and
onions to couscous mixture.

5. Add rest of salt and remaining
ingredients to couscous. Mix
well. Taste, and adjust salt and
pepper if needed. Chill for at
least 1 hour. Keep chilled until
ready to serve.

PER SERVING: 150 CAL; 3.7G PROT; 7.3G TOTAL
FAT  (1G SAT. FAT); 19G GARB; 0.3MG CHOL;
848MG SOD; 2G FIBER; 1.8G SUGARS

Grilled Chicken Salad

SERVES 4

The grilled chicken gives this dish
a nice smoky flavor. Carrots, full of
vitamin A and beta-carotene, add a
nice sweetness to the salad.

  1 lb. chicken breasts
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup diced onions
  4 Tbs. julienned fresh basil
  2 Tbs. sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
  1 tsp. seasoning salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. hot pepper sauce
  4 whole wheat pita breads or focaccia

1. Grill chicken breasts, and cut
into 1/2-inch cubes.

2. Transfer chicken to a large
stainless steel bowl, and add all
remaining ingredients. Let stand a
few minutes, and adjust seasonings
to taste.

3. Stuff salad into whole wheat pita
breads, or serve over focaccia.

PER SERVING: 157 CAL; 5G PROT; 11.25G
TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 10G CARB; 21.6MG
CHOL; 579MG SOD; 0.7G FIBER; 3G SUGARS

Rhubarb Raspberry Crisp

SERVES 8

The tartness of the rhubarb sweetened
by the raspberry and sugar
makes the perfect ending to this
fine family picnic. When working
with rhubarb, use only the stalk--the
roots and leaves are not edible.
The raspberries in this dish are a
great source of fiber and are high
in vitamin C.

  3 cups diced rhubarb
  2 cups raspberries
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
  1 tsp. mace
  1 tsp. vanilla extract
  2 oz. apple juice
  2 Tbs. cornstarch
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Put rhubarb, raspberries, brown
sugar, salt, mace and vanilla in a
large mixing bowl. Mix well.

3. Pour apple juice in a glass, and
dissolve the cornstarch in it. Once
dissolved, add to fruit mixture, and
mix well.

4. Spray an 8x10-inch baking dish
with cooking spray, and pour in
fruit mixture.

5. Mix flour and sugar in a small
mixing bowl. Cut butter into pea-sized
pieces, and mix into flour
until it resembles course crumbs.
Sprinkle over fruit mixture.

6. Bake 45 minutes, or until fruit is
soft and bubbling and top is golden
brown. Remove from oven, and
keep at room temperature.

PER SERVING: 235 CAL; 2G PROT; 6.2G TOTAL
FAT (3.7G SAT. FAT); 44G CARB; 15.25MG
CHOL; 157MG SOD; 3.2G FIBER; 28G SUGARS