One-word meme.

Answer each of 34 items with one word.

( 34 items, not short, so I cut )

Mothers

Tomorrow is Mother's Day. I'm thinking a lot the last couple days about mothers and motherhood. My Grandma Bernice died when Mom was only four - and Mom missed her all her life, I know. My Grandma Ruth died when I was four. I remember her only barely, only vaguely, but I do remember her. My Grandma Evelyn, my mother's step-mother, was the one Grandmother I had all through my childhood - she lived until I was out of college. And I miss her most of all the three; I remember her best of all, and she was a wonderful lady. I imagine Bernice and Ruth were too, each in their own ways, but I never got to know them as much, as directly.

My mother died only a year after her step-mother, and I miss *her* terribly, as one does. She was wonderful; she was my mother; she was perfect, even as she was imperfect.

And now I am a mother myself, which she didn't live to see, and I wish I could nod and say how right she was in several ways. She wished I would have one just like myself, and I came close - Drew's awfully close to that - and oh my do I sometimes sound like her. And understand why she did.

Now, if only I could cook half so well....

...the boys would still refuse to eat half of it, but *I* would have a better dinner. LOL.

Two dip recipes

Why? Because I'm lazy and I can.

Sweet Yam Dip

I'm not sure this even qualifies. Bake a big yam in the oven at 425 for about 45 minutes - until it's soft, whatever that takes. (Scrub and pierce it first.) Strip the skin off. Puree it - if it's soft enough, you may be able to just mash it with a fork. Add 1-2 TBS maple syrup and a dash or two of cinnamon. Mix well.

Spicy Sweet Potato Dip

Bake a big sweet potato in the oven at 425 for about 45-60 minutes, until it's soft. (Scrub and pierce IT first, too.) Strip the skin off. Puree it. Add 1/3 cup nut or seed butter (I used sunflower seed butter, but the original recipe was for almond butter), a clove of garlic, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and cayenne pepper, and a squirt or two of lemon juice. Blend well. The original recipe also called for "salt to taste" but I didn't think it needed any in this case.