Last Minute Mother's Day Ideas

Despite Mothering Sunday in the UK falling the same weekend every year (it’s the fourth Sunday of Lent and three weeks before Easter for those that didn’t know!), it always seems to slip our minds and we end up ordering the same bunch of flowers year on year.

With a few days to go, here’s some novel ideas for a last-minute treat for Mum from the Lotus UK clients…

MAKE MUM A FINN FOR THE DAY

Give mum a new Finnish identity for the day by calling her the name she would be given if she was a Finn, thanks to the Finngenerator. Simply type in mum’s name into the online application on the Visit Finland website and the Finngenerator will reveal her Finnish equivalent. Address your card to Kielo Puro (meaning Lily of the Valley, or Bridget), ice a cake with Hilla Lahti (Cloudberry Bay, or Jane), or send flowers to Varpu Ahtisaari (A small berry shrub on the island of the god of water, or Christine).  There’s lots of fun to be had with the Finngenerator.

Find out mum’s Finnish name here: http://www.visitfinland.com/campaigns/finngenerator/public/en/

TREAT MUM LIKE THE QUEEN

St. James’s Hotel and Club puts on a particularly special spread between 3pm and 5.30pm with its traditional afternoon tea offering. The Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) property is located just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace, so Mum will feel like the Queen as she tucks into wafer thin sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam, and a selection of cakes and pastries. Prepared by the hotel’s Michelin star chef, William Drabble, the stylish and peaceful surroundings of the London retreat provide the perfect place for Mum to wind down.

For more information on St. James's Hotel and Club, see http://www.slh.com/hotels/st-james-hotel-and-club/

GIVE MUM A FOODIE GIFT FROM LIGURIA

One for the culinary inclined mothers…buy her some of Liguria’s finest extra virgin olive oil. Belazu olive oil is Ligurian (available from all supermarkets) and is perfect for cooking or for drizzling over a salad. The Italian region of Liguria in north-west Italy is a huge olive oil producer with an olive tradition dating back many centuries. The groves were first cultivated by the Romans and, after the fall of the empire, the monastic orders continued the tradition of tending the olive groves, which need constant care. Olives with history!

For more gift inspiration from Liguria, see http://www.turismoinliguria.it/en 

COOK MUM A DELICIOUS MEAL

What better way to say ‘Thank you’ than by cooking her a delicious meal on Mother’s Day. This fabulous puff pastry pie made with wild Alaska salmon tastes sensational, looks spectacular, and is surprisingly easy to make.

Serves: 4; Preparation time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1 x 418g or 2 x 213g cans red or pink wild Alaska salmon, 2 eggs, 40g butter, 40g plain flour, 300ml milk + 4 tbsp, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, 500g pack ready-to-use puff pastry, thawed if frozen, Beaten egg or milk, to glaze

Method:

• Drain the can of salmon, reserving two tablespoons of the liquid. Remove any skin and bones, if wished, and break the salmon into large chunks. Set aside
• Hard-boil the eggs – they will take 12 minutes to cook. Cool in cold water, then shell and chop them
• Meanwhile, make the sauce using this easy, all-in-one method. Simply put the butter, flour and 300ml (½ pint) milk into a non-stick saucepan and heat, stirring constantly with a small whisk, until the sauce is smooth and very thick. Stir in the remaining four tablespoons of cold milk and the reserved salmon liquid to help cool the sauce quickly. Gently stir in the salmon chunks, chopped egg and parsley. Season
• Preheat the oven to 220°C / fan oven 200°C / Gas Mark 6. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle measuring approx. 35cm (14 inches) square, trimming the edges with a sharp knife. Lift the pastry onto a lightly greased baking sheet, then spoon the cooled sauce into the centre
• Brush the edges of the pastry with beaten egg or milk, then bring together the opposite corners to the middle to make an envelope, pressing them together to seal. Brush the pastry with egg or milk, to glaze. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown. Cool for five minutes, then serve

For more recipe ideas with seafood from Alaska, visit: http://www.wildalaskaflavor.com/