Happy Birthday Mom

*awww, what a cutie : )
Today ma mere celebrated a modestly middle-aged birthday by working a twelve hour day-shift on the Labor and Delivery ward at Burnaby General Hospital. I spoke to her on the phone before she came home and she confessed that there had been few patients and that the excitement of her shift might be compared to watching paint dry. She missed all of her loved-one's phone calls (including her mom from Hawaii and Trilby from Portugal), and she missed her only sister stopping by to bring her flowers and a birthday card!
So I set to work, frantically attempting to salvage her day by doing something special for her when she came home. I called her at work notifying her that she shouldn't eat dinner as we were going to share a meal with her when she got home (something that never happens when she works days). Rooting through the freezer I found a beautiful slab of once fresh, Atlantic salmon, the beginnings of a glorious five star meal. After a painfully slow cold-water defrost, I had collected everything I would need for garnish, but still did not have a sauce! After pouring through several recipe books I arrived at a basic alfredo sauce with which there was room for improvement. I ran out, grabbed some parmesan cheese and cream, and was set to go to work.
I chopped my dill, sliced my lemon, threw them on the salmon, drizzled it with lemon juice and popped her into the toasty barbeque. As that was nearing completion I mixed and heated my creamy alfredo sauce, grilling a couple skewers of garlic marinated shrimp to toss into the mix. Arranging some parsley and orange slices on her China plates (for special occasions only) I prepared them to accent the coming feast.
With the salmon finished, I cut it into large portions, placed them on the garnished plates and covered them with my succulent, shrimp-alfredo sauce, poured the sparkling pear juice into crystal glasses and, after thanking the Lord for such a spread and such a mother, we delighted our long tortured taste-buds.
Just when everyone thought it was over, I reached into the oven and pulled out a cranberry, apple and brie filled puff pastry for dessert. It was divine. Then I cleaned it all up… I think she enjoyed that part even more : ).
So mom, if you’re out there: I love you.