My gift to you today is a recipe, passed along from my mother, who made this dish for me on every birthday going back some undisclosed number of years. The paper on which it is written has turned as brown as parchment from 1800, so it was about time that I archived it anyway.

Broccoli Casserole
1 onion
1/2 stick butter
1 can drained mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 garlic cheese roll
3 10-oz packages of broccoli

Sautee onions in butter; add mushrooms, soup, and cheese. Stir until smooth. Cook broccoli, drain, and transfer to a casserole dish. Pour sauce over over broccoli and bake 20 minutes at 350.

I’m glad to have my mom nearby, and will enjoy spending some time with her today. Of course, since my kids are chinese-food fanatics (and neither Mom nor I really care what or where we eat), we’ll go to China Wok simply because it’s easier to carry on a conversation when the kids are full and happy.

Life is fragile and fleeting; if your mother is living, take time for her today. And if she’s gone, do something today that would make her happy… it’s bound to make the world a better place.