Depending on the weather forecast, you might want to honor mum with an outdoor feast this Sunday. Just make sure she sits back, relaxes, and has absolutely nothing to do with the preparations or cleanup -- just eating the savory meal you have planned and made for her.
Photo © Stephanie Gallagher
We've come up with a list of favorite grill and barbecue recipes from About.com's many chefs and culinary experts. Whether the queen for the day is a vegetarian, seafood lover or a traditional burger gal, there are new recipes and side dishes for a complete feast that will make her proud. And of course she deserves to be pampered and treated with kindness.
One of the reasons I love this time of year is the abundance of garden tours, especially in Southern California. In one direction is Los Angeles, in the other is San Diego, and yet other directions are great tours in historic Riverside or Pasadena.
Where else but a garden tour can you go for inspiration, ideas, light exercise and a general sense of well-being? Throw in a neck and foot massage and a bottomless glass of iced tea (served by George Clooney, natch), and I'd be a happy camper, but that's probably a tad too much to expect from the nice folks who host garden tours. Directions to the nearest non-portable bathroom is usually considered a major coup.
As a Mother's Day weekend present (why celebrate a mere day when you can stretch it into a whole weekend?), why not buy tickets for Mum to see lovely gardens? Better yet, why don't you spend some time with her and accompany her on the tour?
My recommendation is, if you've left it to the last minute, track down a local garden tour near you. Take Mom, your wife, sister, aunt, BFF, companion, SIL, MIL, grandmother, godmother, neighbor, dog shampooer, etc. Buy tickets for this weekend or a future weekend and make plans.
And who knows? George Clooney might be there to serve your lady a tall, cool beverage. In her dreams.
Happy Mother's Day!
Check out our list of Mother's Day gift ideas for outdoor lovin' and livin' gals
Garden photo: Lisa Hallett Taylor
Like anything, people have something to say about swimming pools and swimming. Quotations about swimming pools. But not about the price of building a swimming pool, which most people are interested in.
Still, the list of famous folks who have used swimming and swimming pools as a metaphor for life, Hollywood, challenges or pretty much anything is varied, to say the least. What would you say?
If you found yourself Down Under in Australia or New Zealand at a barbecue, pool party, get-together or other outdoor social event, would you take offense or be confused by some of the natives' expressions? Let's hope not. To take some of the awkwardness away and clear up any misunderstandings, I've compiled a list of expressions with which you might want to familiarize yourself.
Because you just never know when someone is going to throw another shrimp on the barbie or mention the Freemantle doctor or invite you to see the new cubby house. And are they teasing you, or not? Better find out.
