My Mom - Pinch of Yum
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My Mom

Three people smiling together.

This week I’ve been neglecting my hot little kitchen because… she came! My mom came! To the Philippines! To spend time with me and Bjork at the school, the shelter, and the beach.

It was amazing.

Boat in the ocean water.

Go ahead now. Grab one of Monday’s leftover muffins to snack on because I’m gonna introduce you to my mom.

My mom loves ice cream. Or Mochi, in this case. It’s a scoop of mango ice cream with an edible…dough… casing? I don’t know. It’s really good. If you’ve tried this you just earned one thousand cool points because it’s a super hip way to eat ice cream.

That’s another thing. She’s super hip.

Woman holding Ice Cream.

She watches me fry myself in the hot tropical sun that my skin hasn’t seen for months, and doesn’t nag at me to put on more sunscreen.

Then she tells me afterwards that it looks like I got a little “red”.

I can’t decide if I appreciate that or not.

Sun shining through palm trees.

She likes to linger over French press coffee and buffet breakfasts. I definitely inherited that gene.

Also, she gets along really well with Bjork, which is kind of hard not to do, but still. How fun is it when your two favorite people just like to be together? It’s fun. I love it.

Man and woman eating breakfast.

For dinner, she orders Pad Thai and lets me eat half of it, even though we weren’t splitting.

Menu in black and white.

She is seriously adventurous. Like, WAY more adventurous than me. She would have taken me parasailing in a heartbeat if I had even an ounce of courage for that sort of thing. The most exciting thing she could get Bjork and I to do with her was go snorkeling, which was a stretch considering Bjork’s anxiety towards the sun and my fear of all things that live in the ocean. We were hoping for the slow and easy sunset cruise because we’re 85 years old, but she would have none of it.

Dock over ocean water.

Naturally, because the ocean is such a dangerous place and everything that lives in it is scary, we got stung by jellyfish.

She stayed calm, because she is a good mom and a brave person. I did not. I did freak out and imagine us all dying in the middle of the Philippine ocean. I’m pretty sure that is my dad’s gene.

Jelly Sting on an arm.

There are just no words to say how great it was to be with her this week. I love hanging out with my mom and it was really, really hard to see her go home. Ouch.

I guess that means we had a really, really good time.

Mother and daughter sitting at a table.

Thanks for coming, Mom! Come back soon! 🙂

Filed Under: Living Abroad

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34 Comments

  1. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Lindsay, this is exactly the kind of reflection that I’d like for my daughter to write about our relationship, someday. Thanks for reminding me of the “long view” of motherhood.
    p.s. I am doing my bi-monthly freezer cooking again, today. It rocks!!!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Do you think those would travel well? I could use some freezer meals. Although my freezer is roughly the size of a shoebox. Nevermind.

  2. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your mom is so cute and oh man your photos make me want to come to the Phillipines. It’s on my top ten list! 🙂 Also, great job to you guys for starting the food blogger workshop thing — what a great idea. I am very inspired by your ambition. Thanks for always providing great recipes and doing it from such an amazing place where you are doing so much good work.

  3. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your Mom sounds amazing! How special that she came out to spend some quality time with you guys and pushed you out of your comfort zone. Wonderful post!

  4. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Aw, looks like a wonderful trip for your mom!!

    I LOVE mochi ice cream…we live in Hawaii where it’s very popular. Mango is one of my favorites 🙂 There’s a really cute ice cream shop that specializes in mochi ice cream so they have all kinds of interesting flavors and combinations…peanut butter ice cream inside a chocolate mochi, lychee ice cream, azuki bean (sweet red bean) ice cream…they’re so yummy!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      That makes me so happy that you know Mochi! We love it! I’ve seen an avocado one here – I’m dying to try it, but I have a hard time straying from Cookie Dough…

  5. Pinch of Yum Logo

    How fun! It snowed here (Utah) yesterday and today… Six inches or so, so that Sun and water looks amazing!! Looks like you guys had a blast. Moms are cool like that. My mom does the same kind of things yours does. Love it!

  6. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Thank you so much for sharing…and giving us a peek into your relationship. I love my adult daughter in such a fierce way too….that I cannot even imagine how your poor mama felt leaving you after a wonderful time together. She was probably brave and courageous, but on the inside she most likely wanted to cuddle up her sweet baby girl! You are doing great work…and you are trusting the journey! Stay strong sister! And be über grateful for a relationship like that with your mother. Blessings to you all!

  7. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your mom looks so much like you, I’m so glad for all of you you had her around! I’m sure she was glad to see you two sell and settled!

  8. Pinch of Yum Logo

    You have been initiated into Philippine-dom due your jellyfish stings! The thing you really have to look our for are the sea urchins. If you do step on them, get Bjork to pee on the affected area and the spikes will come off easily, or you probably know about that by now? Oh I hope this doesn’t scare you off the sea even more!

    Thank you for sharing the happy times with your mom. Your sea photos remind me even more how much we miss the beaches in the Philippines.

      1. Pinch of Yum Logo

        Sea urchins are delicious! And as are sea cucumbers! Costs a pretty penny here in Manila though!

        Why don’t you make mochi ice cream at home? =)

  9. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Sob 🙁 🙁 🙁 I’d like to read her version of leaving. The long plane ride back, looking out the window with sadness. What a sweet, sweet tribute.

  10. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I’ve been stung by a jellyfish before. It hurts A LOT! It’s nice to see what the Philippines looks like.

  11. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Your pictures makes me wanna go home to the Philippines for the Holidays…

    Good pictures…happy family…

  12. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Awww! This was wonderful and sad all at the same time… My mom lives on the other side of THIS country and I get sad about it! I should be counting my blessings really 🙂 I like your mom too now!

    1. Pinch of Yum Logo

      Haha – thanks Melissa! 🙂 I would be sad about that, too. We are lucky that when we are in Minnesota, we are only just about an hour drive apart!

  13. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Ouch that sting looks painful…I bet that hurt like a mofo…glad to see you had a great time with your mom!

  14. Pinch of Yum Logo

    I am soooo glad Mary was able to visit you!!! Looks like you two had a blast together! Sorry about the jellyfish sting! Ouch!

  15. Pinch of Yum Logo

    oh what a sweet post…the last picture of you & your mom is great – what a blessing she was able to come visit…bummer about the jellyfish though – yikes. I would be on the freakin out end too.

  16. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Have made a few of your recipes and they were amazing! You do a wonderful job on your blog. Love your photography!! I find it very ironic that you live on a tropical island and you are afraid of the ocean and your husband doesn’t enjoy the sun. That is just crazy! :o)

  17. Pinch of Yum Logo

    Wow! You are so lucky! I’ve been in Japan for 12 years without a single family member or friend ever visiting. I’m also from the Midwest. My dad has made a few trips to the Phillipines because his wife is from there, so perhaps one day he can make a detour this way. I have doubts that my mom will ever visit. She’s never been on a plane and can’t even stand the “crowds” of the cornbelt. Man, if only I had enough time to blog like you… But I can’t even keep up with facebook so I quit a while back. Anyways, thanks for the cookie recipe!