Mom’s Best Meal

By Nancy Holland, Morgan Hill, California

When I was growing up, I loved to watch my mom, LaVaun McMahon, cook. Mom made healthy, delicious dinners every night for my dad, younger brother, two older sisters and me. She served well-balanced meals…with something from every food group on the table. One of our favorite meals included Cheeseburger Buns, Dill Pickle Potato Salad, Cauliflower Olive Salad and Custard Meringue Pie.

Mom came up with the Cheeseburger Buns recipe after my dad, Ray, told her about the great meal they’d served in the school cafeteria (he’s a teacher). So she made her yummy yeast rolls and stuffed them with meat and cheese. Her Dill Pickle Potato Salad is legendary in our family. Mom flavors the salad with her homemade pickles, and because she doesn’t care for sweet dressings, she coats it with a mixture of mayonnaise, mustard and dill pickle juice.

Cauliflower Olive Salad, full of fresh veggies and tossed with a tangy dressing, is a recipe a neighbor shared with my mother. This salad just gets better the longer it sits! Mom’s Aunt Emily used to make Custard Meringue Pie, which she called Zuider Zee, at Christmastime. It’s so scrumptious that we enjoy it year-round.

I hope that you’ll enjoy my mom’s dishes as much as we do!