If, just once a day, we all took the opportunity to give thanks to the person who carried us for nine months, perhaps the world would be a better place. Taking the time to call or email Mom, is something we should all do for the woman who laboured, nurtured and protected us as we were growing up. And the care doesn’t usually stop once we’re adults - moms seem to never cease to mother us!

Moms really do make the world go round. Especially when they wear so many hats – Family Chef, Career Woman, Boss of Bedtime (and sometimes, Dad), Diarist of Tooth Fairy and Pal of Father Christmas… The list is endless.

But the world certainly isn’t an ideal place so if you can’t manage to see your mom every day, or make that call you’d been meaning to get round to, then Mother’s Day is your opportunity to make up for the debt.

There are many versions of how today’s Mother’s Day, falling on the second Sunday of May, came to be. Most involve different histories from across the pond. Commemorating Mom goes back to ancient times when the Greeks and Romans celebrated the female goddesses during a ceremony in the Northern Hemisphere spring. Fast forward a few centuries and the Early Christians celebrated the Virgin Mary on the fourth Sunday after Lent, which later became known as Mothering Sunday.

In the 1600s it was the English who took Mothering Sunday further (they are the ones that call their monarch the Queen Mother after all) by introducing a custom that honoured all mothers after the Sunday church service on the fourth Sunday after Lent. Young children would gift their mothers with flowers, trinkets and almond cake, which is the genesis of how our contemporary version of Mother’s Day came to be.

Today we celebrate in all manner of ways, whether it’s bringing Mom breakfast in bed, or taking her out for lunch, or cooking a splendid family meal.

Speaking of which, at this year’s Good Food and Wine Show (GF&WS), celebrated mother, author, cook and TV star, Sarah Graham will be making an appearance. She’ll be sharing her passion for cooking for the family, eating well and living well, too! Her recent book, Wholesome, is a must-have for any mom who enjoys cooking but is also passionate about her family’s health, and makes for great gift option for Mother’s Day.

We spoke to Sarah about her new book, and snooped her top tips on how to cook for the whole family and how she’ll be spending Mother’s Day.

GF&WS: What is the message you want to get across in your new book, Wholesome?

Sarah Graham (SG): Unless we sit up, take note, educate ourselves and take action, we’ll remain in the quagmire of bad eating and as a consequence, ill health. We’ll be cheated out of living our best lives and being our best selves. Why wouldn’t we want to swap out very mediocre ingredients for amazing, health-boosting ones and live well?
GF&WS: How will you be celebrating Mother's Day on 14 May?

SG: My husband, Rob, and I will be in Italy celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary together so our girls will be having a ‘grandmother’s day’ at home with granny and grandpa.

GF&WS: How do you cook healthy nutritious meals for the whole family?

SG: It’s a challenge, but I think one of the key things is not to get overwhelmed. I have a six-year-old who eats everything from lentils to barley and all kinds of interesting things in between, and I have a three-year-old who eats pasta (‘no sauce please, Mum!’), bread, plain yoghurt and chocolate digestives. It leaves me wanting to tear my hair out sometimes! I just keep reintroducing them to simple new things as often as I can, and batch cooking is especially helpful and important in our home. Cook once, eat twice is my motto.

GF&WS: What would be your dream Mother’s Day meal?

SG: I am obsessed with Italian food, so it will be magical to be eating pasta in Italy this time round, but I will miss our girls madly. If I were going to be at home with them, we would probably have a simple roast chicken with lots of gravy and delicious veg – it’s one of the world’s perfect meals.

GF&WS: Thanks, Sarah!

MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL OFFER!

To help you celebrate Mother’s Day and in honour of mothers everywhere, we’ve put together an extra special Mother’s Day gift idea, valid for a limited time only - until 14 May, of course!

This Mother’s Day, spoil your mother by gifting her with a not-to-be-missed VIP experience at the Good Food & Wine Show. If you buy two tickets for the Chefs Open Theatre VIP Experience, you’ll get the second ticket at a 50% discount! With this unique and special gift, you and your mum will have the opportunity to meet acclaimed chef @MarcoPierreWhite or @JanHendrikFood and taste their delicious food!

The Chefs Open Theatre VIP Experience includes a front row seat in the theatre, a welcome drink and food tasting in the VIP Lounge, where you will also get to meet the chef in person and have your complimentary recipe book signed! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get up close and personal with headline chef Marco Pierre White or Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen. The Chefs Open Theatre VIP Experience also includes a standard entrance ticket to the GF&WS and parking on the day.

To qualify for this special deal, buy your tickets for Chefs Open Theatre VIP Experience with either Marco Pierre White or Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen BEFORE the end of Mother’s Day, Sunday 14 May 2017. Tickets for this unbelievable Mother’s Day special offer are available for a limited time only at Computicket. T’s & C’s apply.