Mother’s Day is a time to celebrate the women who have shaped us—whether they’re our biological mothers or other women in our lives who have nurtured us along the way.
As we gather around the table with friends and family, we often enjoy—and reminisce about—treasured recipes that have been passed down through generations. Maybe it’s your mom’s meatballs, your grandmother’s gumbo or your aunt’s famous cobbler.
Meanwhile, my mom’s style of ‘cooking’ was more of a kitchen pit stop than a culinary production. Growing up, my go-to dinner was a chicken pot pie—frozen—straight from the cardboard box. Every. Single. Night.
Here’s how it went down: My parents separated when I was three years old, and my time was split between the two houses. At dad’s house, it was all about balanced, freshly cooked meals with us sitting together around the table. When I stayed with my mom, though, things were entirely different. She was the ultimate multitasker; efficiency was everything. She’d bustle around, set up my plate and then whisk off to handle the next thing on her to-do list. Dinner for me, work for her. It was a regimented routine that ran like clockwork.
And I loved it. I savored that pot pie as if it were gourmet cuisine. Looking back, I’m pretty sure it was Swanson. My mom’s ‘secret’ to really elevate this masterpiece was to microwave the pot pie first, then pop it under the broiler until the crust turned golden brown. In my 10-year-old mind, that was the finishing touch of perfection.
I loved it so much that in fifth grade, when our teacher announced that we would be creating a class cookbook, I knew exactly what ‘family recipe’ I’d be submitting. The project was meant to help us learn about special dishes passed down through generations—treasured favorites that told a story about our families. I’ve got this covered, I thought. Without consulting mom, I dutifully wrote up our ‘signature’ recipe:
- Buy a frozen chicken pot pie from the store (on the freezer aisle, preferably Swanson).
- Remove it from the cardboard box, place onto a microwave-safe plate and heat for 4-5 minutes on high.
- Pop under the broiler on a sheet pan for a minute or two, until it’s a beautiful golden brown, and serve—preferably with canned mandarin oranges and whole milk.
When the class cookbook was completed—printed and bound for each of us to take home to share with our families—I was thrilled. My mom, on the other hand, was horrified—a smidge of laughter, but mostly horror. It took years for her to fully appreciate the humor of the situation.
In retrospect, it’s priceless. The dish itself wasn’t exactly a paragon of nutrition. A typical 1980s frozen pot pie was laden with processed carbs, sodium, preservatives and who knows what else. Yet for me, it represented comfort and consistency. My mom’s methodical and efficient way of taking care of me—no matter how it might look next to a ‘traditional’ family recipe—was its own form of love.
Over the years, we retold the story countless times, and it never failed to bring tears of laughter. In fact, when my mom passed away in 2017, this chicken pot pie anecdote was one of the highlights I shared in her eulogy. We all needed a moment of levity, and through tears and laughter, we celebrated her evolution from efficient multitasker to someone who later in life discovered all kinds of silliness and learned not to take things so seriously.
Now, as a registered dietitian, I appreciate the contrast. But I also know that health is bigger than what’s on our plates. It’s shaped by the people we share our meals with—and by the memories and traditions we carry with us. My mom taught me discipline, tenacity and how to persevere in some tough situations. And she did it in her own unique way.
So, this Mother’s Day—whether you’re whipping up a time-honored recipe that’s generations old or sliding a tray of something frozen into the oven—remember that, at the end of the day, it’s the love and compassion behind those small, everyday moments that truly nourish us.
Happy Mother’s Day to all those who have given us life, fed us in every sense of the word, and embraced us with their own signature style.
Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD, is a registered dietitian with Ochsner Health and founder of Ochsner’s Eat Fit nonprofit initiative. For more wellness content, tune in to Molly’s podcast, FUELED Wellness + Nutrition, and follow @MollykimballRD and @EatFitOchsner on social media.