If I may brag a bit…say hello to my nephew Christopher, who is following in his fine mother’s (and my sweet younger sister) Tricia’s footsteps and is learning to cook! Here’s his first dish, and it’s no surprise that it’s salsa. Christopher and his big brother Sal love Mexican food, and he decided to learn how to make the salsa he enjoys when they go out to dinner! Neat surprise for the family and even better for Auntie Ann who can’t wait to see them all this summer to have him teach me his secrets in the kitchen.

What will you and your kids be doing in the kitchen to surprise Mom for Mother’s Day? I’d love to hear about your family traditions, and if you’d like to share some recipes that would be great. One of my favorite websites has this incredibly rich and delicious recipe for Banana Bread that would be a great dish to surprise Mom with for brunch on Sunday; check it out! Please let me know what you think, and I would especially like to know how you might tweak the recipe to lighten it up, or make it even more decadent!

Get the Banana Bread recipe here.

This weekend, I’ll have an interview with Lauren Chattman, the author of “Bread Making; Crafting the Perfect Loaf From Crumb to Crust.” If baking your own bread feels intimidating, or just too much work, think again! This is one of the ultimate how-to’s when it comes to learning how to fill your home with the aroma of freshly baked bread, with recipes I especially enjoy for my bread maker.  And for all our Moms, we’ll have the chance for you to win your very own copy of Lauren’s book too. Send me your favorite Mother’s Day memory to 949comments@coxtampa.com and we’ll select one at random to win this wonderful book.

Thanks for stopping by Kelly’s Kitchen!


Ann Kelly