That's Fit

Today is my very first Mother's Day as a mom and it's been wonderful. My son (adopted at age 10) made me a card at school and he picked flowers for me yesterday. Today, he's granting my Mother's Day wish by entertaining himself while I work and not begging me to take him to the skate park or the arcade or any of the other places he likes to haunt.

Later, we'll be getting together with my whole family. I have three sisters so, together with our mom, we're a whole house full of moms. As typical with my family, we're going to be celebrating with a potluck. I know one sister is making a lemon pie for dessert and another is making this delicious homemade bread, so I'm determined to bring some healthy dishes to pass.

For starters, I'm going to bring my sesame asparagus. Once upon a time, I'm sure there was an official recipe for it, but I've made it so often I've long stopped measuring and just make it from memory. Here's a similar recipe, though. Cooking Light has many other healthy recipe suggestions for Mother's Day.

When I spotted asparagus for $1.77 a pound yesterday, I scooped up a bunch. After rinsing and cutting off the tough stem ends, I steamed it in an inch of boiling water for four minutes and seasoned with a tiny bit of butter and a dash of salt. The kids ate their 'magic wands' with gusto -- I felt like a winner.

Here are a few facts of this super-member of the Lily family:

• "Hey, at least all our pee will smell!" This was boldly announced by one of my nutty friends at a recent wedding reception as a dinner plate with asparagus was set down in front of him. I honestly had no idea asparagus is connected with odiferous urine, but it's true. The odor is a by-product of digestion. We all confirmed our pee did reek after dinner. I know, I know, gross.
• Asparagus grows in sandy, well-drained soil during a short 6-7 week window in late spring. It takes two years before a crop is harvestable in its third year, with a harvest life of 6-8 years. Friends have an asparagus patch on their Wisconsin farm and after we'd pick some, stalks would literally grow inches overnight. Spears can grow ten inches in a 24-hour period -- talk about watching your garden grow!
• Did you know asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables on the planet? A 5.3 oz serving has only 20 calories (less than 4 calories a spear), no fat/cholesterol, low in sodium, 3 grams of fiber, a ton of folate (60 percent of USDRA), a rich source of rutin (strengthens capillary walls), a nice source of thiamin, vitamin B6 and potassium, and a sprinkling of other vitamins/minerals.
• Steam, roast, stir-fry or grill asparagus -- there are a ton of ways to cook and season it. Grilled asparagus with parsley pesto, anyone?

If you'd like to know more, check out Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board's helpful website.

Asparagus, cleansing to the system, rich in folic acid and other B vitamins and low in calories.

Strawberries, high in vitamin C, rich in antioxidants and cancer-fighting phytonutrients.

How can you go wrong with a Strawberry Asparagus Salad?

Run a simple Google search and you'll find gads of recipes for Asparagus Strawberry salad, like I did when I got the craving and had a bunch of both leftover in the fridge. Inspired by many, and also by the multitudes of avocado in my fridge, my recipe was born.

Ingredients

• 1 small bunch asparagus
• about 1/2 lb. strawberries, sliced
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 bag organic mixed greens

dressing

• 1/4 c. lemon juice
• 2 TB flax seed oil
• 2 TB raw honey
• 1/4 tsp. unrefined sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Coat asparagus with olive oil and grill. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Toss all ingredients with dressing, serve and enjoy.

This was a perfect accompaniment to salmon with raspberry chipotle grilling sauce.