By Mother's Day weekend. The daycare made a big deal of it, which is right, the parents deserve the fuss. We did handprint art all week, each kid pressing their small palm into paint and then onto paper, and I spent three days with craft paint on my arms. The parents picked up their kids Friday clutching rolled-up papers and looked so pleased. Thomas handed his to his mom and said mine and she laughed and said yes it is yours, baby, thank you.
I do not have a mother to bring something to on Mother's Day. I have never not known that. But I have Gloria, which is not the same thing and is also not a lesser thing. I drove to Prattville on Sunday and brought her a small pot of African violets from the hardware store because she mentioned once she used to have them before her cat knocked them all off the windowsill. She held the pot and said oh, look at that. James patted my shoulder twice. That is how he shows things.
She cooked for me even on Mother's Day, which I protested and she ignored. Fried fish this week, catfish from the fish market, cornmeal-crusted and fried crisp, with coleslaw and hush puppies. I sat at her table and ate too much and felt grateful in that specific way you feel grateful when something good happens that you know is fragile. Catfish is a summer-approaching food, she says. Once the heat comes in for real we will have it every other week.
I am saving a little money now. Just a little, but more than I was. Twenty dollars a paycheck into a savings account that I am not allowed to touch. The balance is $140 and I look at it sometimes in the banking app and feel like a person who is building something. I am not sure what yet. But something.
Gloria’s coleslaw was cold and a little sweet and cut right through the richness of the catfish — and I kept thinking about it on the drive home. It’s the kind of side dish that sounds simple until you realize it’s doing half the work of the meal, balancing everything else on the plate. I’ve been practicing my own version since, because if catfish season is every other week from here on out, I want to be ready to bring something to her table too.
My Favorite Coleslaw Recipe
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 15 min (plus 30 min chill) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 small head green cabbage, finely shredded (about 8 cups)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and grated
- 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Finely shred the cabbage using a sharp knife or mandoline and place in a large bowl. Add the grated carrot and sliced red onion and toss to combine.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, sugar, celery seed, dry mustard, salt, and pepper until smooth and fully combined.
- Dress the slaw. Pour the dressing over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly until every strand is coated. Taste and adjust salt or vinegar as needed.
- Chill before serving. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes — this step is important. The cabbage softens slightly and the flavors come together. An hour is even better.
- Serve. Give it one final toss before bringing it to the table. It holds well in the fridge for up to 3 days, though it’s best within the first 24 hours.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 175 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 220mg