Day 289 of 365

Today was an opportunity to honor another plan that my mom and I made together.

It's not a secret that she and I spent time having our own mini adventures. She loved life and she fed the curiosities in her heart and mind. Very often she invited me to tag along.

She was also in charge of establishing some smile inducing traditions. One that held true for most of my adult life was to celebrate our birthdays together. We were both September women, strong virgos with many attributes in common.

Mom understood me and for many birthday celebrations she would include some type of LEGO set. I was in my early 30's with two young children and she still wrapped up a little set for the bottom of the gift bag. It was my job to find her some new exotic tea that didn't have a half dozen ingredients that gave her the sniffles. Hibiscus in her cup was a no-no.

For so many years we went back and forth surprising one another with new and old gift ideas. Day 289 was all about embracing a tiny treat that mom never forgot was my favorite, honey sesame sticks.

Last September, just before turning 49, I took a trip to Italy. I found two special things for mom to celebrate her 79th year. When we met for our birthdays, we exchanged surprises. My gifts to her included those Italian goodies. Her gift to me continues to be an inspiration.

In a small Wonder Woman gift bag my mother had a ceramic plaque. Tucked just beneath it was a package of sesame seed candy. The plaque was intended to inspire me on this 365 day journey. It reads, "She believed she could, so she did." Mom must have been psychic because I look at that wall hanging every day and remember my strength comes from her.

The second part of that gift was the sesame seed candy. She told me how simple it was to make and we decided it would be one of my experiences.

So I made this candy using sesame seeds and a jar of pure honey that I bought for my mother while she was ill. She never got to taste the honey. She passed away two days after I bought it.

The recipe is so simple that I can't believe we never made them together.

I toasted the seeds until they were golden brown. I brought the honey to a boil and added the seeds while it simmered. No patience required. As the mixture started to cool I poured it on a parchment lined pan and rolled it out like dough. I waited 20 minutes to cut it on to pieces that resembled the original treats.