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Last night, I wrote a rather maudlin post, which expressed the heaviness I felt about being away from my mum on Mother's Day. When I awoke this morning, I knew that the whole thing must be re-written. Why wallow in the disappointment of one day when there is a lifetime of pleasures to celebrate?

After all, we are talking about a woman who would put the pedal to the metal as we drove up the bumpiest street on the way to my music lessons, simply so we could get air off of the final bump. They later flattened out that road, and I'm certain it was because of my mum. Does that sound like a woman who would want her daughter to wallow in self-pity? I think not.

If you ask someone to describe my mum, some of the words they might use would be thoughtful, kind and patient. Oh yeah, and petite. But don't let the 4 feet 11 ½ inches fool you. There's a spitfire in there.

There are several things, beyond the Formula 1 driving habits, that most people don't know about my mum. First of all, the woman has two tattoos. When she got tatted-up, I was in grade five and couldn't think of anything more embarrassing. At least, that's what I let everyone thing. Really, I thought it was pretty cool...as long as none of my friends knew.

The tattoos go well with the lifetime obsession with Harleys. She wanted her own "hog". I think that fact that she could barely touch the ground while sitting on one of those beasts was the final deterrent.

And then there was the 60th birthday present.

For as long as I can remember, my mum has been fascinated by all-things-industrial. Factories, assembly lines...and semi-trucks. Through some connections, my dad set up a tour of the Western Star semi-truck factory near Portland, Oregon. Over my mum's 60th birthday, they drove down to Oregon under the guise of spending a weekend touring the Japanese gardens and eating seafood. Instead, they went to Western Star. According to my dad, my mum was like a kid in Willy Wonka's factory. Now, whenever you drive down the highway with her, she will let out an excited squeal whenever she sees a Western Star truck. And there may or may not be a large toy semi-truck in my parents' family room. And it's not for the kids to play with!

Amidst the Harleys, tattoos and semi-trucks is a woman who nurtured and loved me, and who taught me about the kind of person and mother I want to be. Thank you, Mum. I love you and Happy Mother's Day. These scones are for you!

The recipe:

These scones may be called "strawberries and cream", but there isn't actually a drop of cream in them. Just a little nonfat milk. What is typically a heavy, fattening breakfast bread is turned into a healthy breakfast offering, with oat flour and fresh fruit.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

To make the oat flour, place the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground, about 1 minute. Pour into a bowl and scoop 1 cup oat flour back into the processor. Reserve any remaining flour for another use.

Add the all-purpose flour, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt to the processor. Pulse briefly to combine.

Add the chilled butter to the processor and pulse until the mixture is pale yellow and the consistency of a fine meal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup non-fat milk, vanilla extract and egg white. Pour the mixture into the processor and pulse quickly until just mixed.

Turn the mixture out onto a generously floured surface. Sprinkle the strawberries over the dough. Lightly dust your hands with flour and gently knead to mix in the strawberries, and form the dough into a ball.

Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, form the dough into an 8-inch circle. Cut the circle into 12 triangles, keeping the circle of dough intact.

Using 2 teaspoons of non-fat milk, lightly brush the tops of the scones. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over top.

Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until the surface of the scones are golden brown. Cool on the tray or on a cooling rack. Cut the scones apart and serve.

(Make ahead: The scones can be made ahead and frozen. Separate the raw scones from each other and place them on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Place in the freezer uncovered. When the scones are completely frozen, place them in plastic freezer bags. Take them out a few at a time and bake for 17-21 minutes at 375 degrees F.)

Other Mother's Day recipes:

Baked Egg Breakfast Casserole with Mushrooms, Spinach & Salsa
Make-Ahead Baked Eggs with Bacon, Mushrooms & Sage

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