Woman in Real Life

Mother's Day is coming up on Sunday and it's time now (if we haven't yet) to think about how we are going to celebrate the moms, mothers-in-law, grandmothers and mother figures in our lives. Cards are always a nice way to share sentiments. And homemade cards are even better.

A couple of years ago, my youngest child stopped making Mother's Day cards at school. I have to say I have missed the little homemade crafts and cards the kids used to bring home. But kids who are too old to make crafts at school are old enough to make (more sophisticated) cards with Cricut. And that includes adult children, like me. This year, I made three (easy) homemade Mother's Day cards with my Cricut Explore Air™. You can also use the latest Cricut cutting machine. Cricut does all of the cutting for you (even the envelopes) so all you have to do is glue pieces together! And compose a really great greeting, of course. Here's a closer look at the Mother's Day cards I chose to make.

*This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase after following a link, Woman in Real Life may earn a small commission. Your price is not affected.

I re-worked the date squares recipe I originally showed you here. This new recipe still tastes like the old-fashioned version, but is made with light spelt flour, Earth Balance (healthier) margarine and some ground flax (rather than wheat germ). It is great for those who can tolerate spelt flour better than wheat. It is also dairy-free and vegan for the many people who don't consume dairy products or eggs. If you prefer to use white flour and hard margarine, the original recipe is for you! This date square recipe tastes just as good though. I shared some date squares with my sister-in-law yesterday and she was quite happy with them. My husband thought this version was even better than the original. See for yourself - try them both!

For me personally, these authentic date squares are also a fitting Mother's Day reminder of my grandmother, who was the best baker I have ever known. After she died, my mom started making date squares for me because she knew how much I loved them. Recently, I started making date squares myself. My Nana probably used butter but date squares are easy to make in a vegan version, as this recipe will prove. While it is always nice to have someone else bake for you, I am enjoying the freedom of making our family favourite date squares whenever I want. They are buttery and sweet, with a crumbly topping and a smooth, delicious date centre.

Now my mom is probably wondering when I am going to get some date squares to her. Consider this an IOU, mom. Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, including my wonderful mom, Colleen, and my lovely mother-in-law, Maria! My little family is so lucky to have them in our lives!

Have you had date squares before? Baked for you, bought or baked yourself?