Mother's Day Treats By Christy Rost     As Mother's Day draws near, memories of childhood days with my mother mingle with thoughts of raising my two sons. I treasure childhood memories of tea parties with the diminuitive china tea set my mother bought me, walking down Pittsburgh's steep roads, hand-in-hand with my mom, to the street car, and the mixture of excitement and pride I felt sitting next to her as we rode the street car for downtown shopping excursions to Kaufmann's and Gimble's department stores. Shopping and lunch were a special mother-daughter tradition we maintained until I graduated from college, and I carried on this cherished tradition with my sons for many years. When our sons were very young, I treated them to tea parties with my childhood tea set, took them for rides on the Metro in Paris to the Louvre and the Tuilleries, and read to them endlessly. Back in the States, picnic lunches were one of our favorite outings, whether we ventured to a nearby park or spread a quilt in the backyard under the trees. A Mother's Day picnic is an enjoyable way to celebrate the day. Whether you select a shady spot at the local park or your own backyard, picnics foster a sense of family, fun and relaxation. Whichever location you choose, enlist your children's help in creating the perfect setting for mom. A large quilt accented with plump pillows provides mother a spot for a luxurious nap under the leafy canopy of a large tree. Or, set up a lounge chair by the lake or near a garden for mom to dream away the day. Picnic lunches and dinners allow many opportunities for the children to help. Packing a picnic basket with flatware, plates, cups and napkins is only the start. How about a selection of mother's favorite magazines, or a book she has wanted to read? Or a small vase, teapot or even a glass jar filled with flowers from the garden? Pack an Oriental paper fan to keep her cool and comfortable, a family album to play "remember when", and several games and activities to ensure plenty of fun for all. If you are picnicing in the backyard, grilled steak, chicken or chops is a no-fuss entree dad can prepare. Serve this with a green salad, fresh fruit, cold potato salad from the deli, a loaf of French bread, and make-your-own ice cream sundaes. If you are taking the picnic to another location, make-ahead entrees are easier to handle, unless the park has grilling facilities. Try Almost Fried Chicken for a crunchy, juicy alternative to purchased fried chicken. Chicken pieces are dipped in an egg mixture, then coated with a crunchy mixture of crushed cereal flakes, corn meal, bread crumbs and herbs. Even young children can help dip chicken pieces or shake them in a plastic zipper bag of chicken coating. And it is the ideal opportunity to instill in them the concept of washing their hands both before and after food preparation. Instead of frying, Almost Fried Chicken is oven-baked, which keeps the chicken moist and reduces clean-up. Visit your local deli for already-prepared coleslaw, pasta salad, fruit salad and rolls. And for dessert, bake up a batch of my Chocolate Chip Brownies. It's a sweet treat the whole family will love. Almost Fried Chicken 1 whole chicken, cut up 3 cups corn, wheat or bran flakes cereal 1/ 2 cup corn meal 1/3 cup bread crumbs 2 tablespoons flour 1/ 4 teaspoon garlic salt 1/ 4 teaspoon ground pepper 1/ 4 teaspoon basil, crushed 1/ 8 teaspoon fine herbs (Spice Islands brand) 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese 1 egg 1/ 4 cup milk 2 tablespoons olive oil Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash chicken pieces, remove skin, if desired, and dry on paper towels; wash hands thoroughly with soap and water. Pour cereal flakes into a large plastic zipper bag, close bag and crush with palm of hand. Add next eight ingredients, close bag and shake to mix. In a shallow bowl, beat egg and milk together with a fork. Dip chicken pieces into egg mixture on both sides, drop into crumb mixture, close the zipper and shake well to thoroughly coat chicken. Place chicken in a large baking pan lined with foil. Repeat until all of chicken is coated. Discard paper towels and wash kitchen counter with soap and water. Wash hands well. Pour 2 tablespoons oil into pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 350-degree oven for 50-60 minutes until coating is brown and juices run clear when a fork is inserted into chicken. Chocolate Chip Brownies 3 squares unsweetened chocolate 1/ 2 cup butter or margarine 1 1/ 2 cups granulated sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/ 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/ 2 teaspoon salt 1 cup chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate over simmering water, stirring occasionally until is smooth. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add sugar, eggs and vanilla, stirring well with a spoon. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add to chocolate mixture, stirring until thoroughly blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour mixture into a greased 13x9-inch cake pan. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 20-25 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean when inserted into center of brownies. Cool brownies Read more of Christy Rost's articles in her archives. Click here. Do you have any questions, comments or suggestions? Email: jwdineline@aol.com