Oh, I love my weekends.

From Friday night to Monday morning, there's a blank canvas waiting to be painted, not always with just what I want, but enough that I am happy, happy, happy when Friday night rolls around.

There's a to-do list waiting, for sure, but little on it poses immediate deadlines. I do a some here and there, and by the end of the weekend, my usual fretting aside, my husband and I get much accomplished (notice I slipped him in here, where chores are mentioned).

I feel good.

Between chores, we watch movies, or garden, or have coffee on the patio while reading the Sunday newspaper. (Subscribe, please. You'll like it. 1-800-228-NEWS.)

Or we'll watch at least part of a baseball game, all of a hockey game.

The Penguins have been pulling me in since last year's Stanley Cup finals. Until then, hockey wasn't much my thing.

But I started watching, and got hooked. Now, as long as they're playing on a weekend, the to-do list gets put aside until the game is over.

Lordy, it's exhausting to watch. How those players manage to maintain a strategy, keep an eye on the puck, even throw a few punches, all at a lightning pace -- well, it makes us all hungry, sitting in our lounge chairs in front of the HD.

So my weekends happily also include trying new recipes, to eat while the game's on. I've included a few below that we tried this past weekend.

Goooo, Pens! Munch on!

• The Allegheny County Office of Mental Retardation/Developmental Disabilities will hold a Wellness Expo from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 29 at Community College of Allegheny County North Campus.

The expo is open to anyone but geared to those receiving services from the county, their families and support personnel.

The agenda includes activities and information sessions, lunch in the atrium and a raffle.

The campus is at 8701 Perry Highway. McCandless. For information and to register, call Susan Kennedy at 412-237-6587 or e-mail skennedy@ccac.edu.

• On Saturday, Giant Eagle Market District will sponsor "Meals and Snacks to Meet Special Dietary Needs," as part of Food Allergy Awareness Week, 10:30 a.m. at Bethel Park and 1 p.m. at the Shadyside store.

• Soergel's Orchards, 2573 Brandt School Road, Franklin Park, will open a specialty store on Saturday. "Naturally Soergels" will carry organic, gluten-free and allergen-free foods. Call 724-935-1743 for more information.

The manager is Amy Soergel, who knows firsthand the difficulties in finding specialty foods. She has celiac disease.

She also has degrees in public health from John Hopkins University and the University of Pitsburgh.

Yes, it's nigh. Sunday.

Hug your mom. Buy her eggs.

At least, judging from the number of egg-related e-mails I've received, that would seem to be the preferred gift.

Eggland's Best, for example, says using their eggs is a good way to pamper mom, because they are lower in fat and cholesterol than ordinary eggs and have more omega-3 fatty acids. All things mom is sure to be considering on Mother's Day.

Go to egglandsbest.com for recipes, if you are making her brunch.

Fusionbrands says you can "impress mom with perfectly poached eggs in a jiff," with the poachpod ($9.99 for a set of two.)

I, for one, am frequently bowled over by a poached egg.

The company also touts "the first silicon food trussing tool," the foodloop, good for tying up "wraps, veggies, meat -- the possibilities are endless." (Do not foodloop your kids, mothers. )

Both are available at fusionbrands.com; the poachpod can be purchased at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

If none of these seems quite right, consider the personal embosser at williams-sonoma.com, listed among its Mother's Day suggestions. Emboss your cookbooks or recipes with "From the Library Of" or "Recipe Of" encircling your intials.

Too bad you can't get one that stamps "Your Mother Said So." I'd so be there.

Meanwhile, for many people, the words "Mother's Day" are naturally followed by "brunch." Dining critic China Millman addresses the subject and gives some ideas on where to go in today's Weekend Mag, as well as at post-gazette.com/food. If you want to make your mom brunch, try the recipe below for Asparagus with Poached Eggs and Parmesan.

Penn State Master Gardeners of Butler County will host their annual spring garden market from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Succop Conservancy, 185 W. Airport Road, Butler. Nurseries, crafters and food vendors will abound, and the gardeners will have their plant sale and silent auction. Contact Alice Christy at 724-482-4029.

Join The Organic Gardeners, Jessica Walliser and Doug Oster (he of the Post-Gazette) on May 24 at Giant Eagle Market District for tips on planting tomatoes and recipes for fresh spring greens. 11 a.m., Bethel Park, 2:30 p.m. Shadyside.

Buttery Broccoli with Parsley

PG tested

• 2 heads broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 pounds), halved, stalks trimmed, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves (I used Italian)
• 1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper

Place a steamer basket in a saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil. Add broccoli; cover and steam until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Remove basket, pour off water and return broccoli to pan.

Toss with butter, parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

-- "Everyday Food" magazine, March 2009

Homemade Fish Sticks

PG tested

This recipe calls for cod, but I used tilapia and sliced it into "sticks" while it was still slightly frozen. Then I defrosted it in the microwave before breading. You can easily double or triple this recipe. I also used melted butter instead of cooking spray to sprinkle on the fish, because I wasn't in the mood to watch calories. -- Margi Shum

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (you can use panko)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 3/4 pound cod fillets, cut into 1-inch strips
• Butter-flavored cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place flour and egg in separate shallow bowls. In another shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Dip fish into the flour, then egg; then roll in the crumb mixture.

Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spritz fish sticks with butter-flavored spray.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, turning once.

-- "Taste of Home Health Cooking," June/July issue

Chicken Sausage Rolls With Crunchy Relish

PG tested

Use buns with some heft, to accommodate the meaty sausage and tangy relish. I will make and use this relish on other things, it's so good.

-- Margi Shrum

• 12-ounce package precooked chicken sausage (I pan-fried fresh sausage)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 dill pickle, chopped, plus 2 teaspoons pickle brine
• 1/2 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), chopped
• 1 small kirby cucumber (you can use any cucumber)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 hot dog buns

In a medium nonstick skillet, cook sausages and honey over medium heat, turning occasionally, until sausages are browned and juices have thickened to a glaze. (If using fresh sausage, pan-fry in a small amount of water until firm and cooked through. Water will evaporate. Add honey and continue browning, until glaze forms. Browning/glazing takes 6 to 8 minutes.)

Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together pickle and brine, bell pepper and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper.

Tuck sausages into buns, and top with relish.

Serves 4.

-- "Everyday Food" magazine, April 2009

Lemon Cheesecake Squares

PG tested

This recipe is from "Taste of Home Healthy Cooking" magazine, which removes fat and calories from recipes but leaves you wanting to eat them. Having a block of full-fat cream cheese on hand, I used that but the light version should be equally delicious.

-- Margi Shrum

• 3-ounce package lemon-flavored Jell-O
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 8 ounces light cream cheese (not fat-free; use block, not in a tub, which is softer)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12-ounce package (4 cups) light whipped topping, thawed

In a small bowl, dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Refrigerate until slightly thickened, but not set (about 45 minutes.)

Meanwhile, prepare crust. In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Stir well with a fork.

Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Press crumb mixture evenly over bottom of a pan. Refrigerate while you make filling.

To prepare filing, beat together cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla on high speed of electric mixer untii smooth. Add thickened Jell-O and beat on medium speed until well blended. Fold in whipped topping.

Pour filling over prepared crust and spread evenly to edges of pan. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until set. Cut into squares and serve.

Makes 24 squares.

-- "Taste of Home Healthy Cooking," June/July 2009

PG tested

Almost anything is better with a poached egg on top: pasta, salad, a sandwich, asparagus ..." writes Gale Gand in her excellent new "Gale Gand's Brunch!" (with Christie Matheson, Clarkson Potter, 2009, $27.50). "Poaching the eggs for this dish is a fairly quick, time-sensitive, and hands-on process," she explains, "so I don't usually make this for big groups. But you could try my friend Judy's trick. She pre-poaches the eggs, dumps them in cold water to stop the cooking, and keeps them there. Just before serving, she drops the eggs into simmering water for 1 minute to heat them up again."

• 2 bunches medium asparagus (about 40 spears)
• 8 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin
• Olive oil (extra virgin if possible)
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons coarsely grated parmesan cheese

Cut off the bottoms of the asparagus spears. (To know how much to cut off, break one spear near the bottom and see where it snaps naturally. Using that as your guide, cut the bottoms off the rest of the spears in approximately the same place.)

Break the eggs into 8 individual containers, such as teacups, prep bowls, or paper cups. Prepare the poaching liquid for the eggs by bringing water, plus the vinegar and 4 pinches of salt, to a boil in a large, straight-walled, low-sided pan over medium-high heat.

Meanwhile, cook the asparagus: Bring salted water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the asparagus and cook it until it is as tender as you like it (3 to 4 minutes for crisp-tender). Remove the cooked asparagus from the water with tongs, and set it aside while you make the sauce.

To make the sauce, empty the water from the saucepan and dry it out. Add the olive oil and heat it over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute, enough to take the raw edge off but not to give it much color. Turn off the heat; then add the butter and swirl the pan. Add the lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste, and swirl the pan again to mix the ingredients. Put the asparagus back in the pan, add 2 tablespoons of the parmesan, and toss with the sauce to coat.

To poach the eggs, make sure the water is boiling, then slowly pour each cup of egg into the water. Let the eggs cook for about 2 minutes; then turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner.

Meanwhile, divide the asparagus among 4 plates. Bring the plates of asparagus close to the pan of poached eggs, and place a folded clean kitchen towel next to the plates.

As quickly as possible after the eggs have cooked for 2 minutes, use a slotted spoon to fish the eggs, one at a time, out of the poaching liquid, blotting the bottom of the spoon on the towel to absorb excess moisture. Place 2 eggs on each mound of asparagus. Pour any remaining sauce over the eggs, and sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons parmesan over the top. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

-- "Gale Gand's Brunch! 100 Fantastic Recipes for the Weekend's Best Meal" by Gale Gand with Christie Matheson (Clarkson Potter, 2009, $27.50)