WHAT’S FOR DINNER ON FATHER’S DAY?

Well, here we in the month of Father’s Day!

I’ve got the house all festive now and I had a lot of fun making it that way!

I have to admit though; I got a little carried away with the photos for the Family Tree.

Some photos went on the tree, some went on the kitchen table, some went on the dining room table, some went on the coffee table…..yes; the photos of our family’s fathers now seem to be all over the house! That is just the way it winds up when you can’t decide which of the favorite memories need to be displayed the most.

I want them all!

My decor may not be exacly Pinterest perfect this time; but you know what?

My family is going to love getting to shuffle through all the great old photos.

Who cares if House Beautiful comes by or not?

It is a day for honoring fathers, not creating designer magazine covers.

So let’s get on with the fun!

It is time to begin to think about our menu for the big day.

If you checked in here for a terrific new approach for cooking a totally unique and up-beat father’s day feast; one like no one has ever done before; again, you may be a little disappointed in my advice this time.

The reason:

Because; this time I’m going to suggest you take it easy and just go traditional.

I know there are probably ten different ways to BBQ with Habanero sauce; and if that is what your Dad wants; please go for it!

I could also give you a million different ways to roast tasty and healthy Brussels sprouts and/or asparagus. If that is what your Dad craves; you really should do that.

After a lifetime of preparing Father’s Day luncheons and/or dinners for the men in my family though; I have finally learned that they are pretty down-to-earth and traditional with the foods they want to eat on a special occasion.

Why do I know that?

Because every time I go fancy they tell me they would rather have plain old simple cooking!

So this year I have finally become a reformist and I’m going to listen and honor their wishes.

On all the other holidays I let my imagination run wild and free; but for Father’s day I’ve found from trial and error that it is just best to keep our plans simple and traditional.

For that reason I’m not even going to include any new recipes in this post.

I’ll simply make a few suggestions as to what some good, simple menu combinations might be.

Suggestion Number One: You could do the grilling for a change instead of making Dad sweat over the grill.

Why not fix him a big juicy steak cooked just the way he likes with mushrooms in butter sauce for a topping?

You could add a baked potato with all the trimmings and a nice fresh green salad.

This never fails at our house.

If the budget doesn’t fit steak; try pork chops marinated in a sauce he likes best.

Or even grill some burgers with all the fixings. Dads love burgers!

Make a few extra and they will all disappear.

Suggestion Number Two: Pick up a few pounds of BBQ from his favorite BBQ restaurant.

Get plenty of his favorite sauce and some fresh buns. While you are there go ahead and get a quart of potato salad and a quart of baked beans and some cheese rolls. Make a chocolate or lemon ice box pie to serve for dessert.

You will have plenty of time to spend with Dad; no slaving over a stove all day.

I promise you he will enjoy this time together as much as anything you could cook .

Suggestion Number Three: Is there a farmer’s market close by, or even better do you have a garden that is beginning to be fruitful this summer?

I’ve never seen anyone’s Dad turn down a table full of fresh home-cooked vegetables.

Add some homemade cornbread or biscuits and a fresh fruit salad and you are set.

Slice some of those juicy red tomatoes to go with everything you serve.

You could even top this off with homemade yellow cake with fudge icing for dessert. Add a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and you’ll win his heart forever.

Suggestion Number Four: Does your Dad enjoy saucy Italian dishes?

Make him your favorite recipe of Lasagna and add some yeast rolls and a good Greek salad on the side.

Have a good banana pudding for desert.

This menu is always delicious.

If you keep things simple, but nice and you just sit and talk and enjoy each other’s company with whatever meal you decide to make; the day will end on a perfect note.

Now wasn’t that so simple and enjoyable?

Just the kind of day your Dad would pick himself!

That is the goal here isn’t it?

Life is not complicated; neither is love.

Love is easy; just be kind and make the day about listening to the heart of your Dad. He has certainly spent a lifetime listening to your heart.

Ask questions and forget your own little circle for a few hours.

Let him travel back down memory lane as many times as he wants, and if you have heard the story a million times before; just listen again.

You never know when you might discover a treasure you had over looked.

So go celebrate Father’s Day and be blessed!

Make another special memory to cherish and keep forever.

If you are like me with my photos; you will run out of tables before you run out of memories; and you won’t want to give up even one of them.

I guess I SHOULD try to make these piles of photos a littler neater though.

Hmmmmmm…….a bright blue box on the coffee table that everyone can shuffle through at their leisure; and simply leaving those on the tree up in the kitchen?

Oh….okay; I’ll conform again.

What’s that my husband is saying?

He has been reading my Tupelo Honey Cafe cookbook.

“This is the best cookbook ever! You could spend the rest of your life making all of these great recipes and I would never be happier! Hey; how about trying a few of these when the kids come over for Father’s Day?”

Oh dear;

I’ve got to run to the grocery store!

Who said women were famous for changing their minds?

Suggestion Number Five: Don’t listen when people tell you what they want – just do whatever you had planned all along!