June 10th 2008

Editorial

Hi there and welcome to the special Father’s Day Edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. The Mother’s Day edition was such a big hit and I’ve gotten a few requests for something similar for Father’s Day and here it is.

This edition looks a little different from our usual newsletter, because it’s focusing strictly on Dad stuff including some informative articles, plenty of recipes of course and some fun craft ideas.

We (as in my daughter and I) will be busy this week making a card and a few other crafts for Dad. He’s also getting a new grill (that he picked already). It was time for a new one anyway, so why not make it a Father’s Day gift

What he doesn’t know is that I came across a wonderful barbecue recipe ebook the other day that he’s getting as well. It’s called “Competition BBQ Secrets” and I can’t wait for him to give some of these recipes a try.  If you decide to get the same ebook for your husband or father, forward me your receipt and I will email you some of our favorite recipes and tips for the grill.

Enjoy!
Warm Regards,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

Sponsor

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Grab yours at www.hillbillyhousewife.com/livingonadime.htm

Inspirational Father’s Day Story

What Is A Father?
Author unknown

A father is a person who is forced to endure childbirth without an anesthetic. He growls when he feels good and laughs very loud when he is scared half-to-death.

A father never feels entirely worthy of the worship in a child’s eyes. He is never quite the hero his daughter thinks. Never quite the man his son believes him to be. And this worries him sometimes. (So he works too hard to try to smooth the rough places in the road of those of his own who will follow him.)

A father is a person who goes to war sometimes … and would run the other way except that war is part of his only important job in his life, (which is making the world better for his child than it has been for him).

Fathers grow older faster than people, because they, in other wars, have to stand at the train station and wave goodbye to the uniform that climbs on board.

And, while mothers cry where it shows, fathers stand and beam — outside — and die inside.

Fathers are men who give daughters away to other men, who aren’t nearly good enough, so that they can have children that are smarter than anybody’s.

Fathers fight dragons almost daily. They hurry away from the breakfast table, off to the arena which is sometimes called an office or a workshop. There, with callused hands, they tackle the dragon with three heads; Weariness, Works, and Monotony. And they never quite win the fight, but they never give up.

Knights in shining armor; fathers in shiny trousers. There’s little difference as they march away each workday.

I don’t know where father goes when he dies, but I’ve an idea that, after a good rest, wherever it is, he won’t just sit on a cloud and wait for the girl he’s loved and the children she bore. He’ll be busy there too — repairing the stars, oiling the gates, improving the streets, smoothing the way.

Where Did Father??”s Day Originate?

Where did Father??”s Day Originate? While there are about seven renditions relating to the origin of Father??”s Day, the most widely held version is this:

Father’s Day originated through a young girl named Sonora Louise Smart, who lived in Spokane, Washington. Apparently, after listening to a Mother??”s Day sermon in 1909, she wondered why fathers weren??”t celebrated as well. At 16, Sonora lost her mother in childbirth and her dad, a civil war veteran, raised Sonora and her five siblings. Determined to have Father??”s Day recognized as a special day, Sonora finally witnessed the first Father??”s Day celebration on June 19, 1910. Subsequently, the idea gained popularity all over the US and thus Father??”s Day became a national day of celebration.

In fact, President Woodrow Wilson, noticing the depth to which this day became so popular, approved the idea in 1916. Furthermore, it was President Calvin Coolidge, who also loved this idea, proclaimed Father??”s Day as a national celebration in 1924. Interestingly enough, in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation stating the third Sunday in June would be officially declared Father??”s Day.
It didn??”t end there! President Richard Nixon permanently established the observance of Father??”s Day in 1972. What happened to the young girl who started it all? You will be happy to hear that Sonora Smart Dodd was honored at the World??”s Fair in Spokane in 1974 for her contribution in making Father??”s Day a national day of recognition.

Today, Father??”s Day is celebrated around the world; however, not all countries celebrate it on the same day. In fact, in Australia and New Zealand, for example, it is celebrated on the first Sunday of September.

Beginning with an idea and the determination to see it through, Sonora Louise Smart was the catalyst who brought recognition to make Father??”s Day a day of celebration. It??”s amazing what one person can do, isn??”t it?

Father??”s Day Ideas for Younger Kids

In a few days, Father??”s Day will be here. Your kids are probably trying to come up with unique ideas this year. To help them, here are some Father??”s Day ideas for younger kids.

* Make a Father??”s Day card using construction paper, crayons and draw dad on the front with the words ??SI Love You Dad!? Mom can also download the many coloring templates kids can use to glue on to construction boards to make larger 8-1/2×11 cards.

* Kids can take their teddy bears and dress them up with a hat, tie, and glasses?.and place a Happy Father??”s Day sign for the bear to hold.

* Kids can help you make a Father??”s Day breakfast for dad and present it to him either in bed or at the kitchen table.

* Kids can help mom make gingerbread cookies and using piping to outline the facial features. It can then be glued to a piece of cardboard and the kids can decorate the cardboard with dad??”s favorite things!

* The kids can present dad with a card containing a list of chores they will do for dad for a week.

* They can also make a story book using construction paper, to tell about their dad and why he is so special!

* Mom can bake dad??”s favorite cake and the kids can decorate it with dad??”s favorite sports games, such as baseballs, footballs, soccer, or basketball.

Kids love to draw, paint and mold. Using some clay, they can make dad a handprint and sign their names on the palms. He would certainly love that! In fact, kids also love to build things, so why not build day a special kite (with the help of mom, of course), then the entire family can enjoy this wonderful present.

Father??”s Day ideas for younger kids can be achieved by asking them what they would like to make for dad; or perhaps buy for day. One thing though, he may not want any more ties! Make a Happy Father??”s Day Sign using construction paper, and hang it in the kitchen or living room area. Dad will be so happy to see how much effort his children have put into making his day a special one!

Father??”s Day Ideas for Older Kids

Older kids have much more experience in coming up with Father??”s day ideas. Well, just in case you need a few more, here are some Father??”s Day ideas for older kids.

When it comes to Father??”s Day, my dad is difficult to buy gifts for. So I look around to see what he is reading, or what movies he is watching or what music he is listening to. Then I go to my best online friend, amazon.com, and pick out books, music and movies he would most enjoy. Sometimes I am lucky and choose the perfect gift. Sometimes, especially if the gift is clothing; I wind up returning it. So now I buy gifts that I know he will definitely like. For example:

* DVDs of his favorite TV shows or movies
* Subscription to his favorite magazine
* Gift Certificate to Blockbusters so he can choose the movie
* Gift Certificate to a major department store where he can shop for any clothing he likes
* Since he loves Beagles, I had an artisan draw a picture of a beagle on a piece of freshly cut wood.
* One year, I saw a wonderful painting of a man and his beagle, walking in the woods. (Both of these are still hanging in his bedroom to this day)!
* Another year, I purchased tickets to a baseball game for him.
* Since he also collects coins, I purchase newly minted coins from Franklin Mint.

Now your dad may enjoy different things. What matters, and what is most appreciated, is spending the time to find the perfect gift. So here is a great project for you: study your dad??”s reading, music, and movie habits and you can either take him to see a movie with lunch afterward; take him to a baseball game; buy his favorite TV shows now on DVD;
get him a box of golf balls or new golf mitts; or spend the day on a putting green. Maybe your dad collects baseball cards. If so, you can go on eBay and buy a few boxes of the latest hobby baseball boxes available. If you have saved enough or wish to pull money together with your siblings, you may prefer to purchase an autographed card of his favorite player!

There are so many things, other than a tie, that you can buy or plan for and with your dad.
Look upon this as a Mission: Impossible assignment. If you accept, you know what lies ahead. More importantly, if you??”ve never done it before, give him and hug and tell him how much you love him! There is no greater gift you can give your dad than that!

Father??”s Day Handmade Gift Ideas

Thinking of Father??”s Day brings to mind an episode of Bill Cosby in which his youngest daughter, Rudy, made him a clay ashtray. ??SBut I don??”t smoke!? he smiled. He went on to thank her anyway and said he would use it as a paperweight in his home office. Thinking of Father??”s Day handmade gift ideas for kids is probably much easier than for adults. Eventually we run out of ideas ?? but they don??”t! Here are some ideas your kids may have devised.

Special t-shirt painted by the kids; a card made of construction paper and decorated for dad; a picture frame made out of two pieces of cardboard and painted by the kids; or dad??”s favorite cookies made by the kids with a little help from mom. If dad is a golfer, why not have mom buy a box of golf balls and have the kids paint their initials on each one. How about taking a small Xmas tree and turning it into a Father??”s Day tree. Decorate it with his favorite candies and cookies. Or if dad is a baseball or football fan, the kids can decorate it by taking white Christmas balls and drawing baseball stripes on them; and making cookies in the shape of footballs using gingerbread dough! A baseball cap with dad??”s initial can adorn the top of the tree, or you can find a mini sized football helmet and add his name to it as well.

More often than not, dad would probably receive a tie as a gift. Well, make this particular tie special. Let the kids be as creative as they want with paints and sparkles. Does dad lose the remote control often? Why not make him a TV remote holder using cardboard and fabric. The kids can decorate the cardboard with glow in the dark paint color, so that no matter where the holder is, he can always find it!

No matter what Father??”s Day handmade gift ideas you come up with, there are plenty of ideas you and the kids can come up with. Don??”t forget the handmade ashtray; your dad can use it as a paperweight, too!

Father??”s Day Activities Dad??”s sure to Love

One of the best gift ideas for dad on Father??”s Day is to give him the day off to have fun and relax. What better way than to engage in Father??”s Day activities dad??”s sure to love!

Is dad a golfer? Terrific! Why not take him to the golf range, with the entire family, and spend the day! As a surprise, you can present him with a driver! Think how excited he will be to be able to hit balls all day at the range.

Is dad a baseball fan? Take the entire family to a batting cage and watch as dad hits balls out of the park! Remember to bring his favorite baseball cap. Perhaps you have purchased his favorite team??”s jersey! Take lots of pictures for the scrapbook!

If it??”s a lovely summer day, you can take dad to the park and have a family picnic. Prepare everything the night before, and tell him the kids want to go to the park. Have friends prepare an area for you ahead of time, and be sure to have the Happy Father??”s Day sign where he can see it. Won??”t he be surprised!

If you want to treat dad to a really special day, why not surprise him by taking him to a campsite for the day. Hide the fishing poles in the trunk along with all of the other items you will need for the day. When you arrive, tell dad this is his day and he can relax, fish, or just take in the fresh air and commune with nature. What a lovely way to spend a day.

Another great idea is to have a ??SThis is Your Life? Father??”s Day activity. The kids can put together a book with pictures of dad as a kid, teen, and adult. The family can then get in the car and take him to all of the places he has known growing up, while the kids read from the book. If you can pre-arrange to have his old friends available with their families, you can meet up at a restaurant for dinner! Now that??”s a surprise and a fantastic gift of memories your dad will treasure.

No matter what activity you come up with, you can be sure dad will be more than delighted with the effort taken to celebrate his day.

Five Games to Play with Dad on Father??”s Day

Depending upon the age of the father in question, many dads enjoy playing games.  This may mean you have to learn something new, but it might be fun.  Here are five games to play with Dad this Father??”s Day and help him to enjoy the day.

* Golf ?? Some dads are extremely interested in the game of golf.  In fact, some are almost obsessed with the game.  If you??”re an adult, perhaps you can take your dad out to the golf course and play a round or two.  This might be just the thing to make his day.

Of course, if there are children involved, you may not be able to take them to the golf course with you.  Check around where you live.  There may be putt putt golf businesses near you, or not too far from you.  Take the time and allow Dad to show off his golf skills, just on a smaller scale.  The kids will have an absolute blast, and Dad might enjoy it, too.

* Ball ?? Was Dad a football player in his younger days?  If so, perhaps the kids would enjoy taking Dad out the front yard and tossing the pigskin around with him.  Maybe baseball was more his sport; they could find the baseball gloves and a ball to throw back and forth.  Not only will this give them exercise, it??”s a great opportunity for them to connect with one another.

* Horseshoes ?? Dads that are over fifty sometimes enjoy the favorite old pastime of horseshoes.  If this is the case, purchase a horseshoe set and find a spot to set it up.  This game has been played for quite a long time, and it would be great to be able to pass down his love of the game to the younger generation.

* Board Games ?? Board games are another possibility of games to play with Dad on Father??”s Day.  Was he always good at checkers or chess?  Dig out the game board and see if he still is.  Maybe he??”d prefer a good game of Monopoly instead.  Ask him, you may be surprised to find that he misses playing board games.

* Game Consoles ?? Some dads, regardless of their age, enjoy the newer game consoles.  There are so many sports games that you can play on them.  You can play from the coolness of your air conditioned home.  There??”s no need to go outside and sweat.  Tennis, golf, football, baseball, bowling ?? all these games and more are available on some of the newer game consoles.

Dads like to have fun just like everyone else, although you may not think so.  Take some time to find out what kind of games Dad likes.  By playing one of these five games with Dad on Father??”s Day, you may find that you enjoy it as much as he does. Who knows! You may develop a new family activity to enjoy on a regular basis.

Father’s Day Meals

Whether you are a father yourself or you have one in your life that you want to make feel special, one of the best things that you can do to make Father’s Day special is to make a truly memorable meal.  Father’s Day happens in June, so make sure that you take advantage of all of the fresh produce that you will find.  This is a excellent time of year to work with fresh fruits and vegetables, so make sure you take advantage of what your supermarket and your farmers’ market has in stock.

It’s hard to think about June without thinking about barbecue, so think about making Father’s Day a little more special with some fun barbecue recipes and ideas.  Take a look around for some locally produced and butchered meat, whether you like chicken, beef, or something more exotic, like bison or ostrich.  Take some time to plan ahead and throw together a really great marinade; this can make tougher meat more juicy and also give you a lot of great flavor.  Try putting your own marinade together out of things like honey, soy sauce, tamari sauce and garlic; you’ll find it’s a lot easier than you might think.

As mentioned above, Father’s Day is frequently a great day to look around for fresh fruits and vegetables.  To get the most bang for your buck, see what you can find locally; this will ensure that you are getting very fresh materials to work with, as well as the ones that will taste the best.  If you are thinking about putting together a great kebab string zucchini, onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and eggplants onto a skewer, marinate and then grill along with your meat.

To really make the day stand out, think about making your own salad dressing.  Remember that if you are making up a great deal of meat that you should do something to make the salad to look a little more interesting.  Avoid iceberg lettuce and replace it with spinach and romaine to give your dinner table more color and more taste.  Start with a good red wine vinegar and start adding things that you think would taste good or interesting.  A dash of walnut oil or almond oil will give you a pleasantly nutty taste, while throwing in apples, oranges or brown sugar will make it a great deal sweeter.

Remember that when you are thinking of putting together a great meal that a big part of it will be your ingredients.  You’ll soon see that a little bit of planning will go a long way, and with a sweet dessert to wrap things up nicely, you’ll have a great meal that will last you quite a while.

Five Father??”s Day Recipes Dad Will Love

The old adage ??Sthe best way to a man??”s heart is through his stomach? is still true today, even on Father??”s Day.  Here are five Father??”s Day recipes Dad will love!

Most men love a hearty breakfast to start the day.  It may be said that ??Sreal men don??”t eat quiche,? but your dad won??”t turn up his nose at this hearty quiche.

Hearty Sausage Quiche

1 pkg. sausages
1 Tbsp. olive oil
8 lightly beaten eggs
½ c. sliced green onion
¼ c. milk
½ c. diced sweet red pepper
½ to 1 c. shredded cheese
1 c. sliced mushrooms
1 tsp. salt
1 c. frozen hash browns
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ c. Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F.  Put foil into baking cups and set aside.  Cook and drain sausages.  Combine eggs, milk, cheese in a large bowl; add salt and pepper to taste.  In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the vegetables and sauté until tender.  Combine egg mixture, sausages, and vegetables.  Pour even amounts into the separate baking cups and place in the oven until eggs are set, approximately 22 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

For lunch, why not go with something a little lighter?  Seafood might be a great choice.

Broiled Citrus Salmon

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
4 (5-ounce) salmon fillets
2 tsp. molasses
1 orange, juiced

Preheat broiler.  Stir together olive oil, lemon and lime juice, molasses, and seasonings in a small bowl.  Place salmon, skin side down, into broiling pan.  Brush with juice mixture and broil until skin is crisp and flesh is flaky, approximately 7 minutes for each inch of thickness.  Remove and sprinkle immediately with orange juice.  Best served hot.

If either of these recipes is too complicated for your basic meat and potatoes father, perhaps you can grill out.  Barbecue ribs are always a good choice:

Beer Marinated Ribs

2 racks pork spare ribs, about 2 lb each
2 Tbsp. seasoning salt
6 bottles of beer
Coarse salt to taste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2-6 seeded and sliced jalapeno peppers
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 c. store-bought barbecue sauce

In a large saucepan, add all ingredients except ribs and barbecue sauce.  Bring to a boil.  Immerse ribs into liquid and bring back to boil.  Lower heat and allow it to simmer for one hour.  Turn off and cool.  Let the ribs remain in the liquid for several hours.  Refrigerate if necessary.  Remove ribs and pat dry.  Brush on barbecue sauce and place meat side down on the grill.  Cook 5-6 minutes, basting, until golden brown and crispy.  Turn over and cook until golden brown.

While you have the grill hot, why not supplement the ribs with some grilled mushrooms?

Grilled Mushrooms

3/4 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tsp. chopped thyme
2 red bell peppers, chopped
1 tsp. chopped rosemary
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ tsp. salt
1/4 c. olive oil
¼ tsp. ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced

Put the mushrooms and peppers on skewers.  Mix together all other ingredients and brush onto the mushrooms.  Grill for approximately 4-6 minutes, or until tender.

To finish the meal, your Dad will love this simple dessert.

Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches

Take Dad??”s favorite chocolate chip cookies, place his favorite dessert between two cookies, and freeze.

These five Father??”s Day recipes are sure to please your dad.

Final Thought

That??”s it for this edition of the Hillbilly Housewife Newsletter. I hope you??”ve had as much fun reading it as I had creating it for you. I also hope that you have found the information helpful and useful.

Do you have a question, a tip, a recipe or a story you??”d like to share with us? Email it to me and I??”ll include it in a future issue. Can??”t wait to see what you have to say.

Warm Wishes,

Susanne – The Hillbilly Housewife

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