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Father's Day

How many father’s days can one survive?

Grumblegrumblegrumble. What was that honey? What day is it?

Grumblegurmblegrumble. It is Father’s Day! Grumblegrumble.

Of course, that’s why the children woke you up at five am to serve you undercooked scrambled eggs, burnt toast, soggy kids cereal and purple colored milk. Grumble. Wait! Let me get you some coffee.

Father’s Day, I remember running in, jumping on my parents bed, trying to wake them before my little brothers brought in our version of the complete breakfast. It might not have been completely edible, but my father was a true sport and choked it down with a smile. This might have been the true motivation for my father teaching me how to cook.

The first father’s day after I began to acquire new culinary skills was much more tolerable. I perfected the scrambled eggs, and learned to make breakfast chops. I put my brothers on pop-over duty, and on pouring overseeing, they were great at that.

As the years passed, I made more hearty and complicated breakfasts. However, it was when I had children of my own -and a husband to wake at five in the morning by jumping up and down on the bed, just so our kids could bring in their versions of a breakfast- that I fell back on some of the more simple kid friendly recipes. I also began to pamper him throughout the day: for lunch, the kids and I fanciefy the largest hoagies that anyone has ever seen; for dinner, I don my fireproof aprons and hit the coals. A nice easily seasoned steak, with twice baked potatoes and his favorite steamed vegetable is all a man truly needs, excuse the giggle.

For the evening dessert, we sit down with a Black Velvet, which is 2 cans of canned Guinness stout and 1 bottle of Champagne, mixed half-and-half in tall glasses, and watch the children attempt to burn down the house with dessert. The house specialty for this day is oatmeal and date brownies.

When it comes to father’s day - dads take heed - a little prevention can go along way. Teach them how to make some simple treats, and say goodbye to the soggy cookies and room temperature milk. And to my daddy, Happy Father’s day from your honey baby sweets.

Dad's scrambled egg recipe | top

Homemade scramble eggs are the perfect way to wake daddy up.

Ingredients

6 large eggs
1/4 cup (115 ml, 7-8 Tbs) heavy whipping cream
salt and ground black pepper to taste
diced ham or scrambled sausages
chopped green peppers
chopped onions
diced mushrooms
shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
salsa

Procedure

  1. Beat the eggs and heavy cream together well. pour into a preheated skillet, over medium heat.
  2. Mix in the salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Scramble eggs. When they are still wet but beginning to clump together add all but the cheese and salsa. Continue to cook and scramble until desired moistness has occurred.
  4. Remove from heat, sprinkle on cheese and a dollop of salsa.

Dad's popovers recipe| top

Ingredients

USA  
1 cup    all-purpose flour  
1/4 tsp    salt  
1 cup    whole milk  
2   extra large eggs  
1 Tbs    unsalted butter, melted, plus additional melted butter to grease pan  
 
Metric  
225 g     all-purpose flour  
pinch    salt  
250 ml     whole milk  
2   extra large eggs  
25 g   unsalted butter, melted, plus additional melted butter to grease pan  

 

Yield: 12

 

Procedure

  1. Place oven racks in the lowest position and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Place and empty muffin pan into the oven to heat while preparing the batter.
  2. Whisk together the four and salt in a medium bowl. In a 2 cup Pyres measuring cup, whisk together lightly, the milk, eggs and butter. Pour the wet into the dry ingredients all at once. Whisk together until just blended.
  3. Remove pan from oven and use the addition melted butter to grease.
  4. Pour the batter into each cup, filling it only half full. Bake for 20 minutes. DO NOT open the oven door during this time.
  5. Reduce heat to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the popovers are a rich brown in color. Serve warm.

Dad's breakfast chops recipe | top

Breakfast or dinner.

Ingredients

2 breakfast style pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp (30 ml) olive oil

Procedure

Heat oil in a heavy skillet, over medium heat. Place pork chops in pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. The longer they cook the more done they will be, and the drier. Serve with a bit of applesauce over top.

Twice baked potatoes recipe| top

What else could a dad want on Father's Day?

Ingredients

USA  
4   large baking potatoes  
1/4 cup    milk  
2   large eggs  
    salt and pepper  
2 Tbs    butter  
4 oz    chopped mushrooms  
1 Tbs    butter for brushing  
    chopped chives for topping  
 
Metric  
4   large baking potatoes  
65 ml     milk  
2   large eggs  
    salt and pepper  
50 g     butter  
125 g   chopped mushrooms  
25 g    butter for brushing  
    chopped chives for topping  

Procedure

  1. Scrub potatoes and arrange on oven rack. Cut an X into one side of the potatoes and bake at 450°F (230°C) for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.
  2. Cut a thin slice from the top of each potato; scoop out potato into a bowl, leaving shell intact.
  3. Add milk and eggs, beat until fluffy. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. In a skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms until tender. Stir the mushrooms and butter into the potatoes.
  5. Heap potato mixture into the shells. brush potatoes with additional butter and sprinkle with chives.
  6. Continue to bake until the potatoes are lightly browned.

Cooking tips

  • Be sure to use baking potatoes. These have thicker, less delicate skins than some other varieties. Don't scoop out all the flesh, down to the skin. Leave a good 1/4 in (5-6 mm) of potato on the skin.

Date and oatmeal recipe| top

House specialty for Father's Day

Ingredients

USA  
5 oz    plain dark chocolate chips  
4 tsp    butter  
3/4 cup    rolled oats  
3 Tbs    wheat germ  
1/3 cup    milk powder  
1/2 tsp    baking powder  
1/2 tsp    salt  
1/2 cup    walnuts, chopped  
1/3 cup    dates, chopped  
1/4 cup    dark brown sugar  
1 tsp    vanilla extract  
2   eggs, beaten  
 
Metric  
150 g     plain dark chocolate chips  
100 g   butter  
150 g     rolled oats  
100 g     wheat germ  
75 g     milk powder  
1/2 tsp    baking powder  
1/2 tsp    salt  
75 g    walnuts, chopped  
50 g     dates, chopped  
100 g     dark brown sugar  
5 ml    vanilla extract  
2   eggs, beaten  

 

Yield: 16

 

Procedure

  1. Break apart the chocolate and melt, either in a microwave set on high for 2 minutes or in a pan over very gently simmering water.
  2. Allow the chocolate to cool, stirring occasionally. Grease and then line an 8 inch square cake pan with waxed paper, then preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
  3. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Beat in melted chocolate, vanilla and eggs.
  4. Pour into prepared pan, smooth out the top to make it level. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm at the edges and still soft in the center. It is important not to overbake them.
  5. Cool, and cut into 16 squares. Serve.

Erin M. Phelan combines cooking, writing and talking about food with her love for the countryside. She has a modern homestead and raises her own organic food.

Erin lives in a lovely farm in Kansas, with her husband and young children. You can read about her adventures in her blog, A Homesteading Neophyte; her recipes were also published regularly at All Foods Natural.