This past week was a quiet one, once I got past Wednesday! Double duty on Monday as I was hostess for our pokeno club and also had to take salad to a meeting that evening, with barely enough time to go home and unload my car. Luckily, my daughter had convinced me to make a double batch of my chicken salad and use it for both places. Worked like a charm!
Tuesday was Auxiliary Day, we had our meeting and then at workshop, we did a craft to use for tray favors in the month of August. We are ahead of ourselves, as June and July are finished, and it feels great, knowing it is out of the way. After lunch at our favorite hamburger place, it was time for me to take a shift at the hospital gift shop. It was a totally quiet day, I think I had one small sale, and the woman I replaced had no customers! Tuesdays are sometimes like that. On Wednesday, after a morning getting to do stuff around the house, I went back to the gift shop for an extra shift, as we have a lady whose husband is very ill, and we are covering her shift. An Auxiliary member friend stopped to visit for a while and finally at 4:30, I had my first customer, and ten minutes later, had another, with the two sales totaling over $40! This made it into a great day as the morning lady had over $50! When I finished there, I went to our library where John Erickson, author of the “Hank the Cow Dog” was doing songs and stories about “Hank”. He is a very interesting person to listen to, as many of you know from when he was in Devine several years ago. He was signing books for the children and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves. This week will be quiet, as when I finish my eye doctor appointment on Monday morning, I will have the week to myself. Hopefully, I can get some sewing done.
A little over a month ago, we celebrated a day dedicated to our Mothers. This coming Sunday, we celebrate a day dedicated to our Fathers/Dads/Daddys/Pops/Papas/Papis/Padres, whatever name we called him as we were growing up. Isn’t it great to know that we can honor our parents in such a way?
Many times, fathers seem to be pushed to the back burner, so to speak. They are at work all day and we seem to ask Mom rather than Dad when we want something. They aren’t always paid attention to, listened to and sometimes not even respected, as they should be. You will never know how much your father means to you until he is gone, then you will wonder; “Why didn’t I listen to Dad more, why didn’t I pay more attention when he spoke, why did I ignore him when he got older, why didn’t I visit him more often, why did I think I was smarter than he was, why, why, and yet again why?” All of these things belong to the shoulda, coulda, woulda, but…didn’t do, because of being busy working, playing or simply taking care of your own family. It can’t be helped; we all do it at one time or another, so don’t feel guilty about it. Think about him, remember the good times and forget about the bad times, think about the fishing and hunting trips or the vacation trips to favorite spots, the times you just dropped by to visit him for a few minutes, the times you hugged him and said; “I love you, Dad and he hugged you back and said; “I love you too!” These are the times you need to remember, they are the important ones. Dads are just like Moms, they always love and they always forgive and forget! Think of the times you said; “Can I use the car tonight, Dad and he said “yes”, of the times you asked for money and he said “yes, of the times he encouraged you in whatever interest you had at the time, whether it was sports, cars, a new hobby, or girls/boys!
Sunday, June 17th, is Father’s Day, a celebration that began with Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, who first proposed the idea in 1909. She was looking for a special way to honor her father, Mr. William Smart. He was a Civil War veteran who was widowed when his wife died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart raised all six children by himself. They lived on a farm in eastern Washington State. After Mrs. Dodd was grown, she realized how much strength and selflessness he had shown in raising them as a single parent in that day and time.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached the minister of her church and others in Spokane about having a service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father’s birthday. The minister was unable to prepare for the service that quickly, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th.
From that time on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Fathers Day. At this same time, various towns and cities across America were beginning to celebrate a day especially for fathers. States and various organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson approved of this. President Calvin Coolidge was in firm support of the idea of a national Father’s Day and in 1924, made it a national event to “establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.” However, it took until 1966, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday in June as Father’s Day and put the official stamp of approval on a celebration that had been ongoing for almost half a century.
In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father’s Day. Mrs. Dodd suggested a red rose to honor a living father, and a white rose for a deceased day. (This is similar to the fact that we wear red carnations if our Mother is living and white ones if she is deceased, when we celebrate Mother’s Day). Mr. J. H. Berringer, who attended Father’s Day celebrations in Washington State as early as 1912, chose a white lilac as the Father’s Day Flower.
So, now, let’s talk about how we can pamper this most important man in our life. What is his favorite dish that would make his day most special?
For a noon meal, how about chicken fried steak, broiled or grilled steak, burgers or chicken? Is there something else he likes better? If there is, fix that. Boiled new potatoes with butter and onions, mashed potatoes, or potato salad if that is what he prefers will go with any of the above meats. You will need a green salad to go with this and a vegetable. Corn on the cob is great (and in season), and green beans, squash, zucchini are all in season at this time.
Let’s start with a brisket that is baked rather than smoked on the grill. It is a little simpler than some other dishes.
Baked Brisket
1 brisket (6-8 lbs)
1 bottle liquid smoke
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder (if desired)
Thoroughly season meat well on both sides. Place in a roasting pan and bake at 250ºF to 300ºF, uncovered, for 4 to 5 hours. Pour 1/2 bottle of liquid smoke over meat, turn meat over and pour remaining liquid smoke over meat. Cook, covered for an additional 1½ to 2 hours. Remove from oven, let stand for 10 to 14 minutes before slicing. Be sure to slice across the grain of the meat. When the grain changes, give the brisket a one-quarter turn and continue slicing.
Chicken Fried Steak
Tenderized round steak or cube steaks to serve as many as needed
Salt, pepper, flour
1 to 2 cups milk, in bowl
Cooking oil for frying
Season meat with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, dip in milk, back into flour and repeat again. Set aside while you finish breading all the meat. Fry in deep fryer or skillet with at least 1″ of cooking oil or shortening until meat is browned on one side. Turn over and brown second side. Keep hot in oven while you finish cooking remaining meat. Serve hot with gravy and mashed potatoes.
The following recipe for Chocolate Cookie Cake was on the back of a box of Betty Crocker® cake mix several years ago. It has always been a favorite of my family, and I have made it many times for bake sales, as it is a really good item, and goes quickly.
Chocolate Cookie Cake
1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® chocolate fudge cake mix
1¼ cups water
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
3 eggs
1 cup coarsely crushed chocolate sandwich cookies (about 10 cookies), (divided use)
1 tub Betty Crocker® Creamy Deluxe®, vanilla ready-to-spread frosting
Heat oven to 350ºF. Generously grease and flour 2 round pans, 9x½-inches*. Beat cake mix (dry), water, margarine and eggs in large bowl on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Reserve 2 tablespoons of crushed cookies. Fold remaining crushed cookies into batter. Pour into pans. Bake 30 to 37 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes on cake rack and then remove from pans. Finish cooling cake completely on a rack, and then crush reserved crushed cookies more finely; and mix into frosting. Fill layers and frost side and top of cake with frosting. If desired, garnish with additional cookies. *I usually just bake this in a 9×13 pan, it is much easier, as I can leave it in the pan and just frost the top.
Lemon Meringue Pie
(1 baked 9-inch pie shell)
1 c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
½ c. flour
3 T. cornstarch
2 c. water
3 eggs, separated
1 T. butter or margarine
¼ c. lemon juice (preferably fresh, but bottled is OK)
1 tsp. grated lemon rind (optional)
1 tsp. lemon extract (optional)
Yellow food coloring (optional)
While pie shell is baking, combine sugar, salt, flour and cornstarch in saucepan, whisk in water and cook over moderate heat stirring with whisk until mixture is thick and clear. Remove from heat. Beat the yolks and add some of the hot mixture to the yolks, a spoonful at a time, mixing well, and then stir this mixture into the hot mixture, return to heat and cook one minute more. Remove from heat and stir in butter or margarine, lemon juice, grated rind, extract and food coloring, if used. Cool slightly and pour into baked pie shell and top with meringue.
Meringue
3 egg whites
6 T. sugar
Beat egg whites until foamy, add sugar 1 T. at a time, whipping until whites hold stiff peaks. Place in a 425º oven for 5 to 7 minutes or until golden brown.