Fathers . . .

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majest of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagles flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
And there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it . . . Dad.
~author unknown

My life is full of many dads and so I wanted to honor them on this Father's day.



First of all there is my own father. I love him dearly. No, he didn't take us on expensive holidays when we were growing up and perhaps he didn't spend the time with us that a lot of other father's did with their children, but he loved us and we always knew that. He did the very best for us that he knew how to do. We never went hungry, or cold. He taught us how to laugh and how to roll with the punches. He show us that men can cry and have hearts and have feelings, that they don't always have to be hard. My dad and mom have been divorced for many years now, but they still remain the best of friends. It's funny how it goes. They have been much better parents apart than they ever were together. I know my dad is my biggest fan and that he is proud of me and that he loves me. He calls me the "Apple of his eye," and makes me feel when he is saying those words that I am the only one he says it to. It doesn't matter if he says it to my brother and my sister too, when he is saying it to me, it makes me feel special.



Then there are my two oldest sons. They are the father's of three little boys all together and the one is expecting another child in the new year. I look at them with their children and I can see the love there and the dedication. It is one thing to be a good parent and to have your children grow up to be responsible adults, but to be able to see them being good parents . . . well that just does your heart good like nothing else on earth. I love to see my sons with their own sons and the love that plays back and forth between those little chubby hands and those masterful teaching hands. When I look at them, I know in my heart that I did something right along the way.



There is my Todd. Although we cannot have children of our own, I can see the way he is with other children, and the way he is with mine, and my heart aches at times for the family we could have had, had we only met each other sooner in life. He would have been such a wonderful father, given the chance. Kind and patient, steadfast and sure. Thank goodness for the Gospel which gives us hope that one day . . . one day . . .



Last but not least, probably most important of all, there is my Father in Heaven. He is always there for me . . . to listen, to comfort, to guide, to teach. He will never let me down as human hands can and will. Steadfast, sure, wise, kind and loving. I am so very grateful for the relationship I have with Him, and I know that no matter what I do, or how far I wander, He is always waiting for me, loving me, and He looks upon me with tender eyes and a heart that understands. When I fall down, He picks me up and sets me back on the path. He shows me who I can be, and how to be. I love him dearly.

I thank all the father's in my life for the wonderful examples they set for me and for sharing my life with me, and on this special day, Father's Day, I wish them a Happy Father's Day. I love each one of you so very, very much.

Here is a special Father's Day video I found that really touched my heart and I sincerely hope that you will watch it and that it will touch your heart too. (Just be sure to shut my music off at the bottom of the page first!)




My Todd is a meat and potatoes man. The simpler the better. He likes nothing better than a good stew or a roast dinner. This is one of his favourite meals. I do confess to having a liking for it too . . .



*Lancashire Hot Pot*
Serves 4 (unless you are a greedy git like me!)
Printable Recipe

I guess you could call this the English version of Irish stew. One pot cooking of the most delicious persuasion. Tender and tasty chunks of lamb and vegetables, all stewed under a delicious thatch of sliced potatoes.

1 TBS olive oil
750g diced lamb
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into chunky pieces
1/2 medium swede (rutabaga) peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
500ml lamb stock
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
750g of potatoes, peeled and cut into thin slices
butter
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 160*C/350*F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the meat in batches and fry it until browned on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large casserole dish (one with a lid) as it browns. Set aside.

Once all the meat it browned and removed from the skillet add the vegetables to the pan. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring them occasionally. Return the lamb to the skillet and pour over the stock. Add the Worchestershire sauce and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix it all in well and then carefully pour the mixture back into the casserole dish. Tuck the two sprigs of thyme into the mixture, burying it.

Cover the top of the mixture with a layer of half of the sliced potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and then dot with butter. Finish layering with the remaining potatoes and adding a final dusting of salt and pepper and dot once again with some butter. Put the lid on.

Bake in the heated oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and bake for a further hour until the meat is very tender and the "thatch" is nicely browned in places and tender as well. Serve hot spooned out onto hot plates along with seasonal green vegetables on the side and plenty of crusty bread and butter to mop up the delicious juices.

And for Dessert??? I had cherries that needed using up.



Pop on over to The English Kitchen to see what I did with them . . .