Oh Snap! Father's Day Food Fest

My hubby T, super dad to our two awesome children, did not want anything for Father's Day. He had just one request for his special day: homemade deep dish pizza. He refused my offer to take him downtown for Pizzeria Uno pizza, his favorite. Too crowded, too much traffic, too expensive. He gave me all the excuses, so I gave in. Then, he suggested we take a trip to the Elburn Market for fresh Italian sausage for said pizza, and here's where the Father's Day food fest begins.

One does not make a special trip to a quality meat market and leave with just Italian sausage. Oh no! There's pork chops, ground beef, chicken, deli meats, and of course, steak - t-bone steaks. Change of menu? Nope! Because he is such a great father and loving husband, T had his deep dish pizza, and ate his steak too. And there were muffins - not store bought, not from a mix - homemade raspberry muffins accompanied by his fav hot beverage: chai tea latte. We are the best wife and kids ever! Well, at least in our minds we are.

So here in photos, is the Father's Day Food Fest featuring three good meals which actually started on Saturday night with . . .

2. Homemade deep dish sausage and mushroom pizza







3. Made-from-scratch raspberry muffins for Sunday's breakfast







1. T-Bone steak dinner with baked potatoes, grilled veggies, baked beans, and salad with fresh lettuce from our garden, with a Leine's Summer Shandy











Oh, let's not forget dessert - ice cream from Brenda's Frozen Custard in nearby Sandwich, IL. There's always room for dessert!





               Please pass the Tums.

Ice Cream! Ice Cream! Ice Cream!

Because we ate a late lunch or what we call "linner" on Sunday afternoon, we decided to have ice cream for dinner. Actually, we had frozen custard, which is just as good if not better than ice cream! In fact, Sunday was National Ice Cream Day, therefore we had another excuse to eat a frozen dairy treat for dinner. That, and it was really, really hot outside, too!

Which reminds me of a bit from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory which for some reason the kids think is really funny:

"Hot Ice Cream for Cold Days, it said on the next door."

"Extremely useful in the winter," said Mr. Wonka, rushing on. "Hot ice cream warms you up no end in freezing weather. I also make hot ice cubes for putting in hot drinks. Hot ice cubes make hot drinks hotter."

I think cold ice cream, or frozen custard, is a good thing on a hot day, a cold day, a just-right day, or any ol' day. Here's why:

1. Everyone screams for ice cream. I'm not sure about screaming per say, but in my 40-something years of life, I've never met anyone who doesn't enjoy eating ice cream! Maybe lactose-intolerant people or non-believers would beg to differ, but ice cream is a good thing! Just ask any kid who hears the ding ding ding of the ice cream truck, or the words, "Let's go for ice cream!"

2. Ice cream is versatile. It comes in many different flavors. It can be smooth and creamy or full of chunky goodness like nuts, fudge, fruit, or candy. You can eat it in a bowl, a cone, a sandwich, a shake, a sundae, a cake, and even PIE! You also can top it with other yummy good things like, caramel, whipped cream, cookie crumbs, chocolate sauce, or SPRINKLES . . . or you can be a purist and order a scoop of plain vanilla which happens to be the most popular flavor in the US by the way.

*In the photo, the kids are eating Chocolate Chip Mint frozen custard at Ozzie's in New Buffalo, MI. I had some, too - simply scrumptious!

3. Ice cream is entertaining! I know first hand that a dozen or so eight-year-old boys are easily entertained by a make-your-own sundae birthday activity even though squirting whipped cream on top steals the show. Ice cream can be found at almost any entertainment venue - Baseball Game, check. Carnival, check. Company Picnic, check. Walt Disney World, check. Nearly every day at Disney my son ate a Mickey Mouse Ice Cream pop thanks to papa's magic wallet. Even making ice cream can be entertaining with a little time, effort, and patience.

In the words of Eddie Murphy in a very funny but not so family-friendly skit about ice cream, "I've got some iiiiice cream, I've got some iiiiice cream!"

and that's a good thing!