Hop on Pop

 

On June 20, 2021, Father's Day, we celebrated the man who has borne burden and after burden for the family.  

He's always been there for his children, grandchildren, and now great-grandchildren, with a joke, sage counsel ("I charge people for this advice," he used to tell his teenagers), or a bit of cold cash.  

When I asked Dave what he wanted for Father's Day dinner, he said, "A dinner cooked without recipes."  Dave usually ends up spending a few hours helping me cook, even when he is the special guest, and my fancy recipes exhaust him!

I mostly complied.  The entrees were salmon, which Dave loves, and barbecued flank steak for family members who don’t like salmon (and those who do).  I added an appetizer board of brie, pepper cheese, tomato jam, and crackers, served with grape lemonade.  No recipes there.  

I made some hot rolls and Camille’s recipe of brussels sprouts sauteed in butter, onions, grated carrots, and fines herbs (I knew how to make it without consulting a recipe).  

As the Eberts' contribution, Steve made Nutella and pistachio ice cream and Annelise baked a rich and luscious chocolate cake frosted with blueberry frosting.

Rebekah’s mother, Jackie, is visiting, and we invited her for dinner.  She is an interesting, fun woman, and she is very excited about her new granddaughter, Lilly, who will be born in August. 

Janice had very good news.  Saudi Arabia is becoming a dangerous place for traffic controllers like her husband, Mark.  Mark was able to get an air traffic controller job in Kona, Hawaii!  Janice is keeping her condo in SLC because her children live here, but she will be staying, fulltime and indefinitely, in Hawaii.  The only problem is that houses are prohibitive.  Janice found a 700 square foot mini-home for $500,000!

Dave seemed pleased to be feted as the patriarch.

He even mugged for the camera.  He said I take entirely too many pictures of him eating, so he made this shot extra-special!