Father's Day

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day is a day of commemoration and celebration of Dad. It is a day to not only honor your father, but all men who have acted as a father figure in your life - whether as Stepfathers, Uncles, Grandfathers, or "Big Brothers."

"Children have more need of models than critics."
- French moralist Joseph Joubert (1754-1824)

The History of Father's Day

Father's Day, contrary to popular misconception, was not established as a holiday in order to help greeting card manufacturers sell more cards. In fact when a "father's day" was first proposed there were no Father's Day cards!

Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.

• The first Father's Day was observed on June 19, 1910 in Spokane Washington. At about the same time in various towns and cities across American other people were beginning to celebrate a "father's day."

• In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father's Day. Finally in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.

"A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child."
- Knights of Pythagoras

Did You Know?: Father's Day

• that there are 64.3 million fathers in America?
• that in families where the mother works outside of the home, 14% of fathers are full-time stay-at-home dads?
• that nearly a quarter of all married dads have three or more children living at home?
• that one in five single parents with primary custody is a dad? Did you know that 31% of them are due child support from their child's mother?
• that 11% of Dads are stepdads, living full-time with their spouse's children? Did you know that 85% of Dads live only with their biological children?
• two-thirds of children under the age of six eat dinner with their dads every day?
• that six out ten children under the age of six were praised at least three times a day by their fathers?
• that one in twelve men serving in the army are dads?
• that one in four dads who work outside the home spend less than an hour a day with their kids?
• that 38% of working dads say they would take a pay cut to spend more time with their kids?

"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."
- Sigmund Freud

Top TV Dads

While you're busy appreciating your own dear old dad, there are a few other pops you might want to keep in mind, too: TV dads. They may not be real, but these dads have wielded tremendous paternal influence over generations of American families. Here's a look at TV's top dads: (in chronological order)
 

 Ward Cleaver

Played by Hugh Beaumont, Ward Cleaver was the model of fatherly patience on the hit sitcom Leave It To Beaver (1957-1963). No matter what calamity son Beaver embroiled himself in - and there were some doozies, Ward was always ready with an encouraging word and some life wisdom. 

 Andy Taylor

Andy Taylor (played by Andy Griffith) was one of TV's first single dads on The Andy Griffith Show (1960-1968). The down-home sheriff for the town of Mayberry, Andy set about raising his son Opie with a bit of hokey humor and a heaping of soliloquy-style discipline - and the help of the ever-present Aunt Bee.

 Mike Brady

TV's first stepdad, Mike Brady (played by Robert Reed) was the widower patriarch whose new blended family included three sons (his) - and three daughters (wife Carol's). The Brady Bunch (1969-1974) managed to face their weekly dose of overly dramatic family dilemmas with some firm discipline from Mike (and fresh baked cookies from Alice, the housekeeper). One of TV land's strictest dads, Mike was also the most even-handed - not to mention the hippest (remember the perm?).

 Howard Cunningham

Ever-jolly Howard Cunningham (played by Tom Bosley) was the Midwestern TV Dad on the 1950s-style comedy Happy Days (1974-1984). Howard earned his living by running the hardware store, but always managed to find time to solve the woes of his teenage kids. And he even played surrogate dad to son Richie's rather wayward collection of friends.

 Heathcliff Huxtable

One of TV's first African American fathers, Heathcliff Huxtable also broke paternal ground in The Cosby Show (1984-1993) for his dual-income earning family. The high-powered couple (Cliff was an OB-GYN, wife Clair a corporate attorney) resonated with American viewers, who were eager to see an image of their own family's working status - rather than TV land's persistence in the passé norm of the housewife mom. Together, the joke-cracking Cliff and straight-laced Clair raised their five kids, ranging in age from preschool to high school, in their Brooklyn brownstone.

 Homer Simpson

Speaking of less-than-perfect dads, Homer Simpson has cornered the market on underachieving. As The Simpsons's (1989-present) animated patriarch, Homer personifies bumbling ineptitude in everything he does - from his botched attempts at raising his three kids to his rather ironic job as safety inspector at the local nuclear plant. The longest run show on TV, with characters that have never aged, The Simpsons offers America a satirical, politically incorrect family and one of the most enduring iconic cultural references.

 Tony Soprano

Now here's a killer dad! Anthony "Tony" Soprano (played by James Gandolfini) was no Ward Cleaver, but he's definitely the most powerful dad on this list. The ruthless Underboss of a New Jersey crime family, Tony seemed to genuinely love his wife (if you can look past his rampant infidelity) and his two teenage kids. But between his depression and anxiety attacks (and borderline sociopath personality), Tony struggled to find his footing in fatherhood - or marriage and any other genuine relationship, for that matter.

"When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years."
- Mark Twain

Father's Day Breakfast Menu
French Toast Casserole & Orange Julius

If your family loves to sit down together over a steaming hot breakfast, then this menu is the perfect way to kick off your celebration of Fathers Day. This mouthwatering French Toast Casserole can be prepped in advance and then baked fresh on Father's Day morning. Our Orange Julius recipe is the perfect tangy complement to this rich and hearty meal.

French Toast Casserole

1 loaf of hard-crust, day-old French French Bread 8 large eggs
2 c half-and-half or cream
1 c milk
2 T brown sugar
1 t pure vanilla
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
Praline Spread (see below)

Slice bread into 20, 1-inch slices. Arrange the slices into two rows in a well-buttered 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Pour the egg mixture over the bread, ensuring that all pieces are completely covered. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour the Praline Spread (below) over the casserole and cook for 40 minutes, until golden brown.

Praline Spread

1 1/2 sticks of butter
2/3 c packed brown sugar
2/3 c chopped pecans
1 1/2 T light corn syrup
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg

Blend all ingredients and spread over casserole before baking.

Orange Julius

This tangy orange drink is the perfect complement the sweet French Toast Casserole. Rather than using half-and-half, our recipe calls for the healthier soy version.

1 c French Vanilla Soy creamer
1 c fresh squeezed orange juice (2-3 oranges)
6-8 ice cubes

Process all ingredients together in a blender until smooth. Serve in a tall cup with a straw.

Serves 2.

Fathers Day information courtesy of:

http://www.holidays.net/father/