Happy Father's Day

Leaves from the diary of a single dad ^ | June 11 2003 | Carlo3b

[carlo3b]

You're making me homesick.

We aim to tease/please..blush

[tubebender]

Carlo...Your threads are always up beat and entertaining. Any ideas for this old greezer on the Atkins Diet?

Our Daughter was almost born on Fathers Day 1961 after our Son was born on Mothers Day 1958. Our Granddaughter was born Sept 11 1985 and her Brother was born Sept 11 1989.

Memories of my Dad are not that great but they are better than no memories at all...

[carlo3b]

As they leave the nest.. they still need a Dad

As hard as life can get these days, I am still amazed at how much I get out of having my family close to me. Even now while I am on the verge of having my last baby leave the nest, I know that I will never lose their closeness, or their love, because we are so tightly bonded as a family.

No, I don't expect my children to be with me everyday, nor do I want or expect them to set aside their wonderful lives to cater to my needs. I am satisfied knowing that my words and my advice will be with them when they need an answer.  I owe it to them and myself to be alive and happy when they do want to talk or see me.. or need their Dad.

I need them as much as they needed me, throughout their growing years, to keep me wanting more out of life.. No more coaching baseball, attending school functions, church activities, planing parties, bedtime stories.. sorry, thats just wrong.. I have another generation of kids to need me, grown kids, more serious problems,  bigger hurts to soothe.. stronger huggggs ... and then there are the grandchildren, in-laws, ..hot dates.. ;) ..YeHAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
 

HOT DATE RACK OF LAMB WITH MAGICAL SAUCE

• 3 whole lamb racks, 3 to 4 lbs. each, split and chined, then "frenched" or 6 half-racks


FOR THE AROMATIC SAUCE

• ½ lb lamb scraps and bones (or the parings from the racks)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour for dredging
• 3 Roma tomatoes
• 1 Tbs. olive oil, plus 2 Tbs. for cooking the lamb racks
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 1 cup ruby port wine
• 1 head of garlic, split across
• 1 branch fresh thyme
• ½ tsp cardamom seed
• ½ tsp coriander seed
• ½ tsp cumin seed
• 3 cups prepared chicken stock
• 2 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste


FOR THE HOT DATE MARINADE

• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 chipotle chili (or ¼ tsp chili pepper flakes, or cayenne)
• 1 cup water


Start by making the aromatic sauce: Dredge the lamb scraps in the flour. Heat a 4 quart sauce pot to high heat, add the olive oil and the lamb scraps, and brown them well. Add the three tomatoes, and cook for five minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the port wine and reduce to a syrupy consistency. Add the garlic, thyme, spices, the chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for two hours, reducing the sauce until you are left with approximately one and one half cups of liquid. Season and strain.

Meanwhile, prepare the marinade. Combine the dates, water, and chipotle in a small sauce pot, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, and allow to cool slightly. Purée in the blender, and set aside until completely cool. When cool, liberally baste the lamb racks with 2/3 of the date marinade. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Wrap the bones on the lamb racks with aluminum foil; this will prevent them from burning in the oven. Season the lamb racks liberally with salt. Heat a twelve-inch skillet (with an ovenproof handle) to high heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan, and place the lamb racks, meat side down into the pan. Cook for three minutes, turn the lamb racks over onto their fatty sides, and baste the meat side with the remaining date marinade. Place the entire pan in the oven, and cook for fifteen minutes for medium rare.

Remove the racks from the oven, and let them rest for five minutes. Divide each rack into four chops (or the half-racks into two chops each), and serve two chops per person with the aromatic sauce.
Serves 6 hardy appetites

My hats off  to Charlie Dale - Renaissance Restaurant - Aspen, for this outstanding recipe

[carlo3b]

Any ideas for this old greezer on the Atkins Diet?

ARE YOU KIDDIN' ??

Chicken with Rosemary Roasted Vegetables

 
Rosemary is delicious paired with chicken, but use it sparingly because it has a very strong flavor and aroma.
Dr Atkin's would be proud of you for preparing this recipe.. it came from his own cookbook!

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crumble rosemary
• 1/2 packet sugar substitute
• 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
• 1 cup small cauliflower florets
• 1 cup small broccoli florets
• 1 small red pepper, cut in 2 pieces

1. Heat oven to 400º F. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary, and sugar substitute. Add chicken and vegetables. Toss until well coated.
2. Arrange chicken, skin side up in a jelly roll pan. Place vegetables, in a single layer, around chicken. Roast 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and browned. Halfway through cooking time, flip vegetables over with a spatula.

[tubebender]

Sounds great ! We just got Atkins cookbook. Is the garden variety Rosemary different from the culinary type ?

BTW...You are up way past my bed time...

[kayak]

"What Makes a Dad?"

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty 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 eagle's 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.
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... "DAD!"

Happy Father's Day to All You Dads!

[christie]

Ah, Rosemary Chicken was my Grandmother's specialty.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I miss you!
Happy Father's Day, Carlo. You are a great Dad!
Happy Father's Day to all FReeper Dads. You are the best!

Happy Father's Day

The Clinton Legacy Cookbook

[carlo3b]

Yes, I always have trouble sleeping the night before a trip.. thinking, thinking.. mustn't forget anything, is this or that packed.. do I have new eye balls, a heart and kidney replacement, if so did I pack it.. on ice?? ... it kinda goes like that... gulp!

As for the Rosemary, I hope you mean garden (meaning fresh) in always preferable, but not nearly as potent as the store bought dry, ..use 2 times more fresh than dry, plus a touch, but caution... Rosemary is really powerful stuff, if not careful, what ever you are preparing will smell and taste like Vicks Cough Medicine... :)

[carlo3b]

kayak, our dear Cookbook Chef friend a Happy Father's Day to you and yours..
"What Makes a Dad?" was so true and a wonderful thought..

[carlo3b]

MORNIN sweetie... this just about does it for us...the sea is calling.. hold down the fort for a week, I'll bring home somethin new, like a new stingray recipe.. developing

[christie]

Happy Father's Day bump

[christie]

Bon voyage!

[Exit148]

" I have another generation of kids to need me, grown kids, more serious problems, bigger hurts to soothe.. stronger huggggs ..."

It didn't just end when they grew up, did it? How wonderful for the grown kid who still has his Dad ---who is there for the good times and not so good.

For all you new Dads, and Dads in the middle of all this ---- hang in there!

And for those whose Dads have gone to their eternal reward ------ happy memories.

And for my Dad, who was not my Father ----thank you for marrying my mother and accepting and guiding her 4 kids. I am forever grateful.

[stanz]

Thanks for the Fathers' Day cheer. Hope you had a good one!

[RJayneJ]

Thanks! I'll try it real soon.

[jellybean]

My Father

When I was:

• Four years old: My daddy can do anything.
• Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
• Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
• Eight years old: My dad doesn't know exactly everything. Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
• Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
• Fourteen years old: Don't pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned. Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out of date.
• Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
• Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he's had a lot of experience.
• Thirty-five years old: I'm not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
• Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
• Fifty years old: I'd give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

~Writer Unknown

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL FREEPER DADS!

[jellybean]

A Little Girl Talks to Her Daddy

[christie]

Happy Fathers Day to all the wonderful FReeper dads.

My father died nearly eight years ago. He was a giant in my eyes. Happy Father's Day, dad.

I need to remember my mom also, who died six years ago today.

I miss you both.