In May of 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington, sat in church listening to a Mother's Day sermon. She decided she wanted to designate a day for her father, William Jackson Smart. Dodd's mother had died in childbirth, and Dodd's father, a Civil War veteran, had taken the responsibility of singlehandedly raising the newborn and his other five children.
The following year, Dodd wanted to celebrate Father's Day on June 5th, her father's birthday, and petitioned for the holiday to be recognized in her city. Needing more time to arrange the festivities, Spokane’s mayor pushed the date back by two weeks, and the first Father's Day was celebrated on June 19, 1910.
While Congress was quick to officially declare the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day in 1914, after it was first celebrated on May 10, 1908, it took much longer for Father's Day to be legally recognized. But thanks to Dodd's celebration, Father's Day steadily gained popularity.
In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge said he supported it, in order to establish closer relationships between fathers and their children. President Lyndon Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation honoring fathers in 1966, but it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it a permanent holiday. Since then, Father’s Day has become a time to recognize the many different father figures in our lives.
Tarragon Chicken
Ingredients:
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts (fat removed)
- ¾ cup sweet hot mustard
- ½ cup chopped fresh tarragon or 1 tblsp dried tarragon
- 1 tsp Black pepper
Directions:
In the morning put all ingredients in a bowl, stir, cover and refrigerate. Marinate it for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
Using a hot grill cook until done. I think it tastes best when the sweet hot mustard gets a bit charred from the hot heat. Can bake of broil in oven.
Serves: 4
Broccoli, Cranberry and Bacon salad
Ingredients:
- 4 cups coarsely chopped broccoli
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/3 cup reduced-sugar dried cranberries
- 4 bacon slices, cooked and crumble
Directions:
Cut up your broccoli into small florets: cut up into bite-sized and slightly larger pieces. Mix greek yogurt into the broccoli florets mixture until broccoli is well-coated. Add in the dried cranberries, red onion, and cooked bacon. Mix well. Add in your vinegar, maple syrup and slivered almonds. Stir everything together, and serve as is or let chill for an hour or two. Enjoy!
Serves 4-5
Fruit Crisp
Ingredients:
- 10 ounce bag frozen blueberries
- 2.5 cups strawberries, sliced
- 2 bananas, sliced
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup organic oats
- ½ cup pecans or nut of choice
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup flaxseeds
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. Add sliced fruit into a dish and set aside. Melt coconut oil. Add oats and pecans to blender and lightly chop. Add oats and pecans to melted coconut oil. Add vanilla, syrup and flaxseeds and stir. Sprinkle fruit with cinnamon. Put the mix into the dish with the fruit heating the dish in a preheated 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.
Serves: 6 – 8
Some fun ways to spend the day together while staying active:
1. Play a round of golf
2. Go for a hike
3. Play a game of horse shoes
4. Put on some uplifting music and have a dance party
5. Play a match of tennis
6. Go for a bike ride
7. Go fishing
8. Do an online workout
9. Have a friendly back yard baseball game
10. Play basketball
11. Go kayaking
12. Take a long walk on the beach
13. Go for a run
Just to name a few! So get creative and make it a Father's Day full of healthy activities while making precious memories together!