As many of you know, yesterday marked the celebration of Father’s Day here in the US. And even though a certain someone forgot Mother’s Day last month, I still made sure to put in the effort for him on his day. After all, marriage means having to “forgive and forget” as the sage man from Taiwan told Ashley & Constantine on The Bachelor last week. Did anyone else find that conversation totally random and uncomfortable? Ah, the pleasures of trash television.

So I figured I should practice what The Bachelor preaches (where’s that sarcasm font again?) and devote some time and attention to Peter. He works hard to support our family, love and play with our children, believe in me, and put up with watching shows like The Bachelor. I guess he deserves a little special treatment. I happily obliged.

I started the traditional way by preparing a special breakfast for him. The man loves peanut butter. The man loves pancakes for breakfast. Peanut Butter Pancakes naturally made a perfect breakfast selection. And as luck would have it, we could easily adjust our standard pancake recipe to make a hearty peanut butter version.

Peanut Butter Pancakes

• 1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 80 grams (about 1/3 cup) natural peanut butter <—I do grams so I can just measure the pb directly into my mixing bowl. It’s easier than trying to scoop it into a measuring cup and then get it all out of the measuring cup.

Mix the dry ingredients together (flour through salt). Whisk milk and peanut butter together. Add the wet to dry and stir until combined. The batter should be thicker than traditional pancake batter because of the peanut butter. Prepare pancakes as normal by dolloping even spoonfuls onto a hot griddle or pan. Cook for around 2 minutes per side. Makes 10-12 medium sized pancakes.

The pancakes came out perfectly. I prefer a hearty, dense pancake that will fill me up and these did just that. I topped the pancakes with maple syrup and served them alongside a simple fruit mix of bananas and strawberries. The flavors went so well together and the peanut butter flavor didn’t get lost in the pancakes. I loved taking a bite of pancake with a piece of the fruit, especially banana. Mmmmm!

Besides a special prepared breakfast, I also picked up a few items for Peter that I knew he would never buy himself even though he wanted/needed them – a new wallet and a new pair of jeans.

Originally, I had tried looking for tools and other man items that I have no clue what to look for in quality or price. I scratched that idea when he mentioned something a few weeks ago about needing new jeans. And then last week griped about his old wallet. Wallets and jeans I can figure out. Wood routers (????) not so much. I hate shopping for men, so I’m so thankful he gave me ideas I could handle. I’m also thankful for ideas that don’t mean the start of a new house project. 😉

Father’s Day celebrations continued with some stops to visit both of our parents. We only had time for a quick stop over to see Peter’s parents because we planned to spend as much time as we could with my family before my brother left to return to Arizona.

My brother planned a special meal for my dad – large and in charge burgers on the grill.

Typically, I’m not a huge burger person, but sometimes they sound so good. Yesterday was one of those times. I loaded up my burger with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, pepperjack cheese, ketchup, and mustard. Of course, a burger is nothing without chips or fries so I had to grab a nice sized handful of the barbecue kettle chips.

I think you could safely say that I ate well yesterday. Very well indeed. We can’t forget how the night finished now.

I secretly picked up a 2 slice pack of Edwards Key Lime Pie for Peter and I for dessert last night. For some reason, this standard, frozen, grocery-store pie delights Peter so much. Who am I to deny him his favorite dessert on Father’s Day? I only wish I had captured the surprised and overjoyed look on his face when I brought it out to him after dinner. We both get way too excited about dessert. A Happy Father’s Day indeed. I know I didn’t mind celebrating!

• Did you do anything special for Father’s Day?
• Do you find it hard to shop for guys? Any good man gift ideas you have come up with before?

I think I need a new Bondi Band.

Instead of “Will Run for Margaritas”, I need one that says “Will Putt-Putt for Food”. After all, that described my day yesterday perfectly. After a typical morning at the beach and lunch/naps, we decided to take advantage of a Groupon we purchased for some putt-putt action.

Take note: sign up for deals in the areas to which you plan to travel. You can score deals on fun activities for the trip without extra hassle. That’s what we did to score a great price on a round of putt-putt, or miniature golf as some call it.

We picked up our clubs, balls, and scorecard and began a super serious game of golf.

Makenzie dominated the game, of course. She decided that the start of each part of the course was about 1 inch away from the hole.

Smart girl. I could have used such handicaps for myself. I clearly do not have good hand/eye coordination and scored at least a 3, but usually a 5, on each hole. Somehow Peter knocked out more than a few hole-in-ones.

Oh, well. I still had a blast. How could I not watching this little one have the time of her life? Although, I think she got more excited over the pirate flag than the actual game.

Once we finished our round of putt-putt we got showered and ready for our family dinner for the night. We went to one of our favorite restaurants – Stonewood Grill and Tavern.

We love this place. They have amazing food and drink. We look forward to it every year.

Tonight I started with a rosemary infused blueberry martini.

Then, a group of us split a bruschetta appetizer that included a fantastically delicious balsamic reduction. I happily devoured my piece.

Once again, my sister and I decided to share a dish. For tonight’s dinner we went with the filet and portabella ravioli combo. Each of our portions included a 3 oz filet, ravioli “pillows” stuffed with a wine sauce and portabella mushrooms, a Caesar salad, and creamed spinach for a side.

I wish the pictures could do this meal justice because it tasted incredible. Splitting a meal created the perfect portions, too. I left perfectly satisfied, but not overly full. I love when that happens after dining out. I know I can easily eat a bit past my comfort zone when faced with an abundance of delicious food. So restaurants that serve realistic portions always win in my book. Hopefully we will get the chance to return again next year!

• Is it easy for you to eat more when restaurants serve a huge portion?
• Do you call it “putt-putt” or “miniature golf”?