Well, it looks like, unfortunately, the stars didn’t align to make this Father’s Day quite as successful as I’d hoped it to be. Looks like even the food refused to be on the same page with me and realise just how an extremely important day this was… well, to me anyway.

You see, in all likelihood, this was the last Father’s Day that we got to celebrate together as a family, for my dad, the hero of the day, will most probably not be around anymore the next time this Holiday comes our way. Now if you will excuse me, I don’t really feel like elaborating further on that touchy subject… I hope you understand.

Also, there will be no recipes in that post. I shall post them all later, in separate posts.

That handsome fellow, right there, is my awesome dad! Best dad in the whole wide world!

Well, it might not have been the perfect day that I’d been dreaming of for my dad, but still…

The cupcakes continued going just as they had started, miserably! The cakes themselves were dry and crumbly, the whipped ganache was too firm and would’ve needed more time to relax at the way too hot and humid room temperature but the buttercream, with its delicate nature, couldn’t withstand that kind of wheather and decided to collapse in total exhaustion from the heat. I think it may even have lost consciousness at some point…

Still, they looked kind of good, and tasted terrific too!

The Pineapple Creamcheese Spread (inspired by my previous pine cone) had a hard time making the trip to my parents. The poor thing got squished under a huge head of lettuce and a two pound bag of pecan! (Yeah… I did that!) It had completely lost its shape and I had to redo the whole thing. Plus, it too, wasn’t really impressed with the crazy heat and didn’t look like it was in such great form at all. I think there was too much liquid from the pineapple, too, which didn’t help.

But still, it smiled for the camera.

I had made a beautiful salad, with baby spinach, bean sprouts, orange supremes, bell peppers and cashews, served with a zesty ginger garlic dressing. It behaved pretty well and stayted fresh the whole time too, despite the heat!

Nothing to complain about here, really…

Then I had made Asian inspired Grilled Chicken Strips. Yeah, the very ones I had to pry loose from the grill.

Doesn’t show too much, now, does it?

And of course, there was also people. People that care about my dad and that he cares about too!

My brothers, sister-in-law, mom, and nephew, the cutest little Lyle in the world!

My niece, Elizabeth, and nephew, Lyle. Wonder what she’s trying to teach him here…

My older brother, Sylvain, probably wondering whether he’ll continue training for that half marathon of take his bike to work instead…

My niece, Rosalie, enjoying the cupcakes

I think she really liked ’em!

And last but not least, my daughter Tasha having a blast with Lyle

So, like I said, it might not have been the perfect day that I’d been dreaming of for my dad, but it was a good day! I think, honestly, no amount of perfect could have been perfect enough, on that particular day…

There is this one last thing that I really want to say, before I end this post.

To my dad, the most wonderful dad of all, the bestest best in all the West…

Thank you dad, for everything that you have done for me, for all that you have given me and most of all, for having made me what I am today. I am extremely proud of you. Always have been, always will be. I wish you didn’t have to go so soon. I am not ready, so not ready. I love you dad, with all my heart. You have no idea just how much I admire you, really. You are, forever, my hero. I will miss you so much. So-very-much!

I know that you can’t read this. I sure hope mom will read to you.

I LOVE YOU!