Did you ever wonder how Father’s Day originated? We get so caught up on the superficial, obligatory gift giving of this day that I’m beginning to think the actual meaning behind Father’s Day is no longer relevant. Or at least it’s been forgotten. I did a little research to find out how this day came to fruition. Here is what I found.

Father’s Day is a day to honor the contribution dads have made to our lives. It’s possible that it originated as a compliment to Mother’s Day which began in 1914 when President Wilson declared the second Sunday in May the day to honor mom. Anna Jarvis was a woman who championed a day to celebrate mom stemming from the meetings she established back in the civil war era in order to heal the pain of the civil war. She encouraged and prepared mothers to care for their children and wanted a mother’s work to be recognized. While she passed before the day was officially named, her legacy is tied to honoring and establishing this day.

Other research found that Father’s Day was established to honor a group of men, many of whom were fathers, who were killed during a mining accident in Monogah,West Virginia back in 1907. While Father’s Day was not officially recognized until 1972 by President Nixon, another woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, inspired by Jarvis’ desire to honor Mothers, first honored dads in 1910 as a tribute to her father who raised 6 children after the unfortunate passing of their mother. It was not typical of men to remain single as men did not usually solely care for the family. Hence Dodd established Father’s Day back in 1910 to honor her dad for his devotion to raising his children on his own. The celebration of Father’s Day started in 1910 but did not officially become a national holiday until 1972. Pretty interesting, right?

So now that we got that little history lesson behind us, what do you have planned for your big day? Personally I’m hoping to have a chill day with my family, hanging out at home and listening to some great music and enjoying some great conversations. And…..maybe breakfast in bed? (Hint, hint.) On that note, here’s a quick, healthy breakfast in bed type of meal you can prepare for your dad come Father’s Day.

Ingredients needed:

Eggs/egg whites
Spinach (usually prewashed and boxed is best)
Toast (gluten free if allergic)
Cheese (vegan cheese works great too. I like the Daiya brand.)
Garlic
Olive Oil

Vegan and Gluten free ingredients shown above

Heat pan with olive oil on med/high heat. Add eggs (or egg whites) to pan. Cook eggs to desired texture. Once they are pretty well formed, push them over to one side of pan and allow eggs to continue cooking.

In the meantime, pour some olive oil on the empty side of pan. Add some minced garlic and allow to heat up (for a bout a minute) until you can smell the garlic flavor. Just be sure to not overcook the garlic or else it can leave a sour taste in your food. Once garlic is cooked, add spinach and cover with a bit more olive oil. Allow spinach to cook while mixing with garlic and olive oil. At the same time, grab your cheese, sprinkle onto cooked eggs and cover with aluminum foil or a lid.

Reduce heat to low and cover to allow spinach to cook and cheese to melt

Allow eggs to cook until cheese is melted and spinach looks ready to eat. Oh! I forgot to mention...put two slices of bread into toaster and toast on medium until cripy. Once your eggs and spinach are cooked, transfer onto bread slices. I like to add some spinach first, then eggs, followed by a few more pieces of cooked spinach. Serve with salt, pepper and a nice, hot cup of freshly brewed coffee.

Not a bad way to start your Father’s Day. Enjoy!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY