Next Sunday is Father’s Day, a day to remember and celebrate; after-all the first man in every woman’s life is her father. The men any girl meets later on and her relationship depends, to some extent to her relationship to her Dad. The greatest gift a Dad can give is to be always there. Dads give a great gift to all of us, but next Sunday will be their turn to receive. The Dad at our house always says, “No gifts” or when the kids were little it was, “just be good”. When they were kids they really very thoughtful with their gifts. After all, any Dad could use a catcher’s mask or a catcher’s mitt and a new baseball or bat would be great for their Dad.

I think many Dads say “no gifts” because many Dads have already celebrated a respectable number of Christmases, birthdays and Father’s Days and has received his share of gifts that he really doesn’t need. To complicate maters almost every man has plenty of gadgets and tools, Also his shirts are overflowing the closet and he has new ties, still in the original gift boxes. that have gone out of style and come back “in” again without even knowing it. Shopping for a man can get very complicated. All he wants now is for the kids to come home.

One thing any father will appreciate is a good meal just fixed for him. A favorite at our house are turkey tenderloins and if it doesn’t rain we will be firing up the grill. I buy my turkey tenderloins at the store now but I use to buy a box full at the turkey farm. I find them at most meat counters this time of the year because they are a favorite of so many who grill. However, if you don’t grill they can be baked in the oven and “turkey Tenders” are good fried on top of the stove, but we prefer them grilled.

The following recipe is the favorite of the Iowa Turkey Federation.

IOWA’S GRILLED TURKEY TENDERS

1 pound turkey

tenderloins (3/4 – 1 inch thick)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup dry sherry

2 Tablespoons pure

lemon juice

2 Tablespoon dehydrated

onion

1/4 teaspoon ginger

Dash of black pepper

Dash of garlic salt

Blend all ingredients, except tenderloins, together in shallow pan to marinade. Add turkey, turning to coat both sides. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator several hours, turning occasionally. Throw marinade away. Grill turkey over hot coals 6-8 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the tenderloins. Turkey is done when the pink is gone. DO NO OVERCOOK. Serves 4

“Anyone who doesn’t miss the past, never had a father.”