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| It's a Dude Cake, a cake for dudes. |
I'm trying to think back and remember if I've ever gotten my dad a classic Father's Day gift, like a tie. I don't think I have because my dad is a cool dad and an awesome grandpa. And if I got my husband a tie? Well it had better be a one of a kind bow tie. I've come up with some nifty Dad's Day gifts, and I'm willing to share. Here's a few unique ideas for Father's Day gifts!
Meats
If your dad is anything like my dad, he's got all the gear for his grill. Why not gift him with something delicious to prepare instead? Get the dad in your life a new cooler bag and throw some of his favorite cuts of meat and add some dry rubs(there's a recipe for my dad's favorite at the bottom) or sauces to keep things interesting. Create a BBQ sauce flight with 4-5 different sauces and get him a slab of ribs to test each one out. Try getting some smaller batch sauces, locally made or sauces from his home state. My dad recommends Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce. Or how about every ones favorite, bacon? BaconFreak.com offers a great selection of flavored bacon's that will make your mouth water. We got a gift package from them one year to give to my dad and I still dream about their Apple Cinnamon Bacon.
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| A gift package from BaconFreak.com |
Sometimes one gift just won't do, and for those times only a gift basket will save the day. Pick a theme and run with it or just pick a few of your dad's favorite things. I did just that one year and got few gift cards, a few old favorites of my dad's and a few new things to try. I've also done this for my husband. I went to Trader Joe's with the intent to grab him some of his favorite Cookie Butter and left with all sorts of treats. Michael's always has baskets on sale, The Dollar Store has plenty of options too, as well as gift basket bags for the perfect finishing touch. Or try to get a bucket or cooler with your dad's favorite team on the front and fill it with goodies. One year I used a nice red tin drink pail that I thought my dad could use again.
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| A basket full of yum! |
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| Choc full of good stuff |
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| A Traders Joe's Basket I made for my husband |
Junk Food Jamboree
Most of the time my husband and I are extremely health conscious, so you won't find lots of junk in our cabinets. But I like to call Father's Day a cheat day. I like to stock all his favorite snacks to surprise him when he comes home. Rent a few of his favorite movies or a new one he's been wanting to see, let him be king of the remote, and let him have junk food for dinner. One night won't hurt him, and when you abstain for most of the year, it really is kinda fun to live like you won't be blotted in the morning.
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Dude Cake
Although my husband is more than happy with a chocolate cake from Portillo's, I thought I'd get a little crafty one year. Now it's one of my favorite things to gift to anyone. You'll need 3-4 cake circles, depending on how many "layers" you want, of different sizes. I usually use a 14" cake circle for the bottom, a 12" one for the middle, and a 10" one for the top. Make sure you have a glue gun(for added stability if it's traveling) and double sided tape handy. Place cans of beer or soda along the outer edge on the 14" layer, add the the next cake round and repeat until you're done. For the beer cake that I made my dad(the one at the top), I used a 24 pack, just to give you and idea of the amount you'd need. I also like to add some ribbon to keep it looking interesting.
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| A cake that looks good enough to eat...and drink! |
All of us know at least one dapper dad that takes great pride in his appearance. Instead of getting him the same tired AXE gift set, why not treat him to something that'll bring his grooming game to the next level. TheArtofShaving.com has gift sets from $25-$120 and they are some of my go to gifts for any guy. The idea that something they do everyday can be luxurious is the aim here. If there's a The Art of Shaving store near you, try booking him a Royal Shave so he can start Father's Day off right. In their Barber Spa they offer cuts, shaves and trims. And although cologne is a pretty traditional Father's Day gift, you can also treat your dad to a scent adventure that doesn't include being sprayed from every angle by overzealous sales people. Sephora offers The Leading Man Sampler. It has 10 samples of cologne for dad to try. When he finds the one he likes, there's a certificate for him to turn in for a free full sized bottle. Let's not rule out ties completely. I love to look for unique ties, pocket squares and socks at Nordstrom Rack for my husband to add to his collection. Or get a tie and and customize it just for him. Take a regular tie and add studs, grommets, or have the kids get crazy with fabric markers. Also, if your dad is a fan of Converse Chuck Taylor's, get a plain white pair and decorate them with kids hand prints and drawings.
My dad, being the supportive kind of dad he is, is letting me share his personal dry rub recipe with you. With this rub your ribs really don't need sauce. That's how good it is. I have to say that this rub mixed and given in a mason jar would make a tasty gift for your favorite grill god.
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| Customized spiked bow tie |
Dad's BBQ Rub
2.5 tsp ground sea salt
4 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp dried french thyme
1tsp ground black pepper
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| My dad cooking with my minions |
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| My husband, a super fun dad! |
I hope on Father's Day that everyone gets a chance to celebrate their dad and all the things that make them great, both those with us and those who left to soon but watch over us everyday!
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