We know in our hearts of heart all the sacrifices that our fathers had to make for the sake of our happiness and bright future. We know that whatever we do or give cannot compensate for what our fathers have done for us, but at least we can show that we love our fathers and make them realize that they are still important to us. Fathers day gifts are our way of telling our dads that their presence means a lot to us and that they are still needed and cared for.

The market is full of multitude of gift items from which we can select Fathers day gifts for our fathers. It all depends on our budget as also the likes and dislikes of our father. We know what will make him happy and cheerful yet we have to be careful not to be repetitive as we often forget that what we are planning to give is what we gave last year as well. If he is a movie buff, probably getting the latest set of DVD's on the genre of films he like will make for a great fathers day gifts.

Fathers are like the comfortable shadow of a great tree which makes us secure and cool. We feel as if we have the support and guidance of someone who is there in all situations and times. They are an asset we have and never should we think of our fathers as a liability. As long as they are there, we can think of ourselves as fortunate, for when they are gone, there is nobody who we can look up to and ask for guidance.

When looking for gifts for our fathers, we can think of the times when we were kids and asked for something that was expensive yet our father got it for us as they loved us immensely and could not see tears in our eyes. The glint in the eyes of our fathers as they receive a gift from us is what makes our day. We know that our fathers do not want anything from us - food gifts.

My family and I know that "Old Glory" does not wave by accident. We have lost loved ones to war. Memorial Day is special.

Memorial Day is for remembering the sacrifices made by others - for us - for our continued freedom. But I believe the day should also be used to create new memories.

Having lost family to war, I believe I am able to put this particular holiday in perspective. It is a day, in fact an entire weekend, for us to accomplish two things: remembering and appreciating the ultimate sacrifice made by others and exercising those won freedoms in a way that creates fond memories with those we still have to love.

Memorial Day should certainly be more meaningful than simply a three day weekend or mini vacation. It is a sacred day of remembrance ...but it should also be a time for the living to celebrate each others company while time permits. I especially like to totally surround myself with family and friends on this day, or even on this entire weekend, to celebrate what we (still) have because of those who gave their lives.

Memorial Day was born out of the horror of war - first the Civil War - and now for all those who have departed as a result of war. The purpose of this holiday may seem to be fading from some peoples' consciousness. Is it now simply a three day vacation? Is it simply the unofficial start to summer and the barbecue season? Is it an excuse to go shopping since many businesses promote Memorial Day sales? Has the original meaning of the day been lost?

My family and I know that "Old Glory" does not continue to wave by accident. We take time throughout the Memorial Day weekend to remember the fallen. We go to the cemeteries and place the flags. Old Glory flies at half mast at home. We tell stories, some sad - some happy, about those that cannot be at our family party. We remember them with reverence.

We also remember my first husband's last words as his Cobra helicopter was on fire and about to explode: "Tell my family I love them. Tell them to live for me."

So ...my family and I celebrate our freedom - and life. We live our lives together. We do this best by being together and enjoying great recipes and the food they create.

One of the things my family and I do is talk about how to support our troops today. We put together a "care package" or two or three or four. We send the packages to soldiers somewhere in this world. We don't care where they are stationed or what branch of the service they serve.

As one soldier wrote recently, "All soldiers need the simple knowledge of one thing...someone must want them to come home. If a soldier has that...they may be able to make it through anything!!!!"

After the package(s) are wrapped and sent, we do as ordered by our missing loved ones - we celebrate with food and beverage and memories - and we create new memories to be enjoyed forever. What a gift they have given us!

Now You Enjoy! Live your lives well, celebrate and ...remember. These Memorial Day Foods will help guarantee you and your family a memorable day.

Mother's Day is the time to show appreciation and treasure the precious bond of love that you and your mother share. A mother does everything for her children, the least one can do is recognize her never ending job and her selfless ways. There is no better occasion to indulge your mom with precious gifts and heaps of love.

The main purpose of Mother's Day is to give honor to the woman who has given birth to us. A mother and her child have a bond like no other. We often have feelings of appreciation towards our moms we do not acknowledge it often.

Mother's Day is celebrated on different days of the year, depending on what country you reside in. Despite the different dates, the meaning behind it remains the same. No matter what country we live in, or what day we celebrate Mother's day, we should always try to make the most precious day for our moms. The sole purpose of Mother's Day is to let our mothers know how important they are to us.

There is not a more perfect opportunity than Mother's Day for a child to express their great appreciation for their mother. Mother's Day presents are the best way to show the love you have for your mom. Gifts show how you feel when words fail to do so. Make sure that you put a lot of time into thinking what you will get your mother. There are so many different gifts that you can get her. One of the most popular mother's day gifts are flowers. Below there is a list of the most popular Mother's Day gifts.

The 10 Top Mother's Day gifts this year are:

#1 Jewelry 
#2 Kindle 2 
#3 Flowers 
#4 Chocolate 
#5 Perfume 
#6 Personalized Gifts 
#7 Digital Camera 
#8 Gift Baskets 
#9 Bath and Body Works 
#10 Digital Photo Frames

Don't forget your grandmother. You should also give her some recognition on Mother's Day as well. Grandmas, just like mothers, will always hold a special place in a child's heart. That's why it would be a nice gesture to get your grandmother a nice Mother's Day Gift as well.

And do not forget that Mother's Day is for all other moms as well. That includes your mother-in-law, aunts, sisters, friends, and all of the other mother figures in you life. You don't necessarily have to do the same for them as your mother, but you can always give them a call to wish them a "Happy Mother's Day." Your call will be greatly appreciated.

Being a vegetarian is a personal preference and you won't believe how many delicious recipes are out there that can really make your taste buds tingle. Parmigiana is a baked dish that can be made with chicken, plain mozzarella or aubergines.

Before starting with the cooking process, it is important to remove the water from the aubergine slices. You can do this by adding a layer of eggplant and a layer of salt. This should rest for about an hour before you can finally squeeze the water out.

A traditional Parmigiana does not have many spices besides salt. The flavours come from the protein food, the cheese and the tomato sauce.

Whilst you are eliminating the water from the aubergines, start making the tomato sauce.
Chop half an onion finely and let it fry in sunflower oil until transparent.
Process two cans of blanched and chopped tomatoes using a food mill directly into the pot.
Add salt and white pepper. Basil is optional but has to be removed once ready.
Slice mozzarella so that you have enough to cover a full layer in the dish. Grate 250g of Parmesan or as much as you prefer. If you prefer a cheesy dish then the more, the merrier.
Another optional ingredient you can add to the Parmigiana is Ricotta cheese. Use 500g of the cheese and mix it with egg, salt and black pepper. This mixture will become quite sticky and you might need to put some elbow grease in the spreading of it without displacing the rest of the layered ingredients.
Layer the baking dish starting with the tomato sauce, aubergine slices, mozzarella slices and then Parmesan cheese. Continue layering until you have finished the ingredients or run out of space in the dish.
Add extra Parmesan to the top of the dish before putting it in the oven for 25 minutes at 220°C.
You might want to consider greasing the baking dish if the tomato sauce does not have sufficient sunflower oil. The cooking oil will be the element that prevents the entire dish from sticking.
Some things should be considered when cooking this traditional Italian dish:
Use a glass dish. If anything sticks, it will be easier to take it off the glass surface as opposed to steel or foil.
A lot of the ingredients are based on what you have and what you prefer. Some chefs prefer to overdo the cheese whilst others would rather limit the amount they use.
If you are not a fan of aubergines you can always use mushrooms or baby marrows.