This post is sponsored by Michelob Ultra but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

the sweetest pics of my #UltraDad..Albert

Old photos of my mom, dad, and grandpa and grandma

There are plenty of fantastic dads out there. My Rodge is one. My grandfather Kelsey is another. And my dad Mark tried the best he could even though we do not have a relationship currently. I’ve known dads who’ve have fatherhood thrown upon them at a young age and yet have handled it with grace and maturity beyond their years, but this Father’s Day I want to say a big THANK YOU to all the dads that didn’t have to be. I’m talking about parenting a child that isn’t biologically yours. This post is dedicated to the dads that choose not just to parent someone else’s child, but chose to love them as their own. I want to dedicate this post to my step father Albert because he deserves recognition this Father’s Day for being the unsung hero of fatherhood. I grew up with him in my very difficult younger teenage years and he was the one fighting in the trenches, helping me with homework (he is so great at math and I am the worst) ,driving me to and from everywhere, and in general doing the heavy lifting of parenting for most of my life, especially to my younger siblings. They were still so young when our mom passed away. I had already had a husband and daughter of my own.

He's just the best! I have a few life lessons from him that I will never forget that I cannot wait to share at the end of the post.

I still enjoy joining "King Al" for long hours of watching the PGA Tour or a basketball game. We also love indoor cycling together and going to concerts as we share the same love for Elvis Costello, David Byrne, and The Specials. And we LOVE spending time in the kitchen together. Whether my dad is firing up something delicious on the grill or we are doing a regular taco night family tradition--there’s something really special about sharing those moments with him. Food, cold beer, and sports watching--this is what we best!

I am always showing Albert some ways of cutting the calories so in trade of taco night, I opted for a taco themed recipe from Primal Gourmet along with Michelob ULTRA. We are both loving this beer right now for the season. It's so light and refreshing and the brand embodies wellness and active lifestyles which really connects with us. At only 95 calories and 2.6 carbs, we do not have to sacrifice the things we love in life. Michelob ULTRA gives us the permission to celebrate life with an ice cold beer that we can feel good about drinking occasionally. Work hard, play hard, right?! It's all about balance. Balancing work, staying fit, and spending quality time with the people we love is a major accomplishment in today’s society!

Treat your father figure to this amazing dinner this weekend. These are so easy to prepare and don't forget to grab your Michelob Ultra!

TACO-STUFFED SWEET POTATOES WITH COCONUT-CUMIN CREMA Recipe

(omit corn if doing paleo diet)

INGREDIENTS:

3 medium Sweet Potatoes

1lb Lean Ground Beef

1 cup onions – diced

3 cloves garlic – minced

1 large tomato – grated, skin removed

1/2 jalapeño-diced

2 fresh corn on the cobs

2 tsp. Cumin powder

2 tsp. Coriander powder

2 tsp. Onion Powder

2 tsp. Spicy Paprika

2 tsp. Smoked Paprika

1.5 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

2 tbsp. Avocado Oil

1 cup water

FOR THE COCONUT-CUMIN CREMA:

1/4 cup coconut cream

1/2 lime – juiced

1/2 tsp cumin powder

FOR THE GUACAMOLE:

2 ripe avocados

1/8 cup red onion – finely chopped

1/2 tomato seeded and diced (or sub cherry tomatoes)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped

1 lime – juiced

Salt and Pepper

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400F. Individually wrap each of the sweet potatoes in tin foil. Place them on a baking sheet. When the oven is preheated, place them on the bottom rack and bake for 60 minutes or until you can easily pierce through to the centre with a fork. Prepare your corn here too. I brush some coconut butter over my corn with salt and pepper and keep in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Heat 2 tbsp avocado oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the ground beef and brown until no longer pink. Drop the heat to medium, add the diced onion, minced garlic, and the jalapeño and sauté until onions are soft and translucent.
Sprinkle in the cumin, coriander, onion powder, spicy paprika, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and stir to coat all of the meat. Toast the spices for 45-60 seconds – stir constantly to avoid burning.
Add the shredded tomato and water. Lower the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
While the meat slowly cooks, combine the coconut cream, lime juice and cumin powder in a small bowl. Stir with a spoon or whisk until thoroughly combined then set aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, prepare the Guacamole by tossing together avocado, tomatoes, onion, lime juice, cilantro, lime, salt and cracked pepper. Set aside.
When the sweet potatoes are cooked, remove them from the oven. Discard the foil and transfer each potato to a large serving platter. Using a sharp knife, make an incision in the top of each potato. Using a spoon, create a cavity by scooping-out some of the flesh. Spoon in some of the taco meat and top with guacamole. Serve alongside Coconut-Cumin Crema for drizzling. Also serve with the corn on the side!

So so delicious and easy!!! The longest part is just the time that it takes for the sweet potatoes to bake!