Superbowl Menu

I'm really excited about the Super Bowl this year!

No. My team is NOT playing. Actually I don't have "a team." In fact, I could care less about the game. I'm more interested in the half-time entertainment featuring Beyonce. Secondly, I'm excited about the food I plan to prepare.

I've put a lot of thought into my Super Bowl menu. I've looked through my All Recipes app, and several websites to find the perfect menu. Then finally, I decided to keep it simple with foods I know my family will enjoy. I think they'll appreciate me not trying something new on them.

The following  is what I've decided on... (And it's subject to change here, or there)

• Shrimp boil - It was such a hit at New Years, that my family requested it the Super bowl.
• Spinach dip - My friend makes the BEST spinach dip. Hopefully mine will taste like hers. Mix together mayo, sour cream, water chestnuts, Knorr's veggie soup mix, green onions, and of course spinach. I don't know how much of each ingredient, but I'll figure it out!
•  Honey barbecue wings
•  White queso dip
•  Barbecue Lil smokies.

I'm still trying to decide on the dessert, it's a rule of some sort to have something sweet... right? The verdict is still out on the drinks as well. Maybe I'll try something new for those two items. What is your Super Bowl menu looking like?

An Untraditional New Year

In the South we have a tradition of cooking black eyed peas for good luck, and greens or cabbage for an increased in money. Although I'm not superstitious, for years I have gone a long with the tradition... NOT THIS TIME!!!

After cooking and eating the traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, which was pretty much the SAME menu, I was ready for something different. My family felt the same way! I had the big idea to have a shrimp boil, and they were game. It was so simple!

Shrimp Boil

• Crab boil, or shrimp boil seasoning to taste
• 5 pounds new potatoes
• 3 packages of kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces                                
• 8 ears of corn
• 4 pounds of shrimp

1. In a large pot of water (can be done inside or out) add seasoning, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and sausage, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the corn and shrimp, cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until shrimp are done.
2. Drain off the water, pour contents onto a table covered in newspaper, or on a platter. Dig in!

It was delicious! I think we've just started a new, New Year dinner tradition. But we can't wait till January 1, to have another shrimp boil!

Does your family have New Years traditions that you've strayed away from?

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.com iPhone app.  


                      

Red Velvet Goodness



Picture via recipegirl.com

 Friday, I was searching Pinterst for ideas for an upcoming potluck at work. I wanted to make something delicious, as well as something I'd never made before. I finally decided on one of my old standbys, pasta salad.

Before I could click away from Pinterest, something caught me eye. Someone had repinned @Recipegirl's recipe of a red velvet cheese cake. Instead of cream cheese frosting between the two layers of cake, it's an actual cheesecake! How deliciously decadent is that?!

I wanted to leave work to get started making that cake right away! I told my coworkers about the cake, posted the link on Facebook, and shared with everyone else I came into contact with the rest of the day. I even showed them the picture of it.

My intentions were to make that scrumptious cake over the weekend, but time just didn't permit.  All the ingredients are waiting, and it's only a matter of time and opportunity.

After I make the cake I'm going to have one slice. What ever is left by the end of the evening CAN NOT spend the night in my house! I don't know where it's going, but I do know it has to go somewhere! If permitted to stay I will surely find the two pounds I lost last week.

Pray for me!

Soup & Salad

Yesterday was our family's annual soup and salad dinner. My aunt started this tradition several years ago. It's always the Sunday, before Thanksgiving. We look forward to it from one year to the next.

Every family brings a soup and/or a salad, and we taste, sample, and eat soup and salad info with fixings and desserts. This gathering is NOT for the dieter!

I always enjoy trying to find a new soup to make. This year I made my family's new favorite, Aaron McCargo Jr.'s Cheeseburger soup, it was yummy! But the most interesting soup was the hosting aunt's Pumpkin stew.

She made her beef stew on the stove the put it in the pumpkin and baked it. How cool is that?!... Way cool!!!

I've never eaten pumpkin other than the seeds, and I was pleasantly surprised. So much so I can't wait to make it myself.

Does your family have holiday traditions?

*I downloaded the blogger app, and this is my first blogpost from my phone. I feel so so tech savvy!*

Sweet Tooth Satisfied!

I've always said that I'm not much of a sweet eater, but recently that's far from the truth. Lately I crave sweets! Last week I was terrible. I made a rice pudding, a blackberry cobbler, and my nephew made a icebox lemon pie and cupcakes. Yes... in the same week, and I indulged. My sweet tooth was sat-is-fied!

One of my new favorite cooking shows is The Chew. I dvr it every day so I can watch it when I can. Clinton Kelly recently made an Apple Cranberry Cobbler, he said he made it every week (with different fruit) this summer until he perfected it. And perfected it, he did. It was delicious!!!

I had a migraine, and was trying to do anything but lay down. When I succumb then I get really sick. What better way to take my mind off my headache than cook. I had apples, so it was going to be an apple cobbler, but then there was no baking soda... So off to WalMart I went.

While in WalMart, my apple cobbler turned into a blackberry cobbler, and of course I had to buy ice cream. Not any old ice cream would do, it had to be Blue Bell homemade vanilla.

This recipe is not like my grandmother's cobbler with a thin buttery crust on top and bottom. It's more like a dump, a batter poured over the berries.  Did I say it was delicious?! 

Taste testing started as soon as it was out of the oven. You know that thing you do when you bite into something hot, you're trying to eat and blow at the same time with it in your mouth? Yeah... that was me. I knew it was hot, but I had to taste anyway.

Although it's not the cobbler I'm used to, it's definitely one I'll make again, and again.
 

Beignet, Done That

My Daughters were crazy busy this summer traveling to Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Florida, and New Orleans. All summer I looked forward to the New Orleans trip. Although the the purpose of the trip was the Basketball On The Bayou tournament, my mission was beignets!

Beignet (pronounced ben-yay) is the French term for fritter, and often called a doughnut. French colonist of the 18th century brought there recipes and traditions of making them to Louisiana.

After being in New Orleans for several days, having watched several basketball games, and had authentic Louisiana gumbo, we finally made our way to the French Quarter and Bourbon St. I had every intention of having beignets from the famous Cafe Du Monde, but while on Bourbon St. we came across Cafe Beignet.

Cafe Beignet serves fresh beignets, live music with a swinging jazz  atmosphere that drew me right in.
Once we received our beignets, I couldn't eat them. It was late and wasn't feeling the best. My girls had no problem devouring my portion. They said they taste like funnel cakes. Not having them while in New Orleans, means I have to make them.

Immediately after returning from New Orleans, I was on the hunt for a beignet recipe. I've found several, but went with Paula Deen's  French Quarter Beingnets. Do I have to tell you they were DELICIOUS!
My girls said they tasted, just as good as the authentic beignets they had on Bourbon St. Watch out Paula Deen!

Below are a few other versions of beignets that may interest you.

• Yeast free beingnets
• Southern Living, Cooking Class: Beignets
• Gluten free beignets

Lunch For A Healthier Me

Recently, I made a commitment to exercising, and working out. Yes... again! Exercise is only one part of the equation when it comes to losing weight. There's a little thing called diet.

Every morning I get up and fix breakfast for Mr. Husband and the kids before they leave for work and school. But I don't eat breakfast. The thing is, I don't want what I fix for them. I may eat a couple of pieces of bacon, or a little something, and that's it.

Mr. Husband reminds me often, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm sure the brownie and ice cream I had Tuesday morning isn't want he was talking about.

My biggest issue is not eating lunch. Although I'm usually done by three o'clock every day, I might grab something out of the vending machine (a big no-no), or just wait till I get home. If I wait then I'm gorging on any and everything I can get my hands on, another terrible thing to do.

A conversation with my friend yesterday inspired me to do better when it comes to my eating habits. I am challenging myself to take my lunch the rest of the month.

Now I'm on the look out for great lunch ideas. The following sites have some great lunch ideas!

Kraft Foods Quick and Easy Lunches

Good House Keeping Healthy Lunch Recipes

Food Networks ideas and lunch recipes