Hey Jack It's a Fact, A Champs Getting Crowned

Superbowl Sunday 2021

I'm not really into football but I do love any occasion that calls for a celebration in snackage.  Plus, this year several people including my sister, kept assuring me that the Weeknd was incredible, so I was also anticipating a halfway decent Halftime show.  He was so cute and I may have liked it more if someone wasn't complaining about mediocre performances through the whole show. Miley Cyrus ended up impressing me though, as she tends to do and she brought out my Joanie, which was a sweet surprise.

  

Calzone 

Baked Feta - Hands down, thE most surprisingly delightful appetizer.  Tons of garlic, sun dried tomatoes, pepper flakes, herbs, good olive oil all baked around a block of feta, somehow creates a rich, taste sensation that is addictive as heck!  Warm crostini to dip in that festival of flavor is all you need.  This is what I'd call a super bowl. 

Pig Candy - Maple and Brown sugar coated bacon dries to a crispy sweet and savory treat.  This would be a great gift idea, maybe in a decorative holder.  This is special.  

Greek dip with fried wonton chips - most closely related to this recipe idea from the Savingdessert.com site. Very refreshing, lemony goodness!  I bought wonton wrappers for chile lime shrimp cups but realized I had over estimated my energy level, so I fried them up and used them for chips.  I didn't miss the pita one bit. 

little antipasto skewers. cute. 

Pear, prosciutto, arugula bites

Old fashioned Sour Cream and Onion dip with Potato Chips!  Is there anything better, especially when you haven't eaten this combo in years?

Great day....and a winter storm to boot

Some Men Search for Silver, Some for Gold

Another sheet pan dinner, this time using the one piece of boneless chicken thigh left from the pack and chicken mango sausage with potatoes, onions and kale.  Brown rice simmered in stock, garlic and herbs is a comforting accompaniment.  At the time I didn't realize I doubled the starch but that's okay, it helps you eat less meat.

My sister sent me flowers for my upcoming birthday.  I don't think I've ever received fresh flowers hand delivered.  Women know what other women would appreciate in gifts and sentiments. I didn't even think I would want real flowers but they were such a welcome beauty in this germ box of an apartment.  I found myself smelling and fiddling with them regularly, and prompting the buds to bloom became a daily project.   What a gift my sister is as well.  She tells me she loves me the embarrassing amount of times I feel I need to hear it, and I never have to ask her.  Her gifts are thoughtful and hand-picked.  She texts me at least 20 times a day and I truly appreciate her.  

We spend so much time considering what we need or what we don't have.  Or we think, boy if I just had this one thing, I could be right, or happy.   But we all know that is such a farce.  The joke is on us because we have exactly what we need in the moment we're in, but we're not taught how to find it.  We're encouraged to spend money, to get rich, to follow our dreams, to work hard, to look great, to exercise, to be hopeful for the future but no one teaches us how sensational it is to just breathe in and BE in the moment we are in.  Everything is here now. 

Listen, the Snow is Falling All the Time

Mother Nature gifted us with a gorgeous winter storm today in Brooklyn, with tons of snow and wind but somehow the only way I could think to repay this grand jesture was to make a sandwich.  Bread is no one's friend these last years but once in awhile it's a great idea to make yourself a real retro sandwich with lettuce, red onion, tomato, cheese and deli meat of your choice.  Do it right, add Mayonnaise and or mustard and toast the bread if you're feeling sexy.   Chips would be good too. The world wants us to be happy and a well made sandwich is a great start.