‘Super Bowl’ Articles at Sweetnicks

Game Day Food Favorites {#BigGame}

February 4, 2016 · Appetizers, Narrative

Working on your Game Day menu? I have a few of our favorite recipes to share with you.

Whether it’s a small dinner party, a holiday celebration, or the upcoming Super Bowl, one thing is certain … my favorite part of the menu are the appetizers. I love “picky food,” and any excuse to make it and have it, is alright by me. And, of course, with the big game this weekend, we’ll pull out all the stops.

But let’s be clear.

It’s just about the food, friendship, and commercials.

In fact, Madeline asked me a few days ago who was playing, and I had to google it.

#priorities

She actually knew more about it than me, which isn’t terribly surprising.

Since you very well may be planning your OWN Game Day festivities, I wanted to highlight a few of our favorite, tried-and-true appetizer recipes … more importantly, recipes that are delicious but simple. Which is exactly the criteria I’m looking for when I’m working on filling up the table with lots of yummy options. Because when the recipes are simple, you can make more. And … the more food, the better….

Recipe: Creamy Chicken Mushroom Toast Points {Progresso Recipe Starters}

February 1, 2013 · Narrative

Does the phrase “toast points” bring you straight back to the 1970s or what?

When it comes to developing recipes for clients, the projects usually fall into two categories: 1) They’re looking for a new, original recipe along a certain theme (holiday, event, season, what have you) or 2) They would like you to use a certain product.

I love both angles of it, but the latter is a good opportunity for me to find out about new products I might have otherwise missed. Like it’s how I discovered Pillsbury’s whole wheat artisan pizza crust, which is now one of my favorites.

And this time? It introduced me to Progresso’s Recipe Starters. Whether you use it as a base to build a recipe, or just make a soup out of it, it’s a new, unique product that is worth hunting down.

When I saw that one of the flavors was a portobello mushroom one, I instantly thought of toast points. I don’t know why. Sometimes I can’t explain my mind.

Caramelizing an onion and some garlic first, and then adding a boat load of mushrooms, the recipe starter, and cooked chicken … and man, did it ever amount to a pan full of deliciousness.

To that point that as I was sampling the sauce, I burned my tongue.

And that didn’t stop me from going back for more.

Reduce the sauce a bit so it thickens up, and gently spoon it over a few pieces of toast.

Total comfort food from the inside out. And perfect for this arctic freeze that has been coming through over the past few days.

Did you hear there’s a big game this weekend? While this is *not* a finger food in the least, it is something super quick that you can make for your guests, leaving you more time to enjoy your company and the game, and less time slaving over the hot stove.

Like 20 minutes and you’re done.

Super savory. Simple. Comforting. Filling.

Touchdown.

You knew I had to go there.

If you’re looking for more tips, ideas, and recipes for your own Super Bowl Sunday party, you might want to check out this Land O’Lakes link for more. And now … a giveaway.

Leave me a comment and tell me your favorite party food or recipe to share and you’ll be entered to win a Land O’Lakes giveaway. The winner will receive an Emile Henry pizza stone, a large white serving platter from Crate & Barrel, a reusable refrigerated grocery bag and a high value coupon from Land O’Lakes. Extra entries allowed if you follow me on Instagram, Twitter, or Pinterest (this is only for new followers), or if you follow Land O’Lakes on Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram. And extra entries for tweeting this giveaway. Entries accepted up until midnight on Tuesday, EST. Good luck!
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Recipe: Greek-Inspired Stromboli

January 27, 2013 · Narrative

If Italy married Greece.

In the form of a stromboli.

It would, I’m quite certain, result in something like this.

Although, the only thing Italy brought to the table was the stromboli form.

Everything inside?

Greece’s contribution.

The unmistakable flavor of Kalamata olives.

The tang of feta.

The soft roasted red peppers.

The leafy green spinach.

The juice of a lemon.

Delish.

Although there *is* cheese in this particular stromboli, it’s anything but typical. The focus is square on all the other ingredients.

Which makes me love it even more. And between the whole grain crust and the vegetables, it errs on this side of healthy eats.

So count me in.

I hear there’s a big game coming up.

When it comes to the Super Bowl, it’s really all about the food, no?

And the halftime show.

Of course.

So whether you’re doing it up at a friend’s party or staying in and celebrating on your own turf, this stromboli is a tasty, filling bite that is a perfect addition to your little fete.

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Stuff your stromboli. Bake. Eat.

Who needs it to be more complicated than that when there’s a game to watch?

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Recipe: Eli Manning’s Favorite Childhood Cookie

February 7, 2012 · Narrative

This year’s Super Bowl was the first time that Nick took a serious interest in the game. Asking tons of questions. Rooting the Giants on. Hanging on with the rest of us for that last touchdown in the final seconds of the game. Madeline, seriously partied out from the weekend, made it to just before the halftime show before she fell asleep. She tried to hang on as long as she could, but the poor thing was spent.

The next morning, when we were getting ready to leave the house, she asked, “Mommy, I forget. Did the Giants win or the Papers?” She is too cute for words.

So when I was catching up on my celebrity gossip the other day, and spied this recipe for Eli Manning’s favorite childhood cookie on People magazine’s web site, it was pretty much a given that we should make it. How better to support our local team?

When I saw the cookies in the oven as the timer dinged, I might have been slightly cursing Eli and his favorite childhood cookie. The batter spreads a ridiculous amount. The cookies wouldn’t come up from the foil. As Madeline would say, “Darn it.”

But with the remaining batter, I added a bit more flour, used cooking spray on the foil before dropping the batter onto it, and kept the cookies smaller. Much smaller. The subsequent trays were a better success. They still spread tons, but I was able to get some 30 cookies out of it, and all (especially the ingredients I just used) was not lost.

The recipe originally comes from Loukoumi’s Celebrity Cookbook, and the proceeds of the cookbook benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Chefs for Humanity.

The kids had a few of the cookies after their dinner last night and proclaimed them delicious, so all was right with the world. And Eli Manning’s favorite childhood cookie.

February 7, 2012 – Bonus Photos

I don’t know how she got so grown-up all the sudden, looking every bit the just-days-away-from-being-four that she is. After dinner, we broke out paper and pencils and worked on practicing her letters and spelling. Madeline is going to be a tough cookie once she officially starts school because she is a major perfectionist. Her brother is very much about the “good enough,” whereas she will erase and rewrite a letter three or six times just to get it perfect.

This is what she was working so hard on. Can you see it?

So proud. So very proud. I gently convinced her school to teach her how to spell Madeline, as opposed to going the Maddie route, which is what they had started doing. You know, because Maddie isn’t her name. It’s a nickname. I have no problem with people calling her Maddie, nor does she, but firmly believe that when it comes to learning how to spell and write your name, it should be the proper given name. Basics, you know. Now she calls Maddie her “other name.”

Eli Manning’s Lace Cookies

Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tbsp. flour (I used a bit more)
2 cups white sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 sticks melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions:

1. Put the oats, flour, sugar & salt in to large bowl & mix well.
2. Pour very hot melted butter over mixture & stir until the sugar has melted.
3. Add eggs & vanilla. Stir well.
4. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
5. Cover cookie sheets with ungreased aluminum foil. (I sprayed the foil with non-stick cooking spray)
6. Drop ½ level teaspoons of the mixture on foil – 2 inches apart.
7. Cook about 10-12 minutes.
8. Watch carefully. When cookies are completely cooled, foil will peel off.
9. Store in airtight containers.
10. Makes about 6 dozen.

Charmin’ Cherry Bars

February 4, 2010 · Narrative

I just love that naughty piece of toasted coconut standing straight up in the back of this picture. Kind of reminds me of my grey hair. I have just a few pieces, but they’re wiry as all get-out and there are one or two shorter pieces that are stubborn and stick straight up. Drives me mad.

So desserts. Desserts are one of the overlooked categories of Super Bowl parties. Dips. Chilis. Finger food galore. Beer. Chips. And then dessert. A complete after-thought. But given that Valentine’s Day is right on the heels of the big game, it’s fair to say we more than make up for it with the thrust of chocolate, sweets and desserts that quickly follow. But if you’re looking for a dessert recipe for this weekend, you just might want to try these bars. They cut nice and neat, are easy to eat with your fingers, and taste good to boot. What more could you want, right?

I was actually looking for a good muffin recipe (got one?) when I found this one for Charmin’ Cherry Bars. It from a Pillsbury cookbook, Best of the Bake-Off Cookies and Bars. And the recipe? From the 1951 Bake-Off. I love that it’s a recipe that is some 60+ years old, but is still just as relevant today as it was back then. The base is shortbread, and the filling is just a touch creamy with just a bit of crunch from the walnuts and a bite from the cherries. The only change I made was that I used dried cherries, instead of maraschino cherries. No real reason why except for the fact that the maraschino jar in the fridge had just the juice in it, no more cherries.

If you’re watching your figure, these aren’t too terrible, with 130 calories per piece and 6 grams of fat. Not wonderful, but not terrible. More nachos on Sunday for you!

Project 365
February 4, 2010, Photo #35

I have a lidded jar on a shelf in the middle of the pantry. A tight-fitting lidded jar. On the fourth shelf down. Inside the jar are some assorted mints and gum. See that leg of the chair in the left side of the picture? That would be the chair my daughter dragged over to the pantry. To get the lidded jar. With the tight-fitting lid. To help herself to some gum and mints. When she was caught red-handed, she scurried over to try and clean up her mess, but I told her she had to wait so I could take a picture of her thievery. She liked that idea enough that she wanted to be in the second picture herself. The scene of the crime. And the perpetrator.

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