Super Bowl Spread

Well, I've got a new home computer and apparently that means learning a new photo editing system before I can get these pictures up, sorry that took me a couple days! 

In case you haven't heard - the Green Bay Packers won the super bowl! I can tell you for those of us from Wisconsin - this is REALLY EXCITING!  So I invited a few people over.  Usually I don't watch much football around others, but I thought it might keep me from getting too stressed.  :)  And inviting others over meant having food.  I wanted munchies and food that was really good, but healthier than the standard fair. 

I really wanted a munchie to set in bowl and I had it in my head I wanted a Popcorn and Nut mix.  I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so I used a Spiced Nut Mix I already have and added the popcorn.  After popping the popcorn, I melted some butter and olive oil, mixed in the spices and then tossed that with the popcorn, the nuts were toasted in the oven in their spice mix.  It went over well and everyone liked it.

 For dips I made the Edamame Hummus you see below and a hot Spinach Artichoke Dip.  The Spinach Artichoke dip was from Cooking Light and the Hummus I made up.  I used 1 cup of Edamame and 1 can of chickpeas in a regular hummus recipe and added a good handful of chopped parsley to it.  The Edamame Hummus was very good.

Well, a gathering wouldn't be complete without Smoked Fish in the Graff family and we are so thankful my Dad has shared his secrets with Joe.  Joe smoked some trout he caught and it was really good.  It went perfect with the last of my Dad's Venison Summer Sausage and some good sharp white cheddar.  Dad.....just so you know we are out of summer sausage.......

 The above went perfectly with some bread I crisped up in the oven, crackers, and a big plate of colorful veggies, of which I did not get a picture.

 For halftime, I had a Shredded Buffalo BBQ sandwiches, topped with a slaw full of cabbage, carrots, radish, and Jicama. I cooked a Buffalo roast in the crockpot all day, shredded it and mixed it with a BBQ sauce I made.  Tasty!  On the side I had a Red Quinoa salad with feta, celery, grated green apple and Parsley. 

Well, I had to try to put my new decorating skills to use, even though they are questionable skills.  So I bought a football and football helmet cookie cutter and set about determining how to decorate the cookies.  I think the footballs came out pretty well.  The helmets need some work.  :)  But, I did find an amazing website (Karen's Cookies).  She gives tutorials and recipes for decorating cookies - very cool.  And I bought a new tool I can't believe I lived without.  If you don't have an adjustable rolling pin, get one!  I just put the quarter inch ends on and my cookies were all miraculously the same thickness!  It makes me want to make more cut out cookies.

As my cousin Jane would say - "We are the Champions!!!!"