Super Bowl Horderves

I have not ever watched a Super Bowl game. If I were to watch the game or have a Super Bowl Party, I would definitely serve the following horderves.

Hot Articoke Crabmeat Dip

This is one of Julie’s recipes that she brought to the cabin we would rent in Gatlinburg for the Christmas parade week-end.

• 
  1 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1   garlic clove, pressed
• 1 14oz can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
• 1 pkg (8 oz) imitation crabmeat, chopped
• 3/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1   lemon
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
•  Baked Pita Chips

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine cream cheese and mayonnaise in bowl and mix well. Press garlic into mixing bowl
2. Drain artichokes. Chop artichokes and crabmeat.  Grate Parmesan cheese.  Zest lemon to measure 1 teaspoon zest. Add artichokes, crabmeat, Parmesan cheese, lemon zest and black pepper to mixing bowl; mix well.
3. Spoon mixture into baking dish and bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown around edges. Sprinkle with red bell pepper. Serve with Baked Pita Chips, if desired. 

Another great Super Bowl recipe is this easy Sausage, Cream Cheese and Rotel Dip:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sausage , I like to use Sage flavored sausage
• 1 (10-oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies, undrained
• 1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, cut into pieces

Instructions:

• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until crumbled and no longer pink. Drain. Add Rotel and cream cheese to skillet. Stir until cheese melts.
• Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Reese’s Goodies

Of course, you have to have something sweet. This is one of my friend Francis Hopper’s recipe. She would fix a batch of the cookies for Charlie at Christmas.

• 4 c. Rice Krispies
• 10-12 oz. peanuts
• 6-7 0z. marshmallows
• 20-24 oz. white chocolate melted
• 1 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 t. almond flavoring
• Mix the first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Melt the white chocolate and add the peanut butter and almond flavoring. Pour over the rice krispie mixture. Drop by teaspoons on a pan lined with parchment paper. Allow to cool.

Julie Hull, New Artist

Sometime around Thanksgiving my daughter Julie began to paint with watercolor. She said she found it very relaxing. She began by painting dog and cat paintings for friends and family and also painted along with online watercolor tutorials. Her paintings amaze me and she has even taught me a few things along the way, such as what to do with watercolor ground. When I taught watercolor classes my goal was to help students find the joy and relaxation that painting can bring, so I am glad that is Julie’s focus. It is rewarding to complete a successful painting, but the process is more important. Here are a few of her paintings.

Pottery and Paintings

My goal with my sculpture is to make viewers smile, so many of the pieces have a story. The fat cow has a fly on her nose that she is trying to get off with her tongue. The mice are busy getting cheese. One is sitting on a mousetrap and has snagged the cheese unharmed. Another is juggling a pile of cheese on his head and the third one has a sign begging for cheese. A large yellow cat looks down on them in wonder and dismay. The snowman has a rabbit on his head that is trying to eat his carrot.