Our Super Bowl Feast!

The NFL Super Bowl was held on Sunday -- for about two weeks leading up to it, food programs and food blogs focus on foods to be served for that kind of celebratory party. 

 I'm all for spending a whole lot of money and slaving in the kitchen for a cause like that (sometimes)-- after all, it only happens once a year, right?   Because of that thinking, I went 'all out'!!!!

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Well,... maybe I didn't. 

Saltines and Herring!  (That's it!)

If I make the picture bigger, will this look more impressive?

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How about this?

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Maybe THIS one will do it?   Yes?

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Well, I tried.  You can't say this 'feast' didn't take some planning.  Because I didn't make the crackers nor catch the fish, I had to find them in a store, pay for them and bring 'em home.  The jar had to be opened, and the stack of saltines, too. 

None of this should be a surprise to those who really know me--  I'm a whole lot about simplicity.  Can you tell this was simple?  And easy?  So, folks, this was the extent of our big 'hoopla' kind of Super Bowl party and...now, for the most exciting part... we liked our simple no-fuss kind of 'party'!!!

For no really huge reason, we hoped the New York Giants would win, and they did.  Afterall, the Giants were the ones who took our Green Bay Packers out of the playoffs-- because of that, we were hoping they'd be 'that serious' all the way to the end, and they were!   

Hearty Sausage Soup

There are many different recipes floating around for this kind of soup.  I adapted this one from the back of Nabisco's Premium Saltine Crackers box.

Mainly, I only changed the kind of sausage and beans--and I used whole grain rotini pasta.

Besides the main ingredients, I like all of the 'background' flavors in here-- because everything blends together so well, nothing in particular stands out to say, "HERE I AM!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. Italian sausage, sliced (I used a 1 lb. tube of Jimmy Dean sage flavored pork sausage)
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 cans (14 oz.) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 broth can water
• 1 can (15 oz.) white cannellini beans, rinsed (I used black beans, rinsed)
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 cup rotini pasta, uncooked (I used whole grain rotini)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt  (or wait until finished and season to taste)
• 1 and 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
• 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
• Saltine crackers

DIRECTIONS:

• Fry sausage and onions in oil in large saucepan until done (10 minutes?), sirring frequently.  When almost done, add the minced garlic.  Drain fat off.
• Add chicken broth, water, beans and tomatoes.  Bring to a boil.
• Stir in rotini pasta and salt; cook 8 minutes or until just tender.  Remove from heat.
• Stir in spinach leaves; cover.  Let stand 5-10 minutes.
• Offer shredded cheese at serving time.  Serve with saltine crackers.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Fruit Muffins

This morning, one thing after another lead up to... this! 

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Fruit Muffins.

I ♥ it when the wheat flour, combined with other things in my 'lab', ends up  smelling and tasting like these!

Believe me, a little dab of butter doesn't hurt the flavor any........

INGREDIENTS:
(Read through ingredient list and directions before starting.)

• 1 cup rolled oats (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 1 cup milk (preferably buttermilk)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 (1 stick) butter, barely melted (or just really soft)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup 100% whole wheat flour (OR, 1 cup all-purpose white flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking powder (Use only 1 teaspoon if you use all white flour.)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (fine salt blends in more easily)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins, other dried fruit OR chocolate chips (I used dried cherries*-- see my note below)
• 1/2 cup cup walnut halves (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine the milk and oats in a medium mixing bowl, let this sit for about an hour.
2. *If you choose to add dried fruit to these muffins like I did, put it in a separate small dish and pour 2 tablespoons of VERY HOT water over; cover tightly while the oatmeal is soaking in the milk.
3. After the oats/milk have 'been together' for an hour, preheat oven to 400 degrees (in my oven, I use 375 degrees).  Fill a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
4. Add the sugar, egg and butter to the oats/milk combination; stir well.
5. Combine the dry ingredients and shake through a wire strainer, or sifter, and dump on top of the batter; gently/briefly stir into the batter ONLY until well mixed.  (If you have bran left in your strainer/sifter, put that into the batter, also.)
6. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin papers.
7. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 minutes.  The oatmeal muffins should be brown (only golden brown if using all white flour) and firm to the touch.  Since ovens VARY, I carefully check for doneness with a sharp knife after 20 minutes. 
8. Let the muffins cool in the pan for just a few minutes before removing them;  place on a rack to cool further.