Are You Ready for Some…Chili?

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Chili has been a staple at my parents Super Bowl party for as long as I can remember. My mom makes a killer chili; thanks to a little help from Danny Wegman;) Everyone’s taste buds are definitely unique, there’s no question there. Finding the perfect chili that will leave each and every one of your guests raving to their friends…is highly unlikely. However, attempting to accommodate your guests by making what you think or know that they will enjoy makes all the difference! My mom makes two different batches of chili to accommodate her gluten-free friends. It’s the little things, like making a gluten-free chili, that makes you that extra special SuperBowl host.

I’ve pulled recipes from several friends with varying tastes and limitations and want to share with you what your vegan, gluten-free, non bean eating friends may LOVE! No worries though, I’ve added the beef filled recipe that my mom serves too!

Top Row: Beef Chili / Vegetarian / Turkey and Veggie

Middle Row: White Bean and Chicken / No Bean / Chicken and Corn

Bottom Row: Gluten Free

Enjoy!

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Are You Ready for some Football…Crafts?!

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Football is a pretty big deal around here. Even though we see our favorite team lose more than win, the boys still love to watch. I’m not sure if we will see the Buffalo Bills make it to the Super Bowl again in our lifetime :). Regardless of who is playing, the Super Bowl is always guaranteed to be a good time. The snacks, commercials and halftime show just add to the excitement!

Big H and I thought it would be fun to do a couple of crafts to get us ready for the big day. Unfortunately when it comes to crafts he has the attention span of well…a three year old! Therefore, the crafts need to be simple and quick to keep him interested. Plus it always seems that the days we want to do a special activity our little sidekick decides he doesn’t want to take a nap. We thought it would be a good idea to distract him with a chocolate chip cookie…

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Paper Stuffed Footballs

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Supplies

Brown construction paper

Newspaper, shredded

White yarn

Scissors

Single hole punch

Glue

Directions

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1. Rip up several pieces of newspaper. Big H loved this part!

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2. Draw a large oval on one piece of paper. You can also use a football template if you would like. Then place a second piece of paper behind the first and cut it out. You will need two identical ovals to make the football.

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3. Punch holes around the perimeter of the oval. Be careful not to make the holes too close to the edge. My helper insisted on punching many more than were necessary!

4. Tie the yarn around one of the holes and continue to thread it around the oval. Make sure to stop before it is completely threaded.

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5. Stuff the football with shredded newspaper until it is full and then finish threading and tie off!

More Football Fun

We also made some Popsicle stick goal posts and had some fun with our football stamp!

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Super Bowl Snacks

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The Super Bowl is always a great excuse to eat delicious treats and forget about the gym or your diet for a day. I also always love a theme or some reason to get creative with a party. As guests this year, I chose to bring an old fan favorite of mine and also try a new spin on chocolate covered strawberries that I saw on Pinterest. Both were a hit and there were no leftovers to bring home afterwards.

Chocolate Covered Football Strawberries

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These were very simple to make, the hardest part was getting the top off of the white icing tube. I used chocolate discs and melted them in the microwave. The box recommended that the strawberries be dry for the chocolate to stick better. After washing them, I then dried each with a paper towel. Following the directions from the package, I microwaved them in 30 second increments, stirring in between each round.

Once the consistency was very smooth, I dipped each strawberry in the chocolate and placed them on a plate. If I were to have read the instructions at the store, I would’ve bought wax paper, but of course that didn’t happen. (but definitely do so if you are planning to make these!) Once all the strawberries are covered, place them in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to harden.

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After the 15 minutes, I used Cake Mate Writing Gel icing to create my laces on the “footballs”.   I first made the vertical line on each followed by the horizontal lines. All in all this treat took minimal effort, time and skill to pull off but were the hit of the party!

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Bacon Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

My godmother always makes these for special holidays and they have been my favorite for as long as I can remember.  They are tedious to make, but the steps are worth it!

1lb. bacon

24 cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup mayonaise

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

1. Remove stems from tomatoes

2. Place tomatoes stem side on cutting board and cute a thin slice around the top

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3. With a small spoon (I used a melon baller ) scoop out the inside

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4. Place upside on paper towel for 3o minutes to drain

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5. Dice and fry bacon

6. Drain and cool on paper towels

7.  In a bowl mix mayonaise, bacon and green onions

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8. Fill tomatoes with mixture

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9. Refridgerate for several hours before serving