Game Day Dips and Chips

Sunday is a big day.
It's the New England Patriots versus Downton Abbey. There's a great tug-of-war going on in many households and lots of hoping and praying.
That the Patriots will have put away the Baltimore Ravens before 9 pm when Downton Abbey airs on PBS.
I'm wondering how many people are ardent fans of both dramas. I am!
I adore the British drama, with its glamourous costumes, posh accents and amusing class structure.
But I am also a huge fan of our beloved Patriots. Tom (don't hate me because I'm beautiful) Brady, Wes Welker, Vince Wilfork and my new hero, Stevan Ridley, all provide their own drama every season.

All hail the DVR, the best invention. Ever.

So whether you are parked in front of the tv for four hours of tackles and tight ends or one hour of stiff upper lips, you're going to want a snack. I've recently been going through ALL my old blog posts in effort to craft a real recipe index (coming soon!). I've rediscovered a lot of dips/appetizers that you might enjoy while viewing. Click on the highlights to take you to the original post.

Let's start with the classic - guacamole. I am known for my guacamole. In fact, I even had two college boys men ask me for a guacamole tutorial. Now it's their party trick.

This roasted red pepper dip is another popular dip because it's so full of flavor. Love it.

If you're trying to stick to those New Year's resolutions to eat more healthfully, you can't go wrong with hummus. Making your own means you can control the amount of oil. You can also add anything you like to it - lemon, jalapeños, cilantro, loads of garlic, basil. It's an excellent blank palette.

Want to try something out of the ordinary? This Hot Pepper Jelly Cheesecake is awesome. People will be saying "What is that flavor?" and you can be all smug and secretive while they beg for the recipe. Just say you got it on Mignardise. Thanks.

One more, just 'cause I LOVE this - Cranberry Salsa. So delicious, it's crazy.

Whatever you choose to watch, whatever you choose to eat, enjoy your Sunday.
And keep your eyes open for the new and improved Mignardise, coming very soon!

GO PATS!

These Are a Few of Her Favorite Things

My first child was born on Mother's Day weekend 18 years ago. She is truly a gift.
So in honor of her big birthday, I had a little surprise party for her.

What do 18 year old girls like? What do they want to do? What do they want to eat?
I should know this by now. But just when you think you've got it figured out, they're on to something new.

Lucky for me she's always been pretty easy, even as a teenager and this was no exception.
I decided to go with all her tried and true favorites, the things she requests time after time.

My guacamole ...

Mango salsa from Whole Foods...

Hot dogs cooked over the backyard campfire!

And since the fire was already lit, we had to have s'mores...

I barely broke a sweat making these chocolate-covered strawberries...

She also loves these...

For entertainment, we had a big inflatable moon bounce - even (especially) for 18 year old girls!
A tarot card reader was also on hand to give them some serious advice about the future.

Birthday cake? I wish.
I'd love to make her a big chocolate layer cake, but she prefers her dad's old specialty - an ice cream pie, made with a Rice Krispie and melted chocolate crust, filled with mint chip ice cream.

Nothing fancy or complicated for this kid.
Like I said, she's easy.
Happy birthday sweetie!

Game Day Guacamole and More

Ok, we all know the Patriots should really be playing today. They demolished the Cardinals not too long ago. And Matt Cassel stepped in so sweetly for Tom Brady. And please, I don't want to hear any of that "Oh we're so sick of Boston winning everything" stuff from people who just wished they lived in New England.

So with the Pats out, today is all about 2 things for me: commercials and food. Having previously worked in the exciting and glamorous world of advertising, I have a great appreciation for all the work, time and cocktails that go into making a commercial. Having a blog, I also appreciate a day dedicated to junky food.

If you are sticking to your resolutions and being very good, look away now. Because what I have is tempting enough to make you forget your promises. Just for today.

I'm going classic Super Bowl food today. Guacamole, chili and peanut butter brownies.My family loves guacamole. When my kids were little, I fed them avocados as snacks - full of vitamins, good fat and soft, perfect baby food.  My guacamole recipe is pretty basic, more of a suggestion really, open to interpretation. Add hot sauce if you like, use lemon instead of lime, use mayo or yogurt instead of sour cream, leave out the onions. You get the idea.

Mash 4  ripe avocados,  but with some chunks remaining. Squeeze in the juice of half a lime.
Dice one tomato and 1/2 of a small red onion. Add to avocado.
Mince 1-2 cloves of garlic, add. Chop some cilantro, about 1/4 cup and add.
Stir in one heaping Tbsp. sour cream. Season with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and a little chili powder and cumin, about 1 tsp. each. Mix well.
If making in advance, lay a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface before refrigerating.

If you read this blog regularly ( oh please read regularly! and urge your friends!), you'll know that chocolate and peanut butter has been somewhat of a constant theme. Brownies too. This recipe*stirs it all together. They're decadent and worth every calorie. Go back to your resolutions tomorrow.

*Note: I replaced the chopped peanuts with chopped mini-Reese's cups, and scattered the peanut butter chips on top. Go for it.