Fall, Football, Fun! |

As you all know, Fall is my absolute FAVORITE time of year! I love Everything about it, cool weather, my favorite fall flower mums are all over the place, pumpkin everything is in season, comfort food is on the menu, and of course Football! We actually get sad right after the Superbowl in our house because it means it’s down season for us. No more Football Sundays and Superbowl prep all season long! We get really serious about food and football. Our teams are The Kansas City Chiefs and The Dallas Cowboys. My husband and I have been Cowboys fans since we were kids, he is a die hard for sure! I WAS a Patriots Fan when Tom Brady was in season because I am from new England but left when he did. I became a Kansas City Chiefs fan when they got Patrick Mahomes as he is a fantastic player! My daughter also looks a lot like him lol, so I call him “My Son” during the games, it’s hilarious!

I also love Travis Kelce and have been a Taylor Swift fan from her beginning, yes- I am a Swifty, happily! As a professional singer myself (https://www.reverbnation.com/lysadavis), I admire Taylor for her song writing, musicianship, artistry, and her business mindedness. I love that she’s that person who knows exactly who she is, what she wants and how she wants to execute the development of the ideas in her brain. She’s a phenomenal human being and she has a very good heart. One of the most creative persons alive. We all know how I love my gin drinks on the weekend so when I discovered some time ago that she liked a certain gin drink, I found the recipe and I just have to share because it’s really good! Here is the recipe for the drink (basic recipe below. I personally use 2oz Gin in my drink):

French Blonde Photo curtesy of: https://www.umamigirl.com

grapefruit twist (optional)

1 ounce Bombay Sapphire Gin.

3/4 ounce St-Germain.

1/2 ounce Lillet Blanc.

1½ ounces fresh strained grapefruit juice.

1 dash lemon bitters.

Okay so, this is how we do Football Sunday:

It’s fun to plan all week for what I want to make for Football Sunday and it’s usually the basics like wings and pizza for the afternoon game, but first thing in the morning I usually get up and put something in the oven that cooks low and slow for the entire day and have that for the night game dinner.

When the playoffs are nearing their end and we are getting a better picture of what teams will be playing in the big game, I usually do some research and make a dish from each opponent’s home city. So, if it’s the Kansas City Chiefs, I would plan on making something like Kansas City BBQ and I hear they love their cinnamon rolls so I might do a batch of those for morning coffee. And if it were the Dallas Cowboys in it with them, I would consider making their official dish which is Chili. So, my day would have the cinnamon rolls done in the very early morning and then the low and slow BBQ would go into the oven when the cinnamon rolls came out. While that was baking, I would start the chili for the afternoon game with all the toppings to go with it. My husband and daughter HAVE to have rice with their chili so I would put a pot of that on as well. Me, no rice with my chili! Just plenty of cheese, jalapenos, raw onions, scallions, cheese and lots of sour cream!

And this is how we do the Superbowl:

Of course, those were photos of a former Superbowl celebration of ours and not held here at The Stepping Stone, but the plan is the same. That’s usually our grazing table and all the open dishes are filled with dips and other stuff. The chili we just get from the stove when we are ready and the dinner, we have after the “itis” subsides. We might be able to sit at a table at dinner hour if our stomachs let us off the couch from in front of the TV.

Here’s some fun stuff from Amazon I think you will love as much as I do, to help with Football Sundays, Superbowl Sundays and plain old Movie Nights!

As an Amazon Associate, I make a small commission on qualified orders made on Amazon.

100 Pieces Football Snack Bowls https://amzn.to/48nUbEx
Football Cupcake Stand/Desert https://amzn.to/3NLADQT
Football Party Serving Trays 3 https://amzn.to/4fmmlSz
Football Paper Food Tray 5lb https://amzn.to/48IxlHX
Football Stadium- Snackadium https://amzn.to/3URy2cf
32 Pieces Movie Night Cutouts https://amzn.to/3YnEXL3
Movie Night Supplies/ Oscars https://amzn.to/3YT7Yjn

As the weeks are flying by, my mind is on the Superbowl! I have to get through another Football Sunday coming this weekend (and a few more ahead). I’m going to do my super easy cabbage roll sushi, fried stuffed green olives (same batter as my “Renzi Chicken” a few Blog posts back), my daughter is going to make her chicken bacon calzones and for dinner will be a Sunday staple of meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Sushi Cabbage Rolls:

Simply blanch large cabbage leaves in salted boiling water until tender, cool and set aside.
I fill them with different things depending on what I want for lunch. Sometimes its tuna salad and black beans or rice and smoked salmon with cucumbers and torn nori seaweed.

The sky is the limit! Roll them up and dip in soy, sesame oil and mirin.

Chicken Bacon Calzones:

When I make my homemade pizza dough on Fridays, I keep some in the freezer for days my daughter makes these. If you don’t make dough, just buy store bought pizza dough.

Roll out into small round discs and fill with cut up baked chicken breasts, cooked bacon, sprinkle with cheddar, add your tomato sauce or jarred if you like, then close up, egg wash, bake 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with ranch dressing.

Fried Stuffed Olives:

My favorite is garlic stuffed jumbo green olives. If you can’t find them already stuffed, just stuff slivered garlic in each one.

Dry flour first.

Dip into a batter of flour, baking powder, salt, water to make it like pancake batter, add a few drops of sesame oil that you mix well and let sit for 10 minutes.

Fry in hot oil until golden and drain on a mesh rack. No need to salt.

Meatloaf & Mashed
Potatoes:

I suggest a food processor for this recipe. Put crustless sandwich bread pieces in and pulse to crumbs. remove to a bowl and add carrot, celery, garlic and onion, pulse to minced then add to bowl of breadcrumbs.

Add ground beef and sweet Italian sausage to the bowl and add egg, ketchup, parsley, dry mustard, Badia Sazon Complete and salt & pepper. Mix just to combine. Form and bake 375 degrees about an hour and 15 minutes.

Well Guys, I have taken enough of your time. Get into the fun of football Sundays and Superbowl! It’s so exciting and so much fun for the family, and we get to see Taylor and flaunt our friendship bracelets and NFL apparel! Have a great weekend, see you Monday!