Every year, mid January, all of a sudden, as if some miraculous transformation has taken place, I am aware of what is happening in the world of football.  I can’t explain this, as I don’t follow football throughout the season.  But I’m happy to jump aboard and take part in the fun.

This year, to celebrate Super Bowl LII, LB invited some friends over to watch the game and eat.

 

Laurie and Wayne

Debbie and Ray

Clearly none of us are skilled in the use of photo booth props.

 

 

We had great food provided by everyone.  It was the usual party food such as an assortment of chips, dip and salsa, veggie platter, Hot WINGS, brownies and cookies.  There were also special treats like the smoked pork sliders, courtesy of Ray and Debbie, and buffalo cauliflower prepared by Laurie.

I was particularly excited about my

Jalapeno Popper Football Cheese Ball

It was a great big mess to prepare, but I thought it tasted delicious and everyone seemed to enjoy it

This is how I made it:

 

• Using my Kitchen Aid mixer, I combined 16 oz. softened cream cheese, 8 oz. shredded cheddar, 1/2 cup pickled jalapeño, 3 Tbsp. chopped onion, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.  It took a couple of minutes to mix everything together.
• Once combined, I scooped out the cheese mixture and placed it on a piece of parchment.
• Using cling wrap (so I didn’t have to touch the cheesy mess), I formed it into a football shape.
• In a pan I fried 4 slices of bacon until crispy then placed on a paper towel to cool and then be broken into bits.
• Using the same pan and a little bit of the bacon grease, I added 1/3 cup of Panko bread crumbs and lightly toasted, stirring  for about a minute or two until golden.
• Next I covered the cheese ball with the toasted Panko and bacon bits, pressing firmly onto the cheese ball.
• For the laces, I used a slice of pepper jack cheese.

 

And this is why I’m dieting hard today.

If you would like the original recipe, you can find it here on someone else’s blog.

 

 

One of the highlights of the program was the singing of the

National Anthem

by Pink, who had the flu, and still sang beautifully.

I was happy to see that many of the players showed respect.

It is worth watching:

 

 

Everyone was pulling for the Eagles initially.

With a final score of 41 to 33, the Eagles beat the Patriots and won their first Super Bowl title.

Fly Eagles Fly!

And we had a Great Time!

Thank you for taking time out of your day to stop by my blog.

Kim

XO