Kamikaze, Krazy Football Fan, and Blue Cheese Buffalo Bites

Unless you have been at the top of Mt. Everest the past 48 hours, you obviously either watched or heard about the unbelievable championship football games that took place yesterday.

My husband is still in shock (as many football fans also are).  The owner of the company I am with has Broncos box seats every year.  His brother that I also work with is a lifelong Packers fan.  As you can imagine, I was not a very popular person when I walked in the office door this morning...you see, as I live in Bronco land, we are the extreme Seahawk family.  I took our win very graciously and am so excited for the Super Bowl!!

I made my husband this custom sized, flannel tied blanket for his birthday this year.  Unfortunately our girls commandeer it all the time and snuggle in their rooms with it.  I have gave them strict orders, the blanket must stay in our family room for the next 2 weeks, through the Super Bowl...it is our special good luck charm.

I know I said last week that grown ups shouldn't do Kamikaze shots.  I caved on Sunday night...we were so overjoyed with excitement, we shared in special celebration and toasted our "hawks".

Kamikaze

1.5 oz Vodka
.75 oz Triple sec
.75 oz Lime juice

Add all the ingredients to a shaker and fill with ice. Shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass or divide between two shot glasses.

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These chicken bites are perfect for upcoming Super Bowl festivities or any other gathering.  I made them for dinner with a side salad as a light weeknight dinner that was super fast to put together.

Blue Cheese Buffalo Bites
Adapted from Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes by plainchicken.com

1 can refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Seamless Dough Sheet
1-1/2 cup shredded cheddar/jack cheese blend
12 pieces frozen popcorn chicken
3/4 cup Frank's buffalo wing sauce
8 oz. container blue cheese crumbles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray 12 regular size muffin cups with non-stick cooking spray.  Set aside.

Remove dough from can and press out to an 8 x 18 inch rectangle.  Cut dough into 12 squares.  Press squares into muffin pan cups.

Place 1 tablespoon of cheese blend in the bottom of each dough lined muffin cup.  Dip popcorn chicken in buffalo sauce.  Place one piece of chicken in each cup on the cheese. Sprinkle with remaining cheese blend.

Bake 15 to 18 minutes, or until just starting to brown. Turn off oven and remove muffin pan. Sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of blue cheese crumbles over each cup.  Return to oven until blue cheese is melted.

Bites can also be made without the buffalo sauce
and blue cheese crumbles, for those who prefer
a more simple palette.

One Year Ago:  Paninis

Lemon Drop Martini and How To Be A Grown Up

In our busy lives, it is a rare occasion that we get a half hour to sit, relax and find a television show that we enjoy.  (You would think with 300 channels that would be easy...not so much)  We came upon a new series on TruTv called "How To Be A Grown Up".  It is 30 minutes of pure laughter that sometimes puts me in uncontrollable happy tears...true comic relief for me once a week.

It is a group of comedians that make fun of who we were in our 20's and how we evolve into becoming (or trying to be) the perfect grown up.  They really have a great time telling the truths that everyone goes through and all you can do is laugh at yourself because you know exactly what they are speaking of.  Viewer warning though...make sure younger (especially teenager) ears are out of the room, their truths can get on the crude side that even make me blush sometimes.  If you have this channel and need a really good laugh, I highly recommend this one.

As we all have learned, when you become a grown up, you really shouldn't drink, dress and act the way you did in your 20's.  The nights of Kamikaze shooters and Long Island Ice Teas while dancing scantily clothed on a bar table is no longer acceptable (unless you are celebrating your 40th birthday in Las Vegas...then anything goes).

This martini is a very grown up and respectable drink.  Just don't drink 6 of them in one night, as you may end up dancing on your dining room table during your kids' birthday sleepover party.

Lemon Drop Martini

(makes 2 martinis)

3 oz. Vodka

1 oz. Triple Sec

2 tsp. superfine sugar

1-1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lemon juice

Place martini glasses in freezer for 15 minutes.  Mix the vodka, triple sec, sugar and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker half filled with ice cubes. Shake well to make sure sugar is blended.  Remove the chilled martini glasses from freezer and take a lemon wedge and rub the drinking surface of the glass so it is barely moist. Dip the edge of the glass into sugar.  Pour strained liquor into the sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a twisted peel of lemon.