Super Easy, Super Bowl Appetizers

Can you believe the Super Bowl is next Sunday?! Where has January gone?

Here are two super easy and very tasty appetizers for a super bowl party!

My friend Vannie told me about this recipe, it literally takes 5 minutes to put together and is so tasty!

Pizza Dip:
1 block cream cheese
1 small can pizza sauce
1 pkg shredded mozzarella cheese
(any toppings, pepperonis, sausage, veggies, or you can just do cheese)

Layer as follows in a casserole dish:
Spread cream cheese, top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and toppings (you can also put a little shredded Parmesan cheese on top) Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly, Serve with Frito's.



The second recipe, my friend Michelle introduced me to, let me tell you it's one of those you can't stop eating!

Buffalo Chicken Dip:
1 can of chicken chopped
1 8oz block of cream cheese softened
3/4 cup franks buffalo sauce (use less if you want it less spicy)
1 cup ranch dressing
1 package of sharp cheddar cheese

Heat chicken and franks buffalo sauce until warm in a large skillet then add ranch and cream cheese continue stirring until cream cheese is melted completely and last add sharp cheddar cheese when all melted together its ready. Pour in casserole dish. Serve with Frito's.



GO COLTS!

Running of the Bulls...No it's Brides!

Last night I went to Filene's Basement in search of some silver evening shoes. I was amazed of what I saw when I walked in.

Hundreds of wedding dresses with caution tape around the area and anxious brides leaning over the caution tape, planning their route this morning at 8am when the doors opened. Yes, this was the running of the brides. Have you ever seen this on the news? It's crazy! One of the cashiers told me all of the gowns are generally cleared within 6o seconds of the brides running in! They even had shirts that said "I survived." I really didn't believe that it would be worth it to actually go running for a gown...well let me tell you, IT IS!!!

Even though I am already married, I too was leaning over the caution tape oohing and ahhing at all of the beautiful gowns! My mouth dropped when I saw a Vera Wang dress for $699!! Dresses ranged in price from $249 to $699. The original price of these gowns was anywhere from $900 - $9000!

I think it would definitely be worth your while to go check it out, if you can handle all of the people. You may find the gown of your dreams for a fraction of the price. Now, that's what I call a good deal!

Click here to see if there is a Running of the Brides event near you!

Sideboards

This past weekend Andy and I were on a mission....for an antique chest for our guest bedroom. We currently have my parents old iron bed in there that my mom bought from an antique store when she was 16. However the chest that I had bought originally for this room is now in our bedroom.

So Saturday morning the hunt began. I can't say that Andy LOVES antiquing, but he doesn't mind it. As long as we grab a good lunch he is good to go! I am so thankful that he goes with me. We searched and searched and I couldn't find anything that said "take me home", well except a sideboard.

I tried to convince myself and Andy that it could work in the guest bedroom until we have a dining room to move it in. I knew it would look a little out of place, but I am still thinking about it! Mom always says if it says "take me home" than you better get it, (if you can afford it) because you will probably regret it. Well, maybe next time. For now I keep checking the antique store website to see if it's still there. We may just have to have a sideboard in our guest room for a while...

Southern Cobbler

Yum Yum! Is all I have to say about this recipe! Last night I was craving a good southern dessert - cobbler! This recipe is so easy and most of the ingredients you may already have in your pantry. My mom made this when we were growing up and I always request it for dessert when she makes my favorite chicken tenders and mac and cheese.

The Ingredients

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup self- rising flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)
2 cup frozen blackberries or blueberries ( I used blueberries)

Whisk together 1 cup sugar, flour, and milk just until blended, whisk in melted butter. Pour batter into a lightly greased round casserole dish, sprinkle blackberries and remaining 1/4 cup sugar evenly over batter.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until golden brown and bubbly.
Serve with vanilla ice cream!

A Columbus Visit

Andy’s cousin and his wife Kelly from Baton Rouge are coming for a visit next weekend! They are our first visitors! We are so excited to spend some time together and to show them around town!

Here are a few things we have planned for the weekend…

Since they are huge LSU fans, we thought we should show them The Ohio State University stadium, so they can compare a SEC stadium vs. a Big Ten stadium.

Of course we have several places we would like to take them to eat – Thurman’s for lunch (although if we go there we may not have room for dinner!) Thurman's is located in German village, which is filled with antique shops, Queen Anne style homes, and brick-laden sidewalks and of course more great restaurants! Andy and I have never been to this restaurant, but we would like to go for dessert! It’s called Schmidt’s and “specializes in original German and American dinners, sandwiches, mouth watering desserts, cocktails, and many German and micro brews by the bottle and on tap." Doesn't this cream puff look delicious!!

My mouth is watering just thinking about it!!

Saturday night we will be hanging out in the Arena District and Short North - which is filled with several bars and a great local brewery - The Elevator.

We may even have some time to go to Easton Town Center and do some shopping or I’m thinking a pedicure for Kelly and I and let the boys hang out! I know it will be a fun weekend!

So needless to say, come hungry if you come visit us in Columbus!

Five for $5

Andy and I have discovered an awesome Friday night deal! Whole Foods here in Columbus offers five wine samplings with a food pairing (or should I say bite) for $5 dollars!

Talk about a cheap date! Although after walking through Whole Foods and sampling their delicious foods Andy and I usually come out with a few bags! But it makes the experience more enjoyable, grocery shopping while drinking wine, why not?!

I am not sure if this is offered in every Whole Foods that sells wine or just here in Columbus. I know in Nashville that they can't do this because they don't sell wine. It's worth looking into your Whole Foods store for sure!

Recipe Box

While making my grocery list today, I thought to myself what in the world am I going to make this week for dinner?!

Then I remembered, my recipe box! Andy's sister gave us a very thoughtful wedding gift, a recipe box filled with her and the Kelly family favorite recipes. Laine is an excellent cook and I strive to be half as good is as she is! I have began adding my own and my mother's recipes to the collection. I want to have this collection for my children when they are ready to get in the kitchen! Or maybe one day even make a family cookbook!

There is nothing like remembering a favorite recipe that your grandmother made or you mom and you don't have it written down and they can't remember exactly what they did. Andy loved my dad's chili and I never got the chance to ask what his famous recipe is and of course it's not written down anywhere!

All you need to start your collection are index cards, a box (the size of a shoebox) and a couple recipes and your collection is started! This will be something that your family will treasure for years!

Charity Chains

I am so excited for my friend Kristi! She has just launched a company, Charity Chains. Do you like trendy necklaces? Wouldn't you like them even more if you knew when purchasing one a portion of proceeds goes to charity? I know I do!

As a grand opening special, Kristi is offering free shipping until January 31st!

Here is a preview of her necklace collection. I can't decide which one I want, I love them all!



For more information check her website out here!

Lame Kitten

Last night was exciting to say the least in the Kelly household! Andy was not thrilled when the news came that Lane Kiffin had resigned and had taken the head coach job at USC. We both feel better today after reading countless articles of how UT fans should be thankful that he is gone. I guess we are most upset with the timing of it all, as signing day is next month. I really have no words about the situation….except bad ones.

I guess....Good Riddance!

Dutch Ovens

I love my dutch oven! I registered for one when we got married and I had no idea I would use it as much as I do. I use it at least once a week! If you don't have a dutch oven I would highly recommend investing in one. They are great for soups, chili, baking chicken (makes it so tender) and I have even seen a recipe for cobbler!

Martha Stewart has a great line of dutch ovens at Macy's and Williams Sonoma has a higher end brand, Le Creuset.

Lazy Days

This weekend has been so great! Andy and I have not done much at all. Our weekend has consisted of laying on the couch, relaxing and eating! We did make it the grocery store but that's about it! It's about 18 degrees outside and lots of snow. Definitely needed this R&R weekend. Hope you had a great weekend!

Roll...SEC!

It's so hard to believe that tonight is the last game of college football until August! The season sure did go by fast! So tonight I am cheering for Alabama, which will be the only time this year and maybe ever... So Roll SEC! I just can't bring myself to say the full saying because as Sandra Bullock would say, it tastes like vinegar!!!

Yummy Pot Roast

Y'all, it's SO COLD!!! I'm in Nashville this week and it feels like I'm in Columbus! It is going to be 7 degrees tonight! This cold weather reminds me of a great recipe my friend Cassie shared with me. It's for an easy, very tender and tasty pot roast. I made it this past fall and Andy loved it!(which says a lot...he is a picky eater!)

Here it is...



Ingredients:
Recipe is for about a 1 lb pot roast (about enough for 4 people, but makes great leftovers!)

1 packet of French’s onion soup mix (a lot of the time the grocery has the French’s onion and mushroom mix, which is good too)

Self Rising Flour

Baby carrots

1 Onion (sliced)

Small red potatoes

Directions:
Roll the roast around in the flour to where the roast is coated in it.
Place roast in crockpot.
Pour about 1 cup of water at the bottom of the crock pot, to where it comes to about 1/3 of the way on the meat.
Pour packet of soup mix over the top.
Pour baby carrots, sliced onion, and sliced potatoes over the top of it (doesn’t really matter how many of each).

Cook in crock pot on low for about 8 hours or if you don’t have 8 hours, cook on high for about 3-4 hours and then move to low for about a hour or until ready to be served. The roast will automatically make the gravy and that is what you can use to scoop out of the crock pot onto the roast.

ENJOY!!