It's Tailgate Time!

Hike!

Are you ready for some football!? With the start of the college and NFL football seasons these last two weekends, all my summer sun lounging outside days have devolved into "what time is kickoff?/where is the game on?" love affairs with my television. Tis the season!! Here to make sure your tailgate snacks are as game ready as your team (hopefully!) are some new game day recipes to take for a whirl. Game on!

THIS recipe claims that quesadilla glory is just 10 minutes away. Black beans and corn, salsa and seasoning, this is a game time or tailgate snack anyone can manage to pull off and it's sure to be a hit! (Pin it HERE)

While we're hitting the mexican-theme munchies, HERE's another "put it in a bite size cup" recipe for Mini Mexican Pizzas. An easy to follow recipe with just a few ingredients, you can do all the prep in advance and then pop these into the oven just before halftime for a mid-game treat! (Pin it HERE).

Has there ever been a more unexpected match made in culinary food heaven!? Avocados wrapped in bacon - easy, healthy(ish!?), bacon-y and delicious all at once. Check out the simple recipe (via Necessary Clothing of all places!) HERE (Pin it HERE)

So that pizza bread right there? How delicious does that look!? The full recipe for make-your-own-dough is right HERE or if you're like me and love the idea but hate the mess/effort/time involved, pop over to your favorite pizza shop and ask if they will sell you a pizza's worth of dough (many will!) Then follow the recipe from there. 

And of course there will be times when your team draws the early game and breakfast eats are called for, which is why there is THIS Breakfast Casserole w egg whites, bacon, spinach and smoked gouda recipe. It's time to up your kegs and eggs game my friends. (Pin it HERE)

Click HERE for a really easy and cute tutorial on turning your table into a football field!

* For all of Seek to be Merry's past football foodie posts, click HERE *

Slow Down. Relax & Enjoy.

Breathe it in. Enjoy your day.

This morning I got down to the subway platform just as both the Local and Express trains were entering the station. The Express train, my usual preference, skips 14th and 23rd streets and gets me to work in just 3 stops while the Local hits those in-the-middle stations, taking a few extra minutes (or more if there's "train traffic ahead"). I immediately went on auto-pilot for the speediest train, but noticed out of the corner of my eye that the Local was nearly empty and offered plenty of seats as compared to the Express which was the picture of "how do NYC'ers do that each day?" sardines in a can awful. I paused and thought of the good book in my purse (Beautiful Ruins, I'm 40 pages from done and it's great!) and with a smug "I'm doing this for ME" sort of smile, strolled on to the Local, took out my book and snuggled into a seat for 9 glorious minutes of self-indulgence. Here's wishing you a long weekend filled with tiny treats, relaxation and time to slow down and enjoy!!

Also, in case you're wondering what to whip up for the 2 awesome football games on tap for Sunday (old guard and new guard, Manning vs. Brady, young QB showdown!!) here is the triumphant (and very overdue) return of the Feed Your Football Face Recipe of the Week (x3 because I think I owe ya!!)

Jimmy Fallon's Crock Pot Chili

Jimmy Fallon does a lot of awesome things. I'm going to assume making chili is one of them. 

Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

Crispy Ravioli

This is gonna be so easy and SO good. Turn store-bought ravioli into a bite sized treat!
Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

Brownie Batter Dip! YUUUUUUM.

I am a big fan of dessert dips and this one is likely to be no exception. Basic ingredients and easy prep too!

Pin it HERE, full recipe HERE.

Be sure to check out all the previous "Feed Your Face" posts HERE.

And finally, sending mountains of well wishes to SeektobeMerry's Birthday Girl, Ms. (parent)thetically speaking. May this be the dawn of your brightest decade yet!! xox

Eat, Sleep, etc.

I'm with ya kid.

When I found that picture, I couldn't believe how perfectly it embodied how I'm feeling on this sunny fall Friday. Really hungry and pretty darn tired... I'm ready for a tasty meal and a serious nap. Way to get things done kid.

Also, want to hear something kinda nuts? In two weeks from today, Thanksgiving will be over and Channuka will already be underway. Holy holiday season how quickly you've snuck up on me!! (And don't even get me started on the turkey/dreidel overlap, more on that next week...) This will be my last weekend hanging at home for a bit, so I'm hoping for a solid combination of productive (I need to get gift shopping!) and relaxing (family Sunday brunch reservations made.) And since we've still got plenty of football to be watching:

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: 

Cranberry, Butternut and Brussels Sprout Brie Skillet Nachos

* brought to you by Half Baked Harvest

These my friends, are not you're average nachos. These are a high brow, brie-tastic, fancy feasting treat perfect for your "it's too damn cold outside, this game will be better from the comfort of my couch" viewing party.

Since this recipe has a whole lot of ingredients (and some pretty drool-inducing photos) on the Half Baked Harvest site, why don't you just click HERE to learn how to cranberry, butternut, brussel sprout brie nacho your weekend or click HERE to Pin it for later.

And for all of the "Feed Your Football Face" recipes of the week, click HERE.

Is it over yet!?

word.

Even though this week went by relatively quickly, I am so ready for the weekend. So. Ready. So let's all check out these goodies meant to entertain, amuse, feed and inform, then power down our computers and get the hell outta here! Have a great weekend :)

watch out for the yellow ones Buddy!

So I think it's a bit early to be pushing Christmas (though Radio City Music Hall obviously disagrees, their tree has been up for 2 weeks now!) but when I stumbled upon THIS list of secrets from my most favorite Christmas movie Elf, I simply had to share.

awwww

Those are some pretty darn cute rats. (<-- and that is something I never imagined I would say.)

Those are pictures of the Lower East Side of Manhattan... YESTERDAY!!! Apparently Steven Soderbergh is filming a Cinemax miniseries called The Knick right now and transformed Broome and Orchard streets to look like something straight out of the early 1900s. Can you imagine accidentally stumbling upon that while out and about? What a mind trip! So freaking cool.

I like it.

And lastly, because it's Friday and someone has to bring the sweet treat to the tailgate...

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: Sprinkle Nutella Rolls*

*brought to you by Inside BruCrew Life

Ok, so these guys look epic-bananas levels of delicious and I was thrilled to discover that they are epic-bananas levels of easy to make: 

Ingredients

1 package crescent rolls (Pillsbury)

1/2 cup Nutella spread

sprinkles

Instructions

Unroll the crescent rolls and press together the seams. Spread with Nutella. Make sure to not go all the way to the edge. Top with sprinkles. Gently roll up. Cut into 9 even slices. Place in a glass baking dish with room around each one.

Bake at 375* for 14 minutes. Let cool slightly before eating. Top with more sprinkles if desired.

Click HERE to Pin it, click HERE for the full recipe (and super helpful step-by-step images) and click HERE for all of the Feed Your Football Face Recipes of the week!

On Frogging

It isn't easy being green.

Dr. H and I are currently embroiled in a bitter night time a war. In truth, the war has been waging for years, with periods of relative peace marked by sudden and unpredictable uprises. It is the War of The Frog. The frog, for those unfamiliar with it, is the sleeping position in which the sleeper, on his/her side or stomach, keeps one leg straight while the other is bent, tucked under and slightly to the side (very much like a sitting frog <--). "Frogging", as we affectionately refer to it, is the preferred sleeping position of yours truly and recently Dr H has been going through a bit of a frogging phase himself. But that's not what sparked the war. The war is the result of each of our preference for frogging toward the middle of the bed and inevitably, going "over the line". Dr H gave me a stern warning the other morning that I'd spent much of the night with my frog leg on his side of the bed. Somewhere around 2am last week, I physically shoved off his frog, to remove it from my hip (viewed as an act of unprovoked aggression by my bed-mate). 

So are we supposed to get a bigger bed (you know I've considered a bigger bed..!) or are we supposed to lay down each night and jigsaw puzzle piece our way into sleeping position leaving to chance the possibility of an over the line infraction in which someone takes a knee to the gut (or groin, sorry!) during the night? We are not the biggest people, we should be able to manage in our generously proportioned queen size bed. But with my right frog and his left frog refusing to back down, for now, the war wages on.

PS: 31 Days of Halloween

Just in time for the weekend, click HERE for full instructions from Simple As That to make these absolutely adorable Halloween crafts. The kiddos are gonna LOVE 'em. (Click HERE to Pin It)

PPS: "Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week - Pepperoni Cheese Stick Roll Ups

I think the picture says it all folks (especially since the Pin doesn't link to anything!!) but just in case... Buy the pre-packaged dough, some pepperoni (or turkey pepperoni, which FYI is delish) and cut your polly-o's in half. Roll, paint on a little olive oil, sprinkle w garlic and bake til brown. Don't forget the red sauce for dipping!!

PPPS: A truly heartwarming thanks for the lovin I got in the comments section yesterday. I guess my need for inspiration was a bit reflective of my uninspired mood and holy cow was it uplifting to hear from some of you. Thank you thank you and have a wonderful weekend my merry friends!!!

Have a colorful weekend!!

bbbaaahh-utiful!

Guess who is TOTALLY PUMPED that it's Friday!? THIS gal!!! I am so so (so) excited to have survived this post-vacation beast of a week and I've got an awesome weekend ahead so it doesn't get much better than that. I hope you have something special planned too :) Here to take us into the weekend is a mess of goodies from around the web. Enjoy!!!

Rock on.

The new Pearl Jam album, Lightning Bolt, came out this week and it is a solid outing from one of my favorite rock bands. Though it's nothing revolutionary, it's track after track of brooding musicality and thoughtful lyrics. I've got a date with Eddie and the rest of the band at Barclays tonight and I won't mind hearing a few of these newbies mixed in with the 90s/00s Pearl Jam I fell in love with.

More about those totally fly rainbow sheep (straight from Pinterest, because I believe everything I read on the internet): Freshly dyed sheep run in view of the highway near Bathgate, Scotland. The sheep farmer has been dying his sheep with nontoxic dye since 2007 to entertain passing motorists...

And because I know I owe you at least two 31 Days of Halloween goodies from this week:

So easy and absolutely adorable as Halloween party decor, all you need are some white and orange balloons and a sharpie to pull together this crafty creation!

Autumn nights...

If you're looking for seasonal decor that's more on the classy side and all-fall-long friendly (these would look awesome at the entry to your home for Thanksgiving!) try this DIY from Design Mom (link to full instructions HERE) for apple votive candles. I love the idea of floating the fruit, 'a la bobbing for apples, too!

And lastly, because it's Friday and pigskin seasons is officially in full swing....

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: Buffalo Cauliflower*

*brought to you by Persnickety Plates

Tailgate food is not typically healthy food and no one wants to be the chick that brought the veggie platter, but this creative recipe seems to really deliver the best of both worlds - classic tailgate taste, none of the post-pig out guilt.

Ingredients  

head of cauliflower
For the batter

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup water
dash of Frank's Wing Sauce (or Frank's Original Hot Sauce)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon dried onion (I use Tastefully Simple's Onion Onion)
For the buffalo sauce
1/4 cup Frank's Wing Sauce
3 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
pinch of salt

Directions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

- Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray (I always use olive oil spray) and set aside.

- Wash your head of cauliflower and cut into pieces. I made a variety of sizes.

- In a medium bowl, mix together the batter ingredients. It will be fairly thick.

- Dip each piece of cauliflower into the batter until fully and evenly coated. Place onto the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.

- Bake for about 15 minutes until the batter just hardens.

- In a small bowl, mix together the buffalo sauce ingredients.

- Once the cauliflower are done, remove from the oven and brush with the buffalo sauce. Again, fully and evenly coat each piece.

- Put back into the oven and bake for a few more minutes (I think 5-7 minutes was my range), until  the sauce has mostly dried and the cauliflower is crispy.

- Remove from the oven, let cool, then enjoy! (dip in Ranch or Blue Cheese dressing!?)

Click HERE for the full recipe (including printable version) or HERE to Pin it!

Check out previous "Feed Your Football Face" recipes HERE.

Au revoir!

I'm in a Parisian state of mind...

Friiiday. FRIIIDAY. FRRRRIIIIIDAAAAYYY!!! And not to brag, but this Friday is extra sweet for me because Dr. H and I are off on a(nother) anniversary adventure, this time to France! (I bragged). Anyway, even if you aren't headed to France tonight, I'm wishing you the most wonderful weekend and some sunny, smiley October days ahead. Plenty of goodies will still be here between the 31 Days of Halloween and some F.I.T.S. of Merriment, so keep stopping by and being merry. Au revoir!

31 Days of Halloween - A Glow-in-the-Dark Mummy Pumpkin!

This adorable alternative to a jack 'o lantern is sure to bring the smiles (and if you ask me, it's just as cool!) Pin it HERE or go straight to the BHG instructions HERE.

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: Chili Mac Casserole*

*brought to you by Lady Behind the Curtain

This hearty dish is perfect for the colder weeks ahead when tailgating means warming up and filling up with something tasty.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 - 16 ounce kidney beans, undrained

6 ounces tomato paste

4 ounces chopped green chilies

2-1/2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook macaroni according to package directions. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, chilies and seasonings. Drain macaroni; add to beef mixture. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. Uncover; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Click HERE for the full recipe (including printable version) or HERE to Pin it!

Check out previous "Feed Your Football Face" recipes HERE.

Tick tock tick tock...

Hug it out.

I am literally watching the clock today. I check it just about every 15 minutes... I am 193% (official count) ready for a crisp fall weekend out and about in my most favorite city. Got some girl friend plans, tickets to a sa-weeeet outdoor concert and a trip to Chinatown for some dim sum all on the agenda. Hellz yes. But...

...before you leave, you must click HERE.

Also, I dare you not to completely melt reading every single one of THESE. (via Peppermint Bliss!)
Here's the reason I will never purchase Barilla pasta again.

So true. SO true.

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: Mini Loaded Potato Footballs*

* brought to you by The Curvy Carrot

Are you SERIOUS!? I mean it doesn't get much easier, or much event-specific-perfect than these mini football-esque treats.

Ingredients
20 small red potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Toppings:  sour cream, cheese, chives, vegetarian bacon, etc.

Instructions1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes, olive oil and salt together until coated thoroughly.
3. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet, bake for 20 minutes or until soft.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
5. Once cool enough to touch, cut a small slit in the top of each potato and gently scoop out a small portion of the flesh, discarding it.
6. Top each potato with your desired toppings and serve while still warm.  (*I used a small piping bag fitted with a tiny pastry tip and piped sour cream directly into each potato for simplicity and ease.)

Click HERE for the full recipe post or HERE to pin on Pinterest.

Are you ready for some football (food)?

The sun is shining. The day is Friday. I am happy.

One thing I've noticed (via my obsession with reviewing the Google Analytics for this site... #BlogGeek) is that you guys loooove a good recipe. Given this excitement for eating (you are my people!) it's not surprising that one of the all time most popular posts I've ever had was THIS; because we all know that football food is the tastiest food, in all it's gooey, bite-sized, beer-complimenting glory. SO, given that I live to serve (you and your bellies) I've decided that every Friday for the rest of football season I'm gonna serve up a "Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week. So without further adieu let's kick-off (hehe!) this new Friday tradition!!

"Feed Your Football Face" Recipe of the Week: Jalapeno Popper Dip*
* brought to you by Closet Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced jalapenos (pickled), drained
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

Directions
- Mix the cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, parmigiano reggiano and jalapenos in a bowl and pour into a baking dish.- Mix the panko bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano and sprinkle over the dip.- Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the sides are bubbling and the cheese cheese has melted and turned golden brown on top, about 20 minutes.

Tip: Add crumbled bacon for the bacon wrapped jalapeno popper version!

Click HERE for link to recipe (which includes a printer friendly option) 

And because I don't plan* to use these recipe posts as an excuse to not deliver other awesome content on Fridays (*I hereby reserve all rights to use these recipe posts as an excuse to not deliver other awesome content on Fridays, should the need arise #LawyerGeek) please head into the weekend by checking out THIS. "BatDad" is 100% my new hero and truly one awesome dude (be sure to wait for the Vines to fully load and listen to each with sound. It's worth it!) Have a great weekend!!!