Super Bowl Fun

For the Super Bowl yesterday, my brother had a little get-together at his house. I was somewhat anxious about watching the Super Bowl in "public" this year since I had become emotionally invested in the Giants. Fortunately, I tamped down my fears of sitting next to an obnoxious Patriots' fan and soldiered over to Chris and Natalie's house. The fact that Chris assured me there were no New England fans coming helped out a bit, too. Most importantly, the Giants won!!!!! WooHoo!!!!!

Football parties, of course, are the best excuse to indulge in bad-for-you foods, and yesterday was no exception. I brought a vegetable dish though! Guacamole counts as a veggie, right?! I love guacamole. I have always been attracted to avocados, maybe since green is my favorite color. I also think their deliciously creamy texture and delicate flavor always leaves me craving more. Guacamole has been one of my "signature dishes" since way before I fell in love with cooking. As with many of my homemade dishes, I use more of a method than an actual recipe. I think the key to excellent guacamole is ripe avocado, lots of fresh lime juice and my secret ingredient. Unfortunately, my camera's battery died, and I didn't get to take a picture of the guacamole. It is too bad too, since the colors fit right in with my blog!

Josie's Guac

2 ripe avocados, chopped (but not too ripe- buy them a little green and let them ripen on your counter)
3 tablespoons finely minced onion or shallot
juice of at least 2 limes (possibly more to taste)
3-4 tablespoons chopped cilantro (including the stems)
2 minced jalapeño or serrano peppers (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seed

Mix everything together, add salt to taste. The lime juice will help break down the avocados - I prefer a slightly chunky guacamole so I don't worry much about mashing the mixture. The coriander gives it the best flavor.


I also brought dessert - a spin-off of the M&M Cookie Bars originally posted on Joe's Blog (that I have made a gazillion times with a gazillion variations). Joe's Blog is one of my most favorite places to find a new sweet treat to bake up. I don't think I have ever had a failure from his website. The bars were gone by the end of the Super Bowl - and there were only 5 people there!!!

I halved the recipe and baked it in an 8"x8" casserole dish. The recipe below is the full recipe.

M&M Cookie Bars (adapted from KACC)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, melted (I did in the microwave)
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups M&M's (I used a package of mixed chocolate and peanut butter chips)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly spray a 10 X 15" jelly roll pan with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar, stirring until evenly distributed. Allow to cool slightly. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating very well after each one. Mix in vanilla extract. Stir in the flour mixture and when combined add in the M&M's. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake for 24-26 minutes, until they are shiny and golden brown on top. Try not to overbake these or they will be dry. A cake tester will most likely not come out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before cutting.