Are you Ready for Some Football?

Combine first nine ingredients in container of an electric blender, process 30 seconds or until mixture is well blended.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with foil.

Cut wings in half or purchase pre-cut wings. Place wings on foil lined sheet, spoon 1/2 of the sauce over wings. (Depending on number of wings you are cooking, you might need two sheet pans), Bake 30 minutes. Turn wings and top with the remaining sauce. If it appears to be too much sauce, reserve remaining sauce and refrigerate. Bake another 30 minutes or until fall of the bone tender.

If you like your wings to be crispy, remove wings and place on a rack on a baking sheet, return to the oven and bake an additional 10 – 15 minutes, watch carefully. Serve warm with ranch dressing and celery sticks.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a small serving dish (that will hold 2 1/2 cups) with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, beat Neufchatel cheese until light, about 1 minutes.  Beat in the 3 tablespoons basil, salt and pepper, and bread crumbs.  Fold in 1 cup of the grated cheese and spread mixture in prepared baking dish. Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of grated cheese.  Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until heated through.  While baking, combine the tomato topping.  Remove the dip from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Top with tomato mixture, serve with assorted crackers

In the bowl of your food processor, insert the dough blade.  Mix the warm water and yeast in a measuring cup and let stand for five minutes.  Add the flour, honey, olive oil and salt to the bowl of the food processor.  Slowly add the water with the yeast and process until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.  Continue to process for one minute to knead the dough.  In a medium size cast iron skillet drizzle 1 – 2 tablespoons of olive oil.  Put the dough in the pan, flip the dough so both sides are covered with oil.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 40 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Punch the dough down in the pan after 40 minutes.  Press to fill the pan and dimple with thumb prints.  Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and cover with shredded cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are golden.  Remove from oven, cool a few minutes.  Place bread on a cutting board. Slice and enjoy.

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No food processor?  Not a problem.  Combine water and yeast as above.  Place the flour, honey, olive oil and salt in a large mixing bowl.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, pour in the water/yeast mixture.  Slowly stir to combine, once all of the dry ingredients are incorporated, knead dough on a hard surface for 5-7 minutes, until the dough is smooth.  Continue as above placing dough in the oiled skillet. 

For the nachos – take two large pieces of heavy duty foil and place criss-cross on your work space.  Spray with cooking spray.  Place tortilla chips on foil and top with whatever ingredients you prefer.  Fold up both pieces of foil and seal.  When you are ready to grill, place the foil packet on the grill; approximately 10 minutes or until heated through.  Remove and carefully open foil packet.

For the salsa – combine all of the salsa ingredients in your food processor or blender and blend until you have your desired consistency. I like mine to still have chunks of tomato.  Serve with Grilled Nachos.  The salsa is best if made early in the day.  Like more heat?  You can certainly add more jalapeno or spice. (We like our salsa mild-medium) 

Thread shrimp and lemons on skewers.  Brush shrimp and lemon wedges with Italian dressing.  Broil shrimp on high for 5 – 6 minutes or until no longer opaque, turn after 3 minutes.  While the shrimp is in the broiler, melt the butter and stir in the Old Bay Seasoning.  Remove the shrimp from the skewers, pour the melted butter over the shrimp and squeeze the broiled lemons over the shrimp.  Serve.

Plan 6 – 8 shrimp per person

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.  Cream together the butter and sugar, add vanilla.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Mix in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until well combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into prepared baking dish.  Bake 40 – 45 minutes.