Super Bowl XLV

That's Super Bowl 45.  (I had to look it up  since I've long forgotten those Roman numerals I learned in third grade math).
 
And tomorrow, Super Bowl Sunday, we'll be watching the game just like 130 million other people. 
 
And, we'll be cheering for the Packers -- the underdogs (winners of 3 previous Super Bowls) over the Steelers (winners of 6). 
 
That's right, the same Packers who beat our hometown Falcons to go to the NFC Championship game a few weeks ago. 
 
The same Packers that once had as their quarterback, Don "The Majik Man" Majkowski.
 
Don and I attended college together (but didn't know each other.  Well, obviously I knew who he was since he was the star of the college football team.   But, he definitely didn't know who I was, though we were once introduced in a downtown college nightspot).  

Don tore a ligament in his ankle in 1993 and was succeeded by Brett Favre who was succeeded by Aaron Rodgers, the Packers current quarterback.  (That's only 4 degrees of separation!)
 
Coincidentally, 15 years later Don's daughter and my son were in kindergarten together in Atlanta.  She gave my son this card as a gift one day.  

 

What she couldn't have known is that this small token would engender my son's devotion to the team.  He's gotten not one, but two, Green Bay Packers  jerseys in the years since and he'll definitely be part of our pro-Packer crowd on Sunday night. 
 

My son, with our dog, in the first of his two jerseys, gives the Packers the thumbs up.

My daughter tells me that Wiz Khalifa's song about the Steelers, and his hometown of Pittsburgh, is currently in the Top 10 on iTunes. I'm guessing this usurps the Pittsburgh Steeler Polka. (And makes the Steelers, undoubtedly, the only team in the NFL with two anthems).  Add that to Big Ben (Roethlisberger), their winning tradition and the Terrible Towels waved by the legion of Steeler fans (called Steeler Nation) and the challenge will be formidable, but I think the Packers are up to it.

Go Green Bay!

A Sweet Valentine's Day Treat

Valentine's Day is such a great holiday -- you can express your love for anyone and everyone regardless of the intensity or depth of your emotions.  It could be a passionate love that will last forever,  a Sally Field Oscar moment ("really, really like"), or just someone whose talents and abilites (like a gifted teacher) you appreciate.  

I plan to write more about Valentine's Day (and our family's LOVE week) in the next few days, but right now I wanted to share a cute, super easy recipe that I found on The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen website.

They are called Valentine's Day Buttons

Just 3 simple ingredients:

Pretzel Snaps

white or pink melting disks (I used white, because the pink ones reminded me of Pepto Bismal)

and red or pink chocolate candies (I removed the white later, when I realized they wouldn't show up against the white melting disks)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Place pretzels on baking sheet (pretty side up).  Place melting disk on each one.  

I know.  I need a new cookie sheet

Place in oven for just 2 minutes. Remove and place one chocolate candy on to the center of each disk.  This could easily be a two person job - one person to put the candy on and another to push down a bit to really get the candy in place. Either that or don't make too many at a time -- otherwise you are rushing to finish before the disks set.   Place your cookie sheet in a cool place (I used my refrigerator)  to set. 

 The finished product.  My future as a food stylist in doubt, trust me when I say these are so much cuter than my photography skills do justice.  

Now you can share these with your kids (wouldn't they be a fun lunchbox surprise?), your kids' friends, a teacher or just anybody.  They would also make a great party treat or favor.  Maybe you could even have a few yourself. 

I plan to put mine in these cute little bowls I found for 99 cents at my local craft store and share with some special friends.  

Happy Birthday Norman Rockwell

 

This is, without a doubt, my most favorite Norman Rockwell (February 3, 1894 – November 8, 1978) illustration.  Not the least bit rebellious as a child, I'm not exactly sure what it was in this image that appealed to me, but when I received this as a 1000 piece puzzle one Christmas (when I was about 9), I raced to complete it.  

I read not long ago that the school scene in Forrest Gump was modeled after this particular image. It's that endemic in the American psyche.    

In 2000, the Norman Rockwell exhibit came to the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, I literally traveled through snow, rain, and  gloom of night to be there.  It was tremendous.  It was heartwarming.  It was everything I had hoped it would be.  

Each image as touching and emblematic as the next. 

 

You could almost title them yourself.  

Happy 117th Birthday Mr. Rockwell! 

Groundhog Day

I have a friend who celebrates Groundhog Day every year.  She says it's her favorite holiday.  Me, not so much.


I have some good reasons for this:


1) This time of year, the weather is bleak and the landscape barren; 2) I have some sort of mental block about what the groundhog seeing his shadow is supposed to  predict.    Is it 6 more weeks of winter? A shorter winter?  Or perhaps, the Penguins will win the Stanley Cup?   3) A groundhog is not cute a rat on steroids (don't let the free clipart fool you).


Wikipedia, "the best thing ever" (according Michael Scott's character on The Office) and my go-to-source, says that Groundhog Day began as a custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania in the 18th and 19th centuries, and has its origins in ancient European lore wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog.


And while I'm not a fan of the actual holiday, I am a huge fan of Groundhog Day, the 1993 movie.  If you haven't seen it, you should.  It's Bill Murray at his best (only Lost in Translation may be better) and a totally unique concept for a movie.  Besides, who doesn't want the chance at a do-over?


If you haven't seen the movie in a while, here's a reminder of just how much fun it is:

National Baked Alaska Day

Wow!  I've only been writing this blog for about 6 weeks and I'm already writing my second post about Alaska.  Okay, not really Alaska, but the delicious, seemingly far-flung dessert, Baked Alaska. Which has it's own day to celebrate -- today.  

Confession:  I have only had Baked Alaska once.  That was on a family cruise we took in 2004.  

I love this because when I was a little girl, had I given it any thought, perhaps the only thing I would have considered more exotic and extravagant than taking a cruise (I'm talking about before Love Boat), was Baked Alaska.  

Photo of my husband and daughter taken by a cruise ship photographer

But, since there's nothing like an all inclusive meal plan to get you try something you've always wanted to try -- we ordered Baked Alaska. I'm happy to report that we liked it, all of us. But maybe that is because it was flaming when our waiter brought it to our table!  In fact, we liked it so much we ordered two.  (Remember it was "all inclusive")

Let's face it, what's not to like, really?  Sponge cake, Neapolitan ice cream (at least in the one we had) with warm, sugary meringue on top.  Those snow caps never looked better. 

And should you want to try it yourself today, here are a couple of recipes, one super easy and another with a video tutorial.  And, who knew?  You can change-it-up and use brownies or any flavor of ice cream you like.  Enjoy!