Football & Food.

Matt and I hosted our very first Super Bowl party on Sunday. I could care less about professional football ...I was focused on the food preparation! Due to our recent snow/ice storm, I wanted to keep the menu simple, but warm and comforting.

My alarm went off at 7:00am on Sunday morning, and my hostess gene kicked in full throttle. By 2:00pm, I was doing my "I didn't burn anything" dance. Yes, I am that big of a dork.

I whipped up a batch of the Smokey Red Bean Chili w/ Chipotle- Cornbread Dumplins. It was soooo good the first time I made it, I just had to wow the crowd with a vegan option. There were some skeptical glances, but they chowed down.

I was tempted to keep the entire menu vegan, but figured it would not be fair. I apologized to the chicken breasts as I placed them in my grocery cart, but by the sounds of everyone proclaiming how good the soup was....it made me feel alittle less guilty :)

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup (forgive me, little chickens)
Betty Crocker Style

2 Tbsp butter or margarine
4 stalks celery, sliced
2 med carrots, coarsely shredded
1 lg onion, chopped
1 med green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cups wild rice, cooked
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 cups half and half
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 cups cooked chicken, chopped

1. In a 4 qt saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat.
2.Cook celery, carrots, onions and bell pepper in butter about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender.
3.Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Stir in wild rice, water and broth. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4.Add cooked chicken.
5.Stir in half and half, almonds, and parsley. Heat just until hot. (Do not boil as soup may curdle)

This cake was absolutely amazing. I attempted to make this vegan, but realized that I grabbed the wrong butter. Vegan fail. It was vegetarian though...does that count?

HoHo Cake
Recipe from HowSweetEats

Your favorite chocolate cake (either boxed mix or from scratch + ingredients)

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare your favorite chocolate cake (I used a Devil’s Food boxed mix). Grease and flour a jelly roll pan. Pour batter in the pan and spread around until it’s even. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes; this will depend on the cake you bake, but begin to check it after 15 minutes.
Remove cake and let cool for 30 minutes. While cake is cooling, mix middle layer

For middle layer:

1 cup butter
½ cup milk
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Cream butter and slowly add milk and vanilla. Add powdered sugar and salt, beating until mixture is thick, combined and spreadable. Spread in an even layer on chocolate cake. Set in the freezer for 15 minutes while you make the chocolate frosting.

For chocolate frosting:

½ cup butter
¾ cup cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8-10 tablespoons of water, added one at a time
Cream butter and vanilla. Add cocoa powder and powdered sugar until combined. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is smooth– you want the frosting to be spreadable, but not thin.
Remove cake from freezer and frost. Store in the fridge.

These guys were fun to make...and look how cute they turned out! 

Jelly Donut Cupcakes

Recipe from Veganomicon

1 cup soymilk

1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbs cornstarch
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup + 2 tbs sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup raspberry, strawberry or grape jam 
2 tbs powdered sugar

1.Preheat oven to 350º and line a cupcake tin with paper liners. In a mixing cup, combine the soymilk, vinegar and cornstarch and set aside.
2.In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the center of the flour for the wet ingredients
3.Mix the soymilk mixture with a fork to dissolve the cornstarch and pour into the flour mixture. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla, and mix well.
4.Fill the liners with batter 3/4 full. Place a heaping spoonful of jam into the center of each cupcake, being careful not to overfill. The jam will sink into the bottom of the cupcake during baking.
5.Bake cupcakes for 21 to 23 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then set uncovered overnight in a cool and dry place. This will make the tops slightly crispy, like a donut crust. Using a sifter, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with coffee.

I am a loser when it comes to getting group photos...but I did snap a picture of our newest member: Sweet Baby Sofia! Look at those cheeks...