And so it begins...

Yep. It's that time of year again...

FOOTBALL SEASON. 

The Hubs and I don't get along during football season. You see, I root for the best football team there is, the reigning Superbowl Champions... the NY Giants.

That's right, I'm a Giants fan (no hating please, I've been a fan since I first learned what football was!). I've spent many years waiting for my team just to make it to the Superbowl. You have no idea how happy I am since they've not only made it, but won several times in the past years.

The Hubs, on the other hand, must hang his head in shame. Naturally, he's hoping that his team will stomp all over my beloved Giants, and possibly give him a few bragging rights.

Not gonna happen, people.

Tonight is the night. TONIGHT, our teams are the opening game for the NFL season. That's right... tonight, it's the Giants vs. the Cowgirls. Oh, excuse me, I meant the Cowboys. Really!

A storm is brewing here tonight!

The Hubs and I are both pretty vocal about our football teams... so, just to make sure we don't injure each other, we've invited some friends to witness the event. I'm desperately missing my fellow Giants fan, Jackie, this year. I could always count on her to scream just as loud as me! Who will do a victory dance with me when the Giants trounce those Cowgirls??

Sigh.

Jackie may not be here in person this year, but I'm darn sure she's rooting on the Giants back home. We'll be mirror images, each in front of our own TVs, hooting and hollering...

Ok, so I'm a wee bit dramatic on game day.

The closer we get to kickoff, the more pumped I get. Generally, I distract myself in the kitchen, cooking up our favorite game-day treats. For this momentous occasion, I'm making my Jackie-inspired Buffalo Chicken Dip. Of course, man cannot live on Buffalo Dip alone, so we'll have a veggie tray and my yummy BBQ Chicken Pizza too. 

BBQ Chicken Pizza

You can check out the pizza recipe by following the link. Today, I'm going to show you how to make the dip that's perfect for all sporting events. This dip never has leftovers; it's completely addicting! The best part is it's sheer simplicity. Anyone, anywhere can make this dip.

Buffalo Chicken dip

Nom nom nom nom.... just seeing the picture makes me salivate. Thank goodness I get to eat it soon!

The ingredients are basic:

Shredded chicken, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, cream cheese, sour cream, and dry ranch dressing mix. The chips and celery are for the dipping!

For your chicken, there are lots of options. You can poach your own chicken breast (about 2), then shred the chicken to make 2 cups worth. This is what I do. If I have extra chicken, I use it later in the week for chicken salad!

BUT, if you don't want to do that, you can always buy a rotisserie chicken (already cooked, bonus!) and shred that. OR, if you're desperate, you can use canned.

So, chicken dilemma solved. Onward!

The first step is to gather your ingredients. Then, add the cream cheese (2 blocks) to a pot over medium heat. Pour the hot sauce (I use Frank's, it's the best!) right on top. You can use 1/2 cup, or 3/4 cup hot sauce. It's all about you, and how much heat you can handle.

Yeah, I use 1/2 cup. I'm a wimp like that.

 Stir that around until well-combined. The dip looks a little gross at this point (see above), but it's worth it, I swear.

Next, you're going to add everything else! Stir in the sour cream (8oz. but I sometimes use more), the shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup), the ranch mix (1oz.), and the chicken (2 cups). I was making a double-batch when I took these pictures, so don't worry if your dip looks smaller.

And.... you're done!

Seriously.

That's it.

Stir for a minute or two, so everything warms up, then spoon the dip into your serving dish. Surround with chips, celery, crostini, whatever you like for dipping. Personally, I think celery is the best!

Then be prepared to re-fill the dish often. I usually make a double-batch, the dip goes that fast!! Try this one time, and you'll be making it for all your parties. It's that good.

Mmmmmm.... I'm going to make mine right now! But I'll keep you posted on the game.

Go Giants!!! 


* Update: The Giants lost to the Cowboys, final score 24-17. I am investing in a good pair of ear plugs, so I can't hear the Hubs taunting me all week!! The rematch is scheduled for October 28th, in Dallas. The Giants will win that one (I hope!) 


The Standard Form:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded (about 2 breasts)

2 (8 oz. each) blocks of cream cheese

1 (8 oz.) container of sour cream

½ - ¾ cup Frank’s hot sauce

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1 packet (1 oz.) powdered ranch dressing mix

Directions:

Cook the chicken using your preferred method, then shred or finely chop. (I prefer poaching the chicken breast and then using two forks to shred it).

Add the cream cheese and hot sauce to a crockpot or a heavy pot on the stove. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir until the cream cheese melts and is combined with the hot sauce. Once smooth and creamy, add the sour cream. Combine thoroughly, and then add in the powdered ranch dressing mix, again stirring until combined. Finally, add the cheddar cheese and shredded chicken. 

Lower the heat. Warm over medium-low heat until the cheddar cheese is melted and the dip is hot.

Serve with tortilla chips, celery sticks, bread cubes, etc. 

Speaking Civilian and Christmas Leave, Part 1

When I met the Hubs, I had no idea what a military life would be like... a lot has certainly changed since then! Sometimes the difference between then and now simply staggers me.

In the beginning, there were times when I thought we needed an interpreter just to carry on a conversation. I can't count how many times I said, "Slow down, and speak 'civilian' for me!" There are so many shorthand words, phrases, and acronyms that I can barely keep up. Even now, after four years of marriage, he still adds a definition for me here and there when I'm completely clueless. (Sadly, this happens much more often than you would expect!)

One of the first, and easiest, phrases for me to learn was 'leave', a.k.a 'vacation', for all the regular people out there. I still don't know why it's called leave instead of vacation, but I do know one thing - we finally get a much needed break from all the crazy!

It's not easy spending quality time with your spouse when he's away at school in another state, or training for weeks on end, or the worst... deployed. Even on a regular day, there are few hours to sit and relax together. Family time is precious. Every second counts, especially when your circumstances change from one heartbeat to the next.

While time away can be one of the disadvantages of military life, there are many advantages as well. One of the biggest for us is the ability to travel and see new things at every new post we inhabit. 'Leave' becomes an adventure, and this year has been no exception for us!

Because we are close enough (reasonably) to drive, this year we visited family for Christmas, a true blessing. I love visiting with my in-laws, shocking as that may sound to some of my fellow wives out there! I got pretty lucky in that department, thank goodness. This year, I was also able to visit with one of my favorite uncles (shhh, they are all my favorites!) and his family, who recently moved into the area as well.

 Where did we visit, you wonder? The great city of Dallas, Texas!

With two weeks at our disposal, the only problem was deciding what to do with our time and where to spend our vacation fund. Naturally, all the planning fell to me, which is exactly the way I like it! Did I mention that I'm not only slightly neurotic, but also OCD? Well, now you know. I take great pleasure in plotting our travels, down to the tinniest detail. I keep notebooks and printouts, options, and back-up plans. I even pre-plan our snacks.

Yep, 100% OCD. But the Hubs loves me anyway.

The plan this year was to visit family for a week, and then broaden our horizons with a trip to New Orleans. I've always wanted to go, and since it's only 9 hours from Dallas, why not?

Today, I'll focus on the first leg of our trip, with plenty of helpful tips for you in case you ever decide to visit there yourself! While we spend most of our time with various family members, that doesn't mean we can't all go out and see the sights together. Here are just some of the things we did together:

1. Tour Cowboys Stadium - the ultimate for any football fan, and an especially orgasmic moment for the Hubs who is a diehard Cowboys fan (We all have one or two flaws, I've mostly forgiven him for this one)

We took the basic tour, which included a tour of the locker rooms, and as much time as you wanted to play on the field. The Hubs almost stroked out when he made a 'field goal' from the 20 yard line. Pick your tour and get the details here: http://stadium.dallascowboys.com/tours/tourInfo.cfm

2. Visit the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens - Not only are the gardens gorgeous, but there are a variety of activities year-round. We attended Christmas Tea (with champagne, ahem) before wandering the gardens.

Check out their website here: http://www.dallasarboretum.org/

3. Eat at the infamous Catfish Plantation - Reputedly the 'Most Haunted Restaurant in Texas', we found the grub to be great! No personal experiences with a ghost this time, but reports abound of supernatural experiences.

The Catfish Plantation may look like a normal home, but inside the food is hot and the service is wonderful. Check them out here, and be sure to stop in if you're close by:

http://catfishplantation.com/index.html

4. ICE at the Gaylord Texan - Every year for Christmas, the Gaylord hires ice sculptors from around the world to carve a magnificent fantasy land for you and your family! For Christmas 2011, the theme was Shrek the Halls with, you guessed it, Dreamwork's Shrek.

To start, Gaylord employees hand everyone heavy-duty parkas, because it is freezing inside the exhibit. By the end of our walk through, I was having a hard time feeling my fingers and toes! If you're visiting some other time of year, you can still take the time to wander this magnificent hotel. It includes restaurants, shops, and an enormous center arboretum and garden. Check them out:

http://www.gaylordhotels.com/gaylord-texan/lone-star-christmas/ice-experience/index.html

Those were the highlights of our trip to Dallas this year, but there are so many fun things to see and do there! Some of the things we've done in the past include:

* C.A.R.E. - Don't miss a visit with the beautiful large cats!
   
http://bigcatcare.org/

* Southfork Ranch - Visit the setting for TV's famous show, Dallas!

http://www.hellodallas.com/attractions/southfork_ranch_80s_glitz_and_nostalgia_in_parker/201768/

* The Sixth Floor Museum - Explore and learn about the day JFK was shot

http://www.jfk.org/

And many, many more.... No matter how many times we visit Dallas, we never seem to run out of things to do and see. If you have the opportunity to enjoy the city, take advantage of it!

We ended this family visit on a high note before heading off to New Orleans, the Big Easy... as military families, we have to take our opportunities where we can find them. I seem to find them all over the place! Traveling suits me and the Hubs down to the ground, but maybe it's not the thing for you. What opportunities do you find in your military life that makes the hard times a little more bearable?

That's all for now, but I'll be back soon with pictures from the great city of New Orleans and some tips on what to see if you visit. TTFN