As if the snackadium weren't enough, I had to throw in a few extra treats for the big Fantasy Football draft day.
First, as any good student would do, I made my “super important Fantasy Football materials folder” which attractively housed my studying/drafting materials.
Then, as I’m wont to do, I made some hand painted wine glasses for the evening’s festivities. Being that they take so long to make, I only crafted one for me and one for Nicole, but after a couple requests, it looks as if I’ll be making my largest batch ever – one for each member of our Christmas Bingo Party (but that’s a blog post for another day).
The draft was a really good time and I enjoyed having the first pick (which went for Adrian Peterson). I’m pleased with my team and have some good guys including – Steven Jackson, Mark Ingram (who wasn't that impressive last night), Calvin Johnson, Daren Sproles (my favorite, the “little lightening bug”- who I sadly had on my bench for the first game) and another fave, Jason Witten. I hope this team pulls it off and I get some cash money!
Overall, we all had a fun time – laboring over who next to pick, what drink to make and which part of the snackadium to eat. Not a bad life in the least!
What is a snackadium? Why, it’s a stadium built of snacks, of course.
According to the ultimate source – snackadium.com – “Its exact origins are unclear, but historians believe this concept was invented as a way for hosts of Super Bowl parties to force guests to the toilets, achieving the objective of reclaiming prime seats in front of the television.” By many accounts, this novelty first appeared on the hunger/vomit inducing site thisiswhyyourefat.com in June 2010. It received some internet buzz and fan-fare and even made its way into a Bing commercial during football season 2010.
While the craze seemed to die down since its inception, my good friend Nicole and I never forgot the sweet dream of the snackadium. And what better opportunity to erect this memorial to football, yummies and the glutton gods then for our Fantasy Football Draft.
To prep for this feat, first we talked logistics and engineering – how would we support it? How would we separate the “fans” from the “field”? How would we make sure the walls were secure? And just how much food do we really need for this?
Finally deciding we needed a boat (or stadium) load of supplies, Nicole went to work. She was the official procurer of the snacks, and procure she did! This creation calls for many ingredients and to name a few they include: guacamole, salsa and cheese dip (for the field), Slim Jims (goal posts), sour cream (yard markers), Rice Krispie treats (for the retaining walls between the “fans” and the “field”), chips of all kinds (fans), and many, many small sandwiches (for the arena wall).
Putting it together was relatively easy, but time consuming, and it was exciting to see our dream take shape.
We started with a clean (large) space covered in aluminum foil with the “field” pan empty and waiting.
We then surrounded it with the retaining wall of Krispie treats, which I had made the night before in a jelly roll pan (3 boxes of Krispies and 4 bags of marshmallows).
Next, we made the little sandwiches and surrounded the field with them. Careful to space them far enough apart to cover the area, but close enough that they could make a wall and be self supportive.
After that, we slowly and carefully placed the “fans,” aka: chips, in between the inside and outside walls and watched the stadium come to life!
We filled in the field with the proper dippings (homemade guac, salsa and cheese dip) and secured the goal posts into place (thanks to Nicole’s idea of making a cheese-block base).
Then we placed the yard markers with sour cream from a piping bag.
With that, the snackadium was complete and there were many “oohs and ahhhs.”
A real sight, this monster of munchies was just what we were hoping for and the paparazzi were quick to document this feat.
As pictures really don’t to this justice, we tried to put it into perspective and put $20 bills along the length.
Pretty big indeed!
From the sheer size, I never thought our small group of 12 would make a dent on this, but oh what a dent we made!
Phase I consumption:
Phase II:
As we were left with a full retainer wall of Rice Krispie treats, we decided to make some lobster pops for to-go treats (not football related, but fun)!
While Nicole and I vowed that the snackadium was going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I can’t stop thinking of bigger and better things to do to it!
Thankfully, the season is young and there will be plenty of more opportunities....
As I mentioned in my earlier post, I’m slowing readjusting to “real life” (yes, still readjusting) after a wonderfully relaxing week in Jamaica and have finally gotten around to writing a bit and posting some pics.
Well, my thorough research certainly paid off and the trip to Couples Tower Isle was absolutely amazing. It was a fabulous experience, and while I don’t like to go to the same place twice, I’m already longing (and looking) to go back.
The resort and grounds were clean, pretty and well maintained. The Miami chic look and feel was right up my alley. The food was very good (sometimes excellent), and offered something for every taste and palate. The staff was attentive, service oriented and super friendly (without being overbearing). The weather was great and the country itself is lush, green and diverse. All of these things combined made for a very special and memorable trip.
We arrived after a long day of travel (it’s nearly two hours from the Montego Bay airport to the resort alone) and quickly settled in with some nice cold prosecco. In all honesty, on my first day, I wasn’t sure how much I loved the resort. I was tired from travel, we arrived amid clouds and showers, I was upset about no room service or bath tub, and the casual quick-serve restaurant wasn’t the best first impression (all of the other restaurants are on a whole other level).
But oh how that changed – and quickly.
By day two I was in love; a totally 180 degree turn.
Every morning, I was up bright and early, as I didn’t want to miss a minute. We filled our days with pool swims (equipped with a swim up bar), dips in the gently wavy ocean, great meals and excitement of meeting great people from around the country and from all walks of life.
The beach is private and gorgeous as the resort is nestled into a cove. It boasts soft sand with little to no shells and just a few tiny fish that hover about the surface. While I really do “enjoy long walks on the beach,” I was initially disappointed that the beach is very short. That said, I quickly appreciated the beauty and character of this particular beach and it really made other beaches like Mexico pale in comparison. As the resort wasn’t at full capacity (to my pleasure), there were always plenty of beach loungers around and hardly any wait for a drink or food.
While we initially planned to do a few excursions (they offer many options – from catamaran cruises, to snorkeling and water sports, scuba certification, tennis, yoga, classes, etc), we only were able to tear ourselves away from the beach for one – horseback riding in the mountains on an old plantation. While that was fun (and provided great views), my fear of horses had me a little nervous, but I’d still highly recommend it.
From the sun and the water, we were usually tired by late afternoon and enjoyed a little nap before dinner – the perfect thing to do on vacation. And speaking of dinner, the restaurants were great and we had a little tour, trying each of them – from Bayside (Asian) to Eight Rivers (Jamaican/Caribbean), to Veranda (continental fare) and beyond. I particularly liked the Veggie Bar, which offered snacks throughout the day and had all fresh juices and smoothies, sandwiches and wraps and the coveted sweet potato chips (just so very delicious).
There was even a beach party one night, and it exceeded my expectations with great food and entertainment!
After dinner, we would head to the 50’s style, vintage piano bar, which showcased old photographs of famous guest from back in the day. The bar also had a nightly pianist, who would play for the bar’s sing-along of popular tunes, which everyone gladly belted out. Some songs were a bit cheesy, but they did have a good mix of oldies and favorites (like Billy Joel, Elton John, etc.) While some have complained that there isn’t much of a night life, we weren’t looking for one (we get enough of that in NY) and I was happy to go to bed on the earlier side some nights. That said, the resort is really what you make of it and the pools are open 24/7, as are some other spots for late night hang-outs.
One thing that really added to our trip was the great people we met there. Couples from New Orleans, Baltimore, Tampa, and Mobile were especially fun and we enjoyed seeing them at breakfast, hanging with them in the afternoon and reconvening after dinner at the piano bar. By trip’s end, there were lots of smiling, familiar faces and that was especially nice.
There were a few minor things that I would have hoped for, and beyond room service, I would have loved a bathtub (one of my favorite parts about staying in a hotel). And if I want to get down to the real nitty-gritty (I may be a touch crazy), I would have liked the brand’s logo embroidered on the towels and bathrobes. Besides that, there’s little I would change.
By the last day, I was convinced that I will be hard pressed to find a better place (though I will happily try), and would absolutely love to return to Couples Tower Isle.
Tucked into a basement, in the heart of Little Italy, is a slightly hidden speakeasy called The Mulberry Project. On one sunny, hot Saturday, we and a few friends, ventured there for brunch.
The place, while dark and sexy in the lounge, opens to a great back yard – a novelty for any New Yorker in the summer. Decorated with fake grass and graffitied walls, it was a perfect setting for a summer meal.
We were all enjoying the drinks, conversation and ambiance until it got too cool for school. Now, I may be getting old, but once the DJ started spinning (in the early afternoon...and at a high volume), I wasn’t loving it as much as I did originally.I understand the whole idea of a clubby brunch, and can certainly appreciate, but just wasn't feeling it.
I will say that it’s a very cool place, with great artwork in the foyer. The service and food were both pretty good, but don’t think I need to go back there again.
Overall, The Mulberry Project is a cool and hip place, perhaps too cool and hip for me!
Feeling lazy, yet wanting a fresh baked snack, I made a batch of cupcakes (from the box) with store-bought icing. While I sometimes feel guilty for not making it from scratch, boxed cakes are so nostalgic for me and in all honestly, I think they turn out quite nicely.
To give it a semi-homemade twist, I used some spices to enhance the flavor. I made three different types and did one sprinkled with sea salt, one with curry and one with a pinch of cayenne. They all turned out nicely and really stepped up a traditional cupcake.
Of course I had fun with the piping bag and did my best to make them look pretty.
Oh a quiet, rainy Sunday, Rob decided to try his hand paneer – a soft, fresh cheese, common in South Asian cuisine. His culinary skills didn’t stop there, and he made homemade saag, as well. The result was a fresh and flavorful dinner of saag paneer with all the gustatory adventures of a traditional Indian meal.
Like ricotta, paneer is very easy to make and follows a similar procedure. First, bring whole milk to a simmer, then add about ¼ cup of fresh lemon juice.
Next, stir the concoction until it separates, producing curds and whey.
After that’s completed, pour the dairy mixture onto a strainer with cheesecloth and let drip out for about 5 minutes (and give it a quick rinse to wash off the lemon taste). After that, seal up the cheesecloth bag and place on a plate. Put another plate on top and weigh it down with a bag of beans or a large canned item. Let rest in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
It’s that simple. Those few steps produce a lovely, firm disk of paneer.
After the paneer was all ready, Rob made saag, a traditional a spinach and/or mustard leaf-based dish commonly eaten in Pakistan and India.
Next, he seered the paneer and added it to the spinach mixture.
To finish the dish, he added the paneer to the spinach and let it simmer for a few minutes.
The result was a wonderful meal!
I’d definitely make this again (or in this case, have Rob make it and enjoy the results) and was surprised how easy Indian food is to make, how healthy it can be and importantly, how delicious the finished product is!
In addition to the staples, like cucumbers, beets and tomatoes, I got a new veggie, which I’d never heard of, purslane.
After looking it up on the trusty Wikipedia, I learned, “although purslane is considered a weed in the United States, it can be eaten as a leaf vegetable. It has a slightly sour and salty taste and is eaten throughout much of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Mexico. The stems, leaves and flower buds are all edible. Purslane can be used fresh as a salad, stir-fried, or cooked like spinach, and because of its mucilaginous quality it is also suitable for soups and stews.”
While I don’t yet know if it’s good (tasting), it is good for you and I learned that purslane contains more omega-3 fatty acids than any other leafy vegetable plant, in addition to other nutrients found in leafy greens.
I think I shall try something with it tonight and will report on the results!
Back from the blogging hiatus, as I’m re-adjusting to civilization, after an amazing week in Jamaica. There will be posts to come with pictures and stories, but for now, please enjoy the beauty of the donut (or Saturn) peach.
I Grabbed just a few of these babies from the New Amsterdam Market on Sunday, and after enjoying them last night, I wish I had more. Sweet, but not tart; ripe, but not mealy; they were a perfect evening snack. While I don’t need a Top 10 to want to eat them, I did find some interesting facts to share, thanks to Mother Earth News.
1. They taste better than other peaches. They're sweeter, with almond overtones.
2. They are lower in acid than other peaches.
3. The pit doesn't cling to the flesh, so it's easy to pop out with your thumb.
4. The fruit's thin, red skin has little or no fuzz, so it doesn't have to be peeled.
5. Their small size lends itself to being eaten out of hand.
6. The frost-hardy, highly pest- and disease-resistant trees are easy to grow in most areas.
7. You can count on Saturn peach trees to produce an abundant harvest up to twice as many peaches as other varieties.
8. The trees bloom earlier in the spring than other varieties, and put on an absolutely spectacular show of pink blossoms.
9. Most of the nursery stock is now grafted to dwarf roots, making easy work of pruning and harvesting.
10. By planting a rarer variety of peach, you are helping to preserve biodiversity and maintain diverse seed stocks for generations to come.
I’m heading to pick up CSA tonight and if they’re part of the harvest, I will be oh-so-happy!
