I have a confession to make.  I used to be a football ‘faker’.  I would feign interest in football games just to be part of the crowd – clap when everyone clapped, stand up when everyone stood, and yell out things I heard others yell out.  My boyfriend was on our college football team, and I had no idea what went on for four years.

I feel a little ashamed now, especially knowing the reason for my lack of interest – it all just seemed way too complicated.  And if I hadn’t learned the rules before college, well it was simply too late.

Since being married to a football fan who is very dedicated to his college team, I have once again found myself attending football games, this time with young kids often in tow.  And they ask me questions . . . about football.  Well, I can’t have the children growing up in ignorance like their mother did.  So I’ve been forced to actually pay attention and figure out what’s going on.  I guess it’ll keep my brain young and all, you know, learning something new.  And my kids won’t have to fake it either.

Now, something I don’t have to fake is cooking up some tasty football snacks.  If you’re in need of a warm and spicy dip for the game, this is what you need to put on the table.  Sausage, cream cheese, spicy tomatoes and hot sauce melt together to make a delicious dip for corn chips, baguette slices, or crackers.  It also tastes just as fabulous with turkey sausage and light cream cheese as it does with the regular stuff.

Trust me, there’s no fakin’ the fabulousness of this dip.

Hot and Spicy Sausage Dip

from Shortbread

Ingredients

• 1 pound (16 oz) ground sausage, pork or turkey
• 2 (15 oz) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, regular or reduced fat
• hot sauce to taste

Directions

1. Cook sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat until no longer pink. Drain and return to pan.
2. Add tomatoes and cream cheese to pan and cook, stirring occasionally until thoroughly blended and heated through.
3. Stir in hot sauce to you liking.
4. Serve warm with corn chips, crackers, or baguette slices.

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Happy New Year!  Is your resolution to have a sweet 2010?  You know we all need a little sweet in our lives to make us happy.

Make sure to add a little sweet to your new year with this heavenly, fluffy, nutty Pecan-Honey Butter.  Use it on your breads, biscuits, french toast, or pancakes – your imagination is the limit.

Pecan-Honey Butter

adapted from Southern Living Magazine (Nov. 2009)

makes 1 cup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
• 2 tbs. honey

Directions

1. To toast pecans, preheat oven to 300 degrees and bake on a tray for 10-15 minutes until fragrant. Let cool and chop.
2. Stir together butter, pecans, and honey until thoroughly mixed. Store in refrigerator or freeze.

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I was inspired to make my own mayonnaise this weekend.  Let me tell you, it was TOUGH ON THE FOREARM.  You have to whisk, whisk, whisk, the whole time you are S-L-O-W-L-Y adding the oil.  A cup and a half of oil didn’t seem like a lot to whisk at first, but I think it multiplied while I was working!  The kitchen got a little shower of oil when I found out I’m not quite as coordinated with my left hand.  It makes me wonder whether you could make it work in the ol’ Kitchenaid.  I’m trying that next time.

We don’t really use much mayonnaise in my house, actually, I’m the only one who eats it and not that often.  The husband has sworn it off, along with Chinese fast food and pretty much lunch altogether (it’s a lot like this).  I don’t tell him it’s in the pimento cheese.

But I thought it sounded like a good idea, making homemade mayo, so I gave it a shot.  I had to see how it compared to store-bought, and I do think it’s better – much richer, fresher, and more flavorful.  And I could make it for the times I need it, and maybe build up my arm muscles as a bonus.

So what does one do with her jar of hard won mayonnaise?  Why make some homemade chicken salad, of course.  I simmered a whole chicken for about two hours in a pot covered with water, a quartered onion, a couple stalks of celery, and a little salt.  Then I took the chicken out, strained the stock and refrigerated it, and removed the meat from the chicken.  I used about half of the meat for this Cashew Curry Chicken Salad recipe.  The curry is subtle, you can add more if you like, and the chives give a nice onion flavor without having to crunch on raw onions.  I’m a huge fan of nuts in my chicken salad, and the cashews taste terrific.

You can most definitely make this with store-bought mayonnaise, but if you feel like working out your arm muscles you’ll end up with some great mayo afterward and some super tasty chicken salad!

Cashew Curry Chicken Salad

serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1/3 cup homemade mayonnaise (recipe below), or store bought
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/3 cup celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cashews, chopped
• 1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients and stir until well blended.
2. Taste for seasoning and adjust, if needed.

Homemade Mayonnaise

from The Gift of Southern Cooking, Edna Lewis and Scott Peacock

makes about 1 3/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil, light olive oil, or a combination
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Directions

1. Put the vinegar, lemon juice, salt, and mustard into a bowl, and whisk or stir until the salt and mustard are dissolved.
2. Add the egg yolks, and beat until smooth.
3. Add the oil drop by drop at first, and then in a slow, steady stream, whisking or stirring constantly until all of the oil has been incorporated and you have a very thick emulsion.
4. Stir in the hot water until smooth.
5. Refrigerated, homemade mayonnaise will keep for up to 1 week.