Football Sunday Wings

"Football Is an honest game. It's true to life . It's a game about sharing. Football is a team game. So is life." - Joe Namath


Football Sundays however, are about WINGS!

SRIRACHA HONEY WINGS

Although technically September 21st marks the beginning of fall, everyone knows it really starts once Sunday football begins! Its a time to get the family together, to get friends together, for couples to argue about whose team is better, a time for camaraderie at the local bars. More importantly however, its a time to EAT! A time to eat good! 

As you prepare your menu for Sunday football festivities, wings must be an important component. They should be a staple in every home. Now, your local bar/pub may claim to serve up the best wings in town, however nothing is better than homemade wings cooked fresh and hot! 

Now let me introduce to you these yummy, sticky, slightly spicy, yet slightly sweet oven baked wings. Its a super easy recipe that is sure to please every wing fan in your home! I hate spicy but my fiance loves it, and these were perfect for the both of us. 

I got this recipe from Damn Delicious. The recipe can be found here Most Awesome Wings! 

Enjoy!

~Eat Up, Drink Up or Shut Up ~

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."  - Sophia Loren

How beautiful was Sophia Loren??

GORGEOUS! And you know what? She wouldn't be caught dead on a low carb diet. Such an awesome example of a woman who embraced her curves and knew how absolutely beautiful they were. Her confidence in her body is something we as women should all have. Don't stop eating what you love, like pasta. =) Eat what you want, when you want and enjoy it. Just watch your portions and and make sure not to over indulge!

Now to my recipe of the week!

I think I might have been Italian and Mexican in my past life. I could seriously eat pasta and enchiladas everyday if I could. Of course not together, that would be gross!

The other night I made a delicious Shrimp and Scallop Scampi over pasta and it was, as my friend Kristi likes to say, "amaze-balls!"

It was soooooo good that when my aunt, whom I was house sitting for, came home from Hawaii, I decided to make it for her too. This time, since I was out of shrimp, I added broccoli and chicken! Yum!

Scallop, Chicken & Broccoli Scampi over Pasta

Ingredients

Scallops

1 small head of Broccoli

Chicken (I used pre-cooked chicken from Trader Joes. Amazing!)

1 stick of butter (I didn't say this would be the most healthiest)

Garlic (I use the already chopped fresh garlic in olive oil. Its perfect for when you really dont have time to chop it yourself. You can find it at any supermarket)

Parsely

1 small chopped onion

Cayenne Pepper

Pasta (any kind will do)

Ok, so I apologize for not having exact measurements. I kind of just eye balled it with this one.

Directions:

Melt butter in a pan and add the chopped onion. Let onion cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then add all other ingredients. I would say about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsely, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper. The cayenne pepper gives the sauce a nice little kick. Add about a handful and a half of scallops, the broccoli and the chicken and let it cook for about 5 - 8 minutes over medium heat, or enough to make it simmer. Stir the mixture often so the sauce doesn't thicken.

Cook pasta as you normally would then pour this deliciousness over it and EAT!!!!

Pair it with a Chardonnay and you are good to go. YUM!

Salud!

~ Eat Up, Drink Up, or Shut Up ~

So lately I've had so many situations that I've allowed to bring me down. So many things from the past that have scarred me and caused me to be afraid of living my life and following my own happiness! But I refuse to let outside influences control my happiness and the outcome of MY life! It is true what they say, you can't make someone else happy, unless you are happy with yourself.

So I've decided to take a completely different approach to my blog! I'm sure I am not the only person out there who falls into a low from time to time and we all need inspiration, positivity and joy in our lives! What brings me joy? Many things, but of course Food! So everything will still somehow incorporate this, but there will also be something inspirational to take from it!  I would also like anyone who reads to share their thoughts as well to the questions or ideas I share! Let's draw inspiration from each other!!

Don't worry, I will still keep my normal ~Eat Up Drink Up or Shut up~ and **Spotlight Fridays** posts!

This quote has inspired me so much today:

"When I get lonely these days, I think: So BE lonely! Learn your way around loneliness. Make a map of it. Sit with it, for once in your life. Welcome to the human experience. But never again use another person's body or emotions as a scratching post for your own unfulfilled yearnings." - Elizabeth Gilbert

I find that I am slowly but surely accepting the idea of loneliness! It doesn't have to be a bad thing! As a young woman, living on her own, working FT, going to school and trying to keep up with the day to day life, I need that time to unwind and bask in my own essence! Sipping on a good wine and eating some great comfort food are some ways I "Sit With" my loneliness.

Penne A La Vodka

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup vodka
1 pound penne pasta
1 pint heavy cream
Directions

1.In a large skillet over medium heat, cook garlic in olive oil until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up a bit with fork. Stir in basil, salt and pepper and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in vodka and cook 15 minutes more.
2.Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
3.Stir cream into sauce and cook 10 minutes more. Toss with hot pasta.
 
I had this for dinner last night and it is one of my favorite comfort foods and so easy to make!!
 
Pair this with one of my favorite wines YellowTail Shiraz - Grenache!! A not too dry not too sweet Red.
 
 
 

What do you do when you're looking for some quality alone time? Please share!

 
 
 
 
More simple recipes can be found at Allrecipes.com

~Eat Up, Drink Up or Shut Up ~

In honor of France's Bastille Day, today's recipe will be french themed!

STRAWBERRY CREPES

[ Photo courtesy of My recipes ]

Oddly, my first time eating a crepe was in May on my vacation in the Dominican Republic. I know, French Crepes in DR, weird. But I guess that's just how they roll. One of my mornings there I tried a Strawberry Crepe and it was like heaven on a plate! Luckily I was able to find a really really easy recipe to share with you, in hopes that you experience the same heavenly experience I did.

Ingredients

CREPES

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup skim milk

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon white sugar

1 pinch salt



FILLING

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

3/4 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions

1.In a large bowl, beat together egg, milk, water and oil. Beat in flour, sugar and salt until smooth.

2.Heat a medium, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place a ladleful of crepe batter into center of pan, tilting to coat the bottom. Cook until golden brown on one side, turning once, 2 to 5 minutes. Continue with remaining batter.

3.In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

4.To assemble, spread some melted chocolate on the lighter side of one crepe. Place a line of overlapping strawberries down the center of the crepe and roll it up. Top with whipped topping and drizzle with a bit more chocolate. Repeat with remaining crepes.
 
 
The full recipe along with reviews and pics can be found Here

~ Eat Up, Drink Up, or Shut Up ~

Whoa!! Let me start off by apologizing for being about almost 2 weeks late with my weekly Wednesday recipe post. So much has been going on, I haven't even had the chance to find the best recipes to share with you! But fret no more, I'm about to give you probably THE best food creation since Ice Cream Cupcakes (OK maybe that's only the best to me =) )

I admit, I have not tried this recipe myself, YET!

Now some of you may know, that I watch the Food Network like it is my religion. I'm a loyal worshipper every Saturday and Sunday mornings like no ones business. So it's no surprise that of where I grabbed this recipe from. They have never left me disappointed!

BUFFALO-CHICKEN MACARONI & CHEESE

2 personal reasons why I pretty much believe this is the best recipe ever!!

1. My favorite comfort food is baked macaroni & cheese. I've been known to pout if I'm at a BBQ and no one leaves any for me. I've been to jump up and down if I go somewhere and they are serving it. I've even been known to eat the leftovers for breakfast. I think you get the point, I LOVE it!
2. I LOVE Wings! Meaty, Juicy, Slightly Spicy, covered in Buffalo Sauce, wings!

Do you get it yet? These geniuses have actually figured a way to combine these two delicious dishes into one luxurious meal! Please someone give them an award!

Ingredients

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the dish

Kosher salt

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped ( Personally, I would do without the celery)

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken ( So simple, supermarkets always sell these already cooked, sometimes already shredded)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup hot sauce (preferably Frank's)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons dry mustard

2 1/2 cups half-and-half

1 pound yellow sharp cheddar cheese, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 3 1/2 cups)

8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (about 2 cups)

2/3 cup sour cream

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) ( Cant find these? Any plain breadcrumbs would do.)

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese ( I hate blue cheese, I would definitely find a substitute)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and garlic and cook 2 minutes, then add 1/2 cup hot sauce and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 more minute.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and mustard with a wooden spoon until smooth. Whisk in the half-and-half, then add the remaining 1/4 cup hot sauce and stir until thick, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, then whisk in the sour cream until smooth.
Spread half of the macaroni in the prepared baking dish, then top with the chicken mixture and the remaining macaroni. Pour the cheese sauce evenly on top.
Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until melted. Stir in the panko, blue cheese and parsley. Sprinkle over the macaroni and bake until bubbly, 30 to 40 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

For the full recipe and other scrumptious meal ideas please visit My Favorite Website.

Salud!

~ Eat Up, Drink Up, or Shut Up ~

MARGARITAS

I'm sure there is some bartender (or as they are calling themselves now, Mixologist) out there that has created these tasty, delightful, make-you-wanna-dance-on-the-table summer drinks, but since I don't know them, I'm taking all the credit! =)

Plain margaritas bore me and so I wanted to try something to vamp them up!!! Here is what I made:

Banana Margaritas

2  bananas chopped

2 1/2 shots Tequila

1 1/2 shots Creme de Banana (delicious, I can drink this straight)

1 cup store bought margarita mix (if you don't want to use this, just put 2 shots Triple Sec and the juice of 1/4 of a lime)

Ice

Throw all the ingredients into a blender, Blend, Pour and enjoy!

I know this sounds strong, and you're right, it is, just how I like it!!!

Watermelon Margaritas

Watermelon (I just used the watermelon that already comes cut, but if you like to cut watermelon, buy the whole one)

2 1/2 shots tequila

1 cup store bought margarita mix ( again use the substitute above if you want)

Sugar

Ice

Place chopped watermelon in blender and blend until it becomes a thick liquid, then add the remaining ingredients and blend, pour, and Enjoy! ***Use sugar to make it as sweet as you want

Until next time...Salud!

TADA!

Today I'm going to be introducing:

~ Eat Up, Drink Up, or Shut Up ~

Every Wednesday I will post up a refreshing drink or savory food recipe for you to try at home. Of course for the next couple of months they will be themed around my favorite season..."Summer", Duh!

Stay tuned...