Saturday, September 19, 2015

UCLA v BYU

Appetizers - Penny & Tim

Brown Sugar Smokies

 

Ingredients

1 pound bacon

1 (16 ounce) package little smokie sausages

1 cup brown sugar, or to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Cut bacon into thirds and wrap each strip around a little sausage. Place the wrapped sausages on wooden skewers, several to a skewer. Arrange the skewers on a baking sheet and sprinkle them liberally with brown sugar.

Bake until bacon is crisp and the brown sugar melted.

Spinach Brownies

Ingredients

·       2 10oz pkg frozen spinach, cooked and drained

·       1 cup all-purpose flour

·       1 teaspoon salt

·       1 teaspoon baking powder

·       2 eggs

·       1 cup milk

·       1/2 cup butter, melted

·       1 onion, chopped

·       1 teaspoon garlic powder

·       1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese

·       Pepper to taste

·       Parmesan cheese to grate on top 

          

          Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Put butter in saucepan and cook onion until translucent.  Add one teaspoon of garlic powder and remove from heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt and baking powder. Stir in eggs, milk and butter/onion/garlic. Mix in spinach and mozzarella cheese.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and grate some Parmesan cheese over top.
5.  Bake in the preheated oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.

Main Dish - Eric

Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Sandwiches (Paula Deen)

Ingredients

¾ cup soy sauce

¼ cup olive oil

3 tbl Worcestershire sauce

2 tbl fresh lemon juice

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp ground black pepper

2 flank steaks

Bacon Horseradish Sauce

2 tsp minced green onion

1 cup mayo

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

¼ tsp lemon zest

½ tsp fresh lemon juice

Fresh arugula

Onion Rolls, split and toasted

·       Combine all of the marinade ingredients, add the flank steak and marinate for at least 8 hours

·       Grill to taste

·       Combine all ingredients for the bacon horseradish sauce in a small bowl; cover and chill

·       Assemble sandwiches: Spread desired amount of bacon horseradish sauce over the bottom of the rolls; top with arugula, then flanks steak. Cover with roll top.

My Favorite Pasta Salad (Ree Drummond)

Ingredients

16 oz penne or mostaccioli

½ cup mayo

¼ cup whole milk

2-3 tsp white vinegar

2 – 3 tsp adobo sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

3 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 lb Gouda and/or mozzarella cheese cubed

24 basil leaves, shredded

·       Cook the pasta according to directions, drain, rinse, cool

·       In separate bowl, combine the mayo and milk, whisk, then add vinegar and stir until smooth

·       Add 2-3 tsp adobo sauce, salt and pepper and stir; adjust ingredients to taste

·       Drizzle the dressing over the pasta, throw in the tomatoes and cheese, stir the pasta around

·       Throw in the basic and stir until combined

·       Chill for at least two hours

Xander had his own appetizer!

UCLA beats BYU 24-23, experiences first close call

PASADENA — BYU was in a familiar situation — down a score, time running out. UCLA, a team that won its last two games by double-digit margins, was as far from familiar as possible.

The Bruins clung to a one-point lead as the clock drained the final three minutes from Saturday’s game after coming back from 10 points down in the fourth quarter. Cougar quarterback Tanner Mangum lined up to do what he had done so calmly for the last two weeks – throw the ball, win the game. Against Nebraska and again against Boise State, the freshman had launched game-winning touchdowns.

“Coach laid into us a little bit at the end there – ‘Just don’t let them get the miracle,’” said junior linebacker Deon Hollins.

BYU inched closer to the end zone, within scoring range, and it looked as if UCLA would be forced into a last-ditch possession to close out the game. Under pressure, Mangum found his comfort zone: he rolled to his right and launched the ball, which flew directly into the hands of junior linebacker Myles Jack. The interception marked the end of the game, and the Bruins survived to win 24-23.

“I was just thinking … if he runs, he runs, it’s not gonna be my guy that catches it,” Jack said.

BYU’s inability to run the ball was projected as one of the reasons it wouldn’t be able to beat UCLA at the Rose Bowl Saturday, but the Cougars caught the Bruins on a night where they couldn’t throw the ball. The 17-point underdogs gained the upper hand after freshman quarterback Josh Rosen threw three interceptions.

Although UCLA’s defense worked hard to keep the game on track, sacking BYU quarterback Tanner Mangum four times, Mangum’s throwing accuracy more than made up for the Cougars’ poor run game as the freshman threw 30 for 47 and 244 yards.

Rosen, on the other hand, couldn’t settle in all night. Under pressure from the BYU defense, the quarterback threw two interceptions in the end zone and overthrew multiple potential touchdowns. He ended the night with only 106 yards on 11 for 23 in what the freshman said was arguably the worst game of his career.

All that mattered though, was the freshman’s ability to persevere and score when it mattered, completing to senior receiver Jordan Payton in the end zone to close within three and make it 20-17 with 12:16 left in the fourth quarter. On the next possession, Rosen trusted his veteran running backs to bail him out, a responsibility Nate Starks welcomed. The sophomore carried the ball for 60 yards over four consecutive plays to pull UCLA ahead by a single point, 24-23.

“Coach (Jim) Mora talked all week about the running game. It doesn’t fall over in one swing, you’ve gotta keep chopping away,” Rosen said. “I really think that BYU defense was gassed by that fourth quarter.”

The next possession had the Rose Bowl terrified of the Cougars’ Hail Mary potential, and the Bruin defense refused to pressure the quarterback, only rushing four each time. While the strategy tried the patience of the 67,612 in attendance at the Rose Bowl, patience turned out to be the key. Jack picked off Mangum’s pass on a fourth-down conversion attempt, and UCLA regained possession with a minute left.

“A lot of the pundits said (we) can’t win a close game, a big game against the BYUs, the Stanfords, the Utahs, so this is really big,” Hollins said. “Last year, me personally, I don’t think we win that game.”

Dessert - Paul

Sorry, no recipe for these, but they were delicious.

Saturday September 5, 2015

UCLA v Virginia

Appetizers - Eric and Gail

Buffalo Chicken Dip (Paula Deen)

Ingredients

1 package cream cheese, softened

½ cup each ranch dressing, hot sauce, and crumbled blue cheese

2 oz mozzarella shredded cheese

2 cans chicken in water, drained (I used shredded chicken from the deli)

Crackers or tortilla chips

·       Preheat oven to 350 degrees

·       In a 9-inch pie plate add the cream cheese and stir with a fork unitl smooth

·       Stir in the dressing, hot sauce, and cheeses. Mix in the chicken and bake for 20 minutes until the chicken mixture in hot and bubbling.

·       Stir before serving with crackers, chips or vegetables

Sweet and Savory Bacon Crackers 
(Ree Drummond)

Ingredients

36 country club style crackers

¾ c grated Parmesan cheese

¾ c brown sugar

1 lb. bacon (not thick-sliced)

·       Lay the crackers on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet

·       Place a tablespoon of Parmesan chees on half the crackers

·       Place a tablespoon of brown sugar on the other half

·       Slice the bacon in half

·       Wrap each cracker with a half piece of bacon, tucking the end of each piece under the cracker

·       Bake for about two hours in a 250 degree oven. The bacon will cook slowly and start to wrap tightly around the crackers

·       Serve warm on a platter

Blue Cheese and Red Onion Quesadillas 

(Sam Zien)

Ingredients

1 red onion, thinly sliced

½ tbl olive oil

1 tbl brown sugar

2 oz crumbled blue cheese

·       8 corn tortillas (5 inch round)

·       In a nonstick medium pan cook the onion in olive oel over medium heat, stirring until it becomes very soft, about 10 minutes

·       Add the brown sugar and mix well

·       Add the blue cheese and keep on heating and stirring until the chees melts

·       Remove the pan from the heat and divide the onion/cheese mixture evenly on four tortillas. Top each one with another tortilla.

·       Wipe the pan and cook each quesadilla until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly. Cut into wedges and serve.

Main Dish - Paul and Barb

Breakfast Casserole
Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray
1 pound ground maple pork sausage
6 slices soft hearty white bread
One 8-ounce package shredded triple Cheddar cheese
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large skillet, cook the sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned and crumbly, about 10 minutes; drain well on paper towels.

Cut and discard the crusts from the bread. Cut the slices in half, and arrange in a single layer in the prepared baking dish, cutting pieces to fit as necessary to cover the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle with the sausage and cheese.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mustard, seasoned salt and pepper; carefully pour the mixture over the cheese.

Bake casserole until set and golden, about 40 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Served with fresh fruit.

Gail and Barb setting up the tailgate.

UCLA football defeats Virginia 34-16

If greatness was in question last season against Virginia, freshman quarterback Josh Rosen proved that would be a nonissue for UCLA football in 2015, leading the Bruins to a 34-16 win over the Cavaliers.

In his collegiate debut, Rosen went 28 for 35 for a total of 351 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. A former five-star recruit, the freshman from Bellflower St. John Bosco proved his worth Saturday in front of a home crowd of 68,615.

Not only did Rosen throw the ball well, but he exhibited his playmaking ability, throwing to six different players who picked up over 40 yards each. By the end of the third quarter, Rosen had already broken the record for passing yards by a UCLA true freshman quarterback.

Rosen left the game early in the fourth quarter having completed nine-straight passes.

If the first half was dominated by the Bruins’ offensive performance, the second half proved that UCLA figures to be strong on both sides of the ball this season.

Defensive coordinator Tom Bradley’s defense locked down the Cavaliers after halftime, holding Virginia to just a touchdown, compared to a first half that saw the Cavaliers score nine points on an average of 5.1 yards per play.  The Bruins were all they were touted to be in their season debut, something that couldn’t be said of Brett Hundley’s 10-3 team last season.

Dessert - Tim & Penny

Cherry Dump Cake 

1 box white or yellow cake mix 
1/4 pound butter or margarine -- at room 
1/2 cup nuts* -- chopped 
2 cans prepared cherry pie -- filling 
walnuts or pecans are best for this recipe 

In a mixer blend the cake mix with the butter until it is fine and crumbly. Take out and save about 1 cup of the mixture. The remainder is pressed into the bottom of a 9x14" baking pan. 

Bake at 350* for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Pour the cherry pie filling over the hot baked crust. Mix the chopped nuts to the remaining cake mix mixture, and sprinkle over the pie filling. Return to the oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the mix mixture is lightly browned. 

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream