Saturday - September 9, 2017

UCLA v Hawaii

Appetizers - Penny & Tim

PROSCIUTTO WRAPPED GOAT CHEESE STUFFED DATES

Ingredients

12 medjool dates, pitted

2 ounces goat cheese, softened

2 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

2 tablespoons pecans, chopped

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

6 slices prosciutto, cut in half lengthwise

Instructions

In a small bowl whisk together all of the ingredients except the dates and prosciutto.

Spoon about half of a teaspoon of the cheese filling into the dates.

Close the dates then wrap a piece of the prosciutto around each one and secure it with a toothpick.

Serve immediately or cover the dates with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

HISSY FIT DIP

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage

16 ounces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

8 ounces Velveeta, cut into small cubes

4 ounces Muenster cheese, grated

2 tablespoons minced fresh chives

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon dried ground sage

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9×9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook the sausage, crumbling it as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Add the sausage and all remaining ingredients to a medium bowl and stir until well blended. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it into an even layer.

Bake for 1 hour, or until bubbly and golden brown. Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers, veggies, or your favorite dipping vehicle.

Recipe notes: This dip can be assembled in advance, up to 1 day, covered and refrigerated before baking. You may need to add 5 more minutes to the baking time – just keep an eye on it and bake until browned and bubbling.

Gail enjoying her iced tea, with lots of ice.

Main Dish - Eric & Gail

SPICY WHISKEY BBQ SLIDERS

Ingredients

2 lbs ground beef

salt and pepper (to taste)

4 T butter

1 whole large onion, diced

½ cup whiskey

1 cup barbecue sauce

¼ cup jarred jalapeno slices (more To Taste)

12 whole slider buns or dinner rolls, split

Instructions

Form the meat into 12 (or so) miniature patties and salt and pepper them on both sides. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the patties until just about done in the middle, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the patties from the skillet and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of grease, then return the skillet to the stove.

Throw the diced onions in the skillet and stir to cook, about 3 minutes. Pour in whiskey (be careful if you're cooking over an open flame; turn it off momentarily to be extra careful) and stir. Allow the whiskey to reduce by half, about 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in jalapenos and the barbecue sauce.

Reduce the heat to low and place the patties in the barbecue sauce, turning to coat. Allow the patties to simmer in the sauce until everything's hot and bubbly.

Place the patties on individual buns and be sure to spoon extra sauce (with the jalapenos) over the top of each one before topping with the other half of the bun.

(left to right) Carrie, Barb, Penny, Gail, Eric and Tim - back to tailgating on the golf course after the City of Pasadena tripled the price to park and RV from $50 to $150.

PERFECT POTATO SALAD

From Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

5 lbs red or russet potatoes (about 8 medium)

1 ½ cups real mayonnaise, plus more if needed

4 T yellow mustard, plus more if needed

5 whole green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

2 T fresh dill, chopped

1 tsp kosher salt, plus more if needed

½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

½ tsp paprika

10 whole small sweet pickles, sliced

2 tablespoons pickle juice

6 whole hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced

Directions

Cut the potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender and drain.

Fold the potatoes together with the mayonnaise, mustard, green onions, dill, salt, pepper, paprika and other seasonings you like.

Fold in the pickles, pickle juice and eggs, and taste for seasoning. Add more salt, mustard or mayo as needed.

Also served with corn-on-the-cob.

Dessert - Paul & Barb

Pineapple shaped sugar cookies.

Barb (top center) photo-bombs a group photo with our Hawaiian tailgate neighbors.

UCLA fan, Miles Falvo, showing his support for the Bruins from University Place, WA.

UCLA blows out Hawaii 56-23

From The Daily Bruin by Hanson Wang

Six days later, it was more of the same for UCLA football’s offense.

Junior quarterback Josh Rosen completed 22 of 25 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns, and the Bruins’ starters found the end zone in all but one of their drives – the outlier coming as the first half ended – before they exited after their first series in the fourth quarter.

Behind that near-perfect performance, UCLA (2-0) routed Hawaii (2-1) 56-23 on Saturday afternoon.

“Josh was seeing the field real well,” said coach Jim Mora. “Our receivers did a good job of getting open and making plays with the ball after the catch. I thought we protected better.”

The offense started the game backed up at its one-yard line, but moved the length of the field in only seven plays and 3:21 of game time. The rest of the day followed a similar plotline – Rosen sitting back in a mostly clean pocket and picking apart the Rainbow Warrior defense.

Seven Bruins recorded receptions Saturday. Rosen’s top target was sophomore receiver Theo Howard, who recorded career highs with seven catches and 110 yards plus a touchdown. Redshirt senior wideout Darren Andrews also put in an efficient outing, with four catches for 92 yards and three touchdowns.

“When you’re a defense looking at us, you have to account for every one of our playmakers,” Rosen said. “You’re always gonna have some steady guys who are always gonna get their catches, their carries and production. Then when you have five or six guys that can light up at any given time, that’s really dangerous.”

UCLA’s running attack improved Saturday, as the offense rushed for 132 yards on 26 carries. Junior running back Soso Jamabo did not dress, so senior running back Nate Starks received most of the reps with the first team. Starks ran for 42 yards on six carries and recorded 68 receiving yards on three catches as well.

“I think we ran the ball well,” said offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch. “We were pretty balanced. … A couple of guys went the wrong way at times, (there were) a couple things we could clean up. But for the most part, I think that we were a little better.”

The scoreline also allowed Fisch to exhibit some freedom in his play calling. Following Hawaii’s failed fake punt on 4th-and-22 in the second quarter, Fisch called for a double pass, and redshirt sophomore tight end Caleb Wilson delivered a lob that landed in Starks’ arms for a 39-yard gain.

“We practiced that,” Fisch said. “I would have liked to see us get in (for a touchdown) on that, but Nate kind of bobbled it a little bit. (Hawaii) reacted to it pretty good there to make a play to stop us short of the end zone.”

Defensively, UCLA allowed Hawaii to rush for 278 yards on 41 carries, but 157 yards came in the fourth quarter. Freshman cornerback Darnay Holmes recorded his first career interception at the end of the first half, and he returned it for the Bruins’ first defensive score of the season.

But now the defense’s concerns extend past stopping the run.

By the end of the game, UCLA was down five starters – four due to possible injuries, and one due to disqualification. Sophomore nose tackle Boss Tagaloa didn’t dress for the game but Mora said he anticipates Tagaloa to push for a return next weekend against Memphis.

Junior linebacker Josh Woods was the recipient of a targeting penalty in the fourth quarter, so he will have to sit the first half of UCLA’s game next Saturday.

The other injuries have less clear timelines.

Seniors linebacker Kenny Young and safety Jaleel Wadood were knocked out in the first and second quarters respectively with possible concussions. Safety Adarius Pickett injured his right knee when Holmes rolled into his leg at the end of an early second quarter play, and the redshirt junior sat on the trainer’s bench with an ice pack wrapped around his knee for the rest of the half.

With UCLA’s defense potentially losing veterans for the upcoming games, Rosen said the offense has to continue attacking and putting pressure on the opposing defense.

“On offense we have to expect to score every time we touch the ball,” Rosen said. “We can’t be happy with 70, 80 percent success rates that normal people would consider good or whatnot. You have to set the bar unreasonably high and always strive for it.”

Another beautiful day in Pasadena!