Saturday November 1, 2014

UCLA v Arizona

Appetizers - Gail & Eric

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP (Paula Deen))

Ingredients

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup mayo

¼ cup buffalo wing sauce

1 tbl chopped fresh chives

1 tbl chopped fresh parsley

1 tbl white wine vinegar

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chopped fresh dill

½ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp kosher salt

2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Tortilla chips

1. In a large bowl, stir together cream cheese and next ten ingredients until well combined. Stir in chicken and ½ cup cheese. Pour into a 1 and ½ quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Let dip stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

3. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips.

TACO POCKETS

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium onion, minced

3 tbl Taco Seasoning

½ cup water

8 slices Pepper Jack cheese

2 cans 8 count crescent rolls

3 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 tbl chopped fresh cilantro

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets by lining them with parchment paper.

2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook ground beef until no longer pink, crumbling while cooking. Drain the fat and return to pan. Add onion and cook until soft. Add taco seasoning and water, and stir thoroughly to combine. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer while preparing crescents.

3. On a piece of parchment paper, unroll one package of crescent rolls. Cut each triangle in half, to make two smaller ones. Gently separate them.

4. Stack the slices of cheese and cut them diagonally so that they form four stacks of smaller triangles. Place a piece of cheese on each triangle.

5. Place 1 and ½ tsp of ground beef mixture on top of the cheese. Add some diced tomato and cilantro. Fold the points of dough over, securing them together so the result resembles a diaper.

6. Bake at 350 degrees until golden.

Main Dish - Barb & Paul

Chili Verde

Recipe courtesy of Mrs. Alex Moreno

Tomatillos – 1 ½ lbs. roasted

Garlic – 5 roasted

Jalapenos – 2 – 3

Pasillas – 2 – 3

Pork Butt – 4 ½ lbs.

Salt to taste

Black Pepper to taste

Olive Oil – 2 teaspoon

Onions – 2 chopped

Cilantro – ½ bunch chopped

Oregano – 1 teaspoon

Ground Cloves – 1 pinch

Garlic – 3 chopped

·       Roast the tomatillos, 5 garlic, jalapenos and pasillas

·       Add all in blender and chop

·       Brown pork in skillet with olive oil

·       Remove excess fat

·       Add onions and chopped garlic till slightly soft

·       Add pork, oregano, sauce, salt and pepper

·       Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 4 – 5 hours

     (the rice and beans recipe Barb and Paul are keeping a secret)

     

      Desert - Penny & Tim

Vanilla-Bourbon Pumpkin Tart

Graham crackers and pecans encrust the spirited, spiced filling. Dollop each serving with sweetened whipped cream.

                       

Yield: 8 servings

            Crust:

            1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets)

            2 tablespoon finely chopped pecans

            2 teaspoon granulated sugar

            2 tablespoon butter, melted

            Cooking spray

           

             Filling:

            1 cup (8 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened

            1/2 cup granulated sugar

            1/4 cup packed dark or light brown sugar

            1 (15-ounce) can unsweetened pumpkin

            2 large eggs

            2 tablespoons bourbon

            2 teaspoons vanilla extract

            1/2 teaspoon salt

            1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

            1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

            1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. To prepare crust, combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle butter over crumb mixture; stir with a fork. Firmly press into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly browned; cool on a wire rack.

3. To prepare filling, beat cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin and eggs; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl as needed. Add bourbon and the next 5 ingredients (through ground allspice); beat 1 minute or until combined. Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan.

Place pan in a large roasting pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. (you can wrap your springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil to prevent leaks.)

Bake at 350° for 45 – 60 minutes, or until center barely moves when side of pan is tapped.

Cool completely on wire rack. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Serve sweetened whipped cream with tart.

No. 22 UCLA Football Defeats No. 12 Arizona, 17-7

PASADENA, Calif. - Brett Hundley accounted for 320 total yards to lead No. 22 UCLA past No. 12 Arizona, 17-7, before 80,246 at the Rose Bowl in a Pac-12 showdown on Saturday night.

Hundley keyed the offense for UCLA (6-2, 3-2 Pac-12), totaling 189 yards in the air and a season-high 131 rushing yards. UCLA’s quarterback completed 19 of 26 passes and carried the ball 24 times.

The Bruins limited Arizona (6-2, 3-2) to 255 total yards, including 80 yards on the ground.

Jordan Payton caught six passes for a game-leading 119 yards, including a 70-yard touchdown pass from Hundley to give the Bruins a 10-point cushion late in the third quarter. Hundley’s 70-yard pass helped him tie Cade McNown’s career touchdown record of 68.

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, UCLA scored two touchdowns in a 50-second span midway through the third quarter to secure a 17-7 advantage.

The first of UCLA’s consecutive touchdowns came from within the red zone, as Perkins had a five-yard touchdown carry to put the Bruins ahead, 10-7. After holding Arizona’s offense to a three-and-out, UCLA scored on its next offensive play. Hundley found Payton down the sideline for a 70-yard scoring strike, putting the Bruins ahead, 17-7.

Arizona missed a 39-yard field goal attempt on its next possession, as kicker Casey Skowron’s attempt sailed wide right.

Late in the fourth quarter, UCLA extinguished a potential Arizona rally with a blocked field goal attempt. With 2:47 to play in regulation, Ishmael Adams broke through Arizona’s offensive line to block the 26-yard attempt before Anthony Jefferson returned the loose ball 39 yards.

The field goal block came after Eric Kendricks registered a four-yard quarterback sack on a pivotal third down situation.

Running back Paul Perkins, who registered 78 rushing yards on 21 carries for UCLA, became the 13th Bruin to reach the 1,000-yard milestone.

Saturday October 11, 2014

UCLA v Oregon

Another great tailgate...what more can we say?

Appetizers - Barb & Paul

Cinnamon Rolls

6 Bridgford Demi-Loaves (6 oz. each), thawed

1 ½ cups sugar

¼ cup cinnamon

1 cup melted butter or margarine

Allow Demi-Loaves to thaw completely at room temperature or overnight in cooler.  

On a lightly floured board roll each loaf out lengthwise to approximately 12 inches by 4 inches.  

Brush dough surface with melted butter or margarine.

Sprinkle generously with mixture of cinnamon and sugar. (Raisins and nuts may also be added at this time.)

Starting with narrow end, roll each strip of dough up tightly.

Cut rolled dough pieces crosswise in half. Place cut side up in greased "Shape-Easy" Baking Forms*, and flatten slightly with palm of hand.

Brush tops of dough with remaining melted butter or margarine and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture. Let cinnamon rolls rise until over top of baking forms.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 18-20 minutes.

Remove from baking forms immediately after baking.

Brush or drizzle with icing. (To make icing, mix 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup water.)

Main Dish - Penny & Tim

Ham and Broccoli Quiche

1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust,

softened as directed on box

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked ham

1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup frozen broccoli florets, thawed,

well drained on paper towel

4 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry ground mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie pan as directed on box for One-Crust Filled Pie.

Layer ham, cheese and broccoli in crust-lined pan. In medium bowl, beat eggs and milk with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour over broccoli.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.  Served with cantaloupe and Spicy Squash Pickles.

Spicy Squash Pickles

These summer squashes offer meatier flavor and texture than traditional cucumber pickles.

Cooking Light JUNE 2012

            Yield: Serves 12 (serving size: about 1/4 cup)

            Hands-on:11 Minutes

            Total:2 Hours, 14 Minutes

            3/4 pound zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

            3/4 pound yellow squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

            2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

            1/2 cup thinly sliced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)

            1 cup water

            1 cup cider vinegar

            1/4 cup maple syrup

            1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet.  Arrange zucchini and squash slices on rack; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Let stand 30 minutes. Rinse well under cold water; pat dry with paper towels.  Place zucchini, squash, and onion in a medium glass bowl.

2. Combine remaining 1 teaspoon salt, 1 cup water, and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and pour over vegetables.  Weigh down vegetables with a plate.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.  Drain or serve with a slotted spoon.

**star sighting** That's Ty Burrell from Modern Family...on the (wrong side) Oregon side, wearing an Oregon hat.  I'm sure he enjoyed the game more than we did.

Oregon Quarterback Makes Bruins Pay For Missed Opportunities In 42 - 30 Loss

Running back Paul Perkins was one of the few bright spots for the Bruins in their 42-30 loss to the Oregon Ducks. The redshirt sophomore rushed for a career-high 187 yards on 8.9 yards per carry.

PASADENA — It was billed a matchup of two of the conference’s top teams with two of the nation’s premier signal callers squaring off. Marcus Mariota and Oregon delivered. UCLA didn’t.

Mariota and No. 12 Oregon bested Brett Hundley and No. 18 UCLA 42-30 in a game that wasn’t that close, reaffirming the Ducks’ College Football Playoff chances and all but dashing UCLA’s.

After forcing Oregon (5-1, 2-1 Pac-12) to punt on its first two drives, UCLA’s (4-2, 1-2 Pac-12) defense had no answer for Mariota, who boosted his Heisman chances with a four-touchdown performance on the road.

“He’s a dynamic quarterback as everyone knows. He finds a way to make plays with his feet,” said redshirt senior safety Anthony Jefferson.

The redshirt junior quarterback from Honolulu consistently beat the Bruins with his arm and legs, tossing two touchdowns while adding another 75 yards and two scores on the ground.

“Throughout the game he rarely made throws in the pocket, most of his throws were scrambling around making something happen after the play,” Jefferson said.

For the second straight week, UCLA’s defense looked clearly overmatched. After Oregon’s initial two drives, the Ducks scored touchdowns on six of their next eight, with one ending on downs at the UCLA two-yard line and another being cut short as time expired in the first half.

Throughout the game, Mariota kept his poise. Nowhere was that more evident than with 9:30 in the second quarter, when he executed a perfect screen pass to Thomas Tyner on third-and-11 deep in UCLA territory. Mariota evaded the rush and found Tyner, who took the pass 21 yards to the end zone to put the Ducks up 14-3.

The same can’t be said about UCLA. Following Tyner’s touchdown, television cameras caught coach Jim Mora and defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich in a heated exchange on the sideline where, at one point, Ulbrich gave Mora his play call sheet.

Mora and Ulbrich declined to state what caused the exchange, attributing it to passion and competitiveness.

“I lost a little control and I can’t do that, its not a good message to my players,” Ulbrich said. “I responded in the wrong way. I should have responded better … I should have handled it better is what it comes down to.”

Saturday certainly wouldn’t be the first time Mariota has had such an effect on opposing defensive coordinators.

For his part, Hundley looked Mariota’s equal in the first half, frustrating Oregon’s defense. UCLA’s redshirt junior quarterback impressively improvised runs throughout the first two quarters – often making something out of nothing to keep drives alive.

Hundley had 68 yards on 12 carries by halftime, none more important than the 16 he racked up on a late touchdown in the second quarter to cut Oregon’s lead to 21-10.

It would be one of the few times the Bruins successfully executed in the red zone. UCLA was forced to settle for a 20-yard field goal from junior Ka’imi Fairbairn after Hundley severely underthrew wide open junior receiver Devin Fuller at the two-yard line.

On UCLA’s next drive, Fairbairn missed a 41-yard field goal after the Bruins failed to convert on third and short.

Throughout the day Mariota and the Ducks executed seemingly at will. UCLA just wilted.

“We didn’t capitalize on opportunities,” Hundley said. “We got in the red zone (and) we didn’t score the touchdowns when we needed to. We can learn from this game. We still have everything out there in front of us.”

Yes, for the second straight week the Bruins failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity. And for the second straight week UCLA is looking for answers, not yet ready for prime time.

While Hundley and UCLA remain optimistic, national and conference championship hopes are all but gone, stripped away by a team, and a player in Mariota, who looked every bit the champion Saturday.

As the Bruins look for answers as to why they aren’t playing at the level so many thought them worthy, only one thing is clear about UCLA.

“Something’s got to change,” said sophomore linebacker Myles Jack. “There’s no panic in me, in my voice … I feel like we have the team that can turn things around like we did last year. We can make plays. You’ll see a different UCLA Bruins team.”

Dessert - Eric & Gail

BEAT THE DUCKS LEMON CAKE (Ina Garten)

Ingredients
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.