Happy Super Bowl Sunday, Y'all!!!

Tonight, at approximately 6:29 pm, nearly 100 million viewers will tune in to watch one of America's most highly anticipated sporting events- Super Bowl XLV.  If you're anything like me, you're having a tough time deciding who to root for-no southern teams and our beloved Dallas looks more like a home game for both the Steelers and the Pack.  Either way, you can always count on great commercials and great snacks. In honor of this SUPER day, I want to share some fun facts about Super Bowl and a few great recipes to whip up for your friends.

* The first Super Bowl game to be numbered was Super Bowl III- the first two games were called, "The AFL-NFL World Championship Game."

*There are only three teams yet to play in a Super Bowl.  (Browns, Jaguars and Lions)

*Super Bowl marks the second largest food consumption day in the U.S. (Thanksgiving wins)

*Miami and New Orleans have been the host of more Super Bowls than any other city-both have hosted nine.

*About 12 million pounds of Avocado are sold in preparation for Superbowl.

*Fans in attendance at the Super Bowl will eat an estimated 5,000 lbs of hotdogs.

*There are 58 30-second Super Bowl commercial spots-each costing around $2.7 million dollars a piece.

*The most chicken wings will be consumed in the states of Utah and Louisiana- the most potato chips will be consumed in the states of New Mexico and Virgina.

*While most Super Bowl seats are kept warm by corporate sponsors, the first Super Bowl game was attended mostly by fans who were able to purchase tickets at $6.00 a seat.

Now that your equipped with plenty of fast-facts for the Super Bowl,  get your be-hind to the grocery store, pick up your favorite craft brew and ingredients for the recipes below. You've got troops to feed, darlin! 

Until next time, may your Super Bowl be filled with bourbon, magnolias and lots of tasty snacks!





Chili-Roasted Black Eyed Peas:

Prep: 10 min., Bake: 50 min., Cool: 20 min. 

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2  (15.8-oz.) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 3  tablespoons  olive oil
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  chili powder
• 1  teaspoon  pepper
• 3/4  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425°. Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Transfer mixture to a lightly greased 17- x 12-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until crispy and dry, stirring every 10 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes.

Guacamole:

Prep: 10 min., Stand: 30 min. While storing in the refrigerator, keep your guacamole from changing color by placing a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the mixture.

Yield: Makes 3 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 5  ripe avocados
• 2  tablespoons  finely chopped red onion 
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  medium jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1  garlic clove, pressed
• 3/4  teaspoon  salt
• Tortilla chips

Preparation

1. Cut avocados in half. Scoop pulp into a bowl, and mash with a potato masher or fork until slightly chunky. Stir in chopped red onion and next 4 ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing wrap to touch mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Serve guacamole with tortilla chips.

Cilantro Guacamole: Mash avocado, and stir in ingredients as directed. Stir in 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro and an additional 1 Tbsp. lime juice. Cover mixture, and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.