Thankfully, God (in His infinite wisdom) didn't saddle me up with a man who is an avid sport watcher. He doesn't hate watching sports, he just doesn't go out of his way to watch sports. Most of the year, I'm in good shape. Until late January or early February. This is when he'll waver. People who never invite us over are suddenly asking if we want to come over and watch THE game. Not just one invitation, either. Many. In the 20+ years we've been married, I think I've only had to watch THE game three or maybe four times. I promise you, I have not missed much!!! It's usually hours and hours of time outs and pile ups, punctuated with mass quantities of food. Not regular food - like a meal - mostly junk food or 'nibbles' as my friend Miz Margaret would call it. Usually, I'm happy to send my husband off to watch THE game with the invitors while I stay home and clean out a closet (or some other spectacularly fascinating project).
I'm happy to report that there is one aspect of THE game that I don't mind. It's usually my salvation. I ALWAYS offer to bring food. Then I have an excuse for not watching THE game. After all, I'm very very busy fussing with the food. A few years ago I made about 50 sliders. It took forever. And the game was on in the OTHER room! :) See, I have my ways.
This year he roped me into going with him. Oh, I was happy to spend time with the lovely friends who invited us over. And, I was happy to visit and laugh and eat. But, in the background THE game was on and I felt obligated to watch occasionally. Happily, we talked and laughed enough that we totally missed the 'lights-out' event until it was well towards its mid-point. So, you see, I wasn't suffering.
You might ask, what did I bring this year? Well, as I was jetting through the grocery store the morning of THE game, I found they had tomatoes, limes, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, & avocados stacked up near the giant tortilla chip display. Somehow the thought of fresh salsa and guacamole popped into my head.Once home with my bag of freshness, I just started chopping and stirring. It wasn't until 10 minutes before we were supposed to leave for the friends' home that I thought, "Huh. I wonder if I should have looked for a recipe?" In hindsight, I've discovered that I may have left out one ingredient. But, in truth, I didn't miss it. And, I don't know that it would have made any great difference in the taste. Maybe I'll use a recipe next time.
Salsa
INGREDIENTS
½
|
sweet onion, minced very fine (I don’t like raw onion, so it has
to be invisible)
|
2
|
cloves garlic, minced very VERY fine
|
1-2
|
jalapenos, seeded & minced very fine (it should feel warm in your mouth,
you don’t want to find giant chunk of hot)
|
4-5
|
tomatoes, diced
|
¼
|
c lime juice (from one lime – I also added the zest from that
lime)
|
½
|
bunch cilantro, washed, leaves picked from stems, and minced.
|
½
|
t kosher salt
|
½
|
t freshly ground black pepper
|
Directions
Note: Put away your food processor and get out your chef's knife. This has to be done by hand or you'll have tomato mush.When you're done with all the chopping, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Let them get acquainted for about an hour (at room temperature) before serving with tortilla chips. I used 'Hint of Lime' chips...yummy!
Guacamole
INGREDIENTS
½
|
sweet onion, minced very fine (I don’t like raw onion, so it has
to be invisible
|
2
|
cloves garlic, minced very VERY fine
|
1-2
|
jalapenos, seeded & minced very fine (it should feel warm in your mouth,
you don’t want to find giant chunk of hot)
|
1-2
|
roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
|
¼
|
c lime juice (from one lime – I also added the zest from that
lime)
|
½
|
bunch cilantro, washed, leaves picked from stems, and minced.
|
8-10
|
avocados, cut in half, pits removed, cut into large chunks (in
their skins), and scooped out with a spoon
|
½
|
t kosher salt
|
½
|
t freshly ground black pepper
|
Directions
NOTE: Time to use your knife skills. Get out that chef's knife and start chopping. Until you get to the avocado, then use a small paring knife.
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Resist the urge to smash the avocado with a fork! It will break down a bit because of the lime juice and doesn't need any help. Let the ingredients get acquainted for about an hour (at room temperature) before serving with tortilla chips. I used 'Hint of Lime' chips...yummy!
