Looking For A Repeat

The Bears regular season will end after Sunday's game against Green Bay. It was September when the Bears and Packers last met. And da Bears won. The team traveling to Green Bay for Sunday's game sits comfortably at the top of their division but don't expect them to take it easy. This is Green Bay - the ultimate rivalry.

Cheesehead Chowder was the winning recipe in September so it will be the recipe repeat on Sunday. Please join me in a bowl of Chowder, a bit of Mike Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa and a Shout Out for our Bears as they end the regular season! What fun we're having.

Cheesehead Chowder

Ingredients:

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup chopped onion

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 cup chopped celery

12 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 cups cauliflower, cut in small pieces

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

2 cups milk

1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cups Velveeta, cut into cubes

1/2 to 1 bottle of beer

16 ounces canned, diced tomatoes with juice

1/2 to 1 tsp Mike Ditka Hall of Fame Salsa

Directions:

Step 1. Place potatoes in a bowl with the water, set aside.

Step 2. Melt butter in a 5 quart Dutch over, saute onion, garlic, celery and mushrooms over medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Step 3. Add potatoes, water and cauliflower to the pan. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 4. Remove pan from heat, add beer.

Step 5. In medium sauce pan, melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, mustard and pepper. Cook 3 minutes stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Slowly stir in the milk and Worcestershire sauce. Cook until thickened. Add cheese, stir until melted. Add sauce to the potato mixture.

Step 6. Add tomatoes (with juice) and salsa to the potato mixture. Heat stirring frequently but do not boil.

Go Bears!

Bears Are Armed And Dangerous

First, I have to apologize to my fellow Bears fans. Church was rocking and I got home late for the game. I quickly assembled a New York Deli Style Pastrami on Ciabatta. The score at the time was 17-10 New York. The Bears began to pull it together but they needed more help. The answer was apparent - Coach Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa! We went into halftime ahead.

Da Bears emerged from their den at the end of half time and played a Deli-Icious 3rd quarter with 3 Super Passes for Touchdowns. With a 38-34 win, the Bears forgave my tardiness and rewarded us with a totally fun football game.

Deli-Icious Pastrami

Shaved Pastrami

Ciabatta Buns

Mayo

Brown Mustard

Pickle on the Side

Chips and Mike Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa

Deli -Icious Day

Merry Christmas Bears fans! Today our Bears take on the New York Jets. I'm going straight to the New York deli favorite - Corned Beef. I'll pile it high on Focaccia Bread, spread on some brown mustard, mayo and add a pickle. Coach Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa will be at the ready. Go Bears!

Time To Celebrate

Bears clinch, Hester sets a record, Defense shares 5 interceptions - It's Time to Celebrate! Thank you Chicago!

The Wild Rice Beef Vegetable Soup is a 2 time winner - Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 LB Stew Meat

1 TB Butter

1/2 onion diced

2 stalks of celery, diced

1 garlic clove, diced

Beef Broth

Wild Rice

2 cans Veg All

1 can diced Tomatoes

Salt, Pepper, Rosemary to taste

Directions:

1. Melt 1 TB butter in dutch oven

2. Brown meat, garlic and onion in butter

3. Add broth, celery, tomatoes and seasoning, simmer

4. Prepare wild rice separately according to package directions

5. Add cooked wild rice and Veg All to soup

6. Adjust seasoning

FlubberGate

The Bears and the Vikings play tonight at TCF Bank Stadium due to the collapse of the Metrodome. It will be cold and snowing but the major concern is the field. Players are concerned that it's too hard. My solution - Flubber it!

Certainly with Minnesota being home to 3M they must have access to some of that bouncy substance. What's the hold up? Why hasn't the field been Flubbered? Is there some sort of conspiracy? We'll find out tonight my friends. In the meantime, the Beef Vegetable Wild Rice Soup is in the kitchen.

Go Bears!

RSVP and We'll Send The Address

We still don't know where the Bears-Vikings Game will be hosted. Current plans are to play the game at a local University but there are safety concerns. I'd be happy to have them play the game at the University of Illinois where the Bears played one season while Soldier Field was being renovated but- alas - that would count as home field advantage so we wait.

However, I don't think we need to wait on the menu. Since the last time we played the Vikings the we were successful (27-13) I think we should go with the winning recipe - Wild Rice Beef Vegetable Soup. Here's what worked last time, any suggestions for the upcoming frozen tundra?

Wild Rice Beef Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 pound stew meat, cut in bite size pieces

1 onion diced

2 stalks of celery diced

2 carrots diced

1 large can of beef broth

2 cans Veg All

1 can diced tomatoes

1/4 cup Mike Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa

1 box of wild rice (cooked)

fresh sliced mushrooms

sliced Provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Brown stew meat in 1 TB Olive Oil and 1 TB Butter

2. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook until onions are translucent

3. Add beef broth and diced tomatoes, simmer for 45 minutes

4. Add Veg All and Mike Ditka's Hall of Fame Salsa

5. Continue simmering soup while preparing wild rice according to package directions

6. Add cooked wild rice to soup

To Serve:

Place individual servings of soup in a bowl. Put fresh mushrooms on top of soup and cover with a slice of Provolone cheese. Place in microwave for about 1 minute to melt cheese. Serve, Enjoy and Go Bears!

Oh Misery!

Sure there was snow and ice and wind at Soldier Field but there were also supposed to be Bears. What the heck was that all about? Who were those people wearing Bears' jerseys?

I sat with a group of friends and felt like I was introducing my family to a boyfriend who everyone but me recognized as the kid in school voted least likely to ..... do anything. Those aren't my Bears!

The only positive was the exceptionally delicious Clam Chowder served by Marjorie. Here's a great Clam Chowder Recipe from Legal Seafood:

BEARS (FANS) EAT CLAM CHOWDER IN NEW ENGLAND!

Recipe By : The Legal Sea Foods Cookbook

Serving Size : 8

Ingredients:

4 quarts littleneck clams (about 1-2/3 cups cooked -- chopped)

1 clove garlic -- chopped

1 cup water

2 ounces salt pork -- finely chopped

2 cups chopped onions

3 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 pounds potatoes -- peeled, and diced

into 1/2-inch cubes

4 1/2 cups clam broth

3 cups Fish Stock

2 cups light cream

Oyster crackers (optional)

Directions:

1. Clean the clams and place them in a large pot along with the garlic and water. Steam the clams just until opened, about 6 to 10 minutes, depending upon their size. Drain and shell the clams, reserving the broth.

2. Mince the clam flesh, and set aside.

3. Filter the clam broth either through coffee filters or cheesecloth and set aside.

4. In a large, heavy pot slowly render the salt pork. Remove the cracklings and set them aside.

5. Slowly cook the onions in the fat for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently, or until cooked through but not browned.

6. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

7. Add the reserved clam broth and Fish Stock, and whisk to remove any flour lumps.

8. Bring the liquid to a boil, add the potatoes, lower the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes.

9. Stir in the reserved clams, salt-pork cracklings, and light cream. Heat the chowder until it is the temperature you prefer. Serve in large soup bowls with oyster crackers on the side.

Bundle Up Fans!

It will be a cold, snowy day Sunday when Da Bears host the leaders of the AFC East in Soldier Field. The New England Patriots and Tom Brady bring their 10-2 record while Devin Hester aims to set an NFL record for Kickoff Returns for a Touchdown.

Fans will get their first look at Herman Johnson - The House - who joins the Offensive Line this week. The House was the biggest baby ever born in Louisiana weighing in at 15 pounds 14 ounces. I wonder if he knows how to shuffle?

What to serve for this icy matchup? New England Clam Chowder will warm up the day. I'm passing the cooking honors to a Clam Chowder Super Star but I'll contribute the the Mike Ditka Hall of Fame Salsa to our Fans-Only Food Fest. Go Bears!

Those Teddy Bears Have Teeth!

The Lions played Elvis Presley's "Teddy Bear" as the Bears took the field. I guarantee you, Lions fans, those Bears have teeth and some amazingly faithful friends who helped fill Ford Field.

Both the Lions and the Bears brought it. It was a good game and almost a record day for Hester. Next week at Soldier Field against the Patriots may be the day but whenever it happens I Guarantee I'll be joining all Bears fans in a Standing Ovation, Shouting from the Rooftops and whispering a not so quiet Thank You for Devon's talent and spirit.

I learned from Larry Mayer's blog that Ford Field has some of the worst food in the press box. I have to say I didn't especially enjoy today's Coney Dogs. I prefer Chili Dogs because they have more bite. Did I mention Da Bears have teeth? I had some chips and onion dip on the side but I put away that away after the first half when it obviously was not helping. I switched to Mike Ditka Hall of Fame Salsa and Chips.

For those of you who like Coney Dogs, here's what I used for today's Winning Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/4 LB Hamburger

1/2 onion chopped

1 can Hot Dog Chili Sauce

Chili Powder

2 TB Mike Ditka Hall of Fame Salsa

Salt and Pepper to taste

Nathan's Hot Dogs

Hot Dog Buns

Directions:

1. Brown hamburger and onion, drain

2. Add Spices, Salsa and Chili Sauce, heat

3. Cook hot dogs under the broiler

4. Top with Coney Island Sauce

5. Win!

Now it's off to put together a babydoll stroller. Where's Peanut Tillman? I need his help.