All My Rowdy Friends

Today is the first day of the pro football draft. It’s a chance for football teams to make or break their futures. I have been a lifelong Jets fan, for better or worse. In my lifetime, my team has not done well, and the last time they made it to the Superbowl was in 1969. I wasn’t even in utero for that! I did have a brief flirtation with the Dallas Cowboys in the mid-1990’s. I should rephrase that; I had brief flirtation with Troy Aikman and the Dallas Cowboys back in the mid 1990’s. Other than that, I have been fiercely loyal to my Gang Green. When Mark Sanchez was drafted as quarterback a few years back, I got a call from my husband while I was picking up dinner in Hy-Vee. I let out a big cheer which earned me a lot of weird looks. It wasn’t because I am a football nut, just that I wasn’t either a Packers or Vikings fan.

The Big Man is a die hard Giants fan. The Little Man loves his Vikings. I bleed green and white. I don’t like Philadelphia, and never will. I’ve been eagerly studying what the experts are predicting for this draft, and I have to admit that no one has me really jazzed. The Princess went to WVU, which is where the top rated quarterback Geno Smith is from. He will go a lot higher up than the 9th pick my beloved J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets will pick (and besides they have more quarterbacks than they know what to do with). The experts are predicting that the Jets will draft Barkevious Mingo, an outside linebacker. Personally, I just like saying his name. Bar-kee-vee-ous. If this upcoming season is anything like the last few, I will at least have a fun name to cheer for. They are also predicted to pick another WVU player, Tavon Austin at #13. Another possibility for the Jets is another OLB, this time from BYU Ezekial Ansah but he probably will be picked a lot higher up in the draft than 9. The weirdest story of this year’s draft is Manti Te’o, who had enough off field intrigue that should automatically make him a Jet. However, there already is enough drama on that team for it to win an academy award.

Enough of the football minutiae.

It wouldn’t be a draft night party without some super snacks like Buffalo chicken rollups, layered nacho dip and tortilla chips, spinach artichoke cups, soda and water and of course football cupcakes!

Buffalo Chicken roll ups
2 cooked, shredded chicken breasts
½ c buffalo chicken sauce
¼ c cream cheese
¼ c Blue cheese crumbles
Crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375. mix shredded chicken, sauce, cream and blue cheese. Spread crescent rolls on a baking sheet. Place a scoop of the mixture in the widest part of the triangle. Roll up. Bake for 20 minutes.

Spinach Artichoke Cups

1 c spinach cooked
1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 pkg silken tofu
2 tsps minced garlic
Dash srichia sauce
Won ton wrappers
½ c shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 375. Mix garlic, sauce and tofu together well. Add spinach and artichoke hearts. Line mini muffin pan with wonton wrappers. Spoon mixture into wrappers, top with shredded cheese. Bake for 20 minutes.


Layered dip
½ package cream cheese
1 jar corn and black bean salsa
Shredded Mexican cheese blend
Jalepenos

Preheat oven to 375. Spread cream cheese in the bottom of a baking dish. Pour salsa over the cream cheese. Top with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, top with jalapeños. Serve with tortilla chips.


All my fellow draft watchers get a prediction card for the first 10 picks, with what the experts say. Our in home experts get to pick who they think are going to be picked, and the one who has the most right answers gets a lovely football plaque. Its super simple to make too!

Wooden plaque
Mod podge
Football scrapbook paper
Brown paint
Card stock
Picture of winner

Paint the plaque with brown paint. Let dry. Next, mod podge the scrapbook paper to the top side of the plaque. Glue cardstock to it and then when you have a winner, glue their picture!