Seasonal Sundays (Week 7) Superbowl and Valentines

Just ahead, one day after the other, the Superbowl and Valentine's Day ... and wow, from chili to chocolate, do I ever have recipes to turn your occasions into real celebrations. You just might want to settle in ...

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Whoever put himself (yes, him, am I right?) in charge of 2022's calendar sure jammed up the Superbowl next Sunday and Valentine's Day the day after. Okay, so be it. And on the plus side, at least Easter's not so early this year, that means it's not quite Mardi Gras season mixed up in it all quite yet.

So this week's recipes focus on these back-to-back occasions with markedly different food traditions. Soooo many good-food ideas, though! I hope you'll find much inspiration, how-ever / if-ever you're marking these days.

Enough. Whoah, so many of you reacted thoughtfully to last week's idea of choosing "Enough" as a guidepost for 2022. Interestingly, all but a few notes arrived later in the week vs right away: as if you were thinking it through, maybe trying the word on for size. I'm a month in, both remain true for me.

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: Like a big portion of the country, Missouri got smacked with a big, wet storm this week, a day of rain/sleet/ice followed by about ten inches of snow, followed by brilliant but cold sunshine. It was a snow-day party begging to happen ... with a firepit aka hot chocolate pit stop midway on a long, curvy sled path from the top of the hill down to the creek. The funny thing, though? The biggest fun came just as everyone was leaving when the twin grandsons dug into the snowplow pile on the driveway, digging a tunnel right through its center. Twelve-year old boys ... they are the very very best.

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• THE RECIPE My Guacamole Restaurant-style guacamole, our house recipe.
• WHY THIS, WHY NOW Is it even a party without cake guacamole?

Seasonal Showcase: TV-Friendly Snacks

• THE RECIPE Best Quick Tomato Salsa (Red Salsa) For chips, tacos, burritos, eggs & more
• ANOTHER TAKE Green Chile Sauce (Salsa Verde) New Mexico-style salsa verde

• THE RECIPE Roasted Eggplant “Hummus" (Eggplant & Chickpea Dip & Spread)
• ANOTHER TAKE Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus

• THE RECIPE Herbed Goat Cheese An easy low-carb, make-ahead appetizer.
• ANOTHER TAKE Warm Goat Cheese Appetizer with Mini Tomatoes & Capers Weeknight easy, worthy of an occasion.

Seasonal Showcase: Vegging Out with Veggies

• THE RECIPE Buffalo Chicken Dip with Spaghetti Squash
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach & Artichoke Gratin

• THE RECIPE Creamy Brussels Sprouts Gratin An appetizer with toothpicks? A forgiving side dish? Yes and yes.
• ANOTHER TAKE Bodacious Brussels Sprouts Prep ahead of time, then finish just before serving.

• THE RECIPE Hot Corn Dip
• ANOTHER TAKE Spinach, Artichoke & Bacon Dip

Seasonal Showcase: Football-Friendly Fare

• THE RECIPE Chocolate Chili My long-time recipe, meaty and full of spices and a touch of chocolate.
• ANOTHER TAKE Crockpot Chili with Spicy Sausage Brown the meat, dump and go.

• THE RECIPE At Last! Black Bean Soup My signature recipe for thirty years.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Lentil Soup Comfort food for a crowd.

• THE RECIPE Chicken or Turkey & Wild Rice Soup A hearty mix of leftover chicken or turkey, wild rice and butternut squash.
• ANOTHER TAKE Creamy Wild Rice Soup The Minnesota classic, creamed with vegetables not cream.

Seasonal Showcase: Is It Even Chili If There's No Cornbread?

• THE RECIPE Skillet Cornbread My first and still-favorite cornbread, stays moist for days.
• ANOTHER TAKE Southern Corn Bread Plus six tips for perfect cornbread, your recipe, my recipe, any recipe.

• THE RECIPE Southern Corn Bread Six tips for perfect cornbread, this recipe or yours.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sweet Cornbread Sweetened with honey, a "northern" take on cornbread.

• THE RECIPE Sweet Potato Cornbread
• ANOTHER TAKE Pumpkin Corn Bread

Seasonal Showcase: Game-Day Salads

• THE RECIPE Big Cajun Chopped Salad Don't skip the olives!
• ANOTHER TAKE Babe's Naked Fruit & Veggie Salad Such a surprise.

• THE RECIPE Pinto Bean Salad
• ANOTHER TAKE Black Bean & Corn Salad

• THE RECIPE Best-Ever Macaroni Salad The summer classic, just better.
• ANOTHER TAKE BLT Pasta Salad A fresh approach for a summer favorite.

Seasonal Showcase: Cookin' Up a Little Romance

• THE RECIPE Fast Roast Chicken My signature recipe, just three ingredients and an hour.
• ANOTHER TAKE Mom's Roast Chicken With All the Trimmings My mother's recipe for roast chicken with stuffing and chicken gravy.

• THE RECIPE Perfect Lamb Chops How to cook lamb chops perfectly each and every time.
• ANOTHER TAKE Frozen Steaks Perfectly cooked steaks, starting with frozen meat!

• THE RECIPE Beef Bourguignon (French Beef Stew) Three days of preparation, one magnificent feast.
• ANOTHER TAKE Winter Stew A master recipe, on the table in 90 minutes.

Seasonal Showcase: Surprising Sides & Salads

• THE RECIPE Julia Child's Soubise (Onion & Rice Casserole) Thin ribbons of onion with rice and a little cream and cheese.
• ANOTHER TAKE Cheese Gnocchi Pie Kitchen Parade's debut column!

• THE RECIPE Roasted Pear Salad Romance and seduction on a plate.
• ANOTHER TAKE Grape Salad with Almonds & Cilantro An unusual fruit salad, savory and sweet at the same time.

• THE RECIPE Winter Greens Salad with Oranges, Avocado, Olives, Feta & Orange-Cumin Vinaigrette
• ANOTHER TAKE Big Cajun Chopped Salad

Seasonal Showcase: Raspberries!

• THE RECIPE Raspberry & Red Wine Granita An icy-cold raspberry slushee for grown-ups.
• ANOTHER TAKE Sugar-Free Raspberry Bliss A fruity, creamy raspberry dessert, just three ingredients and quick to make.

• THE RECIPE Lemon Pudding Cake Tart lemon + juicy raspberries. Or blueberries!
• ANOTHER TAKE Southern Belle Lemon Layer Cake Easy lemony cake with lemony cream cheese frosting.

• THE RECIPE Raspberry-Red Wine Coulis (Reduction Sauce) Sweet-but-tart raspberry sauce, a perfect added-touch for desserts.
• STELLAR WITH Chocolate Decadence Cake The ultimate chocolate experience.

Seasonal Showcase: Chocolate!

• THE RECIPE Chocolate Decadence Cake The ultimate chocolate experience.
• STELLAR WITH Raspberry-Red Wine Coulis (Reduction Sauce) Sweet-but-tart raspberry sauce, a perfect added-touch for desserts.

• THE RECIPE Gourmet Chocolate Mocha Cookies Deeply, darkly chocolate-y.
• ANOTHER TAKE Mocha Chocolate Chip Cookes Chocolate chip cookies for grown-ups.

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Chocolate Coconut Pudding Just five ingredients and ten minutes to pudding.
• ANOTHER TAKE Light 'n' Easy Chocolate Pudding Sweet and satisfying but won't ruin your diet.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com, dot-dash in Morse code, build a fire for smoke signals, launch a message in a bottle, send a Christmas letter, get the dog to yip, toss me a note wrapped in a rubberband, write a message in the sky, scratch a note in the sand, listen to a seashell, tuck a question into a plastic Easter egg, whatever.

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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