Seasonal Sundays: A Super Bowl Spread

Game day! This week's "Seasonal Seven" recipe collection has your back! It's a complete menu, heavy on easy appetizers plus oven-baked ribs and a salad and a chocolate cake that's made the day before. Football fan or not, I just know you're gonna find one or two recipes destined as "keepers" in your own recipe repertoire.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

THANK YOU for stopping in today ... and last week and next week too. "I appreciate you." I do ... and always love hearing from many of you throughout the week. Don't be a stranger! PS And if you like this week's recipes, perhaps you'll share this newsletter with a friend or social circle? If you forward this message, others may subscribe for free right here. Thank you!

Have you heard? The divide is gone! Americans are coming back together as one! Our differences are forgotten!

Harumph. If only.

But I do contend that the Super Bowl may well be the one day of the year when our political disagreements vastly different values are set aside to gorge on chicken wings, debate the merits of the TV ads and cheer on a football team we may adore or even despise.

And that's worth celebrating.

So let's, shall we, whether it's a quiet crowd of two (where three eyes are peering into the tv, one is buried in a good book) or a more raucuous gathering.

Naturally, I've got recipes. Read on ...

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image: On our very first date, my husband came straight to the point, wanting to get a fact-of-life out of the way: he played college football in a big way and decades later, is recognized by name. He was recruited by the Vikings but passed on NFL to finish law school but before then, there were undefeated seasons, multiple bowl games, a national championship, a team captain role. So it comes as no surprise that as Missourians, we cheer wildly for the Kansas City Chiefs and that the twin grandsons are into football. I snapped this photo a few years back, that once "genuine American football hero" (now known as PopPop) holding the ball and coaching the older-twin kicker while the younger-twin and the boys' dad raise their arms for goalposts. Sweetest moment, yes?

Just a reminder, I personally select everything that's mentioned here — nothing is sponsored, nothing is paid advertising. Oh and if you happen to buy something via a link to Amazon (just Amazon, no others), Kitchen Parade may earn a small commission. Zero pressure, just an FYI that's required by law and good manners.

In Praise Of ...

• ... February's bright light, February's winter sunsets


• ... the Adventure Challenge, 30 "date night" let's-cook-together recipes with surprise twists, we're doing one every few weeks, it's fun, it's interesting, it gets us out of our everyday dinner groove. Heads up, the recipes are good and very do-able but terribly written, be sure to re-write so that you can actually follow them. Jeez. Still, recommended! There are kids and family Adventure Challenges too ...


• ... … so proud to see people I know and love speaking up in big ways in their social circles, be brave, our voices may not change minds but if’s 100% certain, our silence never will

Democracy Matters

The country needs calm, thoughtful and assertive voices amid the chaos inflicted by a minority hellbent on taking/retaining generational power by strangling democratic principles and equal rights. None of us have to personally change the world. We just have to do our part. Pick one thing for the top of your To Do List this week.

It's been another year, this week. It's a tired old joke anymore, week in and week out of Trump II.

Not Trump 2.0. Trump II.

Trump II, as in royalty like Henry VIII and Elizabeth I since he's crowned himself king. It also reminds us how the president's Christian pretenses were once revealed before the ultra-right Liberty University where he referenced Two Corinthians with no cognizance that even third-graders in Bible School know we say Second Corinthians even if it's written 2 Corinthians. Dumb ass.

And so yeah, I'm focusing on language this week because we should all be "mad as hell and not gonna take it anymore" about what's happening in the country and it's time we all start naming names.

Use strong words when you call and write your members of Congress who have been elected to represent all constituents, not just those who voted for Trump or Harris. Trump's Republican cronies have particular trouble with this but it's just as important that we contact them over and over and effing over.

You've got the numbers and contact forms, right? Here they are, for the Senate and for the House.

Save these pages to your phone, your own reps to your Contacts. The easier it is, the more likely you are to communicate directly with their offices.

My best suggestion is, write often, daily is not too often, and address one topic at a time so it's easier to be both clear and concise.

Brevity is good, there's no need to write a treatise and the more direct you are, the better.

For example, this week I wrote to my reps with this opening sentence, "I write to oppose the cabinet nominations of Kash Patel, Tulsi Gabbard, Robert F Kennedy and Russ Vought." and this closing sentence "Please vote NO on all four nominees."

More on language in writings from the past week ...

• READ Trump Goes Full Dictator by Robert Hubbell, a retired lawyer turned activist with a community of thousands. 1/28/25
• TAKEAWAY "It is time for the institutions fighting for democracy to drop the niceties and begin calling Trump for what he is: a dictator. Many institutions are still treating Trump as though he is a “normal” president, albeit one subject to making impulsive, ignorant statements. Criticizing his actions is not enough. The story of his first week is not that “Trump has shaken things up,” or that he is “flooding the zone.” It is that Trump has begun to ignore the law at whim."


• READ Call it by its name: A coup. by Robert Hubbell again. 2/1/25
• TAKEAWAY "Speaking the truth about what is happening is difficult and unpleasant. Hearing the truth is also difficult and unpleasant. But the longer we fail to recognize the current situation for what it is—a slow-rolling coup attempt—the longer it will take for us to recover."


• READ Letters from an American by historian Heather Cox Richardson 1/30/25
• TAKEAWAY "It seems that Musk and the technology billionaires want to smash the government to enable their futuristic visions, and Christian Nationalists like Russell Vought want to smash it to replace it with religious rule. Trump wants to smash it for money and power. "


• READ The DC Plane Crash Is 100% Trump's Fault at Letters from God, by, um, well, God (and apparently mission founder, author and renowned public speaker Ivan Tait)
• TAKEAWAY "Dear Humans, the blood of those 67 souls is on his hands. There is literally blood in the water of the Potomac. Trump has been in office for ten days. He tore down the systems that kept you safe, blamed 'wokeness' for his failures, and walked away from the wreckage like nothing happened. Don’t let him lie his way out of this one. He will try to divide you, distract you, and drown you in his racist nonsense—but you must stay focused. Hold him accountable. Call out his failures. Fight for the truth. Thank you for your heroism in this dark time."

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THE SEASONAL SEVEN: A Game-Day Spread

For this week's recipes, I aimed for recipes with party-friendly flavors and combinations that are ...

• ... heavy on popular, not-too-heavy appetizers
• ... real crowd pleasers, long-time fan favorites
• ... easy to adapt to gatherings so small they're more "just dinner" than party
• ... quick to make ahead of time, cuz the cook wants to see the game commercials too!
• ... are really good as leftovers, too, cuz who's cookin' on Monday?

• THE RECIPE My Guacamole Restaurant-style guacamole, our house recipe. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Game-Day Pretzels That retro favorite, best made 24 hours before serving.

• THE RECIPE Crazy-Smooth Crazy-Good Hummus Perfected with three special techniques.
• ANOTHER TAKE Homemade Pub Cheese Cheddar + beer + horseradish = casual bar food at home. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Deviled Eggs with Tomato-Herb Relish Easy but dramatic presentation of everyone's favorite deviled eggs.
• ANOTHER TAKE Tuna & White Bean Dip Just a few quick pantry ingredients but positively addictive.

• THE RECIPE Jicama-Mango Salsa with Chipotle Summer's new salsa, an alluring combination of crunchy jicama and sweet mango.
• ANOTHER TAKE Slow-Roasted Tomato Salsa Smoky with flavor. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Baked Baby Back Ribs with Spicy Berry Sauce Good and tender, done in an hour.
• ANOTHER TAKE Minnesota Sloppy Joes Sloppy joes made from scratch in the crockpot.

• THE RECIPE Big Italian Chopped Salad A messy jumble of our favorite Mediterranean ingredients. Buon appetito! (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Big Cajun Chopped Salad Don't skip the olives!

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Chocolate Sheet Cake Dark, moist and chocolate-y, even two or three days after baking. Fun sprinkles?!
• ANOTHER TAKE Sugar Cookie Bars Bake, frost and sprinkle all at once. (PIN This)

• THE COLLECTION Football Fever! Game-changing recipes for Playoff Games & Super Bowl Parties. (PIN This)
• AND ANOTHER Chillin': Favorite Chili, Chowder & Cornbread Recipes Football friendly! (PIN This)

What's Brand-Spankin' New?!

Wondering about a recipe from the last while? Check Recent Recipes from Kitchen Parade and Recent Vegetable Recipes from A Veggie Venture.

• THE RECIPE Winter Tomato Salad (Lightly Pickled Vegetables) Lightly pickled, great color and crunch. (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE Easy-Easy Daikon & Pepper Salad On the table in just 10 minutes! (PIN This)

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Quinoa for Meal Prep Just minutes, so handy to have on hand. PIN This

February: Reader Favorites

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

• THE RECIPE Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lentil Sloppy Joes A little bit spicy, many rave reviews.
• ANOTHER TAKE Minnesota Sloppy Joes Sloppy joes made from scratch in the crockpot.

Trending NOW ...

• FOR BEGINNERS How to Frost a Layer Cake Step-by-Step Photos & Tips
• PRACTICE HERE Southern Belle Lemon Layer Cake Easy lemony cake with lemony cream cheese frosting. Also cherry layer cake, orange layer cake, many variations!

• THE RECIPE How to Roast a Whole Butternut Squash No knives, perfect results. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Roast Vegetables 22 Tips + Master Recipe

February: Recipes Lookin' for a Little Love

• 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.

• THE RECIPE Homemade Vegetable Beef Soup All about the vegetables but made with homemade beef stock.
• ANOTHER TAKE How to Make Homemade Vegetable Soup The Master Recipe, never the same twice.

The Kitchen Parade Almanac: Looking Ahead ...

• February 2nd (today!) - Groundhog Day
• February 9th (duh, Sunday) - Super Bowl Sunday!

• February 14th (Friday) - Valentine's

• February 17th (Monday) - President's Day
• March 1st - Alanna's Unofficial First Day of Spring
• March 2nd (Sunday) - Academy Awards
• March 4th (Tuesday) - Mardi Gras / Shrove Tuesday / Pancake Night

• March 5th (Wednesday) - Ash Wednesday / Beginning of Lent
• Fridays During Lent - Friday Fish
• March 9th (Sunday) - "spring forward" time change
• March 14th (Friday) - Three-One-Four Day, a Celebration of All Thing St. Louis (314 is our area code!)
• March 14th (Friday) - Pi Day
• March 16th (Sunday) - St. Urho's Day
• March 17th (Monday) - St. Patrick's Day
• March 20th (Thursday) - First Official Day of Spring
• March 22nd (Saturday, 8:30pm your local time) - Earth Hour
• March 25th - Equal Pay Day (2024 was March 12th, way to go, ladies!)
• March 27th (Thursday) - Baseball Opening Day!
• April 1 (Tuesday) - April Fool's Day
• April 12 (Saturday) - 20th - Beginning of Passover
• April 20th - Easter (yikes! so late!)

Looking Back ...

THIS WEEK, YEARS PAST
• 2020 Early February (Week 6)
• 2021 Early February (Week 6)
• 2022 Early February (Week 6)
• 2023 Winter Salads (Week 6)
• 2024 The Best of N'awlins (Week 6) PIN This)

RECENT WEEKS
• Spinach for Any Occasion (Week 5) (PIN This)
• Project Cooking (Week 4) (PIN This)
• Snow-Day Suppers (Week 3) (PIN This)
• Feeding Our Vegetable Cravings (Week 2) (PIN This)
• Best of 2024 (PIN This)

Soups & Salads Especially for February

• THE COLLECTION Seasonal Soup & Salad Recipes for February (PIN This)
• BUT REALLY, DON'T MISS Kohlrabi & Apple Slaw with Creamy Coleslaw Dressing Move over, cabbage. There's a new slaw in town.
• OR THIS Cream of Broccoli & Carrot Soup Broccoli for good health, carrot for a little color and sweetness.

Good to Know!

• THE RECIPE How to Cook Popcorn in a Microwave in a Paper Bag How to make airpop popcorn in the microwave, just popcorn kernels, a paper sack and NO oil. (PIN This)
• ANOTHER TAKE Healthy Trail Mix A healthy mix of nuts and dried fruit, bulked up with low-sugar Cheerios.

Silly (But Fun?!) Food Holidays

• February 2 — Yorkshire Pudding Day (Yorkshire Pudding)
• February 3 — National Carrot Cake Day (Carrot Cake)
• February 3 — National Carrot Day (recipes using carrots)
• February 4 — Homemade Soup Day (soup recipes)
• February 6 — Canadian Maple Syrup Day (recipes using maple syrup)
• February 6 — International Frozen Yogurt Day (Homemade Frozen Yogurt with Blackberry Sauce)

Trader Joe's Test Kitchen

We've been so wowed by the Gyoza from Trader Joe's frozen section that I decided to try the Ricotta and Spinach Filled Ravioli.

The good news is, they are super quick to cook in a covered skillet with water and a little oil, just seven minutes.

I gotta say. These were not inedible but they won't be purchased again. They're just kinda -- blah. The filling is measly, there's no obvious taste or texture of either spinach or ricotta. The "pods" of tomato sauce do melt down but never really thicken enough to "sauce" the pasta. It's okay-tasting but not enough to compensate for the pasta.

For us, this one's a miss.

Something to Read

The Searcher was a slow start for me but in the end, I appreciated the slow savor.

On the surface, it's the story of a busted-up American cop who moves to an Irish village who ends up in an accidental friendship with a young'un (no spoilers here) whose brother has disappeared. The story line is compelling enough but I especially appreciated the brief respites, like in our own lives, to notice the weather, the landscape, a memory. These are pure poetry in the lyrical voice of Tana French, an American expat herself in Ireland. She's only 51, let's hope for many more books from her pen.

PS Oh wait! There's The Hunter, it's the second book in this series, I've just started it!

• THE BOOK The Searcher (affiliate link) by Tana French


• NO TIME TO READ? How I Read 4X More This Year Than Last What I gave up, how I read so much, what I read.

Don't Be a Stranger ...

I'd love to hear from you. Comment, send me a quick e-mail (my current address is in the FAQs), 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.

• Any advice for Seasonal Sundays?
• Just one thing that would make it more useful for you?
• Anything else? Chime in, chat away.

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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, you'll find my current address in the FAQs. 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. When you make my recipes, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below or better still, on the specific recipe's page.

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