How to Survive The Broncos Being Crushed by the Seahawks, graciously...

I'm very disappointed in the outcome of Superbowl XLVXIII. I'm a long-time Bronco fan -I switched from my Washington Redskins (growing up in that area) not long after moving to the Denver in 1983. (When they crushed The Broncos 42-10 in Superbowl XVIII I knew they needed more fans.)

The first step to survival is to be a gracious loser. I've already responded to Seattle fans I'm close to with a congratulations. I am not blaming anyone in particular on my team for the loss. I am not blaming the referees. I'm not really blaming anyone. It's football. One team is better than the other and they win the Superbowl. Congrats Seattle fans, your team played well and deserve the win. Your defense truly is amazing, and that guy (#11?) with the Despicable Me skinny legs can run really fast.

Another way to survive a loss this bad is to endure it with friends. We were all crushed, but we were together, and the food was fabulous. In fact, to console myself I'll be sharing a recipe at the end, a la my good friend (and minion!) Jo, of Jo Food, My Travels, and a Scent ofChocolate.

When you're with friends, you can be yourself. You can yell and scream and swear (sorry Mom and Dad, but it really helps me in the dealing with the loss part...) You can communicate with just a look. You can stuff yourself silly with good food and libations.

We had it all: two kinds of gourmet chips, fresh salsa, veggie tray with interesting veggies instead of the boring normal. We had Snow White tomatoes, the ones we call “poppers”! We had 7 layer dip – one of my all-time favorite dips and such a treat. Our hostess, who is a wonderful cook and gardener made an amazing pork stew.

I contributed Baked Potato Bites, the recipe Jo had shared.

Contributed by Patricia, serves 12

Comforting and filling for game day, yet elegant enough for the dressiest dinner party.

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds baby red potatoes, cut in half

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 slices bacon

1 cup sour cream

½ cup mayonnaise

4 small green onions, trimmed, sliced thin

1 tablespoon minced shallot

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

1. Toss potatoes in oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Place a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
2. Cook bacon to desired crispness; chop into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Blend sour cream, mayonnaise, half of the green onions, shallot, parsley, bacon, and cheese in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Place roasted potato halves on a large platter. Top each potato half with with a large dollop of the sour cream mixture. Sprinkle each with chopped bacon and sliced green onion.
5. Leave remainder of sour cream mixture in a small bowl for extra toppings.

Here's the picture Jo included.

Here's how mine looked. 

 I decided to let each person top their own. I saved a little of the bacon (because I cooked a whole pound, not just 6 slices.) The huge bowl of cheese is OYT's “one cup” of shredded cheese. We served what we didn't use in the mixture...

As to serving size, there were four of us. 3 potatoes were left.

Thanks, Jo, for the recipe.  I think I'll have those three left-over ones for breakfast...just got the newspaper.  Sigh.

~Tina