Super Sunday Brings Super Start to February

Good afternoon! I am just getting the house all straightened up before we go to a Super Bowl party and I want to thank those that left some tasty recipes on the blog. Here is a couple of them!

This is good finger food and nice change from reg popcorn

Cajun Popcorn
1/2 quarts popped popcorn*1/4 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon paprika1/2 teaspoon onion powder1/2 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon lemon pepperPour butter over warm popcorn. Combine remaining seasonings and sprinkle over popcorn; toss to mix.

Bake in 300*F (150*C) oven for crispy popcorn. Makes 2 1/2 quarts.*1-ounce of unpopped popcorn kernels (2 tablespoons household measure) makes approximately 1 quart of popped popcorn.

This is yummy Baked Artichoke Dip.
Serving: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

1 box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry (or 1 cup chopped spinach) 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped 1 cup mayonnaise 1/4 package cream cheese, softened 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/8 cup dry bread crumbs 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/8 tsp pepper 1. Preheat oven to 400°. 2. Combine all of the above ingredients and place in baking dish. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes and serve with crackers.I add hot crushed red peppers to mine.

Teri

Now that my mouth is watering I do want to say that we have great weather for traveling today and tonight if you are going to watch the big game with friends or family. Those southwest winds that helped to boost our temperatures into the low 40s late last night also created havoc on area roadways with blowing and drifting snow due to wind gusts in the 20 to 25 mph range. Today our wind speeds should be mainly light out of the northwest close to 5 mph as high pressure builds in. We are in nature's sweet spot to start February with temperatures close to 10 degrees above average. After our coldest January since 1994 we certainly earned it. But winter is not done by a long-shot. We have a huge East Coast storm winding up that could bury the big cities. Now while we will miss out on the snow we will not miss out on its cold backlash with highs by Wednesday struggling into the teens. Our snowfall should be mainly on the light side but with strong winds developing again Tuesday and Wednesday that will be enough to cause more travel troubles. So get out and enjoy our beautiful day while you can.

Super Bowl Weather Formula & Prediction: This formula was created when I was in college and has an accuracy rating much higher than the Farmer's Almanac. LOL
No, really it does surprisingly well. I cannot give you the complete formula but I can tell you it is based on extreme weather and atmospheric modeling. You match the two cities playing against each other and forecast the next 4 days starting tomorrow.

Pittsburgh jumps out big today and scores first. They seem to have the Cardinals on the ropes, much like the Denver Broncos had the Washington Redskins and myself a Redskin fan gasping for air back in 1988. The John Elway-led Broncose raced out to a 10-0 lead and my college buddies were very worried for me. But no worries! We all know how that game turned out. :) Hail to the Redskins! Pittsburgh's John Elway today will be the big East Coast storm that is developing but if you notice it will not be a direct hit on Pittsburgh. They will be brushed by the storm and this means hope is alive and well for the Cardinals no matter how bad the start. The Cardinal's version of Doug Williams today will be the Greenland block which is developing a little farther east turning the storm away from Pittsburgh and just maybe the game.

Arizona will be trailing but Kurt Warner's experience shines through like the hot desert sunshine. It becomes apparent in the second quarter that the Steelers could not deliver the knockout punch and they will pay dearly. A late field goal just before halftime gives the Cardinals some hope and momentum before Bruce Springsteen comes out and gives the best halftime show ever. The Boss brings back great memories and reminds me of a man that has made a great comeback. His music is timeless. Now it is Arizona's turn for a comeback as they get rolling in the 3rd quarter and heat up.

The announcers keep talking about Pittsburgh's dominance but in a New York minute it all changes. Phoenix will have highs near 80 by Wednesday and Thursday this week which is more than 10 degrees above average BOTH DAYS. This means the Cardinals will score at least 2 lightning-quick touchdowns in the second half with Larry Fitzgerald leading the way. Former Colt "the Edge" also takes it to the house. Pittsburgh's weather will be cold to start the week, but a warming trend closer to normal by Thursday is a sign that the Steelers peaked too soon. Should we blame Pittsburgh's meteorologists? Why not, it comes with the territory.

We start the 4th quarter wondering what happened to the really good commercials we grew up with during the Super Bowls and don't blame the economy. Things just seem out of kilter. Weird things are about to happen. Not only will Pittsburgh have a major mistake in the red zone in the 4th quarter (a reflection of poor weather models making more mistakes this week in the East) but there will be an unknown player that steps up for the Cardinals that will become a household name from here on out) The Cardinals will get their "Rolle on" and their defense finally earns some respect.

Don't go on your bathroom break too long....the score with 2 minutes left will be Pittsburgh 23 Arizona 20 and Arizona has the ball. Pittsburgh and its vaunted defense looks tired and Warner marches the Cardinals right down the field. Everybody is expecting overtime when the referees make a wild call that everybody will talk about for years to come. When does it ever end?Arizona pounces on it and punches it into the end zone for a 27 to 23 lead. This is the way it ends.

Arizona shocks the world! Nobody thought they could do it, nobody but themselves. They should give nature some credit too! The big high pressure ridge out west was just strong enough along with pressure changes over Greenland to keep Pittsburgh from getting the much bigger snowstorm that would have pushed them to victory based on our weather-sports prediction model. It is always a game of inches on and off the field and it is fitting that the Cardinal is the Indiana state bird. Bird, bird, bird is the word! Cardinals win Super Bowl 43. Moral of the story, never let your guard down with nature and in real life. You have to take advantage of all opportunities including today's great food, company, and weather. Peace!