A Super Bowl Birthday

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past week, you probably heard something about a little football game that took place Sunday evening. Okay, the biggest game of the year, and it was a good one. Everyone loves a comeback.

However, we all know that the Super Bowl isn't really just about football. No, it about the commercials and the FOOD. This year's big game happened to fall on my husband's birthday so I had to make some of his favorite treats. 

Guacamole. You can find my recipe here.

Homemade sub sandwiches.

Fried pickles. 

Actually, that was our son's request. They were frozen, but done in the air fryer, they came out nice a crisp.

But the one thing hubby really likes are jalapeno poppers. Not the battered and fried version, but bacon-wrapped and baked.

They're actually relatively easy to make, they just take a little bit of prep.

Start with fresh jalapenos. Cut off the tops, slice them in half, then remove the seeds and the ribs, which is where all the heat is. 

In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese with some shredded cheddar cheese. I only had six jalapenos, so I used one 8 oz brick of cream cheese and about 1/2 to 1 cup cheese.

Spoon cheese mixture into jalapeno halves, filing them without over-stuffing them.

Then wrap each half in half a slice of bacon and secure with a toothpick.

Place wrapped halves atop rack placed inside of a baking sheet to allow grease to drip away. I just use a cooling rack.

Bake in 275 degree oven for an hour and fifteen minutes to an hour and half, until bacon is cooked. 

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

One side note here, be sure to wash your hands with a grease-cutting dish soap such as Dawn after cleaning out the jalapenos to remove the oils. Because I you rub your face or eyes without having done that, you will wish you had. Trust me on this.

Did you watch the big game? What were some of your favorite commercials? The Groundhog Day Jeep commercial with Bill Murray and Punxsutawney Phil had me laughing out loud. The one with Sofia Vergara was funny, too.

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus is passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. She lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, one sassy pup, countless cattle, deer and the occasional coyote, mountain lion or snake. When she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, cooking and watching copious amounts of the Hallmark Channel. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Ranch Fun on the Fourth

It was a steamy, star-spangled Independence Day here at the ranch.

The kind that had the kiddos heading for the water.

Uh, oh. Sister could be in for some big trouble.

One of my granddaughter's favorite things is jalapeno poppers, so I made sure to rustle up some of those.

I stuffed the halved jalapenos with a mixture of cream cheese and shredded sharp cheddar. Then wrapped them in half a bacon slice, secured that with a toothpick, and baked them at 275 degrees for about 45 minutes.

After the sun set, it was time for fireworks over the lake.

The kids, both big and small, made a run to the fireworks stand earlier in the day. Once it was dark, the big kids treated us to a spectacular show. A fitting ending for a wonderful day.

Oh, but something else happened last week.

Remember this? 

The Carolina wrens that were displaced after one of your trees toppled in a storm last month decided to build their new nest in a bucket we'd left sitting outside our dining room window.

Well, last week, the eggs hatched. 

There are five babies in all, though you can only see three here. Three VERY hungry little ones awaiting mama and daddy's return. I love that we have a front row seat for this. Almost as much as I love a happy ending.

The dog days of summer have settled over the ranch. Hot, lazy days. The kind that make you want to stay in the air conditioning and write. For those of you who live up north, this is like your January, when you stay inside to escape the cold. Like I said, it's a trade off. You get snow, we get heat. 

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Spring Break at the Ranch, aka Cute Kids and Good Eats

by Mindy Obenhaus

It's spring break time here in Texas and I love it when I get to spend it with some of the kiddos. 

Spring break is the perfect time for them to be at the ranch. There's so much to experience. Fishing, exploring in the woods and new calves. I love the white boots on this little guy.

And when you're walking in the woods, you never know what you might stumble across this time of year. Like a cow and her just-born babe.

It took us a minute to figure out why she was all by herself in the thicket like that. And what was she licking.

Then we spotted the baby. All the while we just stood back and watched, careful not to disturb them. I used the big lens on my camera to take these pictures. And, finally, she coaxed the little one to his/her feet.

Our eleven-year-old granddaughter loved it, but Max just went along for the ride.

All of that exploring can wear a little guy out, though.

Not that Grammy minded. Naps on the porch are the best.

But this might be even better.

No-bake Chocolate lasagna was our dessert that night. A weird name, I know, but oh, so good.

 It's all about the layers.

You can find the recipe here at I Heart Nap Time.

The granddaughter had requested jalapeno poppers, too, so she and Grammy set to work on those. We started by halving 12 fresh jalapenos and then cleaning out the seeds and white membrane which is where most of the heat is. 

Then we mixed 12 oz of softened cream cheese with approximately 3/4 cup of finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese.

 And spooned the mixture into the jalapeno halves.

Finally, each stuffed jalapeno was wrapped in half a slice of regular-cut bacon and the bacon secured with a toothpick.

Place on a rack over a foil-covered pan (this makes for easier clean up) and bake in a 275 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of them cooked because everyone was so eager to dig in. But the bacon will be cooked and browned slightly. You may have a little bit of the filling oozing out the ends, but not near as much as when they're cooked at a higher temperature. Low and slow is definitely the way to go.

So that's a wrap on our first full day of spring break.

But we're just getting started. We've still got four more days to go. And with all the sunshine and warm temps, we're hoping to see some wildflowers, maybe even some bluebonnets, before the week comes to an end. I'll keep you posted. 

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite foods to share when family gets together for some fun? Do you prefer to go with the tried and true, like our jalapeno poppers, or do you like to try something new, like our Chocolate Lasagna? 

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com