Well...That Sucked

That one hurt! To see Cutler go down, then Collins, then have Hanie almost lead them back....just heart breaking...my 11 year old son actually cried...not going to lie, I actually liked that! He is learning the love of the Bear! Time to move on though! Come on Blackhawks! Lets go White Sox!!!

I can honestly say that to see the Packers win the NFC in Chicago sickens me. However, apps were great! My wife (Kari) discovered a great recipe for a Chicken Bruschetta (promised in previous post). It is pretty easy too and the mix of sweet and salt is perfect! Here is the recipe:

Chicken Bruschetta
Apricot Jelly
Ciabatta bread
Olive Oil
Smoked Chicken (we get Boars Head from the deli)
Sliced Fontina
Prosciutto

Pre-heat the oven at 400. Slice the bread into appetizer sized slices. Brush olive oil on the slices and toast them in the oven. When the bread is toasted, spread a thin layer of apricot jelly...just a scrape! Top with a piece of Fontina, a slice of chicken, and a piece of prosciutto. That is it!

We also had Apple Smoked Brats. This one takes a little more time but is well worth it!

Apple Smoked Brats
Brats
Apple wood
Mustard
Onions

Light the the coals for the grill. Use the chimney smoker so that you do not get that nasty fuel taste on your food. Once the coals are ready, set up the grill for some indirect cooking. I dump the coals on one side and place the brats on the other side. Drop a couple of handfuls of water soaked apple wood chips on the fire and cover. On a Weber, close the top vents completely, leave the bottom vents wide open. Make sure you have a cast iron skillet in there so it gets real hot! Onions will go in there shortly. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Slice the onions, toss them in just a very light drizzle of olive oil. After 20 minutes drop those Onions into the skillet. Stand back and watch for a possible flare up of fire. You don't want that! When the onions are caramelized, remove the brats and cover them in onions and serve on hoagie rolls with mustard. Onions should only take about 10 minutes.

Well now that the Bears are done, it is time to start thinking about hockey and baseball....and root for whoever plays the Pack in the Super Bowl!