Game Day Starters

Disclaimer: The majority of this post is written as A JOKE. If you are from Cleveland and take offense from me saying our sports suck... well, hun just look at our records.

Clevelanders do not have a history of being "good" in sports. I'll come out and say it: all of our sports teams suck. I mean they really stink. The Indians were okay for a while, when I was in high school, but I think that like the rest of the fans I just got tired of setting myself up for disappointment. We had Lebron for a while, but honestly, Cleveland, do you blame him for wanting to get out? Personally, I think Cleveland is jealous that he did get out of town, while the rest of us are stuck here for whatever reasons. Cleveland is like that- you can spend your whole life wanting to leave. I say good for Lebron, he was one of the lucky ones! Then there was the whole Browns fiasco. It isn't spoken of very much around these parts. Cleveland, for much of my adolescence, had no football team. Google "Art Modell+Browns+Baltimore" for that whole story! And once we got them back, we couldn't help but ask ourselves why it was a big deal that we lost them in the first place.

I think as a side effect of growing up in the Cleveland area, I could care less about football. As a matter of fact, the NFL could declare that they are disbanding, and I would go about my life perfectly content. Ohio State could make a public statement that they are cutting their athletics program, and I would remain completely unaffected.

But there is one thing that I do enjoy about game day. Socialization! Whether Daryl has friends over for the big game, or the extended family is gathered for kickoff, or we're meeting old friends at my alma mater for some hot chocolate and memories, for whatever reason, football brings people together.

And there's another sport this time of year that does grab my attention more than football. Baseball. We're in the thick of the World Series, and so far it's panning out to be an exciting one!

No matter what sport you are having a gameday party for, whip up some of these easy to make poppers to munch on. Word of warning though, I did not say they are in any way healthy! Please enjoy in moderation, and don't send me the bill from your cardiologist.

Jalapenos
velveeta cheese or cream cheese- your choice
bacon, uncooked

Cut the jalepenos lenghtwise and use a spoon to remove the seeds. Please take it from me, YOU NEED GLOVES FOR THIS. I once thought "jalepenos are a girly pepper, not even hot! I don't need gloves!" two days later, my hands were still on fire. Cut the velveeta cheese into chunks that fit inside the jalapeno= about an inch long, half inch wide, and half inch tall should do it. Or use a spoon to fill the jalapenos with cream cheese. Wrap the cheese filled jalapeno with the bacon and place in a baking dish. DO NOT use a cookie sheet, as the bacon grease will drip down into your oven and catch on fire.

Bake at 350F until the bacon is crispy. Drain grease and serve the poppers warm, with ranch dressing and salsa.

My brothers have pointed out to me that these can be deep fried, or battered and deep fried, but I have no deep frier and enjoy the ease of using my oven. Just keep a close eye on the grease in the oven, and probably you should familiarize yourself with your fire extinguisher! (says the girl who caught her scrambled eggs on fire last week!)