The Not-So-Lonely Orphans Club

For the past year or so, we have spent most of our Sunday afternoons with another family who, like us, doesn't have any family here in town to spend Sunday afternoons with. We've become our own little Left Behind Gang and our arrangement works swimmingly because we're A) in complete agreement that cozy clothes are mandatory for Sundays; B) movies from the 80s and early 90s are worth watching again; and C) every problem in the world can be solved with good food.

Good. Food.

This past fall, Matt and Jen joined the gang and now we actually have family to spend our Sunday's with but after a year of no-topic-is-off-limits with our dear friends, well, they're family too.

And so yesterday we found ourselves altogether once again.

Last year, as we decided to step things up a bit for the Superbowl!, we went with an all-appetizer theme and it was a huge hit. So huge that it took several days and half a bottle of Costco Tums to recover from. We are foodies through and through and we went all out.

This year, in anticipation of the great day where athletes beat the tar out of each other and the boys pay attention and the girls wait anxiously for the commercial breaks, we planned a menu fit for kings. And queens. Maybe even a prince or two.

Now, I don't do your standard Superbowl! fair. I'm not into buffalo wings. I don't even understand the concept behind little smokies. (It's like someone figured out how nasty hot dogs are and shrunk them down to bite-sized to make them more tolerable.) So our menu was as follows:

Ruffles and Uncle Dan's Ranch
Pita Chips and Artichoke Dip
Sweet Little Doggies
Fried Ravioli's and Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Won-Tons
Pear & Spinach Salad with poppy seed dressing
Four Tier Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups (yes, you read that right)

If I had to pick a favorite, well, that would be like telling you which child I love the most. An impossible task. I rotated throughout the day. Sometimes my love of the perfectly curled Ruffle with just the right amount of Uncle Dan's was the clear winner. Later, as I savored another won-ton dipped in the most delicious sauce the world over was my top dog. And then the ravioli's.

Lord have mercy, the ravioli's.

Since I've talked about my passion for food and cooking on this here little blog before, I thought I'd share my recipe. It's mostly thrown together based on my tastes but the basic recipe comes from my culinary hero, Giada.

Is it even legal for someone to look that good and cook the food she cooks? Just wondering.

Fried Ravioli's

1 package pre-made ravioli, thawed
(I used the big bag from Costco because Costco ROCKS)
3 cups of Italian bread crumbs
Favorite Italian seasonings per taste
1 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups buttermilk
Olive oil

-Dip thawed ravioli's in buttermilk, coating completley and removing excess. Dredge in bread crumb/parmesan mixture.
-Place ravioli's in large skillet covered with 3-4 inches of olive oil heated to 350 degrees. Cook for about 3 minutes.
-Remove ravioli's to paper towels and drain off excess.

Alfredo Sauce

1 pint heavy cream
1 stick of butter
2-3 T cream cheese, more if runny
2/3 cup parmesan cheese, more if runny
Garlic, salt and pepper to taste

-Combine heavy cream, butter and cream cheese in saucepan until well combined. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

This little dish will knock your socks off. If you have taste buds. And a pulse. It will not disappoint.

It may also send you to the nearest fat camp, but couldn't everyone use a little time away?

Thanks dear friends, and our dear family, for making Sundays my favorite day of the week.