An Illustrious American Tradition

Tonight, right now, It is February 6th and in USA it is still February 5th. This means Super Bowl Sunday. 
 For me, this is a time to sit with my family and enjoy the game. I would have cooked a few things for tonight. I love cooking. I would have made the usual Pizza, Nachos and bought Hot wings from Papa Johns, made hot spinach dip and had caramel corn and it would have been a Bad A$$ Super Bowl Party. I love watching the Super Bowl. I do not really have a favorite team per say. I love the Broncos, the Green Bay Packers and I very much like the Dallas Cowboys. Those three are my top. I like the 49'ers but I have to say I very much like the Broncos right now. I have known about the Patriots because my best friend's dad in High School was a Professional Player for them. He went on the Coach at B.Y.U. 
  I have always wanted to go to a Professional Football Game. I have gone to a couple Professional Base Ball Games. 
For some of you that wanted to know about this wonderful All American Sport, Let me give you a little bit of a back ground. 
 First off, The Early Settlers have said that Native Americans had played a game with an inflated ball and they would tackle each other to get to avoid the ball getting to the  "Goal". 
 The Game evolved from that and a game in England called "Mob Football". 
 The first known game from Universities in USA were between Harvard Freshmen and Harvard Sophmores called "Bloody Monday" this tradition is believed to start around 1820 and went until 1861,until Princeton and Yale banned it. As Universities were banning the game, which was violent and a lot of injuries were common, a couple of factories on the East Coast started making the balls. This made them easier to carry and kick, as they were far more symmetric. 
So, Kicking and Running games were developed. becomming more strategic. 
 In 1870 members from Yale, Columbia, Princeton and Rutgers got together and came up with Codes of Conduct for Intercollegiate Teams. 
 Using some of the rules to Soccer and some rules in Rugby, College Football set a standard for all of that time, what is considered American Football now. 
 we can not mentnion the development of American Football wityh out saying anything about Walter Camp. We call him the Father of Football. 
Between 1930 and 1950, the game had developed into Bowls for the Universities. As you can see, University Football is bigger than the NFL, if that can be possible. 
There is just about the same amount of money in the University or College football than the NFL. Texas A&M being one of the biggest if not the biggest Univeristy for the funding of College Football. 
 Games and equipment have improved, the fact that Southern Schools allow Arican American Players to play, which was started in the 1940-1950. This has increased for the love of the game.
Super Bowl has only been around since 1966. 
 Super Bowl Sunday is the second largest day of food sonsumption in the USA, after Thanksgiving Day. over 111 million viewers watch the Super Bowl every year and increasing numbers. It is the biggestt Commercial day, as well and large companies will spend millions of dollars for the 2 minute time slot for a Super Bowl Sunday Commercial. 

Now

First Game between Princeton and Rutgers

First known American Football Team circa 1820

 

 

Bringing in 2012

This year, I hung out with my Turkish Family for New Year. 
 This is typical in Turkey to hang out with family or friends, just like they do in America. 
 So, I went just the day before yesterday and bought some fresh flowers for the table. We cooked a whole pumpkin, and I made pumpkin bread out of the pumpkin. I froze the rest in two cup packages and put them in the freezer for when I want pumpkin puree. 
 I made some really hot Hot Sauce and sliced Chicken Breast and marinated the chicken in the hot sauce over night. 
 I forgot about the corn in the freezer, but I will use it later. 
 I made caramel corn. I do not have brown sugar here. Turkish women call brown sugar when we call it Raw Sugar. 
So, I have taught myself to make brown sugar. Thank goodness for my love for cooking and being in the 4 H and being in all those cooking classes... I have been able to use that to my advantage here. 
 Anyway
I made the best caramel cream stuff so I will experiment with Caramel Apples later!
 I made Toffee... Which came out more like ... Soft Toffee, and so I have to have a thermometer. I thought there was one at Ikea, and I tried to ask, but Long Rocks dad was saying LET'S GO and I speak Turkish slow. Anyway, I made the Toffee in the late Soft Ball Stage and needed to wait a few more minutes... Sigh... So it is somewhat soft for Toffee.
But, it is my first attempt with a hard candy recipe with no Thermometer, and not all the proper ingredients. I had to recreate it. I say I am doing pretty good. 


 So, I will post pictures tomorrow of my food... Here is what we did. 
 My Turkish mom and I made our food and cooked all day. At about 7:45 my Turkish aunt and her family came over. We played the Wii and socialized, danced, had a lot of fun. 
 I had to make the best of the situation: being homesick, not having Long Rock around me... It has been really hard for me so I think I did well for the circumstances. 


Pictures::

I bought the flowers a day before and made the arrangements right when I brought the flowers home. I made Caramel Corn, Hot Spicy Chicken Breast, we had rice with this pasta in it, beef, sliced carrots, regular sliced bread, stuffed cabbage, Toffee, Nestle Coffee and cola, we had a king's meal. I decorated the table, with the help of my Turkish mom. It was fun

We looked and looked for these glasses that were solid red. they were so pretty but We only found the ones with red and clear. I thought that the glasses were pretty anyway

Long Rocks cousin on the right and his uncle on the left.

My Father in law (to be)

This would have been a perfect picture if I would have noticed the flower in my Turkish mom's face! hahahaha. I am silly sometimes.

This is a great picture. Left: Anneanne, Mert, Anne, Teyze

Right in the gray is my Turkish Father in law, and the striped shirt is my Turkish uncle

Daughters and mother for a photo op

They wanted my mom to see the napkins in teh picture. I don't think they realized I took a pretty pic of the table beforehand.

Learning to lay the Wii

And The Learning teaching to play the wii...

Surprising, they were a great team. I did not remember which hand I play bowling and played right hand... Yeah I am a left handed bowler.

My Turkish Cousin playing but dude, look in the right, the guy in the white shirt... That is Long Rock's Mii!!! Funny

Whaaat? Another Spare???

Mert (Turkish cousins name) Up to lay... Come, Mert! You can do it!

Aunt had to go in the kitchen. Anne took her turn. She is really good at playing bowling

How is it that Mert and I had to teach them every time they went to bowl, but we got our butt's kicked!?!

Turkish Uncle and Cousin playing bowling.

Playing Table Tennis

They were fun to watch!

And what is the New Year with out some music?

And Dancing

And Getting a New Year Spank for Good luck! Hahaha