M-I-Z-Z-O-U

8pm Eastern: University of Missouri vs. University of Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. This is the biggest game in either school's football history. Victory will secure a position in the Big 12 Championship, and will put the winning team one step closer to a National Championship. Mizzou is going to rock it. Personally I will be chanting "Rock CHOKE Jayhawk" throughout the entirety of the game. What is a Jayhawk anyway? A fictitious red and blue bird. I predict we will handily de-feather the 'hawks. Victory will be sweet.

The table is set...

So tomorrow is the big day... the day I have been preparing for since November 1st. No joke, I actually wrote out our Thanksgiving menu and shopping list on the first of November. It's been tacked to our fridge, staring back at me, silently taunting me with its 2-appetizer 1-protein 6-sidedish 2-dessert challenge. If you haven't discerned just how anal I am yet, now you definitely know. I think I am rightfully anal in this situation, though, for two reasons. I will outline them for you in an easy-to-read, understandable format: 1. This is my first time ever cooking a Thanksgiving dinner a. If you ask me, I can hold my own in the kitchen b. However, a meal of this size and scope requires careful planning c. For a lass like me, it requires meticulous planning, including planning out the serving dishes and utensils I will be using for each dish d. Why is such planning required? See #2 2. The inlaws are coming for their first visit ever. This is notable for several reasons: a. Throughout our dating life, we always lived in the same town as the in-laws, thereby requiring no overnight or extended stays by either party b. Said in-laws will be staying until Tuesday of next week, thereby requiring not only conscientious meal planning throughout the rest of the weekend and into the week... but also thoughtful activity and entertainment planning So with all of that being said, the house is clean, the dishes are prepped, the turkey is in brine, and my table is set. The table is gorgeous if I do say so myself. This Thanksgiving marks the first time we get to use our new Vera Wang Grosgrain china, a most generous wedding gift from aforementioned in-laws. For anyone who is having second thoughts about registering for china, do it anyway. I had no idea that having pretty china would make me so happy as I set my table today. Yes, it's superficial but I LOVE IT. So, moral of the story: yes, this holiday has brought about a bit of stress. However, I fully intend on enjoying it, as Turkey Day is my favorite holiday. I'm hoping the six bottles of red I have in my pantry will have some influence on my degree of enjoyment. As my gift to you, please enjoy this warm & fuzzy Thanksgiving thought, courtesy of someecards.com:

How do you feed a family of 5 on a coupla dozen eggs and a 12 oz roll of sausage?

I hereby proclaim this the funniest bit of audio I have heard in a fortnight: http://consumerist.com/consumer/audio/devoted-customer-upset-jimmy-dean-downsized-sausage-16oz-to-12oz-but-charges-same-price-322223.php According to this feller, people from the South do not enjoy the sage or maple varieties of roll sausage.

Pomegranate Guacamole

K, so Blog Soup is not officially a food blog, but food and cooking are topics I like to discuss from time to time. Tonight is one of those times. Plus, things have been kind of dead around here (which is not a bad thing), so the excitement of cooking every night is what is bringing substance to this blog right about now. (And I suppose if this were a real food blog, I would have pictures. But I don't, so use your wild imaginations!) I write this as the hubs and I are happily snacking on a bowl of pomegranate guacamole. Pom Guac is probably in my top three favorite apps of all time. Just a sec, must go back for one...more...bite... ...Okay I'm back. The only reason I pried myself away from the bowl was that it was almost gone and I'm feeling nice so I let the Mister have the last bite and a half. So let me tell you about the world's most delicious guac. It's not traditional... oh no, you will not find any tomatoes or garlic in this one, senor. Pom Guac is a true gourmet guac, and it literally bursts into your mouth with freshness. Get a load of these ingredients: One avocado, mashed Two green onions, finely chopped Half of a cucumber (seeds removed), diced 3 T. of cilantro, finely chopped salt and pepper Arils (lovely juicy seeds) of 1/2 of a pomegranate Combine all ingredients and season to taste. Top with additional pomegranate arils if desired. I like to serve with the Hint of Lime Tostitos. (Hint: click the link and you'll also find some great tips on how to peel a pom without staining your favorite shirt.) That's it. Wonderfully simple and healthy. Ok so the chips are probably not so healthy, but you could serve it with celery sticks or some other crunchy vegetable if you absolutely must...but I advise against it. Like I said, it literally bursts in your mouth with freshness: the juciness of the arils and the subtle flavor of the cucumber make this dish tops in my book. Pomegranates are only in season in the fall, so get on it yesterday!

Chop-os de Puerco

Did anyone else grow up with pork chops and applesauce as a staple in their weeknight family dinners? I did. I loved it. This was one of my favorite meals as a kid. So when I saw this recipe online, I wanted to give it a try... pork chops and applesauce with a bit of an updated twist. They were excellent, if I do say so myself. The balsamic reduced beautifully which gave the pork chops great color. This recipe is courtesy of kraftfoods.com, with slight changes noted by yours truly. I would have pictures... 'cept I couldn't keep the hubster away from them long enough to snap a shot! Carmelized Pork Chops with Pears

4 bone-in pork chops (1-1/2 lb.), 3/4-inch-thick (bone-in is important - gives good flava')

1 tsp. oil (I used olive)

1/4 cup KRAFT Light Balsamic Vinaigrette Reduced Fat Dressing, divided (I used Garlic Expressions and added some balsamic)

1 small onion, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves

1 can (15-1/4 oz.) pear halves, undrained (undrained is important... keeps the chops juicy)

Brown chops in oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 min. on each side. Remove from skillet; set aside.

Add 2 Tbsp. of the dressing, onions, garlic and rosemary to skillet. Cook 3 min.

Return chops to skillet. Add pears and remaining 2 Tbsp. dressing. Simmer on medium heat 10 min. or until chops are cooked through (160ºF). Arrange chops on platter; spoon sauce over chops.

Weekend Update

Fun things to report today!

First of all, I got to meet Carrie Underwood on Friday! She was here at our station promoting her new album, Carnival Ride. Now I am not a huge American Idol fan, but I really think that Carrie has broken out of her Idol shell and truly established herself as a force in country music. That girl has some pipes. I particularly love her new song, "So Small." You can see it here. The lyrics are great.

And here is my pic with the star:

Second, the hubs and I had an unplanned visit to the Decatur Wine Festival this weekend. So much fun. We hooked up with some of the Mister's work buddies and also brought our cool next door neighbor along with us. Quick rundown of the event: $30 gets you admission, your choice of over 200 wine tastings, nibbles from local restaurants and a commemorative glass. (The latter I lost somewhere along the way.) The weather was perfect... 70 and not a cloud in the sky. Is there a better day for sampling 200 wines? I think not. I had mostly reds, my favorite being a grape I had never tried before... Pinotage. Apparently the roots of two types of grapes were grafted together to form a new grape. Hints of fruit with a smoky finish. Total yum all around. Probably good that the event was only from 1-4, because otherwise Decatur would have 1,500 sloshed peeps roaming their town. On that note, I will say that nearly everyone I talked to at the wine fest was in a fantastic mood. I guess the vino has a way with people...