DOES YOUR SUPER BOWL FEVER COST TOO MUCH?

Imagine that many people spend more money to be at the Super Bowl game than their entire allowance for Christmas gifts.   That one day ticket to the New Jersey venue, with all the trimmings, can cost as much as a week’s vacation on a cruise ship or even a new car. 

Super Bowl parties are a great option, especially with the electronics that almost make as if you were seated there, and most likely minus that warm gear you’ll need for protection from this wonderful frigid air.   Pre-celebrations are popping up as well including a Sailgate Party the days before.   On Friday, January 31^st and Saturday February 1^st, chow down on game day grub while taking in the New York skyline view on the elegant “glassy” Bateaux, one of many ships associated with Entertainment Cruises. www.entertainmentcruises.com

Times Square converted an area into Superbowl Way…a way to cash in on the New Jersey venue figuring on many people will go into Manhattan for entertainment.  Bobsledding?  They are calling it a slide.  Heard them talking about it all on Good Day New York with Rosanna Scotto and Greg Kelly. Rosanna hasn’t let up on her “injury” when members of the New York Sharks, women’s pro football team were there to demonstrate some football “moves” as she became the quarterback.  Greg had told the Nose Guard to rush her.  Oops!  Now, Rosanna is a bit reluctant to riding the slide. www.nysharksfootball.com

Vetro restaurant, in Howard Beach, is hosting a party the day of the game starting at 6 p.m. View the game on a ten foot screen and enjoy a buffet style dinner with all American favorites. Keep the celebration going with a cocktail from their Top Shelf open bar. Participate for prizes at halftime and at the end of the game. Price is $80 complete! www.vetronyc.com

My thoughts are at my home and a menu that a group of females into gourmet foods might prefer.  Time to shop at Fairway as I think about the grub.  With much of the food being protein, breakfast needs to provide both warmth and fiber.  Bob’s Red Mill has multi-grain hot cereals and Fairway has their brand on Greek Yogurt and Organic Milk.  

No Velveeta for me!  With all the variety of cheeses here I asked Ann for a combo that would do well on taste and melt.  “Australian Cheddar and New Zealand 12 month aged.”  Ben’s natural cream cheese and a Russian pot cheese conjured up thoughts of making blintzes as well. I will test Ann’s combo by making a grilled cheese sandwich on a challah bread roll.  Tested it out on the Pro-Bowl game and did not like the combo.

Finger food!  Fairway’s no-chemical frozen shrimp was on sale. Murray’s has a new brand of chicken with no GMO’s and sealed packaged with no foam thing on the bottom.  Chicken Wings! I’ll cut them into wing parts and marinate.  Fresh cod and organic salmon fillets. I’ll grind some up that will make for fabulous fish cakes.  Got the eggs and panko bread crumbs to make them mini-sized.  Sushi would also be a great item.  Hey, we can use the chop sticks as utensils!

Filet Mignon was also on sale.  I cut it up into small sizes for sliders.  Fairway steak sauce and cole slaw as I’ll be cutting up the rolls. Slaw is already washed and shredded.  Just need to add salt, mayo and sugar.  

Last week I attended one of Fairway’s delicious cooking events.  Australian Lamb chops that inspired me to make lollipop lamb chops.  A rack has 8 chops and already trimmed.  

Gotta have beer and no six-pack will do.  Have you ever seen the variety that Fairway has?  With the traveling and tasting that I’ve done in the past, there were two tall bottled beers that caught my eye and palate memory. Both Belgian, one is called Kwak.  The other, a framboise, Lambic ale brewed with raspberries. OMG!

Dessert.  While in the bakery dept I spotted a Fairway NY Style Cheesecake that was challenging Junior’s. For me the challenge would be against one made at La Cheesecake in College Point.  Hmmm…I have the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, almond extract…I just might create my own.  

As it happens I also attended a sneak peek Housewares Show, the preview to the annual one in Chicago.  What could be better than a Vita-Mix?  A Bellini Kitchen Master cooks…not just heats and is self-cleaning. I’ll follow up on this when it arrives. In the meantime check the product out on www.cedarlaneculinary.ca 

I asked Stephen, the GM of the Douglaston venue, for any particular recommendation.  “Fairway has their own torilla chips, salsa and guacamole”. Got the chunky style guac and it wasn’t chunky at all.  Let’s see. I have the cheeses, cilantro and a can of crushed tomatoes. Cheese combo may work better with this.  Perhaps someone may still be hungry since you never know how long that game will last.

INDY SIGHTSEEING

It's not as if we went from the zoo to dinner. We took ride around a few of the areas. Indianapolis has a record for the number of monuments, although we didn't go to all. There was the Indiana Veterans Memorial Plaza and Monument Circle with the Soldier's and Sailor's Monument which I took a photo from two angles.

Loads of construction going on due to next year's locale for the 2012 Superbowl. Not too much of a deterrence though.

Saw a few cars representing the Indy 500 around, one near the Monument Circle and the other in the parking lot of Meridian restaurant.

Oh yeah, we went back to Long's Bakery a few more times.

Although they weren't sights, there were a few "sites" that I must mention. Had to take a break by going to a spa. Studio 2000 Spa, that is in downtown Indianapolis. This is an historic Art Deco salon and spa located on the second floor of the Circle Tower at the Monument Circle. The spa is "the show place of the Circle Tower Building designed in 1929 by the noted architectural firm of Rubish & Hunter. The salon operated as a men's barbershop from 1929 to 1989 under two successive owners. Then, Linda Williams and Mel Brandenburg acquired the space, updated and expanded the salon and reopened in December 1989 as Studio 2000." The original Art Deco interior of the barbershop now used as the "relaxation room" where our robed guests lounge between spa services.

So what was my indulgence? A package called The Cleopatra: Full Body Exfoliation,
Redefine Nourish Body Wrap, Vichy shower, Anti-Oxidant Mask with Lip Blooming Treatment, Face & Foot Massage, 1/2 Hour Moisturizing Massage, Salon Shampoo and Style. It was a total of 3 hours with relaxation in between. I was ready for the rest of Indy.

Then there was the night that we went to see the musical Chicago at the Studio Theatre located at the Center for the Performing Arts. What a trek! We got the the Center but couldn't find the theatre. We went to the main theatre and thought it was odd that people were so dressed up. Special concert and wrong theatre. Had to go across but due to construction had to walk all the way around. Saw the name of the theatre (which was passed when parking) but there was no sign that said that Chicago was the performance.

The theatre is a not large and looks more like an indoor amphitheater. As for the show, it was good but not great as compared to Broadway. Not that anyone was off key or such and the two female leads gave the best performance.