• 1 lb. macaroni noodles
• ½ stick of butter
• 1 ½ cup milk
• 1 pouch Velveeta cheese sauce
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded smoked cheddar (It is important to make sure it is smoked cheddar – for the flavor!)
• 1 egg
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers
• ½ lb. sauteed shrimp
• ½ lb. cooked lump crab meat
• Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, Old Bay, and paprika (Feel free to add or subtract whatever seasonings you prefer!)

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add a pinch of salt and a splash of olive oil to the water.
2. Add noodles to the water and cook until soft.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a large baking dish.
4. In a mixing bowl, combine milk, egg, seasonings, and shredded cheeses. If you want your mac a little richer, add a splash of heavy whipping cream with the milk.
5. Stir half of the ½ stick of butter and Velveeta sauce pouch into the noodles until well combined.
6. Pour the milk and cheese mixture into the noodles and mix. Pour into baking dish.
7. Add sauteed shrimp and cooked crab meat into pan.
8. Melt remaining butter, crush Ritz crackers, combine and top the pan with mixture. If you don’t like a lot of crust, you don’t have to use the whole sleeve of crackers.
9. Bake 20-25 minutes.

Tangy and spicy!

My love of Thai food predates my marriage to my Thai husband. You really can’t go wrong with any Thai dish because it’s all amazing. However, my marriage does come with perks: cooking lessons. I am now trained in making one of our favorite snacks – Thai beef jerky. Whether you eat it by itself or with a pinch of sticky rice, this dish won’t last long at your event.

Most of these ingredients can be found in your regular grocery store. BUT I would highly recommend visiting a local Asian market for some items on this list such as the chili flakes and fish sauce for a more authentic taste. Also, the rice needed to make sticky rice usually is found only at an Asian market. I have not had much luck finding sweet or glutinous rice at Kroger or Wal-Mart.

Probably the most important tip for this recipe is your beef. Lean cuts like sirloin aren’t going to work for this. You’ll need something with a different texture like tri-tip or skirt steak. Either is fine but my husband and I are fond of tri-tip. It’s great for beef jerky, Thai beef salad, or just grilled and sliced.

• 1 lb. beef
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 tsp chili flakes (or to taste if you’d like it spicier)
• 1 tsp sugar

1. Cut the beef into strips about 4 inches long and an inch wide.
2. Mix the wet ingredients and seasonings together and marinate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and like a baking sheet with foil. Spread strips onto baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Take beef strips out of the oven and flip. Return to oven for another 20 minutes.
6. Repeat twice, then remove from oven. The strips should have a dry texture.
7. Pour remaining marinade into a pot and bring to a boil on the stove until it thickens.
8. Heat some oil in a wok or skillet.
9. Coat the beef strips in the thickened marinade and fry for 1 to 1 ½ minutes.

1. Soak 3 cups of sweet rice in water for 4-6 hours.
2. Rinse rice and place into rice cooker basket.
3. To measure the amount of water needed, place your middle finger on top of the rice and fill until the water touches the first joint on your finger. No matter what kind of rice you’re steaming or how much, this trick will always yield the perfect amount of water.
4. Steam for 20 minutes.

Serve the jerky and rice together on a platter. Take a pinch of rice with a piece of jerky and enjoy!

To be honest, I had to Google the names of the teams that played before writing this article. I didn’t have much invested in the game. It’s safe to say I’m not in this for the sports.

Indeed, I’m just here for the food and funny commercials. As usual, the ads featured star-studded rosters, songs and phrases we’ll all be quoting or singing for weeks, followed by a sudden urge to buy some products we probably don’t need.

Which commercials came out on top?

Drake from State Farm

Maybe it’s just me, but ever since State Farm debuted the entertaining advertisement starring Jake (you know, the one with the, uh, khakis), I’ve chuckled at the idea of a Drake feature. I’m a fan and the names rhyme. As if State Farm read my mind, their Super Bowl commercial gave their already popular ad a fun twist. Drake is now an acting double for Jake! By the way, Patrick Mahomes, Aaron Rodgers, and Paul Rudd also make an appearance to round out the commercial and supply some laughs. If the Jake from State Farm ad wasn’t memorable enough before, it certainly will be now. I suddenly feel as if I need a new quote on car insurance…

Amazon’s Alexa Gets a Make-Over

Amazon rolled out a new style of their Alexa assistant and one woman in this commercial proclaims, “I couldn’t imagine a more beautiful vessel for Alexa to be inside.”

Enter Michael B. Jordan.

Viewers see a flash of “what could be” and this upgrade puts Mr. Jordan right in her home as a personal assistant. We see him telling her she’s beautiful in French and reading to her in a bubble bath. All while her husband is trying very hard to pull the plug on New Alexa. Cutting back to reality (in the commercial), another employee doesn’t hesitate to ask, “Do you know if we have any extra ones of these?”

Let’s go check in the back, friend. Amazon definitely “made us look” with that one.

Squarespace Dances with Dolly.  

This ad is just plain catchy, and I’m not just saying that because I regularly blast Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5” on my way to work. Squarespace put a spin on Dolly’s classic to demonstrate their company’s website building capabilities. Employees are shuffling through their 9 to 5 routine in a boring, mundane office. When it’s close to quitting time, each employee springs to life as they finish a website for their passion and perform a choreographed dance showcasing their site’s theme. This is set to a reversal of “9 to 5”, demonstrating Squarespace’s understanding that many people pursue hobbies and careers outside of office hours as Dolly sings about working from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The company shows off their specialty and makes an impression, maybe even making a few viewers dance along.

With the good comes the bad. Not every commercial made us laugh, sing, or reflect. There’s always one that misses their mark and sounds a tad tone-deaf.

Robinhood Says “We’re All Investors”

In this commercial, Robinhood features clips of average, everyday people to illustrate that anyone can invest in the stock market because we’re all the same. Equality. This sentiment did not go over well with viewers. In fact, many took to Twitter to ream the trading company as it recently blocked users from buying certain stocks and then proceeded to send out a message seeming to guide them on being “good investors”. The company tried to muster an inclusive message, but there were viewers that did not buy it. One user Tweeted, “The free market is only free until rich people lose money”. Given their recent spotlight in the media, a different approach by Robinhood may have been better received.   

Which commercials were your favorites? Were there any you didn’t like? Leave a comment and let us know!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Cover the bottom of the pan with the shredded chicken.
4. Place chunks of cream cheese over the chicken and spread as evenly as possible.
5. Mix ranch dressing with buffalo sauce and pour over top.
6. Sprinkle cheese over the mixture.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese melts and dip is bubbly.

Or, simply add all of the ingredients to a slow cooker and heat on low. I like to bake it so that there’s a nice layer of cheese on top. Dip with whatever you like: tortilla chips, celery, or crackers. It’s even good enough to eat by itself!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cut chocolate into pieces. Melt half in the microwave.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar. Next, add eggs and vanilla.
4. Stir in melted chocolate.
5. Sift flour, cocoa powder, and salt into the mixture. Fold in the dry ingredients. Add in remaining chocolate pieces.
6. Pour batter into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper.
7. Bake 20-25 minutes. For gooier brownies, less is more.
8. Allow to cool completely before enjoying.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Add sausage and pimento cheese into a mixing bowl and combine.
3. Add Bisquick and knead well.
4. Roll into 1-inch balls. Try an ice cream scooper! Even portions every time.
5. Place balls on a baking sheet that’s either been sprayed with Pam or lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes. They should be golden brown.
7. If there are any left over, store in a Ziplock or Tupperware in the fridge.