Yesterday's football action was pretty mundane, if you ask me (since you're reading this, you must have!!).  No major upsets, unless you're counting NC State over Eastern Carolina.  My only pick that was way off was the Alabama/Arkansas game.....and I'm still not convinced about Bama.  Arkansas was just worse than I thought they were.  We'll find out about the Tide next weekend in Athens.

I wasn't overly impressed with the Buckeyes win, but was overly impressed with Mr. Pryor.  Yes, he can throw the ball, too!  Big Ten season starts next weekend and we still have some problems to fix....namely on defense.  Still missing too many tackles.

As I mentioned, I made Ina's fabulous Cheddar Corn Chowder....and it was.  Here's the recipe:

8 ounces bacon, chopped (I use Applewood smoked)

1/4 cup good olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

12 cups chicken stock

6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)

10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)

2 cups half and half

1/2 pound sharp white Cheddar cheese, grated

In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.  Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cobs and blanch the kernels for 3 minutes in boiling salted water (I omit this step.  It's not necessary)  If using frozen corn, you can skip this step.  Add the corn to the soup, then add the half and half and cheddar.  Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot with a garnish of bacon and more cheese.

I also tried out a new recipe for Black Bean Dip that was a hit (plus it's low-fat and healthy!!)

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Place beans in a food processor and pulse until almost smooth.  Combine the beans and the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring until well blended.  Let stand 30 minutes.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Luke brought along his famous jalapeno and cheese (yes, Southern Boy, made it with orange cheese) cornbread which was the perfect companion to the soup!  If you check out this blog, Elmer may have talked his dad into posting the recipe.

This week is Barefoot Blogger's week and the recipe is Mushroom Soup so I'll be posting that on Thursday.

I'm off to the wine cellar to spend the day.