Well, the big Sunday is coming!

NO, not Super Bowl Sunday… the one after that.

Valentines DAY!

Got plans for the big day of romance with your special woman?

I personally don’t like the idea of focusing just one day out of the year on romancing our wives. It should be something we family dads naturally WANT to do on a very regular basis.

But the busy-ness of work, family, and every other demand on our time and energy can sometimes drag us into a “rut” or take the edge off our romantic creativity and planning.

So here are some ideas I came up with to help you express your love to her if you need a little help. But the important thing is to communicate to our wives, in our own unique way, just how important she is to us, how much we love her, and that we enjoy, desire, and cherish her.

1) Go for a leisurely drive in the countryside and just talk and enjoy the scenery together. Pack a picnic lunch or early dinner and look for a spot to share the meal together. (Hint: don’t have her prepare all the food for the picnic.)

2) Send all the kids downstairs to watch a movie, and then go for a long walk, hand-in-hand, with your gal, sharing with each other whatever she would like to talk about.

3) Write love notes to her and put them in all the places she will be that day… the nightstand, the sock drawer, the bathroom mirror, the fridge, her seat in the car (or minivan), and so on.

4) Organize something fun with your kids so that all of you can express your love for mom together. Let your children give input until you come up with something fun and meaningful together.

5) If faith is part of your family experience, have an extended time of praying together alone with your wife, perhaps at the beginning of the day. Pray for your marriage, your children, your finances, your future, other people, and anything else God leads you to pray about. Let this time be unhurried and Spirit-led — not a laundry list to pray through.

6) Read a great marriage book together out loud, or at least several chapters, such as Love & War by John and Stasi Eldredge, Two Fleas and No Dog by Craig Hill, or Love and Respect by Emerson Eggerichs.

7) Forbid your wife to enter the kitchen all day long, and do all the dishes yourself or with your children helping.

If you’re really courageous, take some time to ask her what you can do to make your marriage better and then listen, carefully and undefensively, to what she tells you. Be sensitive not to get into a verbal fight over this! Don’t try to defend yourself but allow this time to be constructive for your marriage.

9) Do the “get-the-kids-to-bed” routine yourself while your wife takes a relaxing bubble bath accompanied by her favorite music.

10) End the night by candlelight and some physical romance. No commentary needed!

Since our wives are incredibly valuable and meaningful to us, let’s take advantage of this opportunity to intentionally and proactively express our deep love for them this Valentines Day.

Image credit: Christopher Rayan

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2. Another Family Hurt by Adultery
3. I’m Too Busy for My Spouse! What Do I Do?

New Orleans Saints (15-3) Vs. Indianapolis Colts (16-2)

Time: Sunday at 6:25 PM EST on CBS

How they match up: This is a dream match up for the avid football fan. These teams stack up so well on paper that (for once) there doesn’t seem to be an overwhelming favorite. The obvious pick is the Colts due to Peyton Manning’s leadership and his over the top playoff numbers. But, don’t overlook the rag-tag group from New Orleans. Drew Brees and company finished with the top ranked offense in the NFL by being the only team to average more than 400 yards per game. The unit also finished #1 in points scored (the only offensive stat that really matters) at an astonishing 31.9 points per game.

To say that New Orleans has a ton of weapons is a ridiculous understatement. Marques Colston (1074, 9 TD), Devery Henderson (804, 2 TD), Robert Meachem (722, 9 TD) and Jeremy Shockey (569, 3 TD) all finished with over 500 yards receiving. The three headed attack at running back in Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush is unstoppable. Of course, the leader of this group is Drew “Who Dat?” Brees. He was one of the top rated quarterback’s in the NFL this season (4388 passing yards, 34 TD, 11 INT).

The one downfall of the Saints is their defense, or lack there of. They were in the bottom half of the league (25^th), but allowed barely more points (21.3 average) than the Colts (19.2 average).

The Colts have a slightly better defense, but their real strength is on the offensive side of things. They are led by Peyton Manning and two of the best receivers in the game., wide out Reggie Wayne (1264 receiving yards and 10 TD) and tight end Dallas Clark (1106, 10 TD). Not to be overlook, though, are their two wildcards who seemed to come out of nowhere, Pierre Garcon (765, 4 TD) and Austin Collie (676, 7 TD). The big problem with the Colts offense is their lack of any semblance of a running attack. Having the worst ranked running unit in the NFL during the regular season hasn’t seemed to be a problem for Indy yet, though. I keep waiting for their one-dimensional offense to be exploited, but it never does.  They only had 42 yards rushing against the Ravens and still won 20-3 and they had 101 yards rushing in a 30-17 win over the Jets in the AFC championship. They may as well have Joseph Addai sitting next to Manning in a lawn chair because they clearly don’t need him.

Last time they played: September 6^th, 2007: Colts 41, Saints 10.

Prediction: Much like Adam Richman’s triumphant eating victory (180 oysters in 21 minutes) in New Orleans, the Saints, carried by their passionate and (overly) patient fans, will find a way to take down the Colts 34-28. Let it be known, that if you are betting on this game, you should probably bet the opposite. I’m like the Bernie Lootz of NFL playoff prediction.

*What do you think about my prediction? Who do you think is going to win the big game and why? Throw me an email cosburn@thefatherlife.com or drop a comment below

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Before my wife had two miscarriages on our first two pregnancies, whenever I heard the word “miscarriage” I thought about an old baby carriage, and a young couple living in the 1920’s who lose a child, and how it must be pretty terrible for them to have to put the carriage back into a closet. For some reason it was always the wrapping paper closet in my mind, and they would forget it was there, and then over and over, while they were trying to rush out the door and having to wrap a present really quickly, out falls the baby carriage and they just start crying… and they probably miss their party… and I always finished this whole thought process by thinking, “Just throw out the damn baby carriage!”

The thing is, when it happens to you (and then it happens again), the reality of losing two babies really sucks. The truth is there were times when seeing a Huggies commercial or eating a baby shrimp would put us over the edge. We were the wrapping paper people, leaving parties early because someone brought their cute kid and going to Red Lobster for the Admiral’s feast and beers on the days after both our miscarriages (making the best of being able to drink and eat shellfish for the first time in months).

Backing up, it started as something like… Dating, engagement, wedding, honeymoon, apartment, house, dog, vacations, “the itch,” pregnancy!

Well what’s so hard about making a baby? Only took us about 6 days, if that. Everything is filled with newness… reading the books about trimesters and cravings and circumcision, arguing about names and joking about whether we would let him dance if he really wanted to. I’m not sure if as a couple we grew closer in that time of wonderment, but looking back, it just fit into the plan. For me there was more ego and less of a sense of awe, which sounds really bad, but the truth is that there hadn’t been much to disrupt our neat little plan of action thus far. I was king of my castle! Add making babies to the list of my successes. Believe me, I don’t think like this now… not even close. I consider brushing my teeth twice a day a major accomplishment.

So, December 28th, 2007, we went in for a routine checkup, and BAM! Our baby no longer had a heartbeat. What follows is torture. There isn’t much worse than sympathy from strangers, especially when they do the same voice they would use for a 4 year old who dropped their ice cream cone in the sand. Stuff like, “aww, it must be hard,” as they rub your back. The next 24 hours were terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone to have to flush a 1 inch fetus down your toilet, and I think I loved my wife more on that day than any day since.

I’ll pause here for a second to try to explain what I’ve learned as a husband trying to support my wife through a miscarriage:

• It is not like a failed 4th down or a strikeout. There are deep, lasting emotional scars for a woman that center on the question, “Am I broken?”
• Do not tell her it’s OK. It’s not OK.
• She needs you as her rock during this time — not to give her puppy dog eyes and rub her back, but to hold her as she cries and make her feel safe.

Ok, fast-forward a few months, and she’s pregnant again! You can read more of my feelings about this whole process in a different article, but about two and a half months later, another miscarriage, this one with her ending up in the hospital for an emergency surgery after passing out at home. Talk about kicking a girl when she’s down…

Exactly 365 days after that 2nd miscarriage, my rock star wife gave birth to twins. Brett & Ella are an answer to many earnest and repeated prayers. They’ve softened my heart, given me a vision for our family, and have cut my free time by about 95%.

But your story may not go like mine. So I’m not going to give you an atta-boy speech about the little engine that could. The truth is, the 3rd time might not be the charm for you. Your genetic testing might come back with some problems. You might turn to some scientific help, adoption, or give up.  You’ll find most people are afraid to talk about fear and loss and defeat. Any stranger will tell you not to worry, that God has a healthy baby for you two someday. And that’s BS, because there might not be a healthy baby in your future. You might face years of tests and expensive procedures that leave you with nothing.

You’ll find statistics saying anywhere from 15-40% of pregnancies end in a miscarriage. So if multiple children are in your plans, the odds are against you, I’m afraid. As a guy, we’re not sure how to handle a loss like this. But believe me, your wife has attached herself so much more than you have to this unborn child. There is some serious ongoing grieving that she experiences, much more than we understand. There are some practical things you can do to really be what she needs.  Some of these I’ve learned from my own experience; the rest are from psychologist Erik Fisher, Ph.D:

• Remember the day of the miscarriage, and the original due date that the baby would have been born. Leave her a note that acknowledges the day, and plan an outing to get out of the house, like going to the movies.
• Understand how your wife deals with grief. Sometimes people need time to process and then talk, and sometimes they process while they
  talk. Check in with your wife to see what would help her to talk it through.
• I’ve said it before, but don’t tell your wife that everything will be OK and expect to move on.
• Expect for both of you to cry, and be ready to hold her when she does… not matter how often or how long.
• Make time to talk or spend time together everyday for at least a few weeks.
• Recognize that the pain from this does not go away in a few weeks; it can last months and years, especially depending on the efforts that were taken to get pregnant in the first place.
• Don’t expect her to be ready for sex for enjoyment or procreation anytime soon. Everyone is different, but a conversation can save a lot of frustration. She will connect sex with the miscarriage, and there is a lot of pain there.
• This is important: don’t feel afraid to get counseling to work this through. It can really help to build a marriage, especially if it is worked through successfully.

Recovering from miscarriage is never easy — for either of you.  But together, you can rebuild your lives and begin to move on.

Special thanks to “Dr. E,” aka Erik Fisher, Ph.D, for his contributions to this article.

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Did you have to pay the airlines “overweight” on your way home from your last business trip?  …and no I am not talking about your luggage.

For a lot of busy dads it seems just when we get on a role with our workouts and healthy eating, it all goes out the window when we have to go out of town for work.

I recently spent a week in Tampa, Florida, attending and speaking at fitness seminars with all the top fitness professionals, and I started to pick up on some of the secrets these guys use to stay in awesome shape even while spending a lot of time on the road.

So here are The 5 Best Ways To Stay In Shape While Traveling…

1. Workout No Matter What. After a busy 5 days of sitting on my butt in meetings and seminars I still managed to workout 4 out of the 5 days while in Florida, which is even more than I workout at home! The first day I got together with some fellow trainers and we trained together in the hotel gym. It wasn’t very big but had enough to get a great workout using our bodyweight and a few dumbbells. Then the next day we all headed to the local Powerhouse gym to get a great workout in a more upbeat gym atmosphere. Whether it’s a quick hotel room body-weight workout, a hotel gym workout or a big gym workout, just make sure you do some exercise while traveling to offset all the sitting down on airplanes and in meetings.

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My wife took me to see Nancy Meyers’ new movie, It’s Complicated, which stars Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin.  She had seen it a day or two before and wanted to see it with me saying, “It would be good for us.”  Honestly, I do tend to like what is typically labeled “chick flicks,” but don’t like director Nancy Meyers’ perfect world, perfect rich characters, perfect looking people, dressed and coifed just perfectly.  But, for the sake of marital harmony, I agreed.

I didn’t expect what followed.  Throughout the movie, my wife was jabbing me in the ribs whenever she wanted me to notice a point being made that she felt related to me or us. So, I left with bruised ribs, which ached even more toward the end of the movie during the one truly hilarious scene. I really enjoyed laughing that hard, in spite of the pained ribs, which I’ve totally exaggerated for sympathy anyway.

Without a doubt, the best thing about the movie is that comic scene near the end. It’s Complicated is also that rare movie title that really works and has so many other relevant meanings related to life, marriage, raising kids, and even a Facebook status.

There’s a definite reason that second marriages fail more than first ones, and third marriages fail even at a higher rate.  Our lives are that much more complicated the further we progress in them.  Add into the mix children, aging parents, job changes and losses, menopause, weight gain, other health issues, and you tend to wonder how we can get along at all as we get older and these things crop up.

There were countless marital clichés in Ms. Meyer’s movie, like how couples “drift apart,” “don’t work hard enough at it” or wind up “living separate lives,” none of which were necessarily exact quotes from the movie though all were spiritually in tune with the script.  My wife wanted me to see how this couple allowed their relationship to aimlessly drift apart, even though they had terrific chemistry and three wonderful kids.

This was a familiar scenario but it made us wonder in discussion afterward, how often couples do give up on each other, don’t put in the effort to keep things vibrant, or as in the case of the movie look elsewhere for affection and love, thus fatally damaging the marriage. Should an affair end a marriage? Well, we’ll address that another time as I have some strong opinions on that subject. In our marriage, we’ve just remained stubborn, set in our ways, and unwilling to change.

That admission notwithstanding, we are equally willing to recognize and own our faults, occasionally admit them out loud, and try and change them.  The “try” part is the operative word and mutual challenge. I am very stuck in my habits and patterns.  Further, as a couple we’ve become a bit stuck in a cyclical pattern where one of us has hurt feelings and retreats from the relationship with various excuses such as being tired, having work to do, or other equally lame and childish efforts to avoid what is really on our minds.  I’ll speak for myself in saying it’s cowardly and I hate when I’m doing it, I’m actually ashamed of myself, but I’m too stubborn to back off. It’s a classic lose-lose, but I’m right in my mind, even when I’m sleeping on the couch.

I know I’m not alone in these sorts of interactions as I hear examples of them every Monday night in my men’s group.  I thank God for these men as they remind me how often it is my reaction that aggravates the situation when my wife says something I find upsetting.  To take a phrase from our group, how I “show up” makes all the difference in whether a small incident escalates to a fight or I can “let it go,” maybe give my wife a hug even when I’m irritated with her, and move on vs. hang on.

In a recent therapy session, our therapist had some wise words.  He said that in the vast majority of marital arguments, both sides are to some degree or another, right. But, what difference does it make?  What good is being right if your partner, whom you supposedly love, is upset? Frankly, it’s childish. I stand by my rightness far too much and I lose as a result, let alone that I’ve hurt the woman I love and chose to share my life with.

Yes, relationships are complicated.  But, it takes two to make them work or fail and I’m grateful that I have a partner who is willing to admit her mistakes as readily as I will admit mine.  Where there’s that kind of communication, there’s hope and every chance to have a beautiful, nurturing, relationship.  Stay tuned.

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Happy trails to Kurt Warner. One of the greatest and most overlooked quarterbacks in NFL history retired this week. Warner was not even drafted in 1994 after completing his senior season at Northern Iowa. He was signed as a free agent by the Green Bay Packers, but was cut from the team in training camp. It wasn’t much of a surprise since the names above him on the depth chart were Heisman trophy winner Ty Detmer, Mark Brunell and the ageless Brett Favre.

After Green Bay, he stocked shelves at a grocery store for $5.50 per hour and began working as a graduate assistant at his Alma mater. In 1995, Warner signed to play with the Iowaw Barnstormers of the Arena league. He was named an all-star both seasons and led his team to two Arena Bowl appearances. In ’98 he was signed by the St. Louis Rams, but was dispatched to Amsterdam to play in NFL Europe.

Warner didn’t get his shot at starting in the NFL until Rams starter Trent Green tore his ACL during the ’99 preseason and Warner was pressed into duty. That year, he threw for 4,353 yards with 41 touchdown passes. The former grocery clerk had officially arrived.

He led the Rams to two Super Bowls (one win) before moving on to the Giants (where he helped start young Eli Manning’s career) and eventually Arizona. He led the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLII, a game they eventually lost to Pittsburgh 27-23 on a last second touchdown.

Warner finished his 12-year NFL career with 32,344 passing yards with 208 touchdowns and 128 interceptions. Only Brett Favre, Dan Marino and Peyton Manning have had more 300 yard passing performances in their careers.

Thanks for an exciting career. Please don’t pull a Favre.

NCAA Basketball: It seems like nobody wants to be #1. Texas held the top spot until they lost two in a row. They were replaced by Kentucky who quickly dropped a 68-62 decision against South Carolina. Kansas seems like the likely team to take the top spot when Monday’s rankings come out. Right now, Kansas is #2, Nova is #3 and Syracuse is #4. It remains to be seen how this recent shakeup will affect the rankings. How about ‘Cuse (21-1) for the top ranking? They are #1 in the RPI, but barely beat an under .500 Depaul team today 59-57.

MLB: Spring training is quickly sneaking up on us. The date for catchers and pitchers to report is less than a month away. I’m tired of all of these smelly winter sports. Bring on the baseball. Maybe we can put the steroid issues behind us this year? Nah, probably not. It’s only a matter of time that we find out that not only is Johan Santana really 45 years old, but he’s on so much juice that he doesn’t even know that he has to play for the Mets.

NFL: The Pro Bowl is this week. Let me be the 856^th writer to ask why? Why did this seem like a good idea? Having the game the week before the Super Bowl means that twelve players selected can’t play. What kind of sense does that make? Why not have the Pro Bowl in the middle of the season like every other sport so that it actually means something. This makes about as much sense as having your bachelor party the day before your wedding. It only happens in the movies because it’s a bad idea (see: The Hangover).

National Lacrosse League: The Toronto Rock are man handling the rest of the east. Most recently, they took out undefeated Rochester 17-3 in front of a raucous crowd at the ACC.  In the West, the biggest surprise is the Washington Stealth. A team that was expected to take a step down after dealing all world forward Colin Doyle is 4-0 and has outscored opponents by twenty goals. The Stealth’s Jeff Zywicki is the early scoring leader with 10 goals and 16 assists in four games.

Boxing: The much heralded fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao isn’t going to happen any time soon. Personally, someone in boxing should be pushing for it. There isn’t much star power in boxing these days and UFC seems to be quickly taking over. We will get to see Mayweather fight though. He’ll take on “Sugar” Shane Mosley on May 1^st at the MGM Grand Garden. It’s not Mayweather/Pacquiao, but it’s still pretty darn good. I still won’t pay to see it though.

*Are you a fan of a particular sport that you want me to cover next week or know of any sports stories you want me to mention? This is your article, not mine. Have at it. Throw me an email cosburn@thefatherlife.com

FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER. I’m @ChrisOsburn. You can read about things I think about sports and culture, but mostly my (lack of) suspension of disbelief when it comes to ‘80’s comedies.

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Because Volvo is so imbued with a green, people-friendly ethic, it is hard for some to believe that the brand doesn’t offer an electric car. Giving consumers the choice of an emissions-free vehicle seems utterly in keeping with what most people think about Volvo. Happily, the lack of a Volvo-built battery-electric is about to change.

At last fall’s Frankfurt motor show, Volvo showed off a concept version of what will be its first battery electric car, and then it added some new thinking to the concept before unveiling it again at the recent Detroit motor show. Enhancing a previously introduced concept vehicle and showing it again at another major motor show is not a typical scenario, but Volvo is not a typical car company, so it is not surprising that the Swedish company has continued to refine the electric vehicle concept with the intent that it will become a production vehicle available from your local showroom.

The latest (Detroit show) iteration of the simply named Volvo C30 BEV — BEV for battery electric vehicle — offers significant changes over the Frankfurt show car. And the changes to both the interior and the drivetrain indicate how serious Volvo is about making a production version of the vehicle. The most visible new feature on the upgraded C30 BEV is the innovative, electric-car-only instrument panel that puts EV-specific graphics front and center and reminds us again that EVs and hybrids now feature the most graphically interesting instrument panels in the industry.

The other major change is in the battery pack design. Where it was one unit in the Frankfurt version of the car, the lithium-ion battery pack has now been divided into two modules installed carefully into what is typically the driveshaft tunnel and the spot formerly occupied by the fuel tank. This is designed to improve passenger safety, overall vehicle balance and packaging efficiency. What it does not do is increase the car’s expected range. That remains at a predicted 94 miles — not very far by U.S. standards but perhaps plenty far enough for an urban-oriented commuter car.

The 82-kilowatt, 111-horsepower electric motor is expected to accelerate the chic four-seater from 0 to 60 mph in about 10.5 seconds, making it one of the less sprightly EVs planned for future introduction. Perhaps a more important time is the eight hours it will take to recharge the battery pack fully using a 230-volt/16-amp circuit — similar to one that might be powering your electric dryer should you not be using a much cheaper-to-operate gas dryer.

Top speed for the BEV is expected to be right around 80 mph, but Volvo insists that the C30 BEV will offer the fun-to-drive personality of the gasoline-powered version of the car. Next step for the BEV is a series of test vehicles that will go into real-world usage for a period of two years. If all that goes well, we expect a somewhat revised version of the C30 BEV — perhaps with freshened exterior styling — to arrive in Volvo showrooms in the U.S. and Europe in 2013.

Driving Today Contributing Editor Tom Ripley writes about the auto industry and the human condition from his home in Villeperce, France.

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The cold, dull, and busy winter in some parts of the country has left many parents and kids dreaming of a get-away. But with finances and budgets tight, many can’t even imagine saving enough for a family vacation. Experts say there are ways to make this dream come true, and the first step is to start planning and saving!

After making a wish-list of vacation destinations, fathers should get to work researching everything from airfares to hotel prices to entrance fees at local attractions. The earlier you start this process, the better. And, experts say to add an extra $500 onto your working budget for expenses that may come up.

Start by saving as much as you can each pay cycle and encourage your kids to do the same. You can also eliminate the weekly pizza delivery or night at the movies and opt to put that money into the fund, too. Invest the money in a high-interest savings account to ensure you’ll get the best return on it.

If you can, plan the trip for an off-peak time. School vacation weeks are notorious for being expensive weeks to travel. Try a trip to the beach before the Fourth of July holiday or a trip to a popular family destination when school’s still in session to cut down on expenses.

While you’re there, be conscious of spending and look for ways to save, like packing your own snacks, using refillable water bottles each day, splitting meals at restaurants and taking advantage of coupons and other specials.

By Alex Bellamy for GreatDad.com.  Image credit: Mac Pale

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One of my favorite non “holiday” days of the year is Super Bowl Sunday. It really doesn’t matter if you like either of the teams. All that matters is that it’s party time.  Most people throw a party or better yet, attend some else’s (no post game clean up). Everyone I know, regardless of their sports fandom, celebrates the big game in some fashion. The food, the friends and the frothy brews are reason enough to have a party. Some of us still care about the game though, too.

As you may or may not know, I am more than just the beer columnist at The Father Life. I am also the sports editor, so Sunday February 7^th is an important day for me as both beer columnist and sports writer. The Super Bowl is a great day to spend with friends and family. We celebrate not only the good times with good people, but the exciting play on the field (the commercials) as well as great food and drink. Specifically beer (for the adults) and treats more on par with pub appetizers than thanksgiving dinner.

This year’s game pits the Indianapolis Colts against the New Orleans Saints. Personally, I’ll be rooting for the Saints. Mostly because I actually like them and they’ve never been to the Super Bowl before, but also because the Colts just recently won (I love to see a new champion).

My friend Pete is a die-hard Saints fan and I’ve seen the years upon years of non-playoff football he’s persevered through to get to this day. He and the people of New Orleans deserve this. I feel his pain since I’m a Bills fan and they lost four straight Super Bowls in the early nineties. Also, they haven’t even made the post season since the “Music City Miracle” wildcard loss on January 8^th, 2000. A date that should live in infamy with any Buffalo sports fan.

The game will be played in more or less the middle of winter, so, come game time, I suggest you give a nice winter beer a try. I know Bud Light will have about a dozen or so commercials during the game, but don’t give into the hype. Mix in some of these delicious wintry brews with the yellow, fizzy beer in your party cooler and hear the crowd roar with excitement:

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale: American IPA, 6.8% ABV.

Samuel Adams Winter Lager: Bock, 5.8% ABV.

Southern Tier Old Man Winter: Old Ale, 7.2% ABV.

Brooklyn Winter Ale: Scottish Ale, 6% ABV

Or try a nice hoppy brew like Rogue Brewery’s Dead Guy, Stone Brewing Company’s Arrogant Bastard Ale, Ithaca Beer Company’s Cascazilla or Victory Brewing Company’s Hop Devil All of these would pair well with spicier Super Sunday fare.

Now for the meat of the article (pun intended): the food. My mom has made an amazing pizza dip for special occasions for as long as I can remember. It’s cheesy, full of chunks of pepperoni and delicious. Here’s the recipe if you want to be like Reggie Bush and be the show stopper of your party:

Momma Osburn’s Pizza Dip

INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup mayonnaise

12 ounces pepperoni, chopped (can use turkey pepperoni)
1 pound Mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 tomato, diced
1/4  tsp Italian seasoning

1 loaf Italian bread, cubed

Mix together all ingredients except bread.

• Pour into ovenproof dish; bake 30 minutes.

• Use bread cubes as dippers.

Temperature: 350° Time: 30 minutes 4 to 5 cups

No food screams football more than chicken wings, but who wants to go through the hassle of using two hundred wet naps to clean up the mess? My Brother Matt (the chef) has been making a delicious variation of the famous bar food. His chicken wing dip, much like the pizza dip, will surely make you the most popular person at the party. Take a look at the recipe below.

Chef Matt’s Buffalo Wing Dip:

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken breasts

1 package cream cheese

1 pound shredded cheddar

Red Hot sauce to taste

½ pound crumbled blue cheese (depending on desired heat)

2 tbsp mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Boil chicken until cooked, let cool and shred with fork. Mix all ingredients, saving some cheddar for the top. Place in baking dish, cover and bake in oven.

• Use tortilla chips, celery sticks or bread cubes as dippers.

Temperature: 350° Time: 20 minutes

Humus is also a delicious and healthier option. You can make your own or buy it pre made. Use pita bread or vegetables as dippers. But, whatever you choose to have at your party, make sure you share. Also, have a safe and happy Super Bowl experience.

*What are you planning to eat and drink at your party? Throw me an email cosburn@thefatherlife.com or leave a comment below.

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3. [OSBURN ON TAP] It’s Barbeque Time