Moxy Thoughts

This weekend marks the end of the flag football season and so we are organizing our Season send Off party for nearly 90 people at our house! That is crazy, I know, but we are lucky in that first, we have great friends who will do most of the cooking, shopping and organizing and two, we have a little over 3 acres of land so we’ll have plenty of space to play and have fun without anyone having to come inside. This year, we combined all 3 of the football teams that our kids and dads coached, so there will be about 30 boys and girls ages 6-10 all ready for the party.

We’re keeping the food simple, burgers and hot dogs on the grill made by our very own local cowboy, check him out here using that crazy knife to open the burger bag (thank you Costco for the delicious meat). The grill is owned by a terrific organization in town, The Ripon Quarterback Club, who raises tons of money for the kids in town. This year, I think they’re nearing over $50k so far! We also got a few bags of the healthy salad mix from Costco and threw in a few fresh red peppers, fresh basil from the garden and a handful of cherry tomatoes. The dressing we threw together quickly in a 12oz. Ball jar for everyone to top themselves. This is a go-to at our house because it’s full of flavor and zero sugar. Just fill the jar about ¼ of the way with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, another ¼ with Balsamic Vinegar, another ¼ with red wine vinegar and ½ teaspoon each of sea salt, crushed black pepper and dried basil. Done!

A tasty surprise that we discovered was from our friend who, wisely, brought over 2 containers of Cowboy Salad (one for the party and one for us for the next day!). Being from Chicago, where very few Cowboys come around, I have to admit I’ve never heard of this salad – but I am HOOKED! She’s been doing this recipe for years and has got it perfectly balanced, but I’m now officially on the bandwagon and am trying it out for myself. The key, is to use fresh lime juice, fresh sweet corn (if you can find it) and fresh cilantro. Enjoy, you’ll be forever bringing 2 plates to friends’ homes from now on!