Enjoy the Big Game, Enjoy Snacks and Dips (Santa Barbara Bay’s and Salad of the Sea’s)

If ever we get to indulge in snacks “that we really shouldn’t be eating…oh this Biggest Loser TV series is just making us all feel guilty”, it’s this Sunday…the Superbowl Sunday!

I must admit I have “nyet” or zero knowledge about this game of football…padded hunks throwin’ and fightin’ over a strangely-shaped ball.   But this whole week, they get to be mentioned in night TV shows  — including my favorite station, Fox Network.   Like last nite, Jay Leno announced about 1.2 billion chicken wings will be consumed this Sunday…E News featured nervous Madonna spreading her wings and giving a tease of her dance routine for the half time entertainment (she’s just not the same Madonna I used to go gaga for)…O’Reilly mentioned 3.5 million dollars for a TV commercial spot during the football game (and you know that would be passed on to consumers!).  So it’s a big deal, it’s a huge thing!

I’m more of a “Survivor” fan, I don’t watch football and get annoyed by all the hecklings and boos of opposing die-hard fans, but I’d say best of luck to the Patriots and the Giants…they made it to the finals and both deserve to win.

But for me the real winner is…..SNACKS AND DIPS!   Specially on a “supposedly, just being lazy” day and doing nothing other than watch the game “still in pjs” from time to time while eating a variety of gameday treats…yes, what I’m super excited about this Sunday is taking the lids off of these “AWESOME” sample treats that was Fed-ex’d to me early this week.   No special food, no special dessert…it’s just  “ridiculously snackin’ and dippin’” the whole Sunday, period.

But I couldn’t resist trying some samples out last nite…I’m sure you wouldn’t either.  But I haven’t gone to the stores yet for some chips…so I checked my fridge and pantry.  Mmm, I got some sweet potatoes…and made them into oven-baked sweet potato wedges.   Lucky to find a bag of unopened baked pita chips (garlic, parmesan and herb-flavored).  And some leftover items too — eggrolls (that I then fried) and ground beef taco filling, yum!

So which ones to try first…dilemma indeed, they were all screaming for my attention!  I grabbed Salads of the Sea’s Cajun Crab Dip and Santa Barbara Bay’s Greek Yogurt Dip!

With an “Easy Open” lid (no difficult peel-off of stubborn foil covers, just simply detach perforated part of the lid), no special tool was required, and container is microwaveable too if you like warming up dips.

Cajun Crab Dip:  A Blend of Imitation Crab Meat, Cream Cheese, Pimentos & Cajun Spices

Greek Yogurt Dip:  A Delicious Blend of Greek Yogurt, Cucumbers and Savory Dill

The cucumber and dill flavors in creamy Greek yogurt (1/2 the fat of traditional sour cream) was perfect with my oven-baked sweet potato wedges.  And I even enjoyed a dollop of this over taco filling  — it was light, refreshing and creamy enough, I love it!  No more sour cream for my tacos from now on.

The Cajun Crab Dip…this is really “to die for”, I’m typing this blog with intermittent munchy pauses (Type, Dip, Type again), I don’t even need crispy pitas or tortillas, I could just enjoy this dip by itself like enjoying peanut butter.  This is more of a spread, much thicker than the Greek yogurt dip, but is packed with exciting flavors exploding in my mouth with each bite.  That cajun spice seasoning, mmm, is BAM indeed!  It even made my eggrolls extraordinary.  And it just made the crispy pitas “snack happy”.

Now I can’t wait to snack all day this Sunday with this variety of Future Food Dips.  Thanks Future Food and Danielle Bickelmann for introducing me to these “truly yummy and addicting” dips and spreads.

Now in my fridge….smiling at me, each time I open the fridge:

From Santa Barbara Bay —

Spinach Dip
Chunky Artichoke Dip
Roasted Garlic Ranch
Garden Dill
Cucumber Dill Greek Yogurt Dip (half already devoured!)
Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago Cheese Greek Yogurt Dip

From Salads of the Sea —

Cajun Crab Dip (just a spoon left!)
Cajun Smoked Salmon
Jalapeno Crab Dip
Crab Spinach Dip
Smokey Bacon Crab Dip

You have got to try them all…for Illinois, you can find them at Walmart and Super Target.    Or visit the following websites for store locations in your area:

www.santabarbarabay.com  and

www.saladsofthesea.com

I just phoned my friend Stephanie who’s been bringing Trader Joe’s Caramelized Onion Dip to  our meetups and been bragging about it and spread the news to her ’bout these Future Food Brands Dips…and I used these descriptive words…”to die for, super exciting flavors and insanely addicting”,  oh believe me, she’s grabbing some tubs for Sunday’s Big Game….hope you would too!

Here’s the press release shared to me (and also recipes for oven-baked pita chips and sweet potato wedges):

The Big Game may be in Indianapolis, but the big party will be in your living room with Salads of the Sea Cajun Crab Dip (the number one selling cajun crab dip in the country) and Santa Barbara Bay Spinach Dip (with more spinach than its competitors). It’s an easy way to score a touchdown with your guests.

Team these dips with crackers, pita chips or veggies for the perfect play. Searching for these snacks on store shelves doesn’t take much time off the clock either, as they’re available nationwide in grocery store chains.

Make the Big Game a Big Hit with Future Food Brands Dips
So easy to serve, there’s no need to call a time out

The Big Game may be in Indianapolis, but the big party will be in your living room with Salads of the Sea Cajun Crab Dip and Santa Barbara Bay Spinach Dip. Both by Future Food Brands, these dips aren’t just easy to dish out, but also delicious, versatile and a football-fan favorite.

The Cajun Crab Dip is a blend of imitation crab meat, cream cheese, pimentos and Cajun spices sure to score a touchdown with your taste buds. And with more spinach than its competitors, Santa Barbara Bay Spinach Dip is a winning combination of tender spinach, crunchy water chestnuts and real dairy sour cream.

Team these dips with crackers, pita chips or veggies for the perfect play. Searching for these snacks on store shelves doesn’t take much time off the clock either, as they’re available nationwide in grocery store chains.

Future Food Brands also has its own halftime show of sorts – party trays with a different dip in each half. Available in either 22 oz. or the new 16 oz. size, these delectable duos are the ideal way to celebrate a gridiron get-together among friends and family. The ready-to-serve trays offer consumers a scrumptious snack with a combination of two dips, spreads or the all-new Greek Yogurt flavors paired side-by-side in individual 11 oz. or 8 oz. compartments.

“With two flavors of our dips, spreads and yogurts available in each party tray, we provide the variety our consumers are looking for at a low price without sacrificing quality,” said Emily Alfano, Director of Marketing and New Product Development at Future Food Brands.

Unlike football, Future Food Brands doesn’t stop when the season is over. Innovative products, such as Smokey Bacon Crab Dip and Roasted Red Pepper and Asiago Cheese Greek Yogurt Dip, are year-round hits. With ingredients sourced from the North Pacific, an area recognized for its freshness and quality, the result is a line of dips, spreads and salads that have a taste and flavor that all food fans can agree on.

Follow Salads of the Sea at facebook.com/SaladsOfTheSea and twitter.com/SaladsofTheSea and Santa Barbara Bay at facebook.com/SantaBarbaraBay and twitter.com/SantaBarbaraBay to enter contests and stay afloat of the latest announcements, tips, news and recipes.

About Future Food Brands, Ltd.
Founded in 1984, Future Food Brands, Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of innovative, quality seafood based and dairy based dips, salads and spreads distributed under two National brands, Salads of the Sea and Santa Barbara Bay as well as numerous private label brands. Products are sold in Deli, Dairy, Produce and Seafood departments nationwide. Future Food Brands, Ltd. is headquartered near Dallas in Carrollton, Texas.

Oven-baked Pita Chips

8  pita rounds, cut into  wedges and separated
About 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil.   Brush the inside of each pita chip with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on prepared baking tray.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the chips are crisp.   Let cool completely on the pan and then transfer to an airtight container.  Store at room temperature.

Oven-baked Sweet Potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Seasoning Mix:
1/3 cup panko or plain bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line a large baking tray with aluminum foil.  Spray aluminum foil with nonstick cooking oil spray.   Coat sweet potato wedges with olive oil and arrange them in a single layer on prepared baking tray.  Sprinkle seasoning mix over oiled sweet potato wedges.  Bake for 30 minutes or until nicely browned.

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Read more at Celebr-eat-y By Sarah Lee