A Recipe for Kick-Off

Can I just tell you that our house is all excited this week!  Why?  It is that time of year again...time for Georgia football!!  You can almost feel fall coming in the air.  Its a tad cooler in the mornings and in the evenings and I love it.  I always hate to see summer end but I do love fall and everything that comes along with it.  Starting with Saturdays in Athens watching our beloved Bulldawgs!  And today I am going to share a great recipe on the blog that would be a yummy tailgating food.   Lets face it, tailgating is something we all look forward to.  And if your not tailgating at the game I know there are some fun parties being held at home to watch the game.   There's nothing better than being with friends watching your favorite team play football.
This recipe is for bruschetta and it was given to me by my mother-in-law, Lydia who happens to be one of the best cooks I know.  You name it, she can cook it and it is good!  She always goes all out on meals for her family and that includes appetizers.  When I tasted this recipe of hers I knew I had to have it.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes ( I used Roma tomatoes)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
6-8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1 Baguette
1/4 C olive oil

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.
Make shallow cuts on top of the tomatoes

Place tomatoes in the water for 1 minute.   This softens the skin on the tomato and you can then easily peel it right off!

Next, cut the tomatoes in half and squeeze out the juice and seeds.  I was not able to snap a picture of this with my hands so messy but this is quite fun!  Literally just squeeze that tomato and the juice and seeds come right out!  Then you are ready to chop your tomatoes.
In a bowl mix your chopped tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and vinegar.  Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper.  Now you have a yummy bruschetta!

Now on to the bread!
Preheat your oven to 400°
For the bread baguette, slice into 1/2" slices.
Brush one side with olive oil then place the oiled side down on your pan.
Toast for 4-5 mins

Now you are ready to enjoy!  I will say this...what made this whole recipe for me was that Lydia chose to serve it with cream cheese!  Is it just me or is cream one of the ultimate ingredients that can make anything better?  It's right up there with sour cream and cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup!   We chose to spread cream cheese on the bread baguettes first followed by the brushchetta.  YUM!

Now you are ready for some tailgate/game party fun!  If your like me I could eat my weight in these appetizer-type foods! Have fun cheering on your team...you can bet this house will be cheering GOOOOOOOO Dawgs!