Thanks for a great season, Cardinals!

The Valley of the Sun has been in a funk since Sunday evening. Our team fought so hard and got so close and made the pain of losing much greater than anticipated. Confession: I listen to sports radio. Once in a while when big things are going on with Valley sports, I'll tune in to stay current (this also gives me something to talk to my husband about!) Monday morning grown men and professional radio hosts were showing more man-emotion than that creepy episode from the Biggest Loser a couple seasons ago. Despite the loss, Arizona finally has a football team to be proud of. Thanks, Cardinals for a great season and a great Super Bowl.

However, one of my personal highlights from Sunday's game had nothing to do with football. Jennifer Hudson's singing of the National Anthem brought the house down and brought me to tears. What a come back. If you missed it, you can watch it below. You'll want to grab some tissue first.

Super Bowl Salsa - GO CARDS!

I'm a native Arizonan. A claim few can make. The Arizona Cardinals football organization moved to my native land when I was in kindergarten and I remember everyone being excited about the new team in town. Until two weeks ago when they clinched a spot in the Super Bowl (THE SUPER BOWL!?), that was the last time I (or anyone else) was even remotely excited about the Cardinals. So, in light of my fair-weather-fan feelings I'm revisiting my favorite salsa recipe for all of the parties that will be kicking off this Sunday. Make a bunch up and enjoy watching sports history in the making!

Mango Salsa
2 large or 3 small mangoes chopped (for directions on how to peel a mango go here. I prefer mine "cubed".)
2 medium tomatoes seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
2 Tablespoons red onion finely chopped
3 Tablespoons cilantro chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
salt to taste

Put all ingredients into your favorite bowl and mix! Salsa is best if allowed to sit and chill for 24 hours, though I can never hold out that long. Serve with tortilla chips or chicken quesodillas and enjoy! (TIP: Mangoes aren't currently in season in the Northern Hemisphere and it maybe be hard to find ones that are ripe/affordable. Try using frozen mango chunks from your local grocery store. Set them out to thaw a few hours before salsa prep or defrost them on a low setting in your microwave.)