Hi Cooking Moms, Dads & Friends,

TGIF! I hope you had a great week! It seems like it went from summer straight to fall here in Wisconsin this week. I turned on the seat warmer in my car and I even broke out my winter coat. NUTS! I’m sure hoping we get some more summer like days!

No matter what the weather, I’m pretty excited for the start of football season! With everything going on, I think we all are. My Green Bay Packers take on the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. It should be a great game!

I’ve got a date with my the TV and my couch. I can’t wait! Even though it will just be two of us I’m still planning a fun and delicious game day party to kick off the season!

You gotta have a few good dips when you're watching football! My Green and Gold Layered Dip recipe is perfect for Packers parties. It’s so yummy! Plus, you can make it ahead.

Want to make something a little lighter? My Lemon Garlic Hummus is fresh and easy. Or in a pinch just pick some hummus up from the store. Spoon it into small jars or even plastic cups with fresh veggies standing up inside. How cute are these? Plus, everybody gets their own dip! So go ahead. Double dip all you want! Click Appetizers for more delicious dip and appetizer recipes.

You can't go wrong with brats on game day. I have a secret way to make brats even better in my Brat Tub with beer, butter and kraut! BEST BRATS EVER!

If you are thinking brats this weekend, why not change things up a bit? Turn ordinary brats into something a little fancy! My Brat Kabobs with onions and peppers are a game day FAVE! The apple juice and soy sauce marinade makes them extra special!

On the side, got tomatoes? Use them to make my Layered BLT Salad. It’s one of my FAVES! Super easy too and you can make it ahead. LOVE THAT - and the bacon too!

Speaking of bacon my Broccoli Bacon Salad is ALWAYS a WINNER! Goes great with whatever you are grilling’!

It’s slow cooker season! What not make my Baked Beans in the Slow Cooker this weekend? They are DELISH! You can easily cut the recipe in half or freeze the leftovers.

Did you know you can do Mac ’n Cheese in your slow cooker? You don’t even have to boil the macaroni. Click Slow Cooker Mac ’n Cheese for the recipe. Who knew it could be that easy and cheesy? Here’s an idea! For game day why not set up a mac ’n cheese bar? Put out fun fixin's like bacon, sliced smoked sausage, green onions, hot sauce and of course extra shredded cheese. Everybody can pile on toppings to create their own mac ’n cheese masterpiece. Now that's fun! Click Slow Cooker and Sides for more fun ideas and recipes.

For dessert, help kick off the season with my Cookies and Cream Cheese Ball. How cute is this? It’s so easy to shape it into a football. Have the kids help decorate it! Not only is it an easy no-bake dessert but it serves as a centerpiece for your game day spread too. Gotta love it! Click Desserts for more decadent but easy breezy desserts.

Check Out My Cookbooks!

If you like my recipes, I think you will love my cookbooks. Both cookbooks are filled with nearly 200 unique recipes. They're available on Amazon. Click Amy's Books on Amazon to order.

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Gotta run. It’s been a busy week and my house needs a good cleaning. It’s one of those rare weekends when we don’t have much going on. Gosh, I love those! Hoping to hit the farmers market and maybe even go apple picking. So much for nothing going on!

You can always see what I'm up to on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Looking for new video recipes? Check out my videos on YouTube, too! Follow me!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Stay safe and cook up some memories!

Take care,
Amy, The Cooking Mom

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