My relationship with football started with my Dad when I was a young girl. My Dad loved the Chargers, watching football with my brothers, and drinking Coors Light on a Sunday. I naturally wanted to be included.

When we were kids, if you were going to ask Dad a question, even a simple one, you had better be prepared for a 3 hour seminar. You should’ve seen the way his eyes lit up when I asked him to explain football to me. He ran to get charts, markers, chalkboards, you name it. The X’s represented the offense and the O’s the defense. My Dad suddenly had become an NFL coach.  There was nothing he didn’t know about the game, and he was going to explain every detail to me.

Within the first few minutes of my football lesson, something happened to me. It was really quite magical and I didn’t know I was even capable of doing it. What happened you ask? Well, my brain turned off, and my mind went to my happy place. I continued to nod my head and smile but I was a million miles away and nothing went in. Nothing at all.

My first date with Bill (aka my football fanatic future husband) was to a Ducks football game. I was a freshman in college and he was a junior. The night before the game we were at a party when he asked me if I liked football. “Yes!” I lied, “I love it.”

So bright and early the next morning he was there with his friend Ryan to pick up me and my friend Martine. He was there 4 hours before the game started, mind you! 4 hours! 8am on a Saturday is very early for a hungover college kid, but I really liked him so I got myself up and out of bed. My closet at that time of my life was a colorful collection of black jeans, black t-shirts and black hoodies. Dang, no green and yellow. Strike one. (Wait that’s baseball.)

Over the river and through the trees to Autzen stadium we went. We found Bills’ family at a tailgate party and I kid you not every family member, from wee little babies to Grandma, was dressed from head to toe in green and yellow. Now I know there are a lot of college football families around the country that bleed their school colors, but they’ve got nothing on the Terry family. Nothing!

I stood around in the freezing cold, trying to act like I wasn’t completely out of place, and forced myself to drink a Coors Light. Bill’s family saw right through me. “Who’s your friend Bill? Doesn’t she know to wear green and yellow to a Ducks game?” Strike two.

Finally, we went into the stadium and the game started. We sat in the student section, and when I say sat, I mean we stood. The group of drunk, smelly, shirtless guys behind us wore only body paint to keep warm. They stomped their feet and chanted, and when I say chanted, I mean shouted, “F U CLA!” the entire game. Well…. probably the entire game. I don’t really know because Martine and I didn’t make it through the entire game. We left at halftime. Strike 3, you’re out! Bill and I didn’t go on another date for 2 years.

That was a long time ago. Since then there has been a lot of growth in my relationship with football. Truth be told, more times than not, I’ll be staring at the TV, listening, paying attention when my mind starts to wander to my happy place and I’m suddenly brought back into the moment by the shouts of “Touchdown!” So what if my cheers are a few beats too late.  I’m proud to say that I genuinely enjoy football now, and when I say genuinely, I mean sometimes. I own all kinds of Ducks t-shirts and I wear them (to the gym) with pride. And if nothing else who doesn’t love hanging out with friends, drinking beer and eating?

Which brings me to eating. Have you ever had Carrot Cashew Pate? Delicious! It’s one of my favorite snacks. It’s vegan, creamy, healthy and has a lovely, bright flavor thanks to the lemon and dill.

Should you eat it as a dip instead of hummus? Yes! Should you spread it on a toasted rice cracker and top it with arugula and tomatoes? Yes! Should you try it wrapped in a collard green leaf with sprouts and cucumbers? Absolutely! Should you make it for your Superbowl party this weekend? Ummmm… You know, I might not be the right girl to answer that question.

Carrot Cashew Pate

3 carrots, peeled and shredded

1 cup cashews

1 TB fresh dill

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 slice onion

1 clove garlic

1/2 lemon

1/2 t salt

pepper

1/4 cup water

Kickoff

I only had raw cashews on hand and I really wanted roasted, salted cashews. So I preheated my oven to 325 and gave my cup of cashews a quick 10 minute toast. You can do this if you want or you can skip it if you’d like to keep the recipe raw, or you can buy roasted cashews from the store.

Next, get your cusinart out and get all your ingredients together. I use the grater attachment on the Cusinart to shred my carrots.

Throw it all in the cusinart with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, the juice of half a lemon and a few cracks of black pepper.

Turn it on and slowly add 1/4 cup of cold, filtered water until it all comes together.

Garnish with chopped fresh dill and serve with crudités, flat bread or crackers.

Here’s to another great football season! Until next year,