The Chicago Blackhawks are starting to sound like the Energizer Bunny, they just keep going and going and going.  Nineteen games into a 48 game season and the Blackhawks have yet to lose a game in regulation.  They have managed to pick up a point in every single game they have played. which means they have taken a huge lead in the overall standing.  By huge lead I mean the Blackhawks have 35 points overall, with Anaheim and Montreal tied for 2nd with 27 points.  

Remember a team gets 2 points for a win in regulation or an overtime win or a shootout win.  A team that loses in regulation does not get any points and if a team loses in overtime or a shootout they get one point.  With the 19 game point streak the Blackhawks are on, they really  have smashed the Anaheim Ducks record set in 2006-07 when they Ducks picked up points in the first 16 games. Who knows how long this streak will go on for.  I wouldn't be surprised if it goes on for a while.  The Blackhawks have that way about them.  The team has a real fighting spirit and simply put they are just a "very good team."

Again on the weekend it was discussed that the NHL would realign for the next season.  This is not a new rumour.  This realignment would see the Detroit Red Wings and Columbus Blue Jackets move to the east, which would make sense based on their time zones.  The new alignment would see the conferences decided mainly by time zones.  This would be good for the travelling teams and also help with TV ratings considering some games start late in the east and early in the west (I never complained about a hockey game with my breakfast on the weekends).  Right now they are talking about making two conferences into four conferences and what have you.  Don't pay to much attention till you hear it is confirmed.  Below I have included Episode 7 of Hockey Talk with Courtney where I teach you what the current conferences and divisions look like!

When I cook I usually do a quick look in my fridge, see what I have and go from there.  Friday night I saw I had 5 tomatoes, onion and lime.  I decided to make salsa.  Was it ever a good idea! I had to pass along the recipe! This is the perfect food to eat while watching an Anaheim Duck or Los Angeles Kings game.  These teams playing in Southern California which has great Mexican on every corner!  To finish off my salsa I ran out to the store and grabbed a serrano pepper and cilantro.
 
Please try this and Enjoy!




Ingredients:

5 medium sized roma tomatoes (any tomato will work)
1 small onion or 1/2 a medium onion
1-2 gloves garlic
1 lime (you are going to juice it and add more lime if you want)
1 small serrano pepper or 1/2 a medium to large pepper (use the pepper to taste)
1-2 handfuls of cilantro (use cilantro to taste)
Salt and Pepper 

Directions:

1) Cut the top of the tomatoes out and drain the excess liquid into the sink.  This will prevent your salsa from getting really watery. Chop the tomatoes into small enough pieces they are bite size.  I cut mine so they are slightly bigger then diced.

2) Dice the onion

3) Place tomatoes and onions in a bowl and crush garlic over top. 

4) Squeeze in fresh lime juice 

5) Dice serrano pepper up very finely and add to salsa.  Chop up cilantro and add to salsa.

6) Add salt and pepper to taste and you are all done!

Give a good stir and you are ready to go.  Remember in this recipe you have lots of room to play around.  Add more cilantro if you like, or extra lime juice, or extra pepper for heat.  I encourage you to explore!

It is Friday.  The weekend is about to start.  I could talk about Andrew Ladd and his 500th career game last night.  The Winnipeg Jet Ladd scored a goal against the team that drafted him 4th overall in 2004 the Carolina Hurricane (who Ladd also won a Stanley Cup with in 2004). Or how Ladd's other former team (which he won a Stanley Cup with in 2010) the Chicago Blakchawks has the chance tonight to break an NHL record. Chicago tied an Anaheim Ducks record with no loss in regulation in their 1st 16 games after winning in the S/O Tuesday against Vancouver.  Tonight Chicago takes on San Jose and if they don't lose in regulation the new record with belong to them.  Be prepared for an entertaining game!

But I thought no.  I don't want to talk about that.  It is Friday, it is gloomy here in Vancouver.  I woke up to rain outside my window. So today I am going to talk about something HOT: Bobby Ryan!  Welcome to Fantasy Friday.  My salute to you ladies!

Bobby Ryan, what is there not to like.  The 25 year old comes from Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Ryan stands 6'2", shoots right and is arguably one of the best right wingers in the league.

Bobby Ryan played his 1st game in the NHL in the 2007-08 season. Ryan has played nearly 350 NHL games,  scoring 141 goals and notching 131 assists.  Also Ryan hasn't missed a game in 3 season playing all games so far this season, all 82 the 2 pervious seasons and only missed one game in the 2009-10 season.  While Anaheim has been the only NHL team Ryan has played for, he has represented Team USA a few times.  Once in 2006 at the World Juniors and another time at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics where Ryan earned a Silver Medal!

In his Rookie year Ryan was also nominated for the Calder Trophy, which is a trophy award to a player in his "Rookie Season" who plays an eye catching style.  

For a lot of his career Bobby Ryan has played along side Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf, two of the best forwards in the league.  Goes to show how good Ryan truly is.

Bobby Ryan is actually such a great hockey player he was drafted 2nd overall in 2005. Ryan probably would have been drafted #1 had he not been up against some kid named Sidney Crosby?  Ryan will forever go down in history as the guy drafted after Crosby. Possibly one of the best sports trivia questions ever?!?!  Let's just call a spade a spade, the 2005 draft was called the "Sidney Crosby Sweepstakes" as Sidney Crosby often put on the "Sidney Crosby Show"

Bobby Ryan took it with stride and has gone on to have a great career.  In some ways I would say Ryan won the draft.  While Crosby was drafted by Pittsburgh and spends the seasons in the cold tough winter of the eastern USA, Ryan is laughing with shorts, sandals and t-shirt during his season playing in Southern California.  After practice Ryan can hit up the beach or even Disneyland!  The Honda Centre is just down the street from the Happiest Place on Earth.

All I have to say is "Thank you Bobby Ryan for not only being a great hockey player both in the NHL and for Team USA, thank you for being so good looking and funny." Sigh........ Enjoy X

On Saturday night I watched the Edmonton Oilers vs Colorado Avalanche game.  While making a delicious dinner including Greek Salad (recipe below) I watched a young and very talented Edmonton Oiler team overcome a 3-0 deficit.  Colorado took a 3-0 lead with Edmonton managing to score one goal with 4 seconds left in the 1st period to end it 3-1.  Colorado scored 1 goal in the 2nd period and Edmonton scored 2 for a 4-3 score at the end of the 2nd period.  During the 3rd period Edmonton mounted a major comeback and won the game 6-4.  Jordan Eberle scored the game winning goal while Magnus Paajarvi scored the insurance goal.  Eberle did score the 6th goal as well which you could also call an insurance goal.

What stuck out in my mind about this game was when they announced that Edmonton now held a new franchise record with 56 shots on goal breaking a record from 1986 when Edmonton had 55 shots on goal vs the former Minnesota North Stars.  That got me thinking, exactly what is a shot on goal?  On a stats sheet you will see SOG which means shots on goal or you will hear that the goalie stopped 18 of 20 shots.  So today I will break down exactly what a shot on goal is.

Here is the 101 of a shot on goal in NHL hockey specifically:

What counts as a shot on goal

1) Any shot that would enter the net if the goalie wasn't there to stop it counts
2) Any shot that is stopped by a goaltender counts as a shot on goal
3) If a shot is taken and it hits the crossbar or goal posts, hits the goalie and goes into the net is counts as a shot on goal

What doesn't count as a shot on goal

1) A shot that hits the crossbar or goal post and doesn't go into the net is not a shot on goal
2) If a player deflects the puck away from the goaltender during a shot is in not counted as a shot on goal
3) If a player "blocks" a puck (examples are using his stick or body to get in the way of the puck) during a shot is is not counted as a shot on goal
4) Shots that go wide (to the right or left of the net) or high (above the net) are not counted as shots on goal
5) A "clearing pass" that makes it's way through all the players that the goalie must stop is not considered a shot on goal because it was never intended to make to the back of the net

That should help a little next time you watch a game.  I usually see SOGs range from 20-30 during a game so it was pretty cool that Edmonton had 56.  But keep in mind there is no set rule as to exactly what a shot on goal is.  In the end it is all left up to the Official Scorer who records the information.

Like I said Saturday night I made Greek Salad.  There are many reasons why I love this salad.  1) it is delicious 2) it is fresh and colourful 3) it is simple.

It is a go to staple of mine when I don't know what to have for dinner but it is also something that friends ask for when they come over for a game including the one and only Gina Holden.  Her meal of choice when she is at my house for a game or I am at her place in Los Angeles 1) Caesar cocktail 2) Chicken wings (I will give you that recipe another time) and 3) Greek Salad.  I think by the time the chicken wings are done cooking Gina has already eaten most of the salad but like I said it is delicious! I shall call this salad:

Courtney's The Game is On, Gina is over Greek Salad

Ingredients 

1 large cucumber
2-3 medium sized tomatoes
1 small or 1/2 a medium sized sweet onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 cup of pitted olives (pick your favourite, I change it up all the time with the olives)
3/4 to one cup of a cup of feta cheese
Balsamic and White vinegar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions for Salad

1) Cut cucumber and pepper is medium bite sized pieces and throw in the bowl

2) Cut the top vine part out of the tomato (like coring an apple). Then I squeeze the liquid out of the tomato.  Chop the tomato up into big chunks.  Note: Squeezing the liquid out of the tomato makes a better salad.  Then the tomatoes don't make the salad soggy with the extra liquid and leftovers last longer.

3) Dice onion and add olives into bowl

4) Break the feta over top of salad into chunky pieces (it will break up a little more when you stir it)

5) Add balsamic vinegar and my secret ingredient in white vinegar as well.  It is delicious.  Then a dash of salt and pepper to taste.  Be careful with the salt though sometimes feta cheese already has salt added so you don't want to over do it.

6) Mix with a spoon and enjoy!

Note: I leave Olive Oil out for my guests to add on their own.  If you put the olive oil on the salad and then end up with left overs (it will never happen if Gina is in your house) then it doesn't keep that nicely in the fridge with the olive oil already on it.

One big bonus to the lockout is that every single night there are multiple games.  Tonight for example there are 8 games.  Winnipeg takes on Buffalo, Original 6 teams Montreal and New York battle it out, the Islanders play the Senators, Toronto takes on Tampa, San Jose plays St. Louis, Detroit is battling Nashville, Edmonton is taking on the Stanley Cup Champs Los Angeles but perhaps the most heated game of the night will be the one between the Vancouver Canucks and the Chicago Blackhawks.

These teams meet up for the 2nd time this season.  Really this rivalry is the hockey version of the "Young and the Restless" Most of the characters are still the same with a few gone and a few new faces. The storyline is always the same just replayed over and over and over again.  Both teams want to win, neither team likes each other.  In the 1st meeting this year was in Vancouver.  Tonight's game is in Chicago.  In game #1 Cory Crawford got the start and Roberto Luongo played for Vancouver.  This time Ray Emery is getting the start for Chicago who is a perfect 5-0 this season while Cory Schneider gets the start for Vancouver who has a 4-3 record.  Vancouver has both Ryan Kelser and David Booth back in the line up while Chicago if they win tonight will tie an Anaheim Duck record set in 2006-07 as only the 2nd team to go their 1st 16 games without a loss in regulation.  Their record is 12-0-3 while Vancouver's is 8-3-3.  Interesting fact: Jordan Schroeder who has played 12 games for the Canucks this season, scoring twice and assisting two others scored the game winning goal last time against the Blackhawks.  It was the 4th round of the shootout and Schoreder scored while Patrick Sharp didn't and Luongo stopped all 4 shootout attempts.  Below is the highlight video to help jog your memory!  No matter what game you are watching tonight please ENJOY! X

Hello everyone!  It was yet another big night in the NHL!  Or week I should probably say.

Last night  the Chicago Blackhawks beat the San Jose Sharks for yet another win!  The Blackhawks record is now 11-0-3.  They have collected 25 points and hot shot Patrick Kane in 2nd in scoring league wide with 21 points only behind Thomas Vanek of the Buffalo Sabres who has 23 points. 

Really when I check the stats report it is no surprise anymore when I see Chicago didn't lose in regulation. It is actually fun to watch.  I would say "Well they have to lose eventually" but I am not so sure.  The season is a mere 48 games and Chicago already has 14 in the bucket. Who knows?  They play Los Angeles this Sunday, Vancouver Tuesday and San Jose next Friday.  Three strong teams all with something to prove.  LA are the current Stanley Cup champs and Vancouver and San Jose have very heated rivalries with the Blackhawks.  Only time will tell but it's very exciting to watch!

Above I have posted the video of Henrik Sedin becoming the ALL TIME points leader in Vancouver.  Last night Henrik not only tied all time leader former Captain Markus Naslund, Henrik passed Naslund half way through the 2nd period.  We all knew once the season started it wasn't a matter of "if" it was a matter of "when".  It took both Henrik and Daniel a few games to get their "game legs back".  They sure had them last night with Daniel scoring a goal and Henrik assisting and again later Burrows scored with both Sedins assisting.  It was a pretty special moment.  As much as you can say Henrik can thank Daniel for for scoring on all of his passes helping Henrik rack up points both twins can thank Alex Burrows who is often the 3rd guy on a line and possibly the 3rd Sedin twin and one of only of two players who has ever been able to skate with the Sedins so well.

Vancouver ended up losing the game.  A goal by Mason Raymond was waved off, Dallas then took a 1-0 lead.  Vancouver came back to take a 2 goal lead but a comeback by Dallas ended with Surrey native Brenden Dillon scoring the game winning goal!  It was only Dillon's 3rd NHL goal and I am willing to bet he had family and friends in the crowd at Rogers Arena so that would have been a great moment for him.  Game winning goal with loved ones around.  Another amazing thing happened last night.  Vancouver and Dallas had 3 fights in 3 seconds.  I am not sure why the fights happened but I can say Vancouver's 4th line was out of the game for the rest of the 2nd period.  I did upload the fight video for you.  I know a lot of people have mixed feelings on violence in sports but in hockey fighting's acceptable.  I rarely see a fight with no purpose.  Every team has a few guys to create a physical presence and drop the gloves.  It has always been that way and it probably will continue that way.

It was sad news earlier this week when a run away Matt Cooke skate blade cut the achilles of Senator Erik Karlsson.  Karlsson had a personal best last season with 19 goals and 59 assists in 81 games.  This year he had scored 6 goals and 4 assists in 14 games and was on pace to have another great season.  Karlsson is out for the rest of the season playoffs while he recovers from his injury.  This gives Shea Weber or Jason Garrison an opportunity to capture the defenceman points record!

Last Saturday was a big day in hockey with Scotia Bank's annual "Hockey Day in Canada"  It made me think that sometimes you have to plan breakfast for the game rather then dinner.  I decided to throw an easy easy recipe your way for breakfast during a game.

Courtney's Early Morning NHL Breakfast

Ingredients:

Eggs (1 or 2 per person)
Spinach
Tomatoes (choose any colour red, orange or green have fun)
Avocado (1/2 an avocado per person usually does)
Bread (try a grainy rye or delicious sour dough)

Instructions:

This one is super simple

1) Place the eggs in a pot of boiling water for 5 minutes for a soft to medium poached egg.  Really you can cook the eggs however you like but I love a poached egg.

2) Take you avocado and break it up with a fork in a bowl.  I add a little Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce for flavour.

3) Toast the bread.  Skip the butter and spread your avocado on the toast.  

4) Slice the tomatoes and place them on top of the toast.

5) Place some spinach next to the toast and pop your eggs on top.

6) Sprinkle the eggs with some salt and pepper or some hot sauce and you are ready to go.

7) Feel free to also pop some cantaloupe or watermelon on the plate.

8) Enjoy breakfast with a coffee!

Happy Valentine's Day!  I know a lot of you ladies are probably going to have a great day with your husbands or boyfriends but for all of you who will be spending the day not being showered with flowers, chocolate and dinner, I will shower you with pictures of insanely good looking (sometimes shirtless) NHL players.  

In the world of hockey it is important to know the difference between hooking and slashing, exactly what offside means and what the game winning goal is but it also important to appreciate the athlete.

There are hundreds of good looking guys in the NHL.  I mean you don't get to the NHL based on sheer talent and hard work right?  Let's just put it this way: take a man, put him in skates which bump up his height 2 inches, put him in shoulder pads (creates the V physique women love), consider the core strength of these men who bodycheck and skate for a living, then top it off with the post game handshake of the opposing team (classy) and you have the perfect recipe for the "Fantasy Man'

I could have kept going and going with my "research" on this posting but I kept some photos for another time!  

Enjoy Ladies X

Next time ladies I will get back to "work" but today let's have fun!  Enjoy the chocolate, let the flowers make you smile, stay in the bath an extra 15 minutes and when all else fails, take a look at these pictures again!  Happy Valentine's Day!  XX

Hello Everyone, how are you?  I feel it has been a long time since I have written anything but in my defence the last 3 days have been very busy with hockey.  

Saturday was the annual Hockey Day in Canada on CBC.  There were 12 games that day and I really couldn't take my eyes off the TV.  All 7 teams in Canada played against each other.  Winnipeg beat Ottawa 1-0, Toronto beat Montreal 6-0, Vancouver beat Calgary 5-1 and Edmonton was the only team to play an American team.  They played Detroit and Detroit won 2-1.

Among the hockey games Saturday there were also segments about hockey mad families across the country, communities in rural Canada and their hockey programs plus children in Peterborough, Ontario playing the great game.

There were a few things about hockey Saturday that stuck out to me.  

1) I don't think I can ever remember a hockey game being cancelled due to weather?  I am sure it has happened but I just can't remember.  The game between the Boston Bruins and the Tampa Bay Lightning was cancelled to due heavy snowfall in the Boston area.  84 cms to be exact! Which makes an already tight schedule even tighter.

2)The Calgary Flames may have taken an early lead with a goal by Lee Stempniak in the 1st period for a 1-0 score but the Vancouver Canucks came back guns blazing with goals by Alex Burrows, Kevin Bieksa, Chris Higgins and Jordan Schroeder.  Jordan Schroeder scored once in the 2nd period and once int he 3rd period, meaning he not only scored his 1st NHL goal but also his 2nd NHL goal in the same game and his 1s goal was the game winning goal!

3) The 3rd thing that stuck out to me is how on fire former Canucks are in the state of New York playing for the Buffalo Sabres.
Look at the stats from the game Saturday 

Goal 1) Thomas Vanek assists by Cody Hodgson (former Canuck) and Jordan Leopold
Goal 2) By the New York Islanders
Goal 3) Christian Ehrhoff (former Canuck) assists by Cody Hodgson (former Canuck) and Thomas Vanek
Goal 4) By the New York Islanders
Goal 5) Alexander Sulzer (former Canuck) assists by Steve Ott and Mikhall Grigorenko

A former Canuck either scored or assisted on every goal by Buffalo that night.  When you also look at Buffalo stats, Thomas Vanek is leading the points race.  Vanek now has 23 points, 11 goals and 12 assist in 12 games.  Vanek is beating Patrick Kane who is in second place by 4 points.  Kane has 9 goals and 10 assists in 12 games.  If you forget what in the difference is in points, goals and assists it goes like this:

A player gets credit for a goal weather it be a one-timer, a breakaway, a deflected puck or the goalie stops the puck but it trickles through his legs (through the 5 hole) if his stick was the last stick the puck touched before it gets to the back of the net.

A player will get an assist if he helps the goal scorer set up the shot.  Weather he creates the rebound or passes the puck to create a shot.  Up to 2 assists will be awarded for every goal.  Sometimes only one player will get credit for an assist and sometimes a goal can be scored unassisted.

Basically up to 3 points can be awarded to players on every goal scored in a game.  Points track how many goals and assists players have gotten during a season.

Below check out Jordan Schroeder's 1st NHL goal plus the game winning goal by Detroit Red Wing Jonathan Ericsson who scored with 4.5 seconds left in the 3rd period Sunday that sealed the deal 3-2 vs the Los Angeles Kings.

Another thing I enjoyed Saturday along with a great day of hockey was homemade hamburgers.  They were so good I thought I would pass them along to you.  I made them with beef but you could make them with Buffalo.  So in honour of the Buffalo Sabres crazy game Saturday and Thomas Vanek I dedicate these burger to the Sabres.  I shall call them:

Courtney's Buffalo Sabres Fennel Burgers and Beer.

This recipe yields 8-9 burgers roughly the size of a hockey puck


Ingredients:

For the Burgers
1 pound of ground beef (I also swap buffalo, lamb or turkey in my burgers)
1 egg (medium to large)
1 cup panko bread crumbs (you may not need all the bread crumbs)
1 table spoon fennel (I put the fennel in a bag and smash it with a hammer to get the flavour going)
Milk (really all you need it a splash, you don't want soggy burgers)
Salt and pepper to taste

Everything else to make a burger delicious
1 medium onion (I use sweet but feel free to use anything)
Lettuce (I use a big leaf per burger)
Tomatoes (depending on the size of the tomato I put on 2-4 slices of tomatoes per burger)
Cheddar Cheese (either melt it on the burgers or pop it on afterwards)
Mustard, Mayo, relish, butter, ketchup and BBQ sauce I leave out to let my guests pick and choose
Burger buns (I choose sesame buns but whatever you love best will work and I toast them in the oven)

Side Dishes
French Fries (Shoe string are my favourite. I sometimes sprinkle olive oil and garlic powder on top)
Green Salad (keep it simple, lettuce and a lemon wedge is all I need)
Sliced cucumber and red pepper for some more fresh on the plate

Instructions:

1) Mix your chosen meat, egg, fennel, salt and pepper in a bowl with your hands.  

2) Add milk as need be.  I rarely go over a splash.  Think 1/4 cup or less.

3) I skip greasing the pan. Take the burger meat and arrange them on the pan with a few inches between them and make them no bigger then the size of a hockey puck

4) Put them in a preheat oven at 425 and let cook for 20 minutes.  Depending on the oven I check them periodically.  Make sure the burgers are heated all of the way through and all the meat is brown.  

5) While the burgers are cooking prepare everything else.  Slice the tomatoes, pull apart the lettuce, dice the onions, slice the cucumber and red pepper.

6) You can put the onions on the burgers raw but I prefer to sauté the onions

7) Pull out all the condiments from you fridge you think you'll guests will enjoy

8) Let the burgers rest for a minute before you dive in. While the burgers are resting I pop the buns into the oven to let them toast up. Keep an eye on them though.  They can go from the perfect toast to burnt in seconds.

9) Assemble your burgers, toss on a good handful of fries and your green salad on your plate

10) Lastly pour a cold beer into a frosted mug from the freezer (Saturday I had Bowen Island IPA)

11) Take a seat and enjoy the burger, beer and hockey game!!

Before I get started I have to share the Chris Tanev goal from Monday night.  Tanev plays defence and during the lockout was sent to the Chicago Wolves to play.  The kid is such a harder worker.  Chris Tanev is truly one of my favourites! 

Hello everyone, hockey hockey and more hockey.  The only break we have had from hockey lately is last Sunday night when Beyonce put on an amazing show that was right in between some huge sporting event called the Superbowl?!?!  There were only 4 hockey games that day, all the teams where from the eastern conference and all the games ended by 3:30.  In time for New Orleans to get the show on the road!

I do watch football.  It is my second favourite sport next to hockey but don't try to pick my brain about it.  I know the basic rules and some of the teams but other then that I am clueless.  My best memories of football would have to be when I was a kid. My Dad always had football on TV on Sundays. I did get to the Rose Bowl live in Pasadena a few years back.  It was USC vs Penn State and it was fun fun fun.  Everything from the pre game tailgate parties to walking in the stadium, to the beautiful sun that was out, to the cheerleaders to the game itself.  Americans really know how to throw a great football party!

It was a also a great comeback the 49ers made after the lights went out.  They ended up making the game close and came within 2 points at one point! but it was the Ravens that took the big prize winning 34-31 final.  One of the best parts of the game for me was the fact that the head coaches were brothers!  For the first time in Superbowl history.  The next family dinner at that table should be interesting...........

 Now onto hockey! There is only one team left in the NHL yet to lose a game in regulation.  That would be the one and only always mind blowing team, the Chicago Blackhawks.  In the 4 years I have seriously been watching hockey the Blackhawks are always fierce.  Even after they won the Stanley Cup in 2010, it seemed like the next day their team was quickly dismantled and players left for other teams but somehow everyone they have since acquired is good.  Their head coach Joel Quenneville is one of my favourites.  He really knows what he is doing on the ice with his team.

On Tuesday night the Blackhawks took on the San Jose Sharks.  Going into Tuesday's game the Sharks had only lost one regulation game.  The Sharks record is now 7-2-1.  San Jose did take an early lead with goals by Joe Pavelski and Tommy Wingels.  Brandon Saad who has been getting a lot of press lately made it 2-1 for Chicago.  San Jose reclaimed a 2 goal lead 39 seconds after the Saad goal with a goal by Michael Handzus.  But Chicago had Andrew Shaw and Marcus Kruger up their sleeze who both scored to tie up the game 3-3 at the end of the 1st period.  The 2nd period saw only one goal which ended up becoming the game winning goal by Patrick Kane.  Then on an empty net in the 3rd Patrick Kane scored again for the insurance goal and the 5-3 over San Jose to keep the Blackhawks undefeated still with a 8-0-2.  Yes the Blackhawks have lost twice in OT but they still picked up single point in each the game.

Now I know Chicago isn't part of the region we call New England but it is much closer to New England then I am in Vancouver B.C. so today I though I would give you another recipe for New England Clam Chowder I make!  Great food to eat during a hockey game is nearly as important as the game itself!  Enjoy

Courtney's Homemade Clam Chowder!

Ingredients:
2  large potatoes
2 carrots
2 stacks celery
1 small onion
1-2 cobs corn (or a small tin if corn isn't in season)
2 bellpeppers (I use one red and either a yellow or a orange pepper.  They add a nice crunch and wonderful colour to the chowder.)
4-6 strips of thickly cut bacon (optional)
2-3 pieces of sausage of your choice (I opt for something simple like beef with garlic and basil) (also optional)
2 tins of baby clams in clam juice
1 small jar of clam juice (for extra flavour)
1 250ml container of cream
1 liter of 2% milk (add as you see fit, you may not need the whole litter)
And lastly a small spoonful of butter and a handful of parsley



Instructions:

1) Put the potatoes in a pot of cold water.  Put on the oven to boil.  The potatoes are done when you can easily pierce them with a fork.

2) Chop the onions, celery, carrots and bell peppers in evenly cut pieces.  I prefer a chunkier chowder so I leave my vegetables in bigger pieces but feel free to cut them smaller.

3) Throw the onions into a big soup pot with a little melted butter over medium heat.  Let the onions cook until the start to sweat a bit.  Then add the celery and carrots.

4) To save time and not dirty another pot I pop the corn into the pot of boiling potatoes.  You only need to leave the corn in for 2-3 minutes.  Then I pull the corn out of the water with tongs and let it cool.  After it is done cooling I cut the corn off of the cob.

5) Then add the bell peppers into the soup pot with the onions, celery and carrots, once they have soften a little.  I usually now add a dash of salt and pepper.

6) In a fry pan I cook the bacon.  I cook the bacon till it is pretty crispy.  Then I cook the sausage.  Once I have pulled the bacon from the pan and let it drain on some paper towel I break it up into smaller pieces.  Again I like chunkier chowder and I leave the pieces a bit bigger.  Once the sausage is done cooking I cut it into more bite size pieces.

7) By now the potatoes should be done cooking.  Pull them out of the pot with tongs and cut them up into bit size pieces.  Once that is done throw the potatoes and corn into the soup pot with the other vegetables.

8) Now throw in the bacon, sausage and the 2 tins of baby clams.  

9) Next toss in the jar of clam juice, cream and milk.  Add the milk as you need to.  Sometimes I use the while litre, sometimes not.

10) Now is when I raise the temperature of the pot from medium to high.  I wait till it hits a boil and throw in a spoon full of butter.  Stir in the butter and lower the heat to low for a simmer.  The butter is completely optional.  I just think it adds a great richness.

11) And finally when you are ready to serve toss in the freshly chopped parsley.  It adds a beautiful green colour!  And there you have it!  "Courtney's New England Clam Chowder" or perhaps I should call it "Courtney's salute to the Chicago Blackhawks Clam Chowder" 

Also for a beverage during the game with the chowder,  I enjoy a light crisp glass of white wine but feel free to have a pilsner.  I love a pilsner with a chowder.  Pilsner to me is old fashion like chowder!

Below you can check out Patrick Kane's game winning goal that got them the WIN over the Sharks!   A huge goal for the Blackhawks that kept their record at 8-0-2!  Tonight the Phoenix Coyotes have the chance to snap the Blackhawks winning streak.

And also check out Jason Garrison's first goal as a Vancouver Canuck.  It took a few games but Garrison snapped a one timer and it went right past the Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov.  Remember ladies, Garrison is the reason we have the saying "Tall, Dark and Handsome!" Enjoy X