It's Time for Superbowl!

Superbowl XLIII is this Sunday, February 1, 2009 at 3 pm pacific time. This year’s matchup will feature the AFC champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers, against the NFC champs, the Arizona Cardinals. This should be an exciting matchup. The underdogs, the Arizona Cardinals, will be going to the Superbowl for the first time. The Pittsburgh Steelers are no strangers to Superbowl, and are going for their sixth Superbowl win. A sixth win would place them in sole possession of the record for most Superbowl wins.
If you’re not into football, do not despair. There are always great commercials to watch. Make sure you pickup your 3D glasses for the Monsters vs. Aliens spot. Sobe is sponsoring this, so they are available at your local supermarket. Just ask. So gather your friends, grab the hot wings and a beer, and settle in for an exciting matchup this Sunday. Are you ready for some football?!
Speaking of hot wings, here’s a great recipe for your Superbowl party, courtesy of Raley’s and Bel Air Markets.

Mudslinger Hot Wings

Ingredients
3 lbs. party wings
Lawrys Garlic Salt, chili powder, cayenne
pepper and black pepper
10 jalapeño peppers, stemmed,
seeded and quartered
6 serrano peppers, stemmed,
seeded and quartered
1 small red chili pepper, stemmed,
seeded and quartered
1 (14-oz.) can chicken broth
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Sriracha Hot Pepper Sauce (in our Asian
foods section)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions
Prep time: 30 minutes, Stand and marinate time: overnight Cook time: 8 to 10 minutes Rinse wings and pat dry; place in a single layer on a large baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt, chili powder, cayenne and black pepper; let stand for 30 minutes, then place in a large resealable plastic bag. Puree remaining ingredients except oil in a blender until smooth. Pour about 2/3 of the mixture over chicken; seal bag and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Cover and refrigerate remaining sauce. Heat oil to 350°F. Remove wings from sauce and discard bag. Cook in hot oil for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once or twice. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on several layers of paper towels. Place reserved sauce in a small saucepan and cook until mixture just comes to a boil. Pour desired amount of sauce over wings and toss well to coat. Serve with blue cheese dip and celery sticks, or toss with crumbled blue cheese, if you like. Makes 12 to 16 servings. Note: Any extra sauce would be great over ribs, steaks or roasts.

Nutritional Information:
Nutrition per serving (201 g, based on 14): 480 calories, 26 g protein, 38 g total fat (7 g sat., 0 g trans), 10 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 80 mg cholesterol, 1410 mg sodium, 13 points

Shopping List:
3 lbs. party wings, Lawrys Garlic Salt, chili powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, 10 jalapeño peppers, 6 serrano peppers, 1 small red chili pepper, 1 (14- oz.) can chicken broth, 1 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1 cup Sriracha Hot Pepper Sauce, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sauce, 1/4 cup cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, Vegetable oil
http://raleys.com/www/apps/recipes/print.jsp?contentid=1081134&recipeid=1081134

Bank Owned Properties

The bank owned properties have finally brought the buyers back out. There are many good investments for the first time homebuyer, the move-up buyer, and the investors. With median home prices down to $177,000, home purchases make sense to all. Homebuyers that want the most house for their buck, need to look further than the perfect home they have envisioned.
The properties that are ready to move in are in the greatest demand, which means lots of competition. Multiple offers are common place, which pushes values above original asking price. These are still great values, but if you are willing to fix up cosmetic issues, you can realize even more equity in your home. Carpet, linoleum, appliances, paint, and landscaping can all be replaced very easily at minimal cost. A lot of these fix-ups can be done with a trip to your local home supply store. Look for a nice floor plan, solid structure, and in the neighborhood that meets your needs. The rest can be fixed to meet your own personal tastes.
The bank owned properties that sit on the market more than 30 days have other advantages. The seller is ready to negotiate. The buyer can request that the seller pay up to 3% of the purchase price towards the buyer’s closing costs(up to 2% if the buyer is an investor). The buyer can also request a credit towards pest repairs and cosmetic repairs(within lender guidelines).
The banks do not usually perform repairs to the property, this includes pest repairs. So a credit at close of escrow gives the buyer the money for fix-up at close of escrow. With values and interest rates at an all-time low, if you can buy now, do it!
There is talk that the real estate market may be recovering later this year. NOW is the time to buy!

Are Gas Prices Going Up?

Say it ain’t so! The fear of every automobile owner (except for those of you driving those Yarises and Priuses!) could be coming true. Just last year, gasoline prices peaked at around $4.70 a gallon for regular unleaded. Thankfully, they have decreased considerably, and the average is around $2.00 a gallon now. Contrary to what most believe, higher prices on everyday goods do not necessarily mean an increase in gas prices. Take for example, gas is $2.00 a gallon, yet Orowheat bread is still $4.89 a loaf! For this reason, we can assume that the prices of gas do not directly correlate with the state of the economy overall. Actually, one reason lies on the other side of the world. The conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza has the potential to disrupt supplies in the Middle East, keeping prices from falling further. So, we can thank this for gas prices beginning to creep back up. Since last year, crude oil prices have plummeted over 70 percent (NY Times). Consumers are not the only ones taking advantage of the low prices either. The Energy Department is planning to buy 12 million barrels to replenish the emergency supply in salt caverns near the Gulf of Mexico, that were depleted after Hurricane Katrina. The radio said today that gas prices are going to rise within the next two weeks, so we can assume that everyone rushed to the gas station right after hearing that and filled up. There is an upside to higher gas prices though: with less people driving, it’s good for the environment. We can’t necessarily disagree with something that is good for the environment, right? That’s right. There are plenty of other things good for the environment that don’t involve us riding down I-5 to work on a bicycle.