The Super Bowl & Food Comas

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Every year when the Super Bowl rolls around, I get coerced into cooking enough food to feed the Army. And every year, I dread the task. Until my kitchen is suddenly abuzz with the sound of knives chopping and food processors whirring and my favorite Pandora station blaring in the background. Once I am elbow deep in raw eggs, breading, and flour, the aroma of simmering oil permeating my entire home, I can finally embrace the task at hand and I remember how much I really do enjoy the process of cooking.

Guacamole in progress.

Yesterday, I cooked alone while the children played in the living room and my husband spent time catching up with his best friend who was visiting with his daughter from South Carolina for the weekend. However, every time the husband set foot in the kitchen, there was a new sink load of dishes which he promptly washed and put away for me. Thank you, husband. You rock.

Completed guacamole with chips, salsa, and sour cream for dipping.

You all know that we are much more of a college football house, but the Super Bowl is a great occasion for gathering together with good friends and good food. The eloquent words of my genius sister never rang more true than in their application to what happened in my house yesterday. I am sure the same thing happened in her house as well.

“The Stupid Bowl: It’s just another excuse to eat myself into a coma.” -My Big Sister

Anyway, here’s a little peak at what was on the menu in my house. If you are friends with me on Facebook, you may have seen it posted in rounds yesterday. I literally cooked for 7 hours straight and it was such a therapeutic endeavor as I immersed myself completely into the process. By the end of it all, my back hurt, my belly was full, and my heart was happy. And I don’t have to cook another thing all week as there are enough leftovers to last until the weekend.

I hope you enjoy the photos and don’t get too hungry.

Salad with green leaf and iceberg lettuce, mushrooms, cucumbers, shredded carrots, strawberries, and blueberries. I also had homemade creamy Italian dressing, homemade celery seed dressing, and homemade ranch dressing. This pretty salad never even made it out of the refrigerator. We totally forgot about it with all the other food.
Baked brie with grapes, apples, and pears.
Loaded baked potato soup made with beer (so freaking good), white rice, and turkey pumpkin chili.
Corn pone (it is way better than traditional corn bread).
Meat sauce in progress.
Fried cheese ravioli with homemade meat sauce.
Fried meat ravioli.
Potato skins in progress.
Loaded potato skins, half with turkey bacon and half with pork bacon.
Mini Cheesecakes from Main Street Baking Company (Purchased from State Street Market) and baked cinnamon apples and pears. There were brownies, too, but they were devoured before I could get a photo.

What are you favorite game day snacks? And are you like us, always finding any excuse to put yourself into a food coma?

Saturday pizza night with old friends.
The kids were so excited to see their cousin Saphia and Uncle Adam. (Related only by virtue of forever friendship.)
And the giant animal heads came out. Always fun.

Keeping it on the edge,

Shelbee

Linking up with these Fabulous Link Ups.

I am a midlife woman, wife, and stay-at-home mother of 2 boys and 2 cats. I have a passion for helping other women feel fabulous in the midst of this crazy, beautiful life.

14 Comments

  • Helen C.

    Since I only cook for my husband and myself (and sometimes for my dog, ´cause she´s our little princess), I often forget how much food you have to cook for 4 or 6 people! I´m impressed!

    Also, giant animal heads?! Why not?hehehe
    Looks like you had lots of fun!!!

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      Helen, thanks for stopping by! I always cook enough for 10 people when I only have 4, but then when I have 9 (my neighbors joined us as well making a total of 9), I tend to cook for 30! Ha. I just can’t help myself. But at least we have leftovers all week long.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

  • Patrick Weseman

    Looks like you had a wonderful time. Here is a Super Bowl fact for you, both starting QB’s are from the Bay Area (Tom Brady-San Mateo and Jared Goff-Novato). Something to tell your hubby.

  • Jeanna

    You must be very popular come the Super Bowl. I’m not sure exactly what corn pone is but I’m certain it goes well with chili. I may start at the baked brie and work myself into a coma though. Please stop by and link up if you can cause that baked brie is asking to be part of the Say Cheese! link up. Don’t get me started on the fried cheese ravioli, I’ve never found a good place to get it so I guess rolling up your sleeves and making it yourself is the answer. I’m pretty sure I see cheddar cheese on those porky potato skins too. Wow. That salad is cray cray.

  • Susan Marinelli

    Your sister is absolutely a genius, as evidenced by her Stupid Bowl quote. Indeed, it was so stupid, I didn’t bother to watch, I just cooked, ate and chatted. It gives me great pleasure to ignore the bonfire of vanity that is Tom Brady. Now, about cornpone…
    I had to google, and I still don’t know what it is.
    http://www.virginialiving.com/food/cornpone-versus-cornbread/
    I have made a wonderful cornbread in a cast iron skillet for years, and can make all variations, but still don’t understand what cornpone is.
    Can you enlighten me?
    Ever since the first time you mentioned turkey pumpkin chile, I have wanted it.
    I have never fried a ravioli, but they look delightful.
    Love the animal heads.

    • shelbeeontheedge@gmail.com

      Oh Susan, your comments every time make me laugh and think and laugh some more. So, yes, my sister is a damn genius and she subsequently thanked me (sarcastically) for publicly revealing to everyone who reads my blog that she is a “big fat fatty who sits around and stuffs her face for any occasion.” I don’t see anything wrong with that or why she would be ashamed. I do the same exact thing! As for the Stupid Bowl, I only sat down for a brief few minutes during the half time show, quickly became embarrassed for Adam Levine (and I do like him on The Voice), then returned to the kitchen and the food and shamelessly continued to stuff my face (most likely to prevent myself from ever feeling compelled to stand on a public stage, take my shirt off, and grind my pelvis in the direction of thousands of strangers. Nobody wants to see that. From anyone.)

      Now onto corn pone. It is a bit confusing. I have read multiple explanations and get very lost myself. The one difference that I can find is that cornbread uses baking powder for the bread to rise. Corn pone does not. The recipe I use involves mixing all of the ingredients in a large pot over medium to high heat and stirring continuously while it bubbles, boils, and thickens. Then I pour all the hot steaming goo into a pan (or cast iron skillet) to bake. No baking powder needed. It comes out much richer and moister and denser than traditional corn bread. It’s sort of a cross between corn bread and corn casserole. I prefer it much better to corn bread as does everyone who has tried my corn pone.

      Now turkey pumpkin chili is a must! It is much better at the beginning of fall for some reason. And you have to add pumpkin spices to it like cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves. But my pumpkin chowder is much preferred by everyone over the pumpkin chili. I have made that with canned pumpkin and fresh pumpkin and even used jarred baby food squash the year there was a pumpkin shortage and I had an overabundance of baby food squash that my then baby boy refused to eat.

      If you have never fried a ravioli, please put it on your bucket list. Everything is better fried…especially ravioli. And probably even animal heads. Maybe. Maybe not. That might just be weird.

      xoxo
      Shelbee

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Shelbee on the Edge