Mayhem for the Superbowl

Today's a big day in our household. It's the Superbowl. If you don't follow sports, today is the New Year's Eve of the football season. One last chance to have a little fun, as well as be crowned this year's winning team, before they all retire to their post playoff havens. Actually, it probably IS a lot like New Year's Eve for the winning team, complete with a huge after party and killer hangover the next day.

Because my husband is such a jock, he loves sports and football is his pet (with basketball being the red headed step child). Each Sunday of the football season is a big deal with him pulling out 2 televisions to add to our living room (for a total of three!) and him having the season ticket on DirecTv so that he can watch EVERY GAME. So as big a deal as each individual Sunday is, the Superbowl is a B.F.D.

Not only do I win "awesome wife points" for allowing the chaos of three televisions in my teeny tiny living room every Sunday of football, but I also win major points by having a Superbowl party at the culmination of the season. This year, with the frustration of the house and various repair projects in limbo, I decided against having the party. (Though my husband took it like a champ, I think I did see him whip out the notebook and deduct some points.)

Now I'm thinking I'm getting out of this easily and I can have a relaxing, normal weekend. Until I remember that my oldest son loves one of the party dishes I make and has been haranguing me to make it. I've put him off, telling him I only make it for the Superbowl party. Well, now I have a giant case of mom guilt, so I decide I can at least make that dish. I can't disappoint him after promising him this for months! What kind of mother would I be then? A heartless monster who makes and breaks promises at her whim? Okay, so just the velveeta potatoes dish.

Well, making just one dish seems kind of odd. We can't have that as dinner. And it's too heavy to stand as an appetizer. Okay, so maybe I'll make some meatballs and sauce and get little rolls and some mozzarella cheese and we can have mini meatball subs. The youngest loves my meatballs and with those two dishes, I can count that dinner. So, just the meatballs and the velveeta potatoes. That's not too bad. It's less food than I would have made for a party. Still pretty relaxed. Okay, good.

Oh, I have the salsa I made at the end of the summer. I promised hubby he could have a jar at the Superbowl party. This was before I cancelled the party. I can't go back on my word, not after he's told me half a dozen times how much he LOVES my homemade salsa. Well, that's easy enough. Just get some chips and dump the salsa in a bowl. Okay, that could be the "appetizer" and then we'll have the meatball subs and the potatoes.

Wait, I did buy those little cocktail weenies to make pigs in blankets. Maybe I could just make those for dinner one night? No, that sounds weird. What would I make to go with them? That's not really a dinner food. Well, how hard is that? Wrapping them in crescent rolls and popping them in the oven? I can do that. I'll have the daughter to help. She's already offered to help and I can use slave labor. Okay. So the salsa and chips and the meatballs and the potatoes and the pigs in blankets.

Should I have a sweet too? I did buy those butterscotch chips because they were half off, and I DO have two bags. I could make a batch of oatmeal scotchies and then the kids would have after school snacks this coming week too. And it doesn't take long to whip up a batch of cookies. I have the daughter to help and she likes baking. Okay, so just the pigs in blankets, the meatballs, the potato dish, the salsa and chips, and the oatmeal scotchies for a dessert kind of thing.

So at the end of it I realize I really AM having a party. Food wise at least. The people might not be coming but I could have fed them had I decided to invite them. But hosting a party is devilish....hey, deviled eggs. I haven't made those in awhile and the hubby REALLY likes them. Maybe I can add those too........