I hate football but love to cook….

Last Saturday was the saga of how the pantry saved me from my husband’s last minute football extravaganza. This Saturday, I had plenty of notice, since the game is at 1:30 and he told me yesterday afternoon.  As we speak, the house is filled with the aroma of slow cooker “Asian” chicken for pulled chicken sammies.  Slaw was made last night. A punch bowl of mixed snack food and M&M’s are centered on the coffee table in front of the couch. On the kitchen counter are a plate with hand sized watermelon wedges and chocolate chip cookies.  A plate of assorted pickles are also good. Kosher dill slices, hot pickled okra (I’m Southern, remember?), bread and butter chips, assorted olives –  It’s up to you and what you have on hand.  If they’re still hungry, they’ll have to go out in the backyard and bag some squirrels during halftime.

When folks visit, I send them home sober.  Soft drinks, sweet tea and lemonade are in the fridge.  Strong paper plates, heavy duty plastic cutlery, and a couple of rolls of paper towels for wiping mouths and hands stand at the ready.  Are you ready for some football??? Heck no. I’m ready for a nap.

どうぞめしあがれ douzo meshiagare y’all!

Asian Pulled Chicken Sammies
6 boneless chicken breasts
1/2 cup lite soy sauce
1 – 2 tsp. fresh minced ginger
1 – 2 tsp. minced garlic
1 – 2 sriracha sauce (optional)
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 can (16 oz.) tomato sauce

Preparation:
Wash chicken; pat dry. Place chicken pieces in a crockpot. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and tomato sauce. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours or until chicken is tender and juices run clear. Take chicken from sauce and use two forks to shred. Return meat to sauce and mix well. Have buns and slaw ready for them to assemble. Serves 6.

Easy Vinegar Coleslaw
14-oz bag store-bought cole slaw mix, rinse in cold water and drained
several scallions, sliced, to taste
1/4 cup chopped red or green pepper
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1 – 3 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine last five ingredients and whisk together.  Stir in the veggies, and toss well to combine.  Let the slaw sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, then toss again.  Refrigerate for at least one hour, and up to two days.  Use a slotted spoon to serve the cole slaw, as quite a bit of liquid will collect in the bowl as the slaw sits in the refrigerator.  Or to make it easy for guys, drain and place slaw in a bowl for them.

Punchbowl Munchie Mix
The ingredients are up to you. This mix will be: Cheetos, bbq corn chips, cocktail peanuts, pretzels, wavy potato chips, large bag of peanut M%Ms. The object is to fill the bowl. Mine belonged to my great-grandmother and is large enough to use to bathe a toddler – just the right size for four guys.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
I make the standard Tollhouse cookie recipe. During holidays or bake sale times, I quadruple the recipe. I make rolls of the cookies from one recipe, wrap well and freeze. On occasions like this or just because, I bring out a couple of rolls, thaw, slice, and bake. You can also purchase the rolls or tubs of cookie dough. Quick and easy.