Be Ready Belly. Dad's in the Kitchen.

We love a good tradition around here, be they big or small.  For example, every Friday is Milkshake Day.  On the way home from school, we stop at Steak-n-Shake for milkshake hapy hour.  It is our way to celebrate the end of another school week and get the weekend party started. 

Another tradition is our Super Bowl party.   Since the Super Bowl doesn't start until 6:30, and our kids had an 8:00 bedtime when they were younger, we never went to parties.  We created one at home, just us.  We have a whole mess of appetizers, and it is the one day of the year when we eat dinner in front of the TV. 
In years past, I was in charge of cooking.  Just because it is game-day appetizers, doesn't mean we can't put some healthy food into our bellies.  I would make home-made chicken nuggets, quesadillas, sliced apples with caramel dip, spinach and artichoke dip, peanut butter celery sticks, cheese and crackers, and the like.  I would throw in a bag of chips and some M&M's as a treat.

Each year, Hubby tried to get more and more junk into the menu.  And this year, he was in charge.  I was working at church while he took the kids to the store to buy the party food.  I can't say "ingredients" because all he bought was premade items.  At 5:30 the chef got to work putting everything into the oven.

He didn't go to Ohio State, so he doesn't mind that this look doesn't do much for their image.

This is the fruit of his labor:

As a nod to me, he did put some carrots, celery, cheese and crackers out there with the frozen buffalo chicken nuggets, frozen $2 pizza, frozen mini tacos, frozen jalepeno poppers, frozen pretzel bites, frozen pizza rolls, chips, and Doritos.

Have at it kids!

Yeah!  Giant took some carrots!

And out to the TV room to chow down and watch some football.

The game was a lot more fun with it being just down the way from us.  Every time they showed a shot of downtown, the little ones were excited to point out Daddy's office.

The finishing touch for the tradition is cutting into the cake Hubby and the current scout made for the Cub Scout Cake Auction.  (We always get our cake back, even when the price is jacked up by other mischeivous bidders.)  Red Star and Hubby tweeked their design from last year's cake, and made some adjustments.  Much better!

Too bad the picture stinks.  In the forefront is the trophy he won.  Grand champion cake! 

Every year we are asked if we are going to the school's Super Bowl party.  Every year, we say, "Not a chance."  We love this little tradition.  Except next year, I'll be cooking. 

Did you do anything fun for the big game?

Have a lovely day!