May The Fourth Be With You

Well, today's the day.  No...THE Day.  Of course I'm talking about May the 4th, also known as Star Wars Day!

Why is May the 4th called Star Wars Day?  Because it's punny.  Get it?  If you want to know more about this sacred pun day in Star Wars history, get it right from the source at StarWars.com.

For me, celebrating Star Wars Day is really a weekend-long extravaganza.  It consists primarily of wearing Star Wars shirts/accessories, watching all of the movies (in original order most of the time, but sometimes I change it up to chronological order), and of course, making Star Wars themed foods.

Even though most of the goodies I make for this celebration are finger foods, I'm still going to break them up into categories of Appetizers, Main Courses, and Desserts.

The Apps:

This first one is simple.  I call it - Sarlacc Dip.

Open up a container of your favorite hummus (here I used Cedar's brand Roasted Red Pepper).  Then stick some Hot Veggie Stix haphazardly around the edge of the dip, to represent the Sarlacc's many threatening tentacles and some tortilla bits inside to show what big teeth it has.  Done.  See, that was easy.

The next thing on the appetizer menu was originally called Yoda Bites, however, they didn't turn out to look anything like the Jedi Master, so I changed it to just Random Alien Bites.  Here's a pic after prep, before being baked, and the other one is after baked.  See what I mean?

These are buttery crescents wrapped around a delicious filling made from spinach, cream cheese, and some savory flavors.  You can also do a variation of non-spinach ones with different kinds of cheeses (including parmesan) and some garlic.  As you can tell, the ears just weren't long enough to warrant a title dedicated to Yoda, and honestly, they look kind of creepy, so Random Alien Bites it it!  Even though these may not be pretty, they are super tasty and gone before the middle of the first movie.  So, if you would like to give them a go, I recommend this recipe by Di Jinx for a quick and easy, yet delectable dish, found here.  Then shape them however you want or can.

Okay, on to the main courses...

The Main Attraction:

The theme of the main course items is all about Han Solo, but mostly, it's about his ship.  One of the most iconic ships in the Star Wars universe is the Millennium Falcon.  See here, I made some pizzas.

I used some packaged crust to make the dough.  Then I was going to use one of the awesome Star Wars sandwich cutters sold exclusively by Williams-Sonoma, many lightyears ago.  They are no longer carried by the company, however, you can still find some floating around the internet if you get the hankering to get your own.  However, I didn't feel like the personal pizzas would be quite big enough.  Luckily I had another option in my geek collection at my disposal.  Williams-Sonoma also (still) makes the Star Wars pancake molds that I decided to use for shaping my pizza dough and they worked very well.  

Just roll out the dough as thick or thin as you like, throw on your favorite pizza toppings, and bake according to package instructions - or until it looks done.  Ta-da, Millennium Falcon Personal Pizzas!

Next up, we've got our Mexican-style hot pocket, the Corellian Quesadilla.  What does this have to do with the Millennium Falcon?  Well, Han's famous ship was made by the Corellian Engineering Corporation, one of the 3 largest starship manufacturers in the galaxy.  But that's enough for the history lesson, let's see what kind of tasty treat this entity helped to inspire. 

I actually should call them Imperial Star Destroyer-dillas, because they look like those warships, but it just doesn't sound as catchy...or does it? Some of these pics are a bit dark, so here's a different shot - not near as fun though.

You can find the recipe for these on a previous blog post here.  Just scroll down the page until you get to the entry for Chicken Quesadillas and you'll find step-by-step instructions on how to make these babies, just minus the cool Star Wars name.

The Final Chapter:

For dessert, why not make some Thermal Detonators?  Now I made these for Star Wars Day before, but it was the Oreo truffle kind.  You can see that blog post here.  But here's a different kind of truffle you can do to mix it up.  It's a brownie-based center with salted caramel goodness drizzled on top and melted throughout. 

Salted Caramel

Oreo

Just get a box (or 2 bags) of brownie mix, whichever brand takes your fancy, and whip them up according to the instructions given.  Before putting them into the oven, unwrap about 16 caramels.  I used Milk Maid, but any kind will do.  Place caramels into batter in the pan evenly spaced and bake according to package instructions.  When they are about half way done, run a butter knife up and down the rows to marble the melty caramel throughout the batter.  When done, remove from oven and let cool completely or until you can handle them safely.  You can use an ice cream scoop for the next part or clean hands, or both.  Scoop out brownies and form into balls then place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  Refrigerate for about an hour.  In the meantime, melt about 2-1/2 cups of chocolate chips in the microwave.  If the chocolate is really thick after melting, add a tiny bit of vegetable oil to thin it out.  DO NOT add milk or cream or you will have a big mess - trust me!  Ok, next, pull the brownie balls out of the fridge and dip them in the chocolate until covered and return to wax paper.  Heat up a couple of tbls. of caramel sauce, put it into a plastic baggy, snip the tip, and drizzle the caramel back and forth over the truffle balls.  Then set your course salt grinder to the biggest setting and grind it over the caramel-drizzled-chocolate-covered-brownies.  Refrigerate for another 30 minutes and viola!

So there you have it folks, another Star Wars themed entry in homage to May The Fourth.  Oh, that reminds me, I bought this game last year, because I like tabletop gaming, however, after reading through the instructions and watching the numerous YouTube video instructions provided by the company that made it, I'm still at a loss for how to play.  It just seems too confusing compared to other card games I've played.  So, if you have any tips, I'm all ears.

Happy Star Wars Day, Everyone!  And May The Fourth Be With You!

Where The Heck Have I Been? ~or~ Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Whew!  A lot has happened in the last couple of months.  The Ohio State Buckeyes earned yet another National Championship, I had to replace my home Wi-Fi router, and planted my garden on time this year so maybe something will actually grow.  

But first and foremost, I want to wish you all a very happy St. Patrick's Day!

Yes, I have been away for a while, but I hope you will forgive my absence as I have been a very busy girl as of late...more so than usual.  I've been thinking about re-vamping this site to encompass all of my creative endeavors, and that is still something that I am working on, but I can't wait anymore and I felt like I really needed to post here now instead of waiting until I finish mapping out my all-encompassing future blog.

What have I been doing?  Well, I have been teaching college first-year English composition this semester on top of doing my 40 hour per week IT job.  I've been slowly chipping away at some other writing projects in my "spare" time and still cranking out articles for Boyd Street Magazine.  Even though I've had my hands full, I am certainly NOT complaining.  I have learned so much in my adventures as of late.  For instance, I've learned that I love teaching, (especially on the college level) almost as much as I love writing.  I'd never thought about being a professor before or teaching anything for that matter, but after getting a taste of it, I can't imagine not doing it.

Don't worry, as busy as my life has been lately, I still find time to cook at least 3-4 times a week.  Not just because I have to eat, but because cooking is a creative outlet for me.  When I don't carve out some time to do that, I get a little grumpy...okay, a lot grumpy.  I've also baked and made sweets and completely stopped working out, so all is well.  I also discovered that apparently I have cookie cutters for every holiday.  So I made Valentine's gingerbread cookies and shamrock gingerbread cookies in the last couple of months.  Basically I just feel like I need to have a reason/excuse to make gingerbread cookies because I love them.

I've also been running a bed & breakfast for the last few weeks.  Okay, well not really an actual B&B, but I have been entertaining different friends from different states at different times who have "made reservations" to stay at my house.  This makes me very happy because I feel like people are comfortable in my home.  I've hosted many gatherings, cookouts, watch parties, game nights, etc. by invitation, but to have those I care about contact me and ask to stay over and have me cook for them makes me feel very warm and fuzzy inside.  A dream of mine is to be a full-time writer who owns a cozy bed & breakfast somewhere in New England where I live and write and cook and care for others who flow in and out of my home on their personal journeys.  Seriously, I wouldn't want for anything if that was the rest of my life.

This is not the epic post that I wanted to do after such a long hiatus, however, I did not want to wait any longer.  I have also decided that I can't stay away, so I will be posting my usual restaurant/product reviews and recipes, as well as current project updates, and some personal tidbits here while I'm deciding on the details about rebuilding this site.  Thank you so much for checking in regularly, and know that I will be posting regularly once again.

So, toast this day with your green beers and shamrock gingerbread cookies, because they are tradition...apparently and have yourself a fantastic St. Patrick's Day!

The Bucks vs. The Ducks In 2015 Championship, A.K.A. The "O" Bowl

Okay, first thing's first - HAPPY 2015, EVERYONE!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and that this will be your best year ever!  And now the second thing...

OMG, did you catch the Sugar Bowl tonight?  Wow!  Just, wow!  After an arduous back and forth of wondering who would win, The Ohio State Buckeyes (#4) took the playoff semifinals out from under the #1 ranked Alabama team...and with the Bucks' 3rd-string quarterback heading up the pack, at that!  Can you imagine having that kind of pressure?  Cardale held his own though, and led the Buckeyes to victory, 42-35.

I was on the edge of my seat the entire game, doing the usual fan stuff: making sure I was all geared up with as much Buckeye clothing as I could wear without walking around like Randy from A Christmas Story, making sure my dog was wearing her OSU collar, forgetting my hat, remembering my hat when we were losing, yelling at the TV, and alternating between salty and sweet snacks that I seriously didn't need, but couldn't avoid because I was so nervous! (and they were really really tasty)  

Most of the sports predictions were looking at The Tide to win it easily.  After losing our first and second-string quarterbacks to injuries, and Cardale Jones having only one starting appearance this season, (a game which he won, btw) I admit, I didn't go into watching this game with as much confidence as I usually do. But I'm a Buckeye fangirl through and through and I still had faith that they could totally win it.  I was definitely biting my nails though that first quarter...and the second...and frankly, the entire game!  OSU was seen by most of the sports world as the underdogs for this game, but I never listen to the statistics/numbers/odds, because Ohio State plays with heart, ambition, passion, and pride, and those aren't things that can be quantified.  

I am so thrilled that my Bucks came out on top! Whew, that was an intense game! I'm just now feeling like it's okay to breathe.  OSU fought hard and made some amazing plays, (Elliott was especially awesome!) and now they are going to the Championship game to play head-to-head with Oregon next week!  I am so proud and thankful to be even just a tiny part of the Buckeye fandom.

So don't miss the BIG GAME next Monday, January 12th when the Bucks meet the Ducks in a battle for the title to be the number one team of 2015!  

**Fun fact:  This championship game is being dubbed as "The 'O' Bowl" (Ohio vs. Oregon).

Happy Tailgating!  And Gooooooo BUCKS!!!

Quick Cookies During Crazy Holidays!

Tis the season for baking cookies!  Aaaannnd about a billion other things that you have to get done before the Big Day.  There's shopping, list making, decorating, and last minute hoopla, all on top of your regular daily hustle and bustle.  So who's got time for baking?  Don't worry, this blog post is going to be all about baking creative goodies in a way that you can be efficient, have fun, and have something in time to bring to the Holiday office party.

This is usually my time of all day/night crazy baking.  And even though I greatly enjoy my holiday baking extravaganza, I just didn't have the time and energy I usually do to do it this year.  But I wanted to bring something fresh and new to the office, and most importantly, I needed to take some time out of my busy schedule for something that makes me happy.  So how did I reconcile this conundrum?  I theorized about this for a week or so, and decided to create one simple base batter and make several different types of cookies from it.  I only made 4 types this time, but the combinations are vast for any number of cookie concoctions you want to toy with.

There are 3 types pictured here, but the cookie dough base is just a basic sugar cookie, which you can count as a type all on its own.  From left to right, we have Butter Brickle, Andes Mint, and Candy Cane cookies.  Here's what you'll need to make them:

I have always made my own sugar cookies from scratch, but like I said, sometimes you need a shortcut, and this time I took it.  Betty Crocker makes a pretty good simple sugar cookie bag mix, and it's really quick and easy, but of course any sugar cookie mix will do.  So for the base dough, follow the instructions on the back of the cookie mix.  I just used one bag of "snack size" mix for each cookie type I wanted to make.  The package says it makes 1 dozen cookies, but I got anywhere from 14-16 cookies out of each bag.  All of these cookies bake at 375, so go ahead and preheat the oven.

Butter Brickle Cookies:

Follow the bag instructions for making up the batter then add the following:

1/4 cup of Heath English Toffee Bits

1/4 cup of  Kraft Caramel Bits

Lightly grease the cookie sheet with cooking spray for these.  The package says "ungreased," but you will need it because the toffee and caramel bits will stick if you don't.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 13-14 minutes or until edges are golden.  Let the cookies stand for a couple of minutes then tranfer to a wire rack or large piece of wax paper to let them cool the rest of the way.  Although, you really should shove a couple in your mouth while they are still warm and gooey because, OMG!

I forgot to add these to the "what you'll need" picture

Andes Mint Cookies:

Follow the bag instructions for making up the batter.  Here are the extra ingredients you'll need:

1/4 cup of Andes Mint Baking Chips (melted)
Extra Andes chips for topping (UNmelted)

Microwave the chips in a cup in 20 second intervals, stirring between each one, until completely melted.  Pour onto dough and quickly knead it together with your hands.  The mint chocolate will want to set up pretty fast, so I found that using my hands was fast and efficient, plus left a marbled-like pattern in the dough, which was pretty cool!  Bake for about 10-11minutes, and when they are almost done, pull the tray out and scatter a few bits of Andes on top of each cookie.  Put them back in the oven for one more minute, then remove, let stand for a couple of minutes, and transfer to the rack or wax paper to cool.  

Ok, while those are cooking, let's move on to the last batch!

Candy Cane Cookies:

Follow the bag instructions for making up the batter.  Here are the extra ingredients you'll need:

1/4 cup of Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips 

2 candy canes for topping (crushed)

Add the peppermint chips to the batter and stir until everything is mixed evenly. Bake at 375 for about 10-11 minutes.  Pull the cookies out and top with crushed candy canes and bake for another minute.  Let stand for a couple of minutes and transfer to rack or wax paper to cool.

Whether you divvy them up in decorative bags or festive containers to give to others as gifts, be sure to enjoy a few yourself as a reward for all your hard work this Holiday Season.  Enjoy your cookie break with a cup of hot coffee, or better yet, a cup of warm cocoa.  Sit down, slow down, and enjoy yourself and reflect what the season brings/means to you.  

Gobble Gobble Gravy Day

It is that time again folks!  Time for Turkey Day - otherwise known as Thanksgiving!  Traditional Thanksgiving food is my absolute favorite holiday meal. There are a few must-haves for me, and then some extra traditions that I've grown very fond of.

First off, I know people who have ham or other meats (and some non-meat entrees) for their Thanksgiving meal, but this girl MUST have turkey.  If there's no turkey, to me, it just isn't Thanksgiving.  

Second, is the mashed potatoes and gravy.  Now here's where things get seriously diversified based on the region of America you are in.  Since I'm originally a yankee from Ohio, I was raised on "yellow gravy," which is nothing more than chicken or turkey broth, (and there better be a lot of it) that is brought to a boil.  While that's happening, you put a few fork-fulls of corn starch in a measuring cup then add evaporated milk to it, stirring until smooth.  When the broth is at a rolling boil, you pour in the corn starch mixture, continuously stirring the broth.  The corn starch makes the broth thicken, then you add some seasoned salt, seasoned pepper, and a couple of drops of yellow food coloring (at least that's what my grandma and mom do), and you got yourself some Thanksgiving gravy.

However, when I moved to Oklahoma, I got an entirely new experience with what is called giblet gravy.  I haven't made it yet, but it's a broth-based gravy as well, only it has poultry parts in it and pieces of diced hard-boiled egg.  Not to mention, this gravy is apparently used in reserve, meaning -- the Ohio gravy I was raised on is cooked in a very large pot, and is consumed in large quantities, so you can fill the potato well AND drown all the rest of your food with a couple of ladles of creamy yellow gravy.  In contrast, the customary giblet gravy portion seems more like a flavorful gravy suggestion.  I admit that the giblet gravy not only freaked me out when I first tried it, but I was also disappointed that I was not having my traditional slathered feast.  I realized that gravy was more important to my traditional Thanksgiving meal than I had thought.  That being said, over the years I have grown to appreciate and even enjoy southern giblet gravy.  Thanksgiving at my dad's though, is generally gravy deficient. We've developed a tradition where instead of gravy, we have chicken and noodles as our mashed potato topper!  I know, it might sound weird, but we love it.

If there's any turkey left (don't worry, you can always make more yellow gravy), there's all kinds of stuff you can do with the leftovers - but that's another post.

Now, here's where most people would say the stuffing was an imperative part of the Thanksgiving feast.  Up until last year, I would not have been one of those people.  Believe it or not, I spent my life passing the stuffing on to the next person at the table.  Why?  Well, as a kid I hated onions, so I was not about to go anywhere near stuffing.  Then over the years I eventually came to love onions, but I still have a texture issue with their crunch, not that that has anything to do with stuffing, I'm just carrying on.  So I spent the next few years thinking about trying tiny bites here and there, and then a couple of times I actually did, but the couple of ones I tried were either too soggy, or too salty.  Then a miracle happened last year at Christmas dinner (which happened to be the same meal as Thanksgiving - I know lucky me, right?) and I tried some stuffing that I hadn't had before.  OMG!  It was soooo good!  I finally understood what everyone's deal with stuffing was!  And then, I heated up the leftovers, which were a little dry, but that's ok, because I found a good use for the giblet gravy ;)

Ok, then next is green beans, whole cranberry sauce, dinner rolls with lots of butter, and candied yams - none of which I will put above the other, because this whole meal goes together so perfectly! It is the sum of its parts.

My mom always makes her AMAZING pecan pie, and pumpkin pies as well.  If you love fall as much as I do, I'm sure you and your family have been eating pumpkin everything since like September.  When it stopped being a bazillion degrees outside and I could use my oven in good conscience again, the first thing I baked were a couple of pumpkin pies.  Even though I am all about the traditional Thanksgiving goodies, I have also just about reached my pumpkin pie quota by the end of November.  But I still like that pumpkin-ness for the feast, so I figured out something a little different.  I'm just going to leave this here for you.  I hope you enjoy!

Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese – softened

1 cup pumpkin (about half a can)

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. cinnamon (plus some for dusting)

1 graham cracker crust pie shell

Whipped cream for topping (recipe found here)

Instructions:

In a large bowl, stir the softened cream cheese until it is smooth (no lumps).  Add in the pumpkin and vanilla and stir until it is smooth and creamy.  Blend in the brown sugar and spices.  Transfer mixture into the graham cracker pie shell and smooth off the top.  Cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours or when pie is nearly frozen.  Pull it out, decorate with dollops of whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.  Slice and serve immediately.

No Tricks, All Treats!

Today's the day, folks!  Happy Halloween!  Heading out to a party tonight?  Or trick-or-treating?  I've got some recipes to get you set up for the festivities!  First up, classic holiday gingerbread skulls! 

Ok, I admit that most people don't think of gingerbread for Halloween, but gingerbread cookies are sooo good, why would you waste 2 months waiting for it?  My answer, I don't.  Gingerbread cookies in October has been a tradition in my house for like a decade.  We can't even be bothered to put icing on them, not to say you can't, but they are so warm and soft and awesome right out of the oven! Plus I don't have that kind of will power to wait until they cool.

First thing's first, allow yourself at least 4 hours before your shin-dig to make these.  Throwing the goods together, cutting, and baking take no time at all, but the chill time of the dough is about 3 hours, so take that into consideration.

Gingerbread Halloween Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 c shortening

1/2 c sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 c molasses

2-1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 Tbls. vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, beat shortening with electric mixer for about 30 seconds.  Add the sugar, baking powder, ginger, baking sida, cinnamon, and cloves.  Beat until combined.  

Beat in the molasses, egg, and vinegar until smooth.  Then add in the flour, a little at a time, and beat with mixer until stiff.  Then use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix it the rest of the way.

Divide the dough in half.  Cover and chill for about 3 hours, then remove from fridge and continue.

Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set to the side.  On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough until it's about 1/8 of an inch thick.  Using Halloween themed cookie cutters, cut into desired shapes and place about 1" apart on the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake at 375 for 5-6 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. 

Repeat cutting and cooking process with the other half of the dough.  Use any scraps to make your own spooky creations!

You will probably need something to wash these down, not because they're not moist, but because I needed a segue into the next thing on my Halloween recipe list - how about some Hot Apple Cider?

Hot Apple Cider

Ingredients:

1 Gallon of apple juice 

1/4 c brown sugar

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp. whole cloves

3 stick of cinnamon

Directions:

Now, there are a few ways to do this.  You could disolve the brown sugar and allspice in a 1/2 cup of boiling water then add it to the rest of the stuff.  But in my family, we just toss everything together in a crock pot and let it simmer then serve!

I recomend the crock pot method because you can just throw and go.  You can put it on high for about an hour then on the low or "warm" setting for the rest of the evening.  Put a ladle and some mugs close by and you have yourself an all-night sipper.

And the last recipe to share with you in this post, is full of gooey goodness!

Caramel Apple Crisp

Ingredients:

4 medium apples, sliced (granny smith works best, but any mixture of tart apples will do)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Juice from 1/2 lemon

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 sm. package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped

2 Tbls. milk

1/4 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar, packed

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 c old-fashioned oats

1/3 c butter, softened

3/4 tsp. ground allspice

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Greese the bottom and sides of an 8-inch square pan with shortening or cooking pray, and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the sliced apples, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Transfer the apple mixture ti your prepared baking dish.  Place as many caramel squares on top of the apples as you would like, then sprinkle the milk over the caramel layer.  Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, flour, oats, allspice, and butter until well mixed.  Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the caramel-covered apples.

Bake, uncovered, for about 35-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the apples are tender when pierced with a folk.  Serve warm, with a dollop of ice cream, which is of course optional. The ice cream is optional, not the serving the apple crisp warm, just to be clear.  

There you have it folks!  Yummy treats for your Halloween!  Have fun, and have a very happy Halloween!

Bevo Sandwiches With 3-Bean Chili

Well, today's the day!  The OU/Texas Red River Rivalry airs live today on ABC!

Excited?  Me too.  I know Sooner Fans already have some special tailgating goodies that are themed for this special event, and are traditionally set out on the watch table every year.  So let me just throw out some additional tailgating munchies that can add to this, and future gameday gatherings.

It's finally feeling a bit like football weather in Oklahoma, and around the country, and the chilled, crisp air makes me crave the classic combo of soup and sandwiches.  Relatively quick to make, and clean up, and can feed large groups on a budget, soup and sandwiches can also be a great tailgating addition without the grill or the mess and time constraints that sometimes comes with tailgating.

Let's start with the soup de jour!  I know I've put out a few different chili recipes, but this one is quick, easy, and very hearty - I call it 3-Bean Chili.  I've added okra and bell peppers in the past, but this one's easy enough that you can just see what you have on hand that sounds good, and toss it in! Here's what you'll need:

You will also need a pound of hamburger.  Today I used onion powder and garlic powder, but you can also use a yellow onion and garlic cloves instead, if you got 'em.  Ok, fry up your burger, adding the onion and garlic powders, chili powder, some dried parsley, and cracked pepper to the meat while it's cooking.  I unusually dice up some sort of green/hot peppers and toss them in at the same time so they can sauté in the hamburger drippings.  If you are using fresh onions and/or garlic, now is the time to cook them up as well - one pot cooking!

Once the burger is done, open a can of Red Gold Diced Tomatoes Chili Ready, and a can of Westbrea Natural Organic Vegetarian Chili Beans.  Don't drain the juices, add them to the chili.  Then add in another round of spices (add okra here if using), and let it simmer while you make the sandwiches.

In my opinion, the part of a sandwich that really determines whether it is awesome or average, is the bread.  I personally like to use hoagie style buns of different varieties, then cut them into bite-sized finger foods for parties.  Now-a-days, you can find many different selections, including pretzel hoagies and my new favorite - molasses buns!

Just look around at all the options at your local bakery or food market.  I frequent Sprouts, as you can tell by the pictures, but there are great varieties of breads everywhere, so try something you've never had reason to buy before, as long as you can slice it up into smaller bites, go for it!

Next, pick out a few different kinds of cold cuts.  I personally go with a combo of sliced turkey breast, ham, and pastrami.  They are really good together, and you can add endless toppings!  But look through the pre-packaged meat section, or go to your deli counter and get whatever takes your fancy, there are tons of options.  Pick up a couple of kinds of slices cheeses.  I always get a yellow cheese (such as co-jack or extra sharp cheddar) and most definitely pepper-jack.

Now's where you get to get creative.  Choose your toppings.  I personally pile mine up with spinach/spring greens mix, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado slices, but there is no limit to sandwich toppings, so go crazy, try new combos, layer it all up and have fun!

After you've built your culinary masterpiece, slice it into equal portions suitable for a tailgating crowd, and put them on a party tray.  Serve along side a piping bowl of chili, sit back, and enjoy the game.

  Boomer Sooner!