Easy Baked Chicken Wings Recipe

This may very well be the easiest recipe for chicken wings in my cooking history.  No giant vat of hot oil required, no sticky double-dipping fried mess to clean up.

But what do you get?  Some seriously tasty wings, hot and ready for munching right out of the oven.

This is going on our menu for Superbowl Sunday, without a doubt.

My only question at this point is whether to make this with chicken thighs and drumsticks instead of wings.  More meaty goodness, less messy bones, that's what I'm thinking.  Is it game day sacrilege to consider something other than a chicken wing for the snack menu?

Honestly, it will depend on what is left at the store today -- haven't been out of the house to go to the grocery store in days, due to the weather and the loss of my grandfather, so this may be the "beggars can't be choosers" chicken choices Superbowl munching.

In any case, here is the recipe:

Easy Tailgating, Pot Luck And Super Bowl Recipes For Your Slow Cooker

This year's Super Bowl is fast approaching.  No matter what team you may cheer for, one thing is certain:  good food makes for a great game.

Especially when that good food can be easy to make and left for your slow cooker to do all the work.  Because we are so busy but want to eat healthfully, our slow cookers get a work-out every single week at our house.

Using your crock-pot for a giant part of the meal or for snacks makes a huge difference in stress and time for the cook.  If you want to be able to enjoy the game, not miss it entirely because you are chained to the stove, then a slow cooker meal can be a huge help.

Especially if you plan on feeding a crowd at a party or a big tailgate.

Here are some of my favorite ideas from easy tailgating and slow cooker meals from your crockpot that are perfect for a big game day feast:

Easy and Healthy Super Bowl Food

The last few days, I've been digging around for some easy yet also healthy Superbowl food ideas.

It has to taste good, right?  No one wants to be watching a football game eating something that tastes like old cardboard with high fiber cereal mixed in for a little crunch.  Blergh!

But feeling like you are going to barf about an hour into the game from eating all that grease and fat is no fun either.  And that is exactly how I start to feel when I eat unhealthy crapola while waiting for the next round of commercials.

So this year, I'm really trying hard to not make that mistake.

I've put together some ideas on what we'll be eating, as well as found some links to other foods that folks might enjoy that turn out to be both healthy and yummy.  Thought everyone might enjoy the perusal.

Nothing is set in stone just yet -- it's still definitely a work in progress.  But because a lot of this can be made from staples already in my pantry and fridge, I can make it happen on the fly this weekend as my taste buds dictate.  Here's what I'm thinking:

Super Bowl Food Ideas

The Super Bowl approacheth.

This year's teams leave me absolutely flat, frankly.  So, for me?  The excitement this year will be generated by what I'm making to munch on while waiting for the next round of commercials.

Thus far, I'm planning on the following:

-- A nacho bar with chili in the crockpot, shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese, shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, salsa, guacamole, and jalapeno slices.  And the chips?  The chips will stay dry and fresh on the side until they are topped with chili and fixings for each, personally topped portion.  Last year I made a huge pan of nachos -- they were super tasty, but by the time you went back for seconds, the chips were soggy.  Yuck!  So this year, I'm keeping everything separate so we can build our own plate and the chips will be crispy every time.  Boo yah!

-- Some boneless buffalo chicken bites of some sort -- either ones I'll make or will get.  Haven't decided yet.

-- A veggie and dip platter, so I can fool myself into pretending I'm eating healthy.

-- Pepperoni rolls.  (It's WV, you have to have some of those, don't you?)

And here are the alternative possibilities that may get added in as I feel like it:

Easy New Year's Nibbles, Appetizers and Party Fare

Every year for New Year's, we take the easy way out for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and just spend both days munching on nibbles and easy to make fare while we watch for the ball to drop and then watch the Rose Parade the next morning.

I figure why start off the new year by exhausting yourself.  Instead, take it easy and enjoy yourself a whole lot more.

For those of us who don't exactly have a caterer and staff to serve us on speed dial, though, it can take a little advance planning to have the things on hand to throw together nibbles and nosh.

Having some decent pre-made frozen items that you merely have to bake and then eat can be a huge plus.  But the quality of some brands can be gawdawful, and no one wants to spend their holiday wanting to upchuck in the trash can or spit out mouthfuls onto their plate, now do they?

So I thought a handy guide to some of my favorite frozen appetizers might be useful:

Healthier Superbowl Recipes

As anyone who has a bit of sentience knows, the Steelers are playing in the Superbowl this year.   Which means I'll spend a lot of my day glued to every play and munching on whatever happens to be near me at the moment.

Go Steelers!

In order to make the day a good one instead of a total dietary meltdown of a loss?  I've been rounding up some healthier recipe ideas for Superbowl Sunday.

I'd like to enjoy the game with my family instead of obsessing over calories and portion size quandaries.  But I'd also like my food to taste good, and not be some cardboard facsimile sprayed with chemically ick and pronounced food only on the packaging it comes in before you nuke it within an inch of its so-called life.

Moderation and healthy ingredients are the key.  And I don't think it is too much to ask that it actually taste good as well, do you?

Plus, if it can be something that I can make ahead or make in the crock-pot?  I'm there.  There are a lot of good ideas that fit that bill in previous posts on tailgating and potluck ideas (which includes some great ideas for a chili bar, perfect for Superbowl watching!), as well as crockpot favorites, but I'm trying to put something together for everyone that works well for easy, tasty football watching.

And so?  Here are a few tasty possibilities that won't ruin your New Year's resolution momentum, but also won't ruin the party by making everyone eat nothing but dry melba toasts and celery.  (Ewwwwww.)

Halloween School Party Games

For this school year, I've been asked to help plan the holiday parties for my daughter's class.  Being a homeroom mom is a hoot -- mostly because the kiddos are so adorable and watching them interact and play together is too fun. 

Plus, while my child still wants to be seen with her parents?  I'm going to soak that in for all it is worth. 

Early on, a friend warned me that the teenage years will hit all too fast, and that I'd better store up some cheery little memories before the hormone soup clock strikes 13.  I've taken that advice to heart as much as I could, and have enjoyed all of our little fun times together as The Peanut has grown steadily upward.  I think I may secretly harbor the hope that we'll be one of the lucky few families with a teenager that still enjoys hanging out with her parents...a girl can dream, right?

In any case, I've spent some time this week coming up with game ideas for the Halloween party based on party games I remember playing in the past, ones that friends or family have suggested, and things I've found around the internet. 

But, honestly?  The game ideas that actually sound fun are a little scanty out there for Halloween.  

So I've compiled a few of the ones that sounded best to me to share with everyone else who may be having that same scramble to find school party ideas in the hopes that other folks might find them helpful, too.