Easy Slow Cooker Chicken Wings

Ingredients
5 1/2 pounds chicken wings, split and tips discarded
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle chile sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 drops hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon salsa
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons salt

Directions
1.Place chicken in slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine the chile sauce, lemon juice, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, salsa, chili powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken.
2.Cook in slow cooker on Medium Low setting for 5 hours.

From http://allrecipes.com/recipe/easy-slow-cooker-chicken-wings/

I would make them spicier next time. More hot sauce! I also removed them from the crock pot and broiled them as we like our wings crisper and "drier". They were so easy and very tasty!

NE Patriots vs. NY Giants Superbowl

What are you making for Superbowl Sunday? While we will be rooting on the Pats, we are thinking we'll make food to honor both teams. NE Clam Chowder (Mom's recipe) seems like a must. In addition to that, for NY, we had a few thoughts - either pizza (a classic and a favorite of all of us) OR Holland's idea of "NY Street food," such as soft pretzels and hot dogs, OR Brendan's idea, "NY Deli".

I'll report back on what we choose, but would love to hear what others are making.

Weekend IN

We are looking at a snowstorm that could dump 2 feet of snow on us AND it is Super Bowl Weekend. I think we are looking at some time inside, by the fire... so what warm and cozy recipes would you make for this family time?

A few years back I found this recipe and thought it would be perfect for Super Bowl Sunday. It was. It’s also great for a hot summer day. Some friends affectionately call these White Trash Margaritas, that works too.

Beergaritas

1 12 oz can frozen limeade concentrate
6-12 oz tequila
3 12 oz Mexican style beers (Corona, etc. — For the “white-trashier” version, cheap beer works great: MGD, Old Milwaukee, etc.)
ice
lime slices for garnish (omit for white trash version, garnish would be an oxymoron)

In a pitcher, stir together the limeade and tequila until well-combined. Add the beers. Pour into individual glasses over ice; garnish with lime slices. To make frozen beergarita, reduce the total amount of beers to two, and combine the limeade concentrate and tequila in a blender with ice.

Cheers! Go Saints! (No particular reason, I love New Orleans, I’ve been to New Orleans, my sister used to live in New Orleans, I like that they haven’t been there yet, that city deserves some good mojo ...)

181 calories, 26 grams carbs., trace fiber, trace protein, trace fat (no saturated), no cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium**

(Don’t forget about the car bomb cupcakes from last year’s Super Bowl Virtual Dinner Group post.)

** Like we really care about this information with all that we’ll be consuming on Sunday!
 

OK, so I’m a day late for Super Bowl Sunday, which, according to my two younger sons should be “National Chili Day”. While I was growing up, my dad was one of those cooks who had certain meals. He made pancakes & sausage on Saturdays and eggs & bacon on Sundays (PopPop still makes eggs & bacon for our kids whenever we visit Sleepy Hollow or he visits Newburyport). And Chili. Chili was our Sunday football game staple, our New Year’s Day open house centerpiece, and still has a place on every buffet table my parents ever set. My dad’s one of those cooks who doesn’t really measure anything, just makes it the same, by eye and taste, every single time.

A friend of mine, who love my dad’s chili and also loved to cook herself, once made her chili for my dad. She wanted him to say it was as good as his. He’s a hard-nosed Irish man who likes things made one way and one way only. He said, “You put garlic in it. You don’t put garlic in chili.” (His reaction was similar when my sister Bridget introduced us to her Vegetarian Chili, which is spectacular, and I promise to share it with you soon.)

When my sister Maureen first moved to San Francisco, one of her roommates was from Wisconsin. When Fred and I visited, they served chili over spaghetti. It didn’t taste much spicier than meat sauce to me. My sister Regina likes to put cheese and sour cream on her chili; I save those for my tacos and nachos. As far as my dad is concerned, once you find something you like, don’t mess with it. And when it comes to this basic ground beef and beans chili, I tend to agree wholeheartedly.

PopPop’s chili

2 lb ground beef (Dad never used lean, I do)
4 cans Progresso dark red kidney beans, drained
2 T chili powder
2 lg onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 T Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco Sauce or Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce (a sentimental favorite because my dad’s name is Pete) to taste
2 lg cans whole tomatoes with juice
salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef, onions, and peppers in large stockpot. Drain fat from pot. Add chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, beans, tomatoes, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 hours. Taste and fix seasonings if needed. Serve over white rice with corn bread and a green salad (I suppose you could top with sour cream and cheese if you must).

Super Bowl

I just came across this dip and thought it might be a fun alternative to a standard dip for Super Bowl Sunday. What is everyone else making for the big game?

WARM BACON CHEESE SOURDOUGH DIP

1 lg round loaf of sourdough bread

1 pkg cream cheese

1 1/2 c sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

3/4 lb bacon - cooked and crumbled

Cut out a circle in top of the bread and gut the middle to make a bowl. Save inside pieces for dipping.

In a mixing bowl beat cream ch, sour cream, cheddar cheese and Worcestershire sauce. Then mix in bacon. Pour into bread bowl. Wrap in tin foil and bake in over at 325 degrees for one hour until heated through. Serve with extra bread or crackers.