The Boys of Fall....and the Mom that cooks for them

It's the fall and we live in the South...

Football is here.

I'm a die-hard Aggie, but I have to admit that I secretly love to watch high school football more than college these days.

Maybe it is because they still love the game for what it is, not what it can give back to them. Maybe it is because I love the sense of community that resonates on a Friday night under those lights. Especially is small towns were a few of the cheerleaders come late to the game because their volleyball game ran late and then one of those same girls then leads the band at half time as their drum major.

Small town USA, nothing like it.

This fall our boys are playing tackle football for the very first time. I know some are gasping at the sheer idea of an 8 year old and a 10 year old strapping on pads and going to town.

I know...I. Was. That. Girl.

But here we are, 4 weeks deep and so far, so good.

What I thought to be major hurdles have been small and the boys are hanging tough.

Their momma has never done more laundry in her life. Thank goodness my man saw fit to bless me with a new washer and dryer for Mother's Day last Spring.

But an area that I'm still weeding through is the dinner situation.

A sweet friend of mine walked this road ahead of me and gave great advice regarding the feeding of the boys of fall. Her idea was to feed them dinner right after school, before practice, and then snack 'em after.

With the heat, I haven't been able to try that yet for fear of dinner not being a blessing the 2nd time around, if you know what I mean.

So today I bring you several recipes from my trusty crockpot. She does all the work for me while I sit in my folded chair and watch my boys do up-downs, run inclines and learn how to shoot the gap and trust their blockers.


Crockpot Cream Cheese Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves -- uncooked
15 ounce can black beans
15 ounce can yellow corn
16 ounces salsa
8 ounces fat-free cream cheese -- Kraft Philadelphia Brand preferred

Put frozen chicken breasts in crockpot. Cover them with a can of drained black beans, can of drained corn and jar of salsa. Cook on high 4-5 hours or until chicken is cooked. Place block of cream cheese on top and cook for additional 1/2 hour.

*Serving options: shred chicken and serve over chips, top with guacamole

Peking Pork Chops

6 pork chops about 1" thick
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1-2 cloves garlic-mashed
salt and pepper to taste

Put pork chops in crock pot- mix other stuff together and pour over chops. Cook on low 4-6 hours or until tender. Serve w/ rice, or chinese noodles.

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
2 C ketchup
4 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Mix all ingredients (except chicken) in crock-pot. Add the chicken, coating each piece in sauce. Cook on high 4 hours. Remove chicken and
shred/pull with forks. Return to pot and stir in sauce to coat. Serve on buns.

**leftovers can be frozen and re-heated for sandwiches, a topping for baked potates or used to make BBQ chicken pizza (put on a pizza crust, top with favorite cheeses, onions, etc.) BBQ chicken burritos also work nicely (put on tortillas, add refried beans, cheeses, etc.)


And finally, I leave you with a great new song by Kenny Chesney. The video has commentary from various coaches and clips from all types of football. Overlook the teensy word spoken right before the song begins. I looked and looked for a version without it...