Super Bowl Melancholy

Hello Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone is feeling like me about the Super Bowl.

Super Bowl Sunday used to be my very favorite day of the year. Yes, FAVORITE over Christmas, Thanksgiving, my birthday everything! I would cook for a week for that one day. Then, we ate literally the whole day! It was pathetic.

Now, while I love football, I no longer have a love affair with Super Bowl Sunday and the food. We will probably have a veggie tray, iced tea, and maybe wings. No dip for the veggies, and baked wings unbreaded. And we will still have a blast because we are all together and have fans of both teams this year.

I don't really miss all the bad for me foods, but it just feels weird, melancholy about the lack of whoopla around food. Does this make any sense??

I understand... while not my favorite food day of the year it certainly ranks up there.  That said, with friends around to share the game, the commercials and the overall festive atmosphere with, I am choosing to enjoy the people and the game while understanding that this decision I made will help me to make more of these events than I would have if I kept doing what got me in the condition that led me to WLS.  I just hope it is a great game!!!

No reason you can't have dip.... Make one using plain Greek yogurt and whatever seasonings you usually  use.

you could also make a chilli with ground turkey and lots of beans. 

Look up low fat high protein  appetizers on Pinterest.

is it going to be the usual high fat/sugar/carb food feast it has been..? Nope, but there's no need to make it a sad thing either.

take a few dishes you would normally make... Make a healthier version of them.

remember to keep a running list of the hits and misses, so next year you'll have a ton of go to recipes that make you happy in your new life.

kat

I'm English and really have only got into football the last two years or so, even though I've lived here 12 years on and off ...   This will be only my second Super Bowl where I am not on my own (my boyfriend is going to be here) so it's my first year of cooking something special :

Queso dip (with veggies for me, tortilla scoops for him)

Bacon wrapped, cream cheese stuffed jalapenos (really excited about these)

Cheesy Bacon Potato skins (I may have one)

Sausage rolls (sausage in puff pastry - it's an English thing - I may have two of these)

My son who is 9 and eats like 5 things (he has autism) will have pizza - he couldn't care less about the football - other than the fact that he won't be allowed the remote control and will have to watch whatever HE wants on his bedroom TV!!!!

It's way too much food for two of us and I'll probably pack him off home with it on Monday  (except the jalapenos if there are any left)

I'm more excited to have him here than the food to be honest, but he does like to eat so I'm pretty excited about getting everything cooked for him    Sometimes it's good to be more than a Sex Goddess

I love, love, love sausage rolls. I haven't had them in years. My mother used to make them for us before she passed away. Just thinking about them makes me want one. 

Why no dip for the veggies?  I mean, if you're happy with plain veggies and iced tea, that's great.  But there are all kinds of yummy, healthy treats you could make.  Have you checked out bariatricfoodie.com?

I grill my wings, and they are delectable. I don't know what part of the country you are in, but here in the Pacific NW we grill even in the winter.

Take heart. There are many things you can enjoy. Could it be the mourning is more at the volume of food you can eat has changed, rather than the food itself?

I LOVE football too and Super Bowl Sunday is the best. I love to cook so much that I'd feel melancholy too, so I've figured out lots of fun party foods to enjoy. The spinach/artichoke dip, caramelized onions, and cheeses in this blog post are all pretty decent options. The slow roasted porchetta is great too, but pork shoulder does have a bit more fat than other cuts so if fats make you queasy I'd avoid it:

http://neensnotes.com/2011/03/19/recipe-megapost-joes-birthd ay-party/

Want to make a great chili? Try using ground bison. It's a nice, lean meat and is very high in protein and iron. Add a few cans of crushed tomatoes, beans, veggies, and spices and you're good to go. Ground turkey and chicken are delicious in it as well. If you're vegetarian, nix it altogether and add some more beans or firm tofu.

The rillettes and dips in this post are also mostly WLS friendly:

http://neensnotes.com/2012/12/06/recipe-megapost-fracas-2012 /

There are a ton of fun party foods out there that we can tolerate and enjoy. Don't deny yourself the pleasure of cooking for the big game, just get creative.

Have fun and happy Super Bowl!

Thank you everyone for all your awesome ideas. I think I must not have said things correctly.

The day USED to be centered around food, not the game. Now, the day is centered around the game. I do make some great chili. Lean ground beef, or turkey or venison, what ever we have, tomatoes, beans, onions and peppers and various spices.

If I eat much fat, by belly bothers me, thus wings and no dip. But I will definitely keep the greek yogurt idea in mind. I haven't tried it yet.

Ya'all are awesome.