Go Rams

Today is off to a late start. Last night there was an Official Yelp Event at Riverside Maple Farms with food by Field Notes and beer by Wolf Hollow Brewing Company, and it was amazing. It was amazing on all fronts. But you don’t have to believe me, you can see pictures and read what other people had to say right here.

Then there was the after party at Wolf Hollow, just down the road. I picked up a growler to go, and drank a couple of pints at home to unwind at the end of a very long day.

That’s actually a lot of beer for someone who hasn’t been drinking a lot of beer over the past month. But I have to warm up for this weekend. Saturday is the Tour de Wings, and if you haven’t told me you’re coming yet, there’s still time. It’s open to everyone, just let me know if you plan to join us. Sunday, of course is the Super Bowl. Go Rams.

This year, my game plan for the big game is substantially different than in the past.

Sports aren’t something I follow closely. I think the quarterback on the Patriots is a Brady. Part of me wants to say the Brady family has more than one quarterback in the NFL. I think Brady is at least the name of some quarterback somewhere. And I have no idea who the QB is for the Rams. But I’m pulling for the Rams anyway. Mostly because they are not the Patriots.

My interest in watching the game is to have an excuse to drink beer in front of the television, cheer for the underdog, and eat game day foods. But every year I begrudge how terrible I feel at the end of the game. I’ve had a couple too many beers, and I’ve eaten far too much food.

To be clear, I have no interest in an austerity Super Bowl plan. But I’m going to keep it reasonable.

As always, I’m going to get beers to represent the state of each team. We’ll have to check out the local beer store to see what the best picks are from Massachusetts and California. The goal will be something that goes well with the food I’ll be making.

For me, there always has to be something with a Frank’s Red Hot based sauce. I’m not making buffalo wings at home, but that classic wing flavor needs to accompany the game.

Atlanta is the host city this year. And one of my favorite things about the Atlanta airport was that it had a soul food spot in the terminal. One of my favorite plates to get is the holy trinity of sides: sweet potatoes, greens, and mac and cheese. So that’s what I’m going to make. But I’ll buffalo up that mac and cheese with some Frank’s Red Hot and blue cheese crumbles. And I’ll make it with whole grain rotini from Trader Joe’s to boot.

Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about the kids hating the blue cheese spiked macaroni and cheese, because they will be eating hot dogs. It’s their favorite Super Bowl treat. For the young man, it will be sliced wieners in baked beans. Little Miss Fussy will have hers on a bun, and I’m proud to report she’s been weaned off of ketchup! That is one of my proudest moments of fatherhood.

The kids will also get a tube or two of Pringles, which are gross, but another game day treat. I may pick up a bag of my favorite disgusting pretzel snacks too.

It’s a modest plan, to be sure. But that’s the idea. The game doesn’t have to be an excuse for a bacchanalian experience. I can let loose a little, without going overboard. Or at least I think I can.

Having a plan is a good place to start. We’ll see what happens once the beer begins to flow. Although there is an added incentive this year to wake up on Monday in good shape, and that’s Schenectady Beer Week. Maybe if you can’t make it on the Tour de Wings, I’ll see you there.

Stay warm, and enjoy the weekend!