| The Senate wants a slimmer America, but Americans want a Tailgate Party (Back to Other Articles) Here ye! Here ye! All rise for the honorable� ? Hold on just a minute. Did your chair squeak, are you like most Americans, overweight and unmotivated to take off into an exercise or dieting program, and really stick with it? Our government must think so, as the senators -- Bill Frist, Jeff Bingaman and Christopher Dodd -- introduced legislation recently aiming at reducing obesity, especially among children. They hope to spend $217 million on educating the general public on weight loss and healthy lifestyles. They plan to encourage us to get off that duff and move more as well. The money would go to the Institutes of Medicine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services to identify risk factors, analyze government food assistance programs and work with state governments on nutrition and exercise programs. Why on earth would our government care so much about our waistlines? Because millions are spent each year on health related problems due to big belt bands, that�s why. And it�s spreading to our kids� health as well. Most of us may have the attitude that $217 million would make a great tailgate party instead, as we begin our annual football feeding frenzy this September. Now, don�t get me wrong, I�m all for healthy living, but what�s life without football? How would I know? I�m an American. Bring on the bratwurst and cheese puffs! Tailgate parties, game day get-togethers, pep rallies, even �my kid made the team� days, are plenty enough reason for us to gather up and munch out during football season. So let�s try to follow our government�s lead and lead ourselves to a better playtime menu instead of the usual greasy handfuls we grab-and-stuff during football games. We could talk portion control all we want to, but when it comes to 4 hours in front of the tube, or in a stadium of screaming fans, we forget portion control as quickly as we do our vocal levels. Grab your water bottle and join me in creating some lighter foods and easier to swallow guilt trips here. Instead of cheese stuffed jalenpenos, try a little quick and easy shrimp. Finger Shrimp 1 pound of the largest shrimp you can find per large person attending limes, 2 per pound of shrimp light margarine Cajun Seasoning Peel the shrimp, leaving the end of the tails on if desired. Plentifully season the tails with the Cajun seasoning to your most Southern desires. In a large skillet, melt 1 Tablespoon of margarine and mix in the juice from 2 limes. Place a few shrimp in a single layer in the melted butter and cook for about 4 minutes on each side. Maybe a little less, depending on the size of the shrimp. Drain on paper towels and viola�. you�re a gourmet chef. Serve hot, on top of rice or pasta, or cold, right out of the cooler away from home. Scrumptious and on a little ole� bit of fat and calories from the shrimp and margarine. Now your next question has got to be about the sandwiches right? How can you replace a giant meatball hoagie (or hero, or sub, or poboy, or whatever you wanna call it) sandwich on game day? Simple my fearless cooking friend. With these. Whiskey Poor Boys! Marinade 1 cup bourbon or whiskey � cup honey 1 Tablespoon chopped garlic or � Tbsp garlic powder Salt & pepper to taste 2 lbs. center cut sirloin, marinated in the sauce above, and sliced thin 2 white onions, sliced 2 red peppers, sliced 2 green peppers, sliced chopped 1 container of sliced mushrooms Salt & pepper to taste spray margarine, fat free variety Whole wheat small loaf style sandwich bread Fat free cheeses Marinade the sliced beef in the marinade at least one hour, preferable overnight in the refrigerator. Spray a skillet with cooking spray and saute� the meat until browned. Remove the meat from the pan and spray again. Saute the vegetables in the same skillet, letting the browness from the meat get into the veggies� yum! Salt and pepper the veggies a little. I like to sprinkle a little Worcestershire sauce on mine, instead of salt. Now create some sandwiches with the breads and meats and veggies, and tope with a little fat free cheese if your fan so desires. Cut into handy sized portions to keep from feeling like you have to eat an entire sandwich by yourself. TRAYS OF STUFF What kinds of diet fanfare can you put on a big tray and serve at your party? Lots of veggies, cut up and arranged for easy grabbing Fat free ranch dressing makes a great dip for those veggies Fat free cheeses rolled inside of very lean meat slices, held with toothpicks Kabobs of grilled veggies and lean meats Hot Wings by Ediets http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm/article_id,5468 Fresh fruits such as grapes, cut up watermelon, etc.. Dried fruits such as raisins and dried apricots. Seeds like pistachios and sunflower seeds. Air popped popcorn served in cupcake paper liners But what about alcohol? Make it simple and fun, instead of boozing up on a bunch a beer. Make jello shots I say. 1 package of Jello gelatin in your team�s color 1 cup of cold vodka 1 cup of boiling water 1 ice tray fat free cooking spray, Not Butter Flavored Spray your ice tray lightly and wipe out with a paper towel lightly. Mix gelatin, water, and vodka. Pour into ice tray and put in refrigerator overnight. Serve in a bowl, mixing different colors to best represent your team. Don�t let kids eat these at all. In fact, don�t serve them with kids around. They will sneak one or throw a fit better than a major league coach if you�re eating them and they aren�t. Other pointers to remember: Keep dips, cheeses, meats, and other perishable items very cool and covered while not at home. Freeze water in zippered freezer bags laying flat during the week prior to needing ice for your cooler. Place these in and around your foods in the cooler and you won�t have to put your hands into ice and drip water every time you go fishing for something in there. Take along lots of bug spray when heading out of doors. West Nile Virus or not, those bug bites can sting and scratch for a long time. Stay cool and stay hydrated so your party doesn�t end with you getting overly fatigued from dehydration. And for goodness sakes, have some fun with it. Move around, toss the ball with the kids, have your neighbor go long for a catch, have the dog join in for some added energy. Summer is nearly over folks. Catch some pigskin while you still can. And since I�m writing this article and you are not, let me throw in a little �Go Cowboys� right here. |