Monday, June 15, 2009

My apologies to the Neelys

The last week was not an inexpensive one in our household, and it was a stark reminder that we need to redouble our efforts to watch our spending. So meal planning is back on the menu.

But it isn't a simple task. If you saw the contents of our kitchen, you'd shake your head. A half-bag of cheese and chips leftover from taco salad. Two-thirds of a roasted chicken from Saturday. Leftover pizza. A few garlic scape and green garlic that I hadn't yet used. Pretty pathetic. Yet I wasn't up for a Monday evening shopping trip with kids in tow. So I got the brilliant idea of barbecue nachos, a decidedly Memphis dish that my sister showed me three Christmases ago (and I hadn't tried since.)

There was only one challenge: Selling it. My husband, a decidedly Kansas City-barbecue fan (yes, there is a difference!), was mildly supportive. My toddler wouldn't care. My oldest, however, was defying her genes by declaring that she doesn't like barbecue because "it's spicy." (Maybe we shouldn't have cut her teeth on Daniels and Jack Stack.)

So, driving home, I considered it. And I came up with the solution for my Food Network fan: "Neely's Nachos." She likes watching the Neelys. She likes nachos. A win, right?

She was sold. Until she saw, clasped in my hand, a jar of Daniels' championship sauce.

"That's barbecue sauce," she said flatly.

"No, that's Neely's sauce," I said, knowing full well that I was losing this battle. I got the look.

"I like ketchup," she declared. And so, she made her "Neely's Nachos" with chicken, barbecue seasoning, cheese and ketchup. Her brother, bouncing in his high chair, could hardly contain himself, begging for "barboo," drool rolling down his chin.

And the funny thing is, one liking it "spicy," the other going as lame as could be, they both happily munched down their dinner. And Pat and Gina, I thoroughly apologize!

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