Good eats for Sunday Super Bowl

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I’ll preface this by saying overall, I prefer college sports to professional sports because, for one, Mississippi does not have a local professional team to support, and I’m not sure professional athletes merit the salaries they earn.
But I do like the Super Bowl, primarily because I feel un-American ignoring it and because, well, there’s no other football to watch in February.
In 2011, I could not have been less interested in the outcome of the Super Bowl. I’m not a follower of the Packers or of the Steelers, and I really only find football fun to watch when I have somewhat of a connection to one of the teams. I’m not even a big fan of the Black Eyed Peas, so even the halftime show garnered little of my attention.
As a Mississippian and a longtime Manning fan, I’m thrilled to see Eli have another chance at a Super Bowl victory. Yes, I have a bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss, so there is that, but I think Eli is a talented athlete from a fantastic family, and I appreciate all he has done for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital in Jackson.
And, as far as the Tom Brady issue is concerned, my grandmother Salter always told me that if I couldn’t say anything nice about a person, I shouldn’t say anything at all. So, moving right along.
Since I couldn’t seem to get excited about last year’s game, I just went out for pizza with a friend and watched the game at the restaurant — a departure from what I typically do on Super Bowl Sunday when I am invested in the game, which is to kick back at home with a bunch of homemade snacks.
With the Giants are in the hunt, I’m pumped to return to my tradition of watching the game at home and making my own food. As an added bonus, my dad lives here now, so I look forward to watching it with him.
The following recipe is for one of my favorite television-watching snacks. They’re also a delicious substitute for regular crackers with your next bowl of soup.

Ranch Crackers

1 big bag oyster crackers (or can substitute Goldfish crackers)
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
1/4 tsp. lemon juice

Spray a large cookie sheet well with non-stick spray. Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl with a whisk, then pour evenly over crackers. Mix well, either with a spatula or by hand. Bake at 250 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Do not over-cook, and test often. Stir approximately 15-20 minutes into the cooking time.

Kate Salter is a lecturer at Mississippi State University. Email her at kbsalter@gmail.com [2].