Graph Paper Games

As I have mentioned before, my gaming group gathers for dinner before we game.  It's a nice way to check in and do a lot of socializing before we start gaming.  Usually I provide the main course while others bring side dishes, salads, chips, soda, and beer.  Sometimes I get lazy and just order pizza, but often I try to cook something nice.  It is a way to be hospitable, eat better, and often eat less expensively as well. Last Friday, I tried out a new recipe for Tarragon Sesame Chicken.  Here it is: 2 cups buttermilk 1 tsp sweet paprika 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, tenders removed 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted (or non-stick spray) 2 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs 1 tbls dried tarragon 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted 1. In a 2 gallon zipper top plastic bag, combine buttermilk, paprika, salt, and pepper, and stir or shake until blended.  Add the chicken to coat evenly. At this poin...

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: you don't have to just sit around eating chips and pizza at a gaming table.  Every gaming night the group comes together to share a meal, with most players bringing something.  Last night I made my traditional pulled pork, Evan brought baked beans and potato salad from the store, my gaming couple and another player brought beer, and Todd brought homemade jalapeno poppers. These guys were made by taking the seeds and membranes out of jalapeno peppers, then filling them with cheddar cheese and wrapping them with pepper-smoked bacon.  Toothpicks hold them all together.  Bake them at 275 degrees for a little over an hour (until the bacon sizzles) and you're good to go! Not the healthiest option, but man they were good.  And good food helps make for good gaming!  Todd's birthday is in a couple of weeks, but I hooked him up with an early present: a re-release of an old Romulan warbird model.  Todd's a big mode...