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entertaining
Host an Awesome Superbowl Party
By now, every football fan in the United States knows that the Super Bowl is coming up and it’s coming up quickly. However, throwing the perfect party isn’t always easy. Finding the perfect recipe or cocktail, for the occasion, can be a little tough. Over my years of always being volunteered to host for the Super Bowl, I’ve come up with some tips that might help out for your next party…
1. Break Out the Sport Paraphernalia
For many, the Super Bowl is a very special occasion. Lots of fans are die-hard and love to wear their jerseys, hats or even lucky underwear to the game. In my family, we are no different. We love to whip out our favorite team’s customized beer pitcher we bought from this site whenever we entertain for a sporting event.
2. Try a New Appetizer Recipe
A Super bowl party without delicious food isn’t a Super Bowl party at all. Try something different to add a little bit of spice to your party. Each year, I make a bacon wrapped meatball recipe from here. This dish is a great way to get the party talking!
3. Try a New Cocktail Recipe
Cocktails are a great way to liven the party up and getting people excited. While beer is generally the drink of choice for any sports event, cocktails also have their place. They are excellent choices for those that are willing to try new things and they usually taste a little bit better than beer. I like to switch things up and use this recipe for Winter Sangria. It’s a very tasty drink and men tend to love it as well!
4. Activities During the Half Time Show
For a lot of people, the Half Time Show is really just bathroom break time. For those that aren’t into the musical acts performing, a few rounds of your own Karaoke is a great way to liven up the party even more and have a little bit of fun!
5. Commercial Games
While some people watch the Super Bowl for the game, others watch it for the commercials. Having a “Favorite Commercial Contest” includes everyone. Everyone votes for his or her favorite commercial – pick out of a hat and the winner gets a prize!
All in all, having the greatest Super Bowl party is no easy feat. Sometimes breaking out of the same ole’ entertaining mold can be difficult. Hopefully these tips can spark up a new idea this year for the big game!
And – don’t forget – keep your guests safe! Superbowl parties often involve finger foods, people sharing dishes like salsa and dips and food sitting at room temperature for long period of time. FoodSafety.gov highlights four simple steps to food safety: Clean, Separate, Cook, Chill. These basic actions include cleaning the food well, keeping potential contaminates separated, cooking meats thoroughly and chilling uneaten portions. You don’t want your guests to miss the end of the game because they’re sick, right? Break out the crockpot or warming trays for foods that need to be kept hot and serve cold foods over ice.
post courtesy of the lovely Quinn over at healthylivingbyquinn.blogspot.
american girl tea party
It was all Gracie wanted. A real tea party with her friends and everyone’s American Girl dolls!
Everyone wore their party dresses and brought their American Girl dolls. We made matching bracelets for the girls and their dolls…
Then we did some flower arranging
And then we ate. And ate. And YUMMM!
It was a super day!
And for favors… a candy bar!!! YUM!
breakfast casseroles
For the brunch, I tried two new recipes for breakfast casseroles – and they were a home run. (This is so me by the way. Trying a completely new recipe for a party.)
Bacon and Potato Bake
adapted from our best bites
4 cups country-style hash browns (cubes, not shredded), completely thawed
1 12-oz. package bacon
1½ c. pepper jack cheese
1 ½ c. cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, chopped (about 6 stalks)
4 eggs
1 c. milk (whole)
½ tsp. kosher salt
about 10 turns freshly ground black pepper
Begin by cooking the bacon. Place the potatoes in a 9×13 baking dish. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle over the potatoes. When the bacon is done, drain it on paper towels and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Cook the onions in the drippings until tender and fragrant (about 2-3 minutes) then sprinkle the onions over the cheese mixture. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle on the top of the mixture. Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and, while whisking constantly, pour the egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 7-8 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 and bring casserole to room temperture. Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly but not brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
Sausage and Cheese Egg Bake
(adapted from Jo-Lynne’s recipe)
1½ cups (6 oz) shredded cheddar
1½ cups (6 oz) shredded mozzarella
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
1 medium sweet red pepper, diced
2 tbsp butter
1½ cups cooked loose sausage (I used a tube of Jimmy Dean sausage. You could also use cubed ham.)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
8 eggs
1¾ cups whole milk
salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, cook the sausage and drain. Saute the mushrooms, onions, and red pepper in butter (and a bit of sausage grease wouldn’t hurt) and stir in the sausage back in. Spoon this mixture over the cheese. Combine the cheeses and sprinkle into a greased 13×9-inch backing pan. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. Pour over the sausage and cheese mixture. Cover it and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350. 30 minutes before baking, bring the casserole onto the counter to come to room temperature. Bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes. A knife inserted in the center will come out clean when it’s done. Let it stand 5 minutes before serving.
gluten free fall cocktail party menu
This week I had a little cocktail party with some friends, two of whom are gluten free. I was immediately stumped about what to make. Just about every appetizer that came to mind had gluten in it – crabcakes, stuffed mushrooms, anything with puff pastry, crackers for the cheese plate… even the spinach and artichoke dip (which is always a hit) has flour in it.
So I scoured the internet for ideas, and then headed out to Trader Joes and Wegmans, two stores in my neighborhood that have great gluten free sections with brands like Udi’s. All the food was a big hit – even with the non-gluten free guests. Here’s my tasty gluten free menu!
First, when serving wine, you must serve cheese, right? My cheese plate had a English Stilton with apricots, an English Cheddar with carmelized onions and a third Italian soft cheese that I forget. I added figs and grapes and some rosemary almonds to the platter, along with regular crackers on one side and gluten free crackers on the other. I’ve learned from gluten free friends that you need to keep things separate, since even if gluten free food has touched food with gluten, it can cause reactions.
I also served a spinach dip (check the package or make your own – many premade versions use flour as a thickening agent) with corn chips and root vegetable chips from Trader Joe’s. These are a fall favorite of mine, just because the colors look just like fall leaves!
Next up, I had Roasted Shrimp Cocktail (from Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics
). It was super easy and so much more yummy than regular shrimp cocktail! All you do is buy uncooked shrimp, already peeled and deveined if you want to make this dish even easier, toss it in olive oil, kosher salt and fresh pepper and throw it in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Yum.
Then, I made Mustard Ginger Sausages. These were a HUGE hit. I found this recipe on BusyGirl’s pinterest page and had to make it.
Mustard Ginger Sausages
½ cup ginger preserves (in the English food section of the grocery store)
½ cup whole grain mustard
1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce (soy sauce has gluten, so get a gluten-free version)
1 packages cocktail smoked sausages
mustard for dipping (I used a hot and sweet mustard from Trader Joe’s)
Mix preserves, whole grain mustard, olive oil and soy sauce in a bowl. Add sausages and toss to coat. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, tossing once.
Finally, we have dessert! I’m lucky enough to live by so many wonderful places that sell things like Flourless Chocolate Cake, but if you don’t you can make one yourself or try one of Udi’s yummy gluten-free treats! I love their cookies – you would never guess they were gluten-free! We also had a pear torte (not gluten-free, I confess!) and a great selection of wine and a fabulous fall cocktail! Its just 1 cup apple cider, a good glug of pomegranate juice and a shot rum. You could serve it warm, but it was such a warm night that I served it on ice.
What are your favorite treats for a fall cocktail party? I love anything with apples – or maybe a carmelized onion tart (made with Udi’s gluten free pizza crusts)! Oh! And zucchini fries, substituting Udi’s gluten bread crumbs for panko breadcrumbs… YUM!
disclosure: this post was sponsored by udi’s gluten free.
brunch menu
So ever since I posted a picture of my brunch last week, I’ve been getting questions about what I served. So here’s our menu:
fruit plate (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, watermelon and mango) from the farmers market
Caramelized Pear Parfaits (caramelized pears, organic vanilla yogurt from Trader Joe’s and Jo-Lynne’s homemade granola)
Cookies (for the kids, from Wegmans) and Scones with Currants
Pistachios (from Trader Joe’s)
Hummus with Beanfield Chips
Beanfield Chips were sent to me as a sample and I was so excited. Two people at the brunch were gluten-free and I was looking for some snacks that they could eat. The Beanfield Chips were a huge hit (even with the non-gluten free guests) and were so yummy. As you know, we’ve been making some changes in our eating lately, looking for healthier foods with less additives and artificial ingredients. Beanfields Snacks are farmed and made in the USA. They are gluten-free, cholesterol-free, trans fat-free, preservative-free and free of every one of the FDA’s eight most common ingredients that trigger food allergies. Plus, Beanfield Snacks is committed to helping update food and business practices – a cause I share.
And these will definitely be making another appearance in our house. My family and I loved the Pico de Gallo!! (Although the Sea Salt & Pepper went better with the hummus – those are probably better if you’re a fan of dipping.) The biggest compliment? My husband said, “Wow! These are awesome! What are they?” Not “What health food snack did you get now?” or “These are good for health food.” or something. And that is the highest praise you can get!
disclosure: i was sent beanfield chips to facilitate a review. i was not compensated for this post and, as always, all opinions are my own.