SUPERBOWL PARTY

Good morning everybody! How are you doing this chilly Monday morn? I’m cold and swollen and a little sore, but I’ll be ok. Today’s blog is all about football stuff… so if you’re a fan or maybe your husband is a football freak and you’re the football widow then this blog is for you. Ok, watching the Cowboys be slaughtered yesterday, made me think… OMG with the Super Bowl coming up on February 7th! I need to share some crafts and more party foods with you in case you are hosting a Super Bowl party as well… or maybe you just want to make some new snacks for your loved one while they watch the game. Either way, the recipes can be used ANYTIME and are super yummy and the crafts would work if you ever host a football theme party for, let’s say, a child, etc. So sit back and get ready!

Well first things first, is decorations… decorations include crepe paper, cutouts, table covers, centerpieces, etc. Now sure, you could go to a store and BUY all those things… but what’s the fun in that? Here is a few craft ideas for you-

Crafts and Decorations

1. Make football pennants by cutting triangles out of felt or paper! Decorate with your team's colors!

2. Make paper chains using your favorite team's colors.

3. Make small football jerseys by cutting a shirt shape out of felt or paper. Cut out small numbers and glue them on.

4. Cut a football shape into a potato or sponge, and decorate a plain white or green tablecloth.

5. You can also paint white lines on a green tablecloth so it looks like a football field!

6. Use actual footballs of all kinds (nerf, real leather, etc) as decorations on tables, etc.

7. Use sport jerseys over the backs of the chairs.

8. You could use green paper and get several pieces and tape together and cover your table. Then decorate the top of the table with numbers and lines to look like a football field. Large rolls of cheap plastic covering would work as well… just use white paint or a paint marker and allow time for it to dry.

9. Take real sports balls and cut top off of them, then put container for water and put fresh flowers in them. You can even coordinate the flowers to your team colors (especially easy if making a silk arrangement)!

Here’s a real cute centerpiece even the kids can help make!



Football Goal Centerpiece

What you'll need:

7” paper plate
4 cardboard tubes
Handful of pebbles or pennies
2-3 sheets of brown construction paper
10 glittery chenille stems, cut in half
1 gold glittery chenille stem, cut in half
Green and white acrylic paint
1 thin point paintbrush
1 wide paintbrush
Clear shipping tape
Scissors
Pencil

How to make it:

Use a pencil to trace around one of the cardboard tubes in the center of the paper plate. Cut out the circle in the center of the plate.

Paint the plate with green paint and set aside to dry.

Tape the four cardboard tubes together, one on top of the other, to create one long tube.

Cut four 1.5” long slits in one of the end tubes.

Use a thin paintbrush and white paint to add goal line numbers around the outer edge of the plate (10, 20, 30, etc), then paint white lines between each number. The lines should go from the rim of the plate toward the center. Paint a white line around the outer edge of the center hold. Allow to dry.

Cover the tube with brown construction paper, leaving only the slits that you cut uncovered. Secure with tape.

Use a pen, the end of the scissors or a pointed toothpick to poke twenty holes through the construction paper and the tubes. If you have trouble poking through the tubes because of tape, just poke through the paper. You want the holes to be spaced an inch or two apart and offset.

Insert the tube into the hole in the center of the plate, inserting the end of the tube that you just cut the slits in.

Once the tube is inside the center hole of the plate, turn over and fold the flaps outward, creating a petal-like look. Turn over to be sure your cuts were even, tube and plate should stand up straight. If tube is leaning, adjust the flaps until straight. Use tape to secure the flaps to the back of the plate.

Cut twenty 3” footballs from the brown construction paper.
Add lines and stitches to the footballs with white paint and let dry.

Tape a chenille stem to the back of each football.

Insert the other end of the chenille stems into the holes in the tube. If you encounter a hole that didn’t go through the tube, simply slide the chenille into the hole and it will disappear between the paper and the tube. You can also trim the chenille if they appear too long and reinsert.

Take the remaining gold chenille stem that was cut in half. Bend one half into a goal post. Bend the other half in two and wrap the center point around the middle of the goal post to create the stand. Twist around a few times to create a sturdy stand and then bend the ends (if turned upside down it will look like a goal post again!). Insert the “legs” of the stand into the top of the tube between the tube and the paper.

Tips:

To make parts of this project ahead of time, have kids cut out and paint the footballs and cut all the chenille stems.

Choose the colors of your team to create this centerpiece for any game day, not just the biggest day in football.

Buy construction paper in large variety packs to have on hand for impromptu projects.

OK, so there are some ideas to get you started. If you need more, then just google handmade SuperBowl party decorations or just handmade football party decorations and you will find TONS of ideas! OK so now onto food. We covered chicken wings yesterday… an all-time favorite! You have the obvious ideas of cutting your food into football shapes (brownies, cakes, sandwiches, etc.) and decorating with icing for the laces on a football. If you have a cookie cutter in a football shape, or a cake pan, etc., its much easier, but it can be done by hand if you don’t. Today I am gonna give you a few favorites around here for appetizers and finger foods. And make sure to check out some of my other blogs for more appetizer recipes! Dec. 29, Dec. 30, and Dec. 31 all have a bunch of party appetizers as well! OK so here are some NEW ideas!



Taco Meatball Ring

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoons water
2 to 4 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 pound ground beef
2 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/2 medium head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 medium tomato, chopped
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup sliced ripe olives
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
Sour cream and salsa, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup cheese, water and taco seasoning. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 16 balls.

Place meatballs on a greased rack in a shallow baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 12 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Drain meatballs on paper towels. Reduce heat to 375°.

Arrange crescent rolls on a greased 15-in. pizza pan, forming a ring with pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan and wide ends overlapping.

Place a meatball on each roll; fold point over meatball and tuck under wide end of roll (meatball will be visible). Repeat. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until rolls are golden brown.

Transfer to a serving platter. Fill the center of the ring with lettuce, tomato, onions, olives, jalapenos, remaining cheese, and sour cream and salsa if desired. Yield: 16 servings.



Asparagus Appetizer Roll-ups

Ingredients

12 slices white bread, crusts removed
1 container (8 ounces) Kraft Philadelphia® - Cream Cheese Spread
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
8 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
24 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Flatten bread with a rolling pin. In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, onions and bacon. Spread mixture over bread slices. Cut asparagus to fit bread; place two spears on each bread slice. Roll up bread and place, seam side down, on a greased baking sheet. Brush with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake at 400° for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve immediately. Yield: 1 dozen.



Joe's Crab Shack Crab Dip (one of my faves!)

Ingredients

2 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 tsp. Diced Yellow Onion
1 Tbsp. Butter, softened)
4 tsp. Finely Diced Green Pepper
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/4 tsp. Seasoned Salt
1/8 tsp. Paprika
1 Tbsp. Mayonnaise
1/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1 (6 oz.) can Crab Meat (drained) **Use fresh crab meat if you can!
Fresh Diced Green Onion, for garnish
Fresh Chopped Parsley, for garnish
*optional* dash of hot sauce for a little kick

Directions

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream and butter until smooth. Blend in seasoned salt and paprika. Stir in yellow onions, crab meat, green pepper, and mozzarella cheese. Place in a lightly greased small shallow baking dish and place in a preheated oven at 350 degrees until mixture bubbles, about 10 - 14 minutes.

Serve dip with unsalted or very lightly salted corn chips or crackers. Serves 2-3 as an appetizer.



Pepperoni Pinwheels

Ingredients

1/2 cup diced pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 egg, separated
1 tube (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the pepperoni, cheese, oregano and egg yolk. In another small bowl, whisk egg white until foamy; set aside. Separate crescent dough into four rectangles; seal perforations.

Spread pepperoni mixture over each rectangle to within 1/4 in. of edges. Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side; pinch seams to seal. Cut each into six slices.

Place cut side down on greased baking sheets; brush tops with egg white. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen.



Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup beer
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flaked coconut
24 shrimp
3 cups oil for frying

Directions

In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.

Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer.

Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

And I found another wing recipe for you that you may enjoy! So I’m slipping it your way… even though wing mania was yesterday LMAO!

Raspberry Barbecue Wings

Ingredients

2/3 cup barbecue sauce
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 to 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke, optional, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
15 chicken wings (about 3 pounds)
1 small onion, sliced
1 cup water

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the barbecue sauce, jam, chopped onion, peppers, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon Liquid Smoke if desired and salt; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tip section. Place the chicken wings in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Top with sliced onion and remaining garlic. Combine the water and remaining Liquid Smoke if desired; pour over wings. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.

Transfer wings to a greased broiler pan; brush with sauce. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 20-25 minutes, turning and basting every 5 minutes or until wings are well coated. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.

Okie dokie, reading all those makes me really hungry LOL so I think I am going to go play in the kitchen and start something delectable… not sure what yet, but I’ll find something LOL! I have a buyer coming to get all the VHS I listed on craigslist today too, so I guess I’ll have to get out of my Pj’s too LOL! I hope you have a great day and I’ll see ya back here tomorrow! HUGS!