EASY TAILGATING SERVING SUGGESTIONS, RECIPES AND GAME DAY TIPS!

Martie Duncan September 7, 2014

IT'S FOOTBALL SEASON... FOUR MONTHS OF GAME DAY TAILGATES, PARTIES, AND TEAM PRIDE. HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO KEEP IT FRESH, FUN, AND EASY!

tailgate and game day football season tips

VARIATIONS ON A THEME: MIX IT UP…one week Mexican with hats and decor, the next week you can take it to New Orleans with a Mardi Gras menu, the following week make it a Lowcountry crab boil, Italian, Pirate Party, Chili cook-off, beach party, etc. You don't have to go with BBQ, wings, or typical tailgate food every weekend.

MULTI-PURPOSE FOOD: For example, chili works for a variety of different foods... chili pie, tacos, hot dogs, nachos, and more. You can host a chili throwdown where everyone brings a Crock-Pot with their favorite recipe. Add a condiment and hot sauce bar so everyone can add their favorite toppings. Serve chili in individual Fritos or Doritos bags.... yes, serving right in the bag makes yummy Frito chili pie or nachos! This is so good and makes clean up a breeze. Best of all, no dirty dishes to take home.

Serve your chili in individual Frito or Dorito bags... delish and no dishes!

MY TOP 12 TAILGATING AND GAME DAY TIPS

1. When it is still hot outside, make sure to take an extra cooler filled with ice so you can keep drinks and food items cold and have plenty of clean ice for drinks.

2. Use multi-purpose glasses like the insulated glasses from Tervis Tumblers – they keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold. LOVE THEM... especially when I have a party inside. No condensation rings and no broken glass. Plus they go right in the dishwasher.

3. A great way to keep hot food hot is to wrap and store them in a cheap Styrofoam cooler and pack it with newspaper. This will keep it hot until you are ready to serve.

4. Do most of the prep at home so you just have simple assembly or grilling when you get to the stadium.

5. If you don’t want to take a cooler- get a case of your favorite drinks, empty it and line with a white or clear garbage bag and put the drinks back and fill with ice. Afterwards, put the whole thing in the trash. I always double the bag so I don't have any leaks. You can also use a beer carton as a condiment holder. Works great! Save the carton from your next 6-pack!

6. Another use for a cardboard drink carrier- is to use it for a condiment carrier or a dip holder. Next time you go to Starbucks, save the carrier. Keeps dips and dippers organized and neat.

7. Pre-cook what you can. You can even pre-cook ribs and finish them on the grill. Just make sure to keep them well chilled.

8. Get in on the Crock-Pot craze…. Plug it in before you go to bed the night before and you’ve got a good start on lunch when you get there. My super easy Fire Roasted Tomato Chipotle Chili is one of my all-time favorite chili recipes and I've had great reviews from people who have made it. Get the recipe....

9. One of the most frustrating things about going to the game is not being able to find your friends or their tailgate! Use a cluster of helium balloons and fly them way over the top of your tent so your friends can spot you from a distance! I got huge balloons and wrote on them with a marker to define our tailgate and help friends locate us easily. Don't use team colors; use pink or something easy to spot.

10. You don’t have to buy special football items or tableware- you can easily make a football field runner from placemats or some other item. I used a green chenille kitchen rug I got on sale for $4 at Target and lined it with white plastic electrician's tape. I got the numbers at Wal-Mart in the mailbox section but you can get stick-on numbers where you get scrapbook supplies also.

A chenille bath rug is a great, cheap table covering... this one was $4 on sale. Stripe with electrician's tape. Afterwards you can wash it and reuse.

11. Bring items in a large plastic tub. When you are ready to pack up, line the tub with a garbage bag and then put your dirty dishes inside. Makes for super easy clean up when you get home!

I love making a few big sandwiches rather than lots of little ones. This is a New Orleans style Muffuletta with lots of cured meats, cheese, and olive salad... it isn't a Central Grocery Muffuletta but really good and perfect for game day.

12. Make giant sandwiches instead of lots of small sandwiches. Just take a large loaf of bread and make one large sandwich. Slice it up and you are good to go! If you make hot sandwiches, make sure to double the foil on the bottom so you do not burn the bread. Open up the top of the foil for the last few minutes to get the bread toasty. Add a little cheese on top and toast it for some extra yum.

PARTY PLAN: LUNCH HOUR BABY SHOWER

Martie Duncan July 14, 2014

Seems like there always a new baby or wedding to celebrate! Everything for a lunch hour shower, from the decorations to the menu, needs to be simple and portable. Delicious make ahead items and a few simple craft projects make this lunch hour shower a breeze from set up to clean up. Change the decorations and this party works for baby, bridal, or birthday!

QUICK & EASY DECORATIONS

Since you only have an hour, plan party decorations you can put up quickly. Use a clothesline and clothespins to hang photos, baby bibs, socks, and other necessities the new mom will need; she can take them home after the party is over. Scan and print cherished family pictures to prevent damage to the originals.

For our tiny office baby shower for Caroline, we went to our favorite restaurant and met friends there. A quick centerpiece from baby bottles, rubber ducks, booties, and navy ribbon was the perfect welcome for our newest team member, baby Navy.

COORDINATE COLORS

Mixing different sizes and shapes of like-colored plates gives your table and buffet a coordinated look without the added expense of buying paper products. Ask your fellow hostesses to bring their dish on a white serving piece, too. Food looks great on white dishes and it creates a cohesive look.

CENTERPIECE MADE SIMPLE WITH CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Ask moms around the office to bring in old glass baby bottles to use as vases for your centerpiece. A variety of different sizes and heights work well. If you’re lucky enough to have blooms in your yard, clip some to make a casual flower arrangement or get a bunch from the florist and use a single stem in each bottle.

Party hostesses or the guest of honor’s family can bring a special treasure from childhood--- favorite books, baby booties, rattles to dress up a conference room table and serve as conversation starters. Pretty blue trays, ribbons, or a tablecloth make a plain office table party pretty.

MAKE AHEAD MENU

Select a “can’t miss” menu that will work well for a “bring a dish” party. Choose items that will travel well, hold well and require very little assembly before the party. Make sure to wrap all items carefully and store properly until serving time. Remember to ask hostesses to bring food in a white serving dish for a completely coordinated look. Shown are some of my make-ahead favorites: Citrus Pickled Shrimp, Cheese Puffs, and a cheese board.

Make drinks ahead and transport in a pitcher you can use for serving. Any drink served in a glass with a stem seems special, even something as simple as Prosecco--- Italian sparkling wine. Use it to make Apricot Bellinis, a fresh twist on a Mimosa. Substitute ginger ale or lemon-lime soda for an office party or as a non-alcoholic beverage choice for the mom-to-be. Get beverage or cocktail recipes...

BUILD YOUR BUFFET

If you have the typical ugly office table to use for your buffet, dress it up with a large napkin or a scarf. In addition to the menu, take a little help from the store and build out your buffet with signature antipasto items like tapenade, smoked mozzarella, salami, peppers, marinated artichokes, olives, and breadsticks.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Get a cake from the bakery... yes, I said it. It is perfectly okay to take some help from the store or bakery. Decorate with items the new mom can use like these rubber duckies. Get a little more than you need so there plenty for an afternoon coffee break...:)

WATCH MY LUNCH HOUR BABY SHOWER VIDEO ON MYRECIPES.COM

PARTY THEME: RETRO ROLLER SKATING PARTY

Martie Duncan June 13, 2014

If you've got a birthday party to plan, one of the most fun parties I've planned lately was a throwback birthday party at the local roller skating rink. We had such a great time! If you're looking for something fun and different to do for your next girls get-together, dust off your pom-poms, break out your striped knee socks, and get ready for some old-school fun that will have you laughing (sore and bruised) for weeks to come!

Retro Roller Skating Birthday Party Theme

Call your local roller rink to find out what the restrictions are for a party. Some will allow you to hold your party during public skate times, others will require that you book a private party for your group. This usually depends on how many you have in your group.

Some rinks allow you to bring in food or cake. Others don't. If they allow food, take something that does not have to be served hot. Gourmet sandwiches, wraps, chips, salsa, or a delish cheese board would be easy to do. If not, meet for a pre-party party before you head to the rink. Our roller rink did not allow us to bring in our own food but we did get to bring in cupcakes and gift bags for everyone containing stuff from back when: Charms' Blow Pops, Bonnie Bell Lip Smackers ( the huge ones) and original Hubba Bubba Bubble Gum! I remember when that was all you needed to get a boy to ask you to go steady or at least couple's skate :)

If your crowd hasn't skated in a while, be sure and add a package of Advil and some Icy Hot in each guest's gift bag!