Create-Celebrate-Explore

Homegating Party Tips (and a Twitter Party)

Football season is in full swing and the 'Big Game' is just around the corner.   You can celebrate at home with friends and family and we have all the tips you need.

My dear friends Dawn and Elizabeth of Party BluPrints have teamed up with Knorr® Homestyle Stock and put together a fabulous Game Day Plan for you.

Based off their bluprint, I've thrown together a few ideas too.

1. Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

The Slow Cooker Pulled Pork recipe is available on Knorr.com.  Serve with homemade coleslaw.

2. Sauza-rita

This is no ordinary margarita.  Beer is a staple for homegating parties for the men in our house, but let's make it a little more fun.  I've previously made this Sauza-rita during a Tequila party and it was a big hit.  And the best part, beer is one of the ingredients.

3. Football Juice Boxes

Make juice boxes for the kids more fun.  Take some brown paper and wrap it around the juice box, sealing it with some glue, then add some 'football' details using white paint and a brush.

4. French Dip Burgers

You will find the recipe for these burgers on Knorr.com.   These make a great alternative to the Slow Cooker Pulled Pork.  Serve with individual tubs of french fries.  I found some fabulous greaseproof and non-toxic newspaper liners at World Market that fold into a cone shape and can be placed inside individual cups, making it easy for guests to top with their favorite condiments such as ketchup, salt, or malt vinegar.

5.  Broccoli and Cheese Puff Pastry Appetizers

Dawn and Elizabeth put together a fabulous Broccoli and Cheese SuperBowl on their game day plan.  I followed their recipe for the filling, but I felt I had enough 'bread' dishes already with two burgers being offered for the main, so instead of using a bread bowl for this dip, I baked Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry shells according to the instructions on the packet, then filled with the broccoli and cheese filling.  I topped each with chives to turn them into a fun 'football' themed treat.

6.  Football Cake Pops.

I've become quite addicted to making cake pops.  Here are the basics for making cake pops: begin by baking a chocolate cake, then once cooled, cut off the crispy exterior and crumble the cake into fine crumbs.  Mix with chocolate frosting until it becomes easy to mold.  Chill for a while in the refrigerator, then shape.  Melt chocolate candies (the kind you buy at craft stores).  Put a little on a lollipop stick and insert into the cake ball, put aside until it is set.  Once set dip the entire cake ball into the melted chocolate candy and set aside until it is dry.  Once firm, decorate using an icing writer, sparkle gel, or ready to use icing tubes.

#NewKnorrStock Party Details

• When: Tuesday, January 24 from 2-3pm EST
• Where: Join us on Twitter using hashtags #NewKnorrStock and #homegating
• Topic: Homegating Party Tips and Recipes
• Hosts: @partybluprints, @DawnSandomeno and myself @TonyaStaab.  Please also follow our showcase bloggers @alittlebiteof, @Momhatescooking, @createdbydiane, @OurOrdinaryLife, and @StacieinAtlanta
• Prizes: 4 x $50 Walmart Gift Cards and 1 x $100 Walmart Gift Card
  
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below.  Please link your Twitter URL and follow the other Twitter handles on the RSVP list.

 

RT @TonyaStaab Join the #NewKnorrStock Twitter party 1/24 at 2pm EST for #homegating tips & prizes http://bit.ly/AdF6Yd PLS RT

Get the latest news from Knorr® by following them on Twitter and Facebook. 

Twitter Party Rules:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. VOID WHERE TAXED, PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED BY LAW. Subject to Official Rules. Open only to residents of the United States.

Enter by RSVPing for the Twitter party on the link above, be actively participating in the party and are using the hashtag #NewKnorrStock. To be eligible, entries must be received by January 24, 2012 at 2:55 p.m. EST.

Prizes will be limited to 5 gift cards. 4 $50 gift cards (4 winners) will be given away every 15 minutes during the 1 hour duration of the party on January 24, 2012. The grand prize of 1 x $100 gift card to 1 winner will be given away at the close of the party. All winners will be chosen using random.org from the RSVP link and winners must be present and participating in the party using the hashtag #NewKnorrStock at the time that they are drawn as a winner. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received. Winner will be notified via Twitter @ message by @TonyaStaab during the party on January 24, 2012 and must respond to @TonyaStaab within 5 minutes of being selected to claim their prize. All entries will be eligible for any unclaimed prizes after the close of the Twitter party via random drawing held on -two weeks after- .

To obtain a copy of the Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Collective Bias, 205 S. Main Street, Ste. 1, Bentonville, AR 72712.

SPONSORS: Collective Bias, 205 S. Main Street, Ste. 1, Bentonville, AR 72712

 

Disclosure: I am the Campaign Leader for the #NewKnorrStock campaign for Collective Bias and as such I am being compensated.

How To: Host A Sub Lunch Bar (and a giveaway)

UPDATE:  This giveaway has ended.  The winner of the $300 gift card is Kathy Murphy.  Congratulations!

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I am always looking for new ways to feed guests who come over, and more importantly feed both adults and children without making a lot of different dishes.  I don't want to spend the entire time in the kitchen.  Quite often my husband will grill and I will whip up a few sides, but I like to mix it up, especially when the same group of friends come over regularly, I don't want to be seen as too predictible with what they will be fed.  So recently we put together a Sub Lunch Bar.

We went with 4 different types of subs: Pizza, Chicken Alfredo, Meatballs, and Vegetarian.

This is what we put out:

 

• Assorted sub rolls
• Cheese: Swiss, American, Cheddar, Provolone
• Green and red bell pepper
• Olives
• Banana Peppers
• Spinach
• Tomato
• Mushrooms
• Pepperoni
• Pizza sauce
• Chicken alfredo (recipe below)
• Turkey meatballs with pasta sauce (recipe below)

Turn the oven on before serving lunch so that it is heated before guests begin to load up their subs.  Those guests who want to have their subs toasted can put their sub onto a cookie tray and pop it in the oven for a few minutes until the bread is toasted and the cheese melted.  Everyone ended up having toasted subs, it was a big hit.  The pizza subs were a favorite of the kids, they loved theirs toasted with cheese, Ragu pizza sauce and pepperoni.  Adults and bigger kids though seemed to go for the meatball and chicken alfredo.

Meatball Subs

Turkey meatball ingredients:

• Ground turkey
• 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
• thyme (approx 1 tbs)
• Everyday seasoning (Trader Joe's have a great one that comes in a grinder)
• salt & pepper to taste
• Ragu® Old World Style® Traditional Pasta Sauce (with 2 servings of veggies)

Combine ingredients in a bowl and then roll into meatballs.  Heat oil in a pan and cook the meatballs, turning until browned on all sides.  Once cooked through poor the Ragu sauce over the top and simmer until ready to serve.

Chicken Alfredo Subs

Chicken Alfredo Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts
• 2 tbs butter (melted)
• 2 tsp Everyday seasoning (Trader Joe's have a great one that comes in a grinder)
• Fresh basil
  
• Ragu ® Cheesy! Classic Alfredo Sauce

Combine the butter and seasoning in a bowl, brush over the chicken breasts.  Grill until cooked through (I cooked ours on the George Foreman Grill).

Once cooled a little cut into slices and transfer to a pan that has been sprayed with a little cooking spray.  Pour the alfredo sauce over the top and heat, mixing every now and then.  Add in the fresh basil and turn the heat down to low and simmer until ready to serve.

Note: I made both the meatballs and chicken alfredo at the same time, then had the pizza sauce heating on a 3rd burner on the stove.

Pizza Subs

Aside from the toppings that were already out on the bar, I heated up a jar of Ragu® Pizza Sauce in my lovely new red Le Creuset Saucepan (thanks to Ragu) and then transfered it to a dish with a spoon.

Here's a fun tip for you.  I used the jars from the Ragu® sauce to make lovely vases for our table.  Wash them out, take off the labels, fill with pretty flowers and then tie a ribbon or piece of raffia around it.

It's football season and a sub bar would be a great way to celebrate with friends and family if you love homegating parties.

Now about that giveaway!

With thanks to Ragu® I have a $300 gift card to giveaway so you can host your own party.

Entry requirements - you can do just one, or all of these things, just please leave a separate comment for each:

1.  Subscribe to my blog - via email or RSS feed

2.  Follow me on Twitter (leave me your twitter handle for verification)

3.  Follow @RaguSauce on Twitter (leave me your twitter handle for verification)

4.  Tweet the following: You can win a $300 gift card to host a party with thanks to @RaguSauce and @TonyaStaab http://bit.ly/pYsQNZ #momstheword (you can do this once per day)

Entry is open to all U.S. residents over 18 years of age.  This giveaway will end and winner will be selected via random.org at 10pm PST Friday October 7th.  You must leave me some way to contact you in the event you are the winner, no anonymous entries without email addresses (will not be published and will remain confidential) will be accepted.

Disclosure: This post has been compensated in connection with my appointment as an ambassador in the Ragú® Mom’s the Word on Dinner Program.  Visit http://www.facebook.com/ragusauce to join the conversation.

Recipe: Orange and Ginger Caramelized Chicken Wings

During the Cheap Sally Party at BlogHer11 Kmart had a cabana set up where they were showing guests the new line of Gordon Ramsay Cookware which debuted in Kmart stores this past Sunday.  Along with showing guests the new cookware they also provided everyone with a flash drive containing recipes from Gordon Ramsay.

Not only did I pick up Gordon Ramsay's Santoku Knife and Cutting Board over the weekend, but I also made his Orange and Ginger Caramelized Chicken Wings.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil (for cooking)
• 6-8 shallots, peeled and sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
• 2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and bashed
• 5cm knob of fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
• Zest and juice of 2 oranges
• 150g / 5.3oz Granulated sugar
• 160ml / 5.5oz water
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1kg / 2.2lbs chicken wings
• Sea salt and crushed black pepper

 
Preheat the oven to 180C (Fan 160C and Gas 350F).  Heat the oil in a pan and add the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, ginger and orange zest and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the ingredients have softened.  Add the sugar, water, orange juice and fish sauce and allow to dissolve.  Cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened.  This should take 3-4 minutes and the sauce should start turning syrupy.  Remove from the heat and set aside.

To prepare the chicken, place a large frying pan over a high heat and add 3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Season the chicken, then, in batches, sear the pieces for 3 minutes, until browned.  Add the chicken wings to an ovenproof dish and pour over the caramel sauce, mixing well to coat.  Cook in the oven for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and sticky.  Halfway through cooking baste the chicken wings.  Remove the chicken wings form the oven, season with sea salt and crushed black pepper and serve with the sauce spooned over.

Note:  These wings are so darn good.  My husband is not a big fan of wings and when I told him we were having wings for dinner he looked at me like I was trying to starve him.  He ended up going back for seconds and probably would have gone back for thirds, but I have had to instil a new rule in our house that everyone can leave the table after daddy has eaten his second helping.  I served the wings with couscous, salad greens and orange slices.

 

You can view more photographs from my shopping trip and Gordon Ramsay cookware here.

Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias

A Slider Trio

Yesterday morning my teenager announced that he had his high school football banquet to attend.  That evening!  And he was required to take a hot dish.

So off I headed to Smart & Final for all the goodies I would need to make sliders.  Because boys and football and sliders seem to go hand-in-hand.  In my mind they do at least.

These are so simple to make and I felt they would at least add another food group or two to what I had a feeling would end up being a bucket of KFC and pizza kind of night.

BURGERS:

Before donning my gloves and making some mini burger patties, I added some all-purpose seasoning, salt and pepper to the ground beef.  My husband tossed them on the grill while I put together the  toppings.

TOPPINGS:

Beef and Coleslaw Slider

• Green-leaf lettuce
• Meunster cheese slices
• Coleslaw

                      To make coleslaw, combine in a bowl:

                      1 cup mayonnaise
                      1 cup green cabbage
                      1/4 cup grated carrot  
                      1 tbs Old Bay seasoning
                      1tbs white sugar
                      1 tbs Dijon mustard
                      Pinch of salt and pepper

Spicy Beef and Blue Cheese Slider

• Green-leaf lettuce
• Crumbled blue cheese
• Hot buffalo sauce

Beef and Bacon Slider

• Green-leaf lettuce
• 2 strips bacon
• American cheese
• Caramelized onions
• Barbeque sauce

Tip:  Break the rolls in half and warm them in the oven so they are just a little cripsy on the outside before adding the toppings.

Homemade Hummus

People who follow my tweets are probably very aware of my love of hummus.  Especially buffalo and edamame.  I eat them a LOT.  In fact, paired with whole wheat pita, it is my favorite lunch at home, when I'm not snacking on leftovers from the night before that is.

Hummus is expensive though, especially the more gourmet varieties, which of course are the ones my palate prefers.  So I have been on a mission to start making my own.

I used a basic hummus recipe from About.com and then added the extra ingredients I wanted.

BUFFALO HUMMUS

To the recipe I added 3 tablespoons of Buffalo Red Hot Wings Sauce

Then, I combined another 1 tablespoon of the buffalo sauce with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a 1/4 cup of garbanzo beans and added it to a small well in the center of the hummus.  

This gives the hummus a little bite, but isn't too hot. 

Tip: Taste a little of the hot sauce before adding it to yours to get an idea of how to adjust the recipe to your liking.

EDAMAME HUMMUS

To this recipe, I added 1/3 cup edamame.  Then I added a combination of 2 tablespoons olive oil with 1 tablespoon fresh parsley to the well in the center.

I was really happy with the result of both.  But I do have to get the other hummus eaters (husband and teenager) to weigh-in with their opinion.

HOSTING A SUPER BOWL PARTY?

Need some recipe ideas?

Check out these:

California Monterey Jack & Blue Cheese Football - Real California Milk

Buffalo Chicken - Martha Stewart

Bobby's sliders - Food Network

Baked potato - Parents

Cheddar Cornmeal Sticks (Cheesy fries) - Better Homes & Gardens

Football cookies - Pillsbury