Football Snack Ideas & Game Day Tips
Love or hate football, everyone watches the Super Bowl (even if it’s just for the commercials). Whether or not you are rooting for the teams playing, hosting a Super Bowl Party is a fun way to get together with family and friends in celebration of one of America’s favorite non-holidays.
With the Broncos headed to San Francisco for Super Bowl 50 we couldn’t be more excited to watch the game and see if the Lombardi trophy will be headed home to Denver. We don’t have many friends who are Carolina fans so our entire household will be rooting for the home team this coming Sunday.
The Big Game itself can span several hours, so use these tips to keep your football snacks fresh and delicious throughout the day.
Tip 1: Serve football staples that are room temperature.
When food doesn’t need to be heated or cooked, it will stay fresh longer. Beef and Turkey Summer Sausage from Hickory Farms is the perfect example of a game day sampler that you can cut up and leave out throughout the party (if there’s any left after the first few minutes… – summer sausage goes pretty quickly in our house).
Nuts are another Super Bowl Party fan favorite salty snack that doesn’t require any refrigeration throughout the game. The Grand Nut Party assortment has the perfect variety of nuts and party mix that can be served in bowls throughout the watching area of the party.
Tip 2: When prepping for the game, don’t cross-contaminate.
Food safety experts will tell you that you should always use separate cutting boards and knives for meats, vegetables and cheeses. This will help ensure that anyone at your Super Bowl party with an allergy isnt exposed to something they don’t want, and if you have anything raw, it prevents bacteria that could cause food borne illnesses. If you don’t have more than one cutting board, prep each item individually and wash your cutting board thoroughly in between items.
Tip 3: Prep ready grab items in advance
Pre-slice and store each of your appetizers in their own containers. Set out as much as you need for the 1st quarter of the game on a small tray and refill throughout the party. This ensures that everything is the proper temperature and tastes fresh throughout the entire game. Soft cheese is one item that can dry out if left out for a long period of time like a 4 hour football game. By making a cheese platter with a few options and storing the rest for refilling, you can help ensure that everyone is able to enjoy the football snacks.
Tip 4: Add limes to guacamole to keep it from browning
If you plan on serving fresh guacamole (vs. something you purchase in advance from the store) squeeze fresh limes over the top before storing it. The citrus acid helps create a barrier to prevent oxidation from occurring by ensuring that the PH level of the guacamole remains low. Why don’t they teach that in high school science class?
Tip 5: Make smaller portions to keep temperature-sensitive foods fresh.
If you are making a 16-oz. serving of something like 3-layer dip portion it into four 4-oz. containers. This allows you to replace the bowl after each quarter and helps keep the dish the proper temperature throughout the entire game. If serving a hot dish, use a crockpot or keep the bulk of the food on simmer at a low temperature. You can easily refill a smaller dish throughout the game from the main pot.
I hope these tips help your Super Bowl Party go off without a hitch. Do you have any other tricks or tricks you’d add to this list? Leave a note in the comments!
Disclaimer: This post was brought to you by Hickory Farms. All opinions, ideas and writing are my own. I was compensated and received a product sample as inspiration for this post.
Looking for inspiration for your next home decor project? I spoke with some of the best designers in the country and put together a list of tips and tricks for the Denver Style Magazine. Check out how you can decorate your home like a pro in the full article!
Images used with permission from: Jackson Design and Remodeling (2, 5), Marcus Mohon (3, 4)
Whenever you are feeling too busy, or too stressed, or too… too.. Just remember that all you have to do is breathe. Sometimes we forget that simply stepping out of the moment to catch our breath can do wonders.
So today, just breathe.
Mornings are hard and taking the time to eat something healthy isn’t always my top priority. More often than not I find myself reaching for a snack as I walk into the office and when that snack comes from the local coffee shop it’s usually in the form of a chocolate croissant.
We all know that eating a good breakfast is super important, but its not always possible to make something healthy before rushing out the door.
When I received the offer to try out Garden of Life’s Raw Protein Formula I was excited to test out a morning routine that would help me make smart choices in the morning. With 17 grams of protein the Raw Protein smoothie is the perfect quick breakfast I can toss into a shaker bottle as I rush out the door. For a grab and go option I really enjoy that chocolate flavor (because it tastes just like chocolate milk). When I have a bit more time, the vanilla is the perfect additional to a fruity breakfast smoothie.
Garden of Life Strawberry Vanilla Smoothie
Smoothie Ingredients
8 Ounces of milk or almond milk (Almond milk adds protein)
1 scoop of Raw Protein
1/2 cup of frozen strawberries & bananas
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
For the smoothie to blend properly start by adding the milk to your blender and then layer in your fruit, yogurt and protein power.
I like using frozen fruit because it makes the smoothie a bit thicker and doesn’t water down the flavor the way ice does. Frozen fruit also stays good much longer.
Turn the blender on puree and allow to run for 2-3 minutes. All your fruit should be well blended.
Sometimes the protein powder splashes up on the walls of the blender. I use a soft spatula to scrape the sides of the blender and than turn it back on for another 30 seconds of mixing if this happens.
Pour into a to go cup and head out the door.
With the additional protein this smoothie helps me stay full until lunch but doesn’t sit heavy in my stomach as I spend the morning in front of a computer screen. An added bonus of the Garden of Life protein powder is that it includes a healthy probiotic that helps the good bacteria in your body functioning properly. The amount in the protein formula is approximately the same as what you might find in a yogurt, so if you take probiotics regularly you should still take your daily supplement.
Most people have taken probiotics after starting an antibiotic – but your body can benefit from probiotics all the time! Once I started trying out the Once Daily Women’s Probiotic from Garden of Life I immediately noticed that I simply felt better without making any other changes to my diet. Probiotics keep your digestion functioning well and that area of your body can impact all other pieces of you health. For me in particular I have a difficult time sleeping and taking probiotics has had a serious improvement on the quality of my sleep.
Have you ever taken probiotics and what has your experience been?
Disclaimer: I received a product sample for the purposes of this post. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for my writing.
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