The Big Game Football Party – Part 2

We hope you enjoyed the tips in Part 1 of our Big Game Football Party blog. We promised 51 Tips so with February 5th and the big game coming up fast this blog will give you more tips to make your party just as good as a perfect spiral.

Wardrobe Malfunction

Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake made this terminology come to life in the big game in 2004. We recommend you wear an apron while you’re cooking and prepping your party food so you don’t have a wardrobe malfunction. There’s nothing worse than ruining your favorite team’s football jersey with grease or food splatters. We built a Pinterest Board with some fun apron ideas for women and men. There’s even a camo one for the guys when they barbeque with beer-holder front pockets.

Illegal Procedure

In football terminology this is one or any number of a set of penalties. We want to avoid illegal procedures in the kitchen especially when it comes to food handling safety.

• Make sure to wash your hands and all surfaces with soapy mild bleach water before you start your prep.
• Don’t cross contaminate foods (like cutting veggies on the raw chicken cutting board).
• Cook all foods to the proper temperature. Use a meat thermometer to check.
• Keep cold foods cold (serve the bowls nestled in ice) and hot foods hot.
• Refrigerate perishable foods within two hours.

Neutral Zone

In football this is the length of the football (11 inches/28 centimeters) from one tip to the other when it is placed on a certain spot on the field prior to the snap. You should also establish a neutral zone for your party guests. No discussing politics should be the rule for the big game. Just have fun! It’s one day of the year when we are all Americans and can choose to root for one football team or another. It’s a day to let your political concerns go. If someone starts a political discussion you can use our next tip to nip it in the bud.

Penalty Flags

These are the yellow flags the referees throw on the ground when they see a penalty take place or to mark the location of the rule infraction.  Buy yellow cloth napkins for your party and have them carefully positioned around the party area. If someone starts a political conversation or breaks another house rule of yours throw a penalty flag. This is a fun way to keep the party on the right track. If someone gets too many penalties, make them do the next beer run!

Huddle

In football this is a quick conference before a play. Before your guests arrive it’s a good idea to huddle up the family and run a quick check list. Toilet paper in the bathrooms. Check. Lots of hand towels. Check. We have enough ice. Check. The beer is cold. Check. The grill is hot. Check. Fresh batteries in the TV remote. Check. Where’s Grandpa? Check. You get the idea. Before you know it everyone will be there huddled around your bar or food layout and you will be very busy. So it’s best to get all the last minute things done before your party starts.

The Ball

Did you know that footballs are to be inflated to a gauge pressure between 12.5 and 13.5 pounds per square inch?  In the 2015 AFC Playoff Championship we had “deflate-gate”. The Patriots  quarterback Tom Brady was suspended for 4 games because of this. A fun party game is to have 3 footballs on display – only one of which is inflated correctly and have everyone guess which one is correct. The point is have a ball at your party! Make it fun for everyone! Make it competitive! Have everyone choose which team will win the big game and place a friendly wager before the game starts. We have a fun game idea for you in Part 3 of our blog series so be sure to keep reading.

Double Coverage

This is where two defensive players are assigned to “cover” one offensive player. We have a great double coverage tip for your party. Did you know you can make two crock pots out of one large crock pot?  That way you can have two kinds of dips side by side, like refried beans and queso cheese. Put a piece of aluminum foil folded thickly in the center of the crock pot to create a divider and then use crock pot liners to line each side. Full instructions are here on Pinterest.

And since we’re on the topic of coverage we have to ask – do you have a Home-Tech Service Agreement yet? It really brings peace of mind. You don’t need an AC maintenance contract and appliance warranties from all the manufacturers. Just one Home-Tech GOLD policy does double coverage for your AC system and your major appliances!

Warm Up

Every athlete does it before game time. Appetizers are your party warm up for the rest of the party food. Here’s a great recipe to get it started. You just can’t have a Super Bowl party without the lovable Big Game Weenies.

The Big Game Weenies

2 packages mini weenies
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T minced garlic
16 oz grape jelly (or for an extra kick Jalapeno jelly)
1 bottle chili sauce

Dump it all in your crock pot. Rinse out the chili sauce bottle with a little water and add it too. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. Stir before you serve them.

Tackle

No definition is needed here. But how about using your fishing tackle for your football party? The big game party SWFL-style certainly calls for a local, fresh catch fish dish. Here is a highly recommended smoked fish dip recipe from one of our technicians, Milt. It’s his secret recipe and he’s giving it up. Best thing is you can make it a day ahead and just pull it out at game time.

Safety – 2 Point Play

Since it is still the beginning of a new year, many people are still sticking to their diet resolutions. It’s good to provide a couple of healthy and low calorie foods.  Serve up a veggie tray with fat free Ranch Dressing. And here’s a fantastic 2 point Weight Watchers recipe for Cheesy Cauliflower Bread Sticks.

Go Long

There’s bound to be a lot of long passes in this years game. You can go long too with a super long sub sandwich order from Subway. They will cater a sub sandwich for you from 3 feet to 12 feet long! This is a super easy solution if you don’t have a lot of prep time for cooking!

[caption id="attachment_25598" align="alignleft" width="248"] Jeff, Diana, Cliff

Spin Move

In football this is the rotation of a player around a vertical axis, generally between 180 and 360 degrees. In your kitchen you will want to use the spin move of your microwave to heat up foods. Right before the half time show is a good time to throw everything back in the microwave to reheat it. Remember, keep hot foods hot. Check out this favorite convection microwave of the Home-Tech Member Appliance Center staff.

Kitchenaid Model # KMBP107ESS

27″ Built In Microwave Oven with Convection Cooking – Stainless Steel

It cooks extra fast because it uses convection cooking. It also has a broiler so it can melt those cheese-topped dishes quickly. It’s a top of the line product from Home-Tech. You may never use your oven again.

Half Time Show

Isn’t it amazing how they always transform the football field so quickly with a stage and sound equipment for the half time show? It’s almost magical. The half time show is a good time for you to make a quick change of your party food as well.  It’s time to get out the desserts and freshen up everyone’s drinks. Make sure everyone has everything they need before the second half starts.

In Part 3 of this blog series we’re going to share some great dessert ideas and also fun games to play during your party. Stay tuned, just like we know you will after the half time show is over.