So, the Patriots and Rams each won their conference, and there’s a Big Game coming up the weekend after next. Many of you will go out to celebrate, but it’s nice to have friends or family over to watch the game.
What to Eat
If you read my post on planning a party menu (https://allybearsden.blog/party-menu-planning-plus-the-easiest-dessert-ever/), you’ve got the basics. Of course, chicken wings are a staple football party menu item, and it’s possible your family or friends have their own traditions (especially if they’re fans of one of the teams), but you can have fun with food for this party. How about making dishes based on the teams playing? This year, it’s New England and Los Angeles, so you could make clam chowder and nachos (I don’t know if I’d eat those at the same time, but it’s a long game, so you could space them out).
Decorating
Another fun way to make the party into a football party is by decorating! Most party stores have special decorations for the game, but if you would rather get something you can use again, you can simply get party goods in the team colors. Whether you go to the party store, the supermarket, or the dollar store, you can probably find plates, forks, napkins, and bowls in the colors of the teams. You can go as simple or as elaborate as you’d like!
There’s no need to buy a special tablecloth that looks like a football field – just get a green plastic tablecloth and a white marker and draw the yard lines and numbers on yourself. You can also do a paper banner with the game logo, the team logos, pictures of footballs, and anything else you find appropriate. If you have kids, having them decorate the banner is a fun way to get them involved.
Football desserts!
A fun and yummy idea is to make football themed desserts. With a football-shaped cookie cutter, make sugar cookies (I have a recipe at https://allybearsden.blog/sugar-cookies/). You can decorate them with chocolate sprinkles, or go all out and frost them with chocolate icing. Using a decorating tip with a round opening (look for a “writing” tip), draw laces with white icing. You can also frost cupcakes in the team colors, or use chocolate frosting and white icing to draw footballs on your cupcakes. Some cake decorating stores, crafts stores and party stores sell sugar footballs, which are an easy way to decorate cupcakes or a cake. If you’re not a baker, most party stores have a selection of candy in a variety of colors. Get M&M’s or wrapped candies in team colors and put them in clear bowls.
Photo by Ben Hershey on Unsplash
But what about the people who don’t like football?
Don’t forget the non-football fans! If you have more than one TV, it’s nice to set up an area for the people who don’t want to watch the game to hang out and watch what they’d like, and make sure they have snacks there too! If you can’t move the TV, at least make sure you have enough chairs in the kitchen or somewhere else that’s not in front of the TV and something for them to eat and do.
And don’t forget the kids – some may be football fans and some may not, but make sure you have something for them to do. You can find clip art coloring pages with football themes, which are both entertaining and go with the theme. Just be sure you have enough crayons and washable markers to go around!
Have fun!
I’ll be sharing some of my favorite football party recipes over the next week, but hopefully this has given you some ideas to share the Big Game with your friends!