Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2015

{DRAFT} Draft Party - Ladies Style!

I came across this great post from BA Haggerty at foodmarriage.com and thought it was a great way to show how to host a draft party, have a league filled with first time members and have fun!  Enjoy!

Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party!

Anyone that knows me knows that I don’t know much about football.  I was the cheerleader in grade school and high school that loved to cheer on the team, but didn’t know the difference between defense and offense (seriously, not joking).  Over the years and after marrying a sports-loving husband I have gradually picked up on things.  Now I can watch an Eagles game and understand what is going on!
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: Wine Glass Charms @FoodMarriage
Personalized Fantasy Football Wine Glass Charms
Since every guy I know plays Fantasy Football…that means all of my friends’ husbands, fiancés, and boyfriends play Fantasy Football.  And what does that mean for all of us girls?  The TV is monopolized every Sunday during football season.  And not just for one game – for the WHOLE day!  So a bunch of us girls decided to start our own Girls Fantasy Football League!!  Our #1 reason was to be able to join in the fun and have a reason to watch the other games on TV!  It will give us something to get excited about and give us a reason to root for different players!!  And since all of us are on an even playing fields in terms of understanding/not understanding Fantasy Football, I think it will be a fun time!
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: Money Jar @FoodMarriage
The Money Jar!
Our new league is rightfully named “Virgin Fantasy Girls” as it is mostly everyone’s first time playing Fantasy Football.  There are 12 of us in the league (and I’m excited to say we even have someone on the wait list for next year if anyone drops out!!)  With girly team names like “Tough Cookies” (me) and others like “Victorious Secret,” “Show Me Your TDs,” “When in Romo” and “My Husband’s Team Sucks,” we got into the spirit right away!!
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: Pink Glitter Football Cake Pops @FoodMarriage
Girls Fantasy Football Cake Pops
I held our draft party at my house and loved decorating for it!  I made custom Fantasy Football Wine Glass Charms by tying ribbons around wine glasses, adding a football cut out of card-stock, and personalizing them with each person’s name.  I made a Fantasy Football Money Jar by cutting out a football and tying it around a mason jar.  I also made two fun drinks: a sweet summertime sangria and cucumber water (recipe to follow later this week).  And of course, the draft party would not be complete without Pink Glitter Football Cake Pops!  (Recipe also coming later this week)
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: Picking Draft Order @FoodMarriage
Draft Order Picking
To pick our draft order, I got little wooden footballs from the craft store and wrote the numbers 1 – 12 on them.  I then put them inside a football that has a top that opens up.  You actually push a button on the front of the football, it plays music, and then the lid opens up!  It made for a very dramatic and fun way to pick the draft order!!  Each girl got to push the button, close their eyes, let the music play, and pick their tiny football out!
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: Yellow Penalty Flags aka Napkins @FoodMarriage
Penalty Flags aka Napkins!
To get excited for the upcoming competition between us all, we did food potluck style where everyone brought their favorite game day appetizers and foods.  From homemade guacamole, salsa, pigs in a blanket, and buffalo chicken dip to pizza, meatballs, and smoked ribs…we definitely ate like queens!  Everything was severed on football shaped plates.  And I couldn’t resist putting out yellow “Penalty Flags” for napkins!!
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party: ESPN Drafting Online @FoodMarriage
Intimidating!
The actual drafting of the players?  A little more stressful than we thought it would be!!  We only had two minutes to pick each player online and as you get down to the wire, your computer starts beeping at you to make your pick NOW!  But once we got the hang of it, it went pretty smoothly. (And thank goodness for cheat sheets!)
Girls Fantasy Football Draft Party @FoodMarriage
Great Draft Party!
Overall, it was a successful draft party and we had a great time!  There’s some good money at stake as we each put in $50.  But really, we are most excited to have fun each week playing against each other and rooting on our players.  Can’t wait for the season to start!!!
I would also like to give my husband a special THANK YOU for his late night Fantasy Football tutoring sessions…love you!
Isn't this a great party and a great group of ladies who had fun playing fantasy?  Do you have an all girls league or are you like me and play with the boys?  Before I played, we would always host the draft so I loved planning the menu, the decor, the drinks, etc!  Who do you play with, let me know!

-Christi, FFC

http://foodmarriage.com/2013/09/girls-fantasy-football-draft-party.html#comment-85432

Monday, June 15, 2015

{FOOD} The Worst NFL Food

Football stadiums are veritable minefields of diet-ruining delicacies. The culinary options offered by National Football League teams across the country are rarely diet-friendly, but are often delicious. Today, what was once a humble tradition of hot dogs and pretzels has escalated into a smorgasbord of calorie-packed munchies — funnily enough, however, no one seems to be complaining.
These 5 foods are the most utterly unhealthy options you’ll find at NFL stadiums across the nation.
Source: iStock
Source: iStock
Toasted Ravioli (Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis Rams)

These ravioli — a St. Louis staple — are not so much toasted as they are deep fried. The origins of the Italian dish are disputed, with several St. Louis restaurants claiming that the recipe originated in their own kitchens. Regardless of where the ravioli got its start, the components are unequivocally spectacular: typically, these crispy morsels are filled with a beef or veal, breaded, and deep fried to a perfection, writes the Riverfront Times. Sure, they aren’t doing your diet any favors — but stadium food rarely does. Head over to St. Louis to try them, or give the dish a shot in your own kitchen.

Source: DAVID BOILY/AFP/Getty Images
DAVID BOILY/AFP/Getty Images
Jonathon Sawyer’s Street Frites (FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland Browns)
Cleveland super chef Jonathon Sawyer’s Gravy Frites are a hot, savory spin on Canadian poutine, and definitely worth picking up at your next visit to a Cleveland Browns game. According to Travel + Leisure, these fries are topped with mozzarella curd, black pepper, and brown veal gravy, the hearty food is the perfect “snack” for a chilly autumn afternoon. Ambitious diners can also opt for the Carbonara Frites – pecorino cheese and pancetta pepato. They’re exactly as unhealthy — and delicious — as they sound!

Source: iStock
Source: iStock
Sweet Heat Fried Chicken Nachos (Georgia Dome, Atlanta Falcons)
What could possibly be unhealthier than nachos or fried chicken? A combination of the two, for starters. According to The Post Game, this dish features buttermilk fried chicken tenders, sweet heat peach barbecue sauce, and chipotle jack cheese sauce. For the authentic Georgian experience, cleanse your palate with a stadium peach cobbler, which is consistently ranked among the greatest — and least nutritious — stadium foods available.

Source: iStock
Source: iStock
Beer Cheese Macaroni and Cheese (Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers)
The macaroni pasta in this dish gets off to a good start — starting with being boiled in beer. The pasta is then mixed with a beer-based sauce and mixed with cheddar, provolone, and cream. This mixture is then baked, according to Sports and Food. The result is an insanely cheesy, boozy, and calorific treat to try out while watching a Packers game, and the perfect way to get a taste of the state’s cheesehead culture. Or, if you’d rather, try whipping up a batch at home!

Source: GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images
GREG WOOD/AFP/Getty Images

The Long Bomb (O.co Coliseum, Oakland Raiders)
This is the sandwich to end all sandwiches: According to Sports and Food, it consists of a one pound, 20-inch seasoned pork sausage, onion-bacon jam, and brown mustard-mayonnaise sauce, all packed onto a grilled sourdough baguette. It’s hard to say whether this could possibly be meant for one person, but we’d be happy to give it a try.

So, do any of these make you want to run out to closest stadium and pig out?  Or do you stick to the staples like hot dogs and nachos?  Let me what is the craziest food you have ever eaten at a game! 
-Christi, FCC













Friday, June 12, 2015

{FOOD} Father's Day Food Ideas

With Father's Day coming up next weekend I figured that it was about time to roundup some recipes to make for dad on that special day! Whether you are making dad breakfast, brunch, dinner or dessert I am sure that he will appreciate the extra effort on a day that is set aside for him. This Father's Day show dad how much you care with some tasty home cooking!

{Breakfast/Brunch}

















{Sandwiches}



















{Appetizers}











On the Grill













{Dinner}

















{Dessert}






So, what are your planning to make for the special man in your life?  We are on a healthy eating kick so a large salad with chicken is probably in our plans.  Let me know if there is a special recipe you make each year or do you go to Dad's favorite spot?

-Christi, FFC 

***all recipes can be found at: http://www.closetcooking.com/2013/06/33-fathers-day-recipes.html