Super Bowl Party

The cold outside getting you down?  Why not throw a Super Bowl Party this Sunday and cheer yourself (and your friends) up?  It's a great excuse for a low key get together in your house and both the men and the women love it.  The three key ingredients, of course are a television, drinks and some snacks, but it doesn't have to be sitting on the floor, 7-layer dip and cans of Bud.  There is certainly a time for that, but this winter has been too harsh and you and your friends need a pick me up.  Let's class it up a bit, eh?

First of all, we need to create a space to watch the big game.  I like tiered seating, but you don't need to have stadium seating and a home theater to get this effect.  Just have several clusters of seats at different heights.  I'm sure you have a setup that involves some couches facing your television, grab some bar stools to place behind them so more people can sit and watch.  I find those that are most into the game will fill the couches and those with a more passing interest in the game and more interest in chatting and eating will take the stools.  If you really wanted to do it up right, you can buy a bar height table for that second tier, too.

Next, let's look at the drinks.  Beer is fine, and should certainly be on hand, but why not create a signature drink for everyone else?  I love to make a punch and have rum or vodka on hand to spike it.  This way the kids feel like they are part of the party, and the adults can decide if they just want just a splash of the hard stuff to keep it safe, or a little more to make it fun.  You can even name the punch after one of the competing teams or the host city.  As for the beer, take some pint glasses and put them in the freezer the night before so guests can drink from a chilled glass.  This way every guest has something special, even the beer drinkers.

Finally, the food.  Traditionally we like to have comfort food or Mexican food for the Super Bowl, not sure how that happened, buy why not pump up the food a little?  With just some simple adjustments, your normal fare can turn special.  You can certainly purchase some already made meatballs, but why not serve them as sliders with small rolls and slices of fresh mozzarella?  Instead of chips and chili, why not cook up a steak with a spice rub, then slice it thin and serve a mini slice in a tortilla cup?  The internet is teeming with recipes, just take a minute a look through and your guests will feel special. 

That's it, you have just a few days, but go ahead and just do it!  Stay warm!