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Pastimes: A Party…Pigskin Style – Tips for a Super Bowl Sunday Funday
By Aly Wagonseller
Football! Yeah! If you’re like many Americans obsessed with this bone crunching, sweat spewing game of brawn, you’ve anxiously awaited Super Bowl Sunday for months. Maybe your favorite team has made the cut, or perhaps they’ve vanished from the rankings in a tackling puff of grass stained smoke. Either way, why not plan a pigskin bash your friends will be talking about for many seasons to come?
What’s nice about a Super Bowl party, as opposed to a non-sporting event soirée, is that you’ve got built in entertainment and a theme to hang your helmet on. No need to do much to keep your guests amused; the opposing teams and commercials will do that for you. All you really need are a few creative ideas for decorating the home field, passing out some good eats and making the big event entertaining for football lovers and haters alike.
Stadium Style
Setting the mood for the main event can make even the most lackluster of championship games something to cheer about. Brittney Melnick, founder of local company B With a Twist Catering, has some ideas that encourage everyone to get into the game. “Create two opposing territories in your house by dividing your room into two distinct sides decorated in the colors of each of the two Super Bowl teams,” suggests Melnick. “Encourage guests who don’t have a rooting interest in the game to pick a side and root accordingly,” she adds. Decorating ideas might include balloons, team posters, crepe paper streamers and throw pillows or chair cushions made from color coordinating, inexpensive fabrics.
Brittney also offers some clever ways to make your buffet table the center of attention while keeping things simple yet festive. “Cover your serving table with astro turf and use white satin ribbon at field markers to set the stage for buffet style finger food stations,” she says. “A black-and-white-striped tablecloth is a more subtle way of invoking football. Maybe even wear a referee shirt yourself, complete with whistle!”
Goal Worthy Grub
While you want to have a man-worthy selection of great food for noshing, there’s no need to miss the game while cooking in the kitchen. Brittney recommends getting items ready ahead of time, setting them out and allowing guests to help themselves. “A great way to pull off a menu that allows both you and your guests to enjoy the day is by offering a meatball bar,” she suggests. “Make a variety of flavors that include beef, turkey, even a vegetarian ‘meatball’ with a variety of sauces. Round out the meal with great breads for sandwiching, as well as an array of toppings. Include different cheeses, fresh basil or caramelized onions, or add chutney for a new twist!”
If you’re feeling super spirited, Melnik suggests interjecting some friendly competition into the evening by hosting a chili throw down. “Super Bowl, with its lengthy half time show, is the perfect opportunity to hold a cook-off, and with several people each bringing an entry, it means less cooking for you as the host. At halftime, ask everyone to vote for their favorite chili. At the end, announce the winner and send them home with a prize basket of snacks.”
In between quarters and after the game, make sure there’s a variety of snacks available to keep people from overindulging in the alcohol department. Get creative by shaping dips, cookies and brownies into football related shapes, while having snack mix, popcorn and other easy to eat items spread throughout the room in decorative, team coordinating colored containers. If possible, do as the stadiums do and close down the bar for the fourth quarter, instead offering plenty of water and other hydrating drinks for the road.
A Game of Your Own
Betting on your favorite team always makes things more interesting, and a Super Bowl party just wouldn’t be complete without Super Bowl squares available for purchase. Set the limit for your squares, taking into account the number of people who’ll be betting as well as the booty to be distributed at each juncture of the game. Make things simple by visiting www.docsports.com/current/super-bowl-squares.html for an easy to print grid and instructions on setting up the game if you’re unfamiliar with it.
Brittany suggests taking advantage of the often hilarious commercials played on game day by handing out “rating cards” numbered 1 through 5 to all the guests, then asking them to score each Super Bowl commercial as it airs. Tally up the points so you can announce at the end which commercial is the party favorite.
Finally, add a touch of football mania by offering a face painting station for both adults and kids. Going this extra mile encourages guests to take a stand on which team they’ll root for and also makes for colorful pictures to post on Facebook and Twitter accounts! Websites such as www.snazaroo.us/football.htm offer easy to use stencils that make it easy to paint your game face on.
You don’t have to be the most creative person in the world to host an exciting and successful Super Bowl party. With great ideas from B With a Twist Catering and a little preparation, your Super Bowl Sunday will most definitely be a funday!
Brittney Melnick and B With a Twist Catering specialize in upscale comfort food including unique twists on macaroni & cheese, BBQ meatballs, red wine braised short ribs and mouthwatering homemade desserts. For catering info, call 553-7849 or visit www.bwithatwistcatering.com.
