Monday, January 27, 2014

Making my Super Bowl party one to remember. And to take home.

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When Andrew and I met in college, I told him that I was a sports girl. I loved football. I was into basketball. Take me to a ball game. I'm that girl. To this day, Andrew reminds me, quite frequently, about this little "fib" that I told, and after 8 years he is still trying to convince me of that girl I used to be. Except I never really was that girl. Here is the truth--- I'm quite the opposite. I do like going to games, but that mainly stems from the fact that I love to be around people, eat loads of delicious stadium food, and have a few drinks while yelling at the top of my lungs. Even if I don't know what is going on. I'll be the biggest fan---in the moment. All while sporting the jersey of the team we are rooting for.

The same goes for watching sports television. Having it on all hours of the day just because? No thank you. Having it on while having other people over and preparing appetizers and cold beverages? Sign me up. Any reason to have a good time with some close family or friends then I'm all for it. Even, shockingly, if that means sports are involved. I've even gotten excited about a wrestling match. That cost us $60 just to watch by the way.
S
o when it comes to the Super Bowl, I get excited. I think about what appetizers we will make. I think about the games that we will play. And I think about which team I'm going to choose to root for. Usually it is the opposite team that my husband chooses. Just to have a little fun with it. Needless to say, it irritates him when I'm cheering for "the other team."

With this upcoming Super Bowl party planning in the works, I thought about what the main course would be. We decided to have a test trial one night, and I was immediately hooked from the first bite of Chicken fajitas. I have decided to include the recipe below for anyone that may be interested. We are also making some of the greatest appettizers that we have been hooked on since Andrew's mom passed the recipes down to us. And lastly, I will be including "To-Go" sacks for those leaving the party. I found this cute printable here, printed it, colored it with my Sharpie markers, and cut it out in the shape of a football. To me it's a football, to Andrew it's just an "egg."
Want to make your own To-Go sacks? They're simple! Text the word: COUPONS to Target from your cell phone, and receive a coupon for $1 off Rubbermaid Food Storage, and $1 off Sharpie Markers {4 pack or larger}. Go to your nearest Target, pick up your items and be sure to use your coupons. Pick up ribbon if you don't already have any. Print off this printable. Color it any way you please, fill the containers, seal, tie, and you're set!
To-Go SACK. 
We always have leftovers. Always. A lot of food that is good, but a lot of food that I do not want the day after. Well, okay, I may want it, but do I need it? The answer is no. So to go with the party theme, I decided to pick up some Rubbermaid glass containers of different sizes, and some Sharpie markers from Target for the decorating. And then my creative juices started flowing.

I'm going to take a moment here to tell you how I was thoroughly impressed with the Rubbermaid containers. We have been on a big glass only kick and I love that Rubbermaid gives you that option when deciding how to spend your money, and spend it wisely. The great thing about the bowl that I had purchased is that I can use it during the party to fill with salsa, chips, or anything else that will get devoured within seconds, and then I can turn around, wash it, and fill it for the guys to take home their goods. It fulfills two purposes in one, and that alone sealed the deal for me. Now to convince the guys to bring it back---there's where the dilemma lies.

For the printables, I decided to print out football helmets of both teams and write the different ingredients and food items on each card with my Sharpie markers. On the day of the party, I plan on printing larger pictures of the football helmets and making a triangle banner spelling out Superbowl. 
I keep thinking of more and more ways of making the party fun, that I completely forgot the original purpose. Deciding which team to root for.

Like I said, the game is for my husband, and the party is for me. Any reason to have friends over and enjoy a table full of delicious food? I'm in. Maybe I'll even hoot and holler like my husband. Maybe I'll even learn a few game rules and get angry when the wrong calls are made. Maybe I'll even be.... converted.

Oh, my husband can only dream. 



INGREDIENTS

  1. 1 teaspoon pure chile powder
  2. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  3. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  4. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  5. 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  6. 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  7. 1/4 cup water
  8. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  9. 1 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch strips
  10. 1 green bell pepper—cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
  11. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  12. 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
  13. 8 flour tortillas, warmed in the microwave
  14. Shredded lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and sour cream, for serving
DIRECTIONS

  1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the chile powder with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, cornstarch, water and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken, bell pepper and onion, seal and knead gently to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
  2. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice.
  3. Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a large bowl and serve with the warmed tortillas, lettuce, cheese, salsa, sour cream and lime wedges.