Football season is here and it’s time to get  your friends together to cheer your favorite team to victory! I love everything about Fall – the weather, long sleeve t-shirts, pumpkin and spice flavored things, jackets and FOOTBALL. Plus with Fall & football comes lots of reasons to throw a party… which is what I love the most!

So to kick off the season the right… here’s a party blueprint full of recipes, resources and new products just for you!

Fajita Burgers

A packet of dry seasoning can add a bunch of flavor to any burger, as does the fajita mix in this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1.27 oz. packet Lawrys Fajitas Seasoning
• 1/4 Cup melted butter
• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1 brown onion
• 2 green peppers
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 hamburger buns

Directions

• Combine fajita seasoning and butter until incorporated. Add ground beef into a bowl and mix in fajita butter until throughout. Form 4 patties and place in an airtight container for transport to the tailgate site.
• Prepare onions and peppers at home: Slice onion and peppers into strips and discard pepper seeds. Saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, stirring occasionally, until tender and browned. Cool and place in a foil pouch. Reheat by placing pouch on the grill at the tailgating site.
• Grill burgers on a lightly oiled rack over medium-high heat, 5 minutes on each side for medium burgers. Top with reheated onions and peppers and serve on a bun.
• Makes 4 servings

credit: www.celebrations.com/article/5-tailgating-burger-recipes

My Favorite Guacamole Recipe

Well, favorite next to the pre-packaged kind at my local Kroger store!

Ina Garten’s recipe out of her 1999 The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

Ingredients

• 4 ripe Haas avocados
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 8 dashes hot pepper sauce
• 1/2 cup small-diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 medium tomato, seeded, and small-diced

Directions

credit: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/guacamole-recipe/index.html

Don’t forget to mix in a few kid-friendly-picky-eater items. Classics like ham & pickle rollups, little smokies or rotel cheese dip!

Ham & Pickle Rollups

• 3 packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 pound ham, thinly sliced
• 1 quart dill pickles, drained, patted dry.

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 0 minutes

Place pickles on a paper towel to dry off some of the juice. Carefully spread the cream cheese on a 2 slices of ham. Roll a pickle up in the ham slice and roll again with the other ham slice. Slice into 1-inch pieces. Repeat as necessary. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

credit: http://www.recipetips.com/recipe-cards/u–3694/ham-and-pickle-rollups.asp

Football Cupcakes

Here are links to a few of my favorites…

http://projectdomestication.blogspot.com/2009/10/mini-football-cupcakes.html

http://cupcakeideasforyou.com/cupcake-ideas/football-cupcake-ideas/superbowl-cupcake-ideas-10-decorating-ideas-for-your-superbowl-party/attachment/steelers-football-cupcakes2/

http://food.thefuntimesguide.com/2008/01/fun_football_food_ideas.php

Cocktails

Here are a couple drink recipes to get you started! You can always switch it up based on your liking and of course, you must keep your team colors in mind!

Raspberry Beer Cocktail

3/4 cup Fresh Raspberries*
3-1/2 (12-ounce) Bottles Beer, chilled
1 (12-ounce) container Frozen Raspberry Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
1/2 cup Vodka

Muddle raspberries in a bowl.  Transfer to a pitcher. Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve over ice. Makes 6 servings. *3/4 cup thawed frozen raspberries may be substituted.

Beer Margarita by Rachael Ray

Four 12-ounce bottles cold light-flavored beer, such as Corona
1 cup (8 ounces) Tequila
One 12-ounce can frozen limeade concentrate
Lime wedges
Kosher salt, for rimming glasses

In a large pitcher, combine the beer, tequila and limeade. Rub a lime wedge around the rim of each of glass and dip it in the salt. Pour the margaritas into the glasses and garnish with a lime wedge.  Makes  8 servings.

credit: http://intoxicologist.net/2009/09/beer-drink-recipes-for-football-weekend/

Boozer: Hangover Remedy

Don’t forget to fill your cooler with Boozer – Give your guests a party favor of no hangover!

How does it work? “…Boozer’s multi-functional formula facilitates the metabolism of toxins and replenishes the essential nutrients due to alcohol depletion.” – Boozer Dog

Boozer is offering Buy 1 – Get 1 FREE sale for According to Nina readers. Shop the Boozer Online Store & enter BOGO coupon code during checkout! *Sale only applies to Boozer drink.

Candy by Color

Order based on your team colors at OhNuts.com! Also, always be on the lookout at your local grocers and Wal-Mart and Target stores too for candy and other items in your team colors!

Invitations

I prefer paper invitations but if it’s for a weekly gathering at your local alma mater an online invitation is an easier (and far more budget friendly) method of getting your friends and family together!

Paper Invitations [shown above]:

Invitation Consultants: Tailgate party

Online Invites:

Try using sites like PaperlessPost.com, MyPunchBowl.com, Pingg.com – I’m anti-evite and I love these sites so I’m confident you will too!

Now the only thing left to do is start planning your first football party of the season! Don’t forget to report back to let me know how it goes!

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