Sure, for some people, the Super Bowl is all about the playoffs beforehand, the anticipation leading up to the big game, the hype surrounding who will win, that moment when a player from the winning team is all like, "I’m going to Disney World!"
But for plenty of people it’s all about the food. Super Bowl parties arguably have the best snacks because there’s no pressure to cook a gourmet meal that’ll impress that aunt you never liked. Most game day parties are all about friends, drinking, and bar food. And who doesn't like that?
Here are my picks for top 5 Super Bowl party foods — and because I want to put my Pinterest obsession to good use, I’ll even include a recipe or two.
Chips and dip
Nachos, guacamole, salsa, hummus… I feel like there are so many options for chips and dip that you really can’t go wrong. It’s not like you even have to make the chips or the dip yourself; there’s nothing wrong with buying a bag or two of chips and some pre-made dip.
Chips are pretty much universally loved, and they’re great to munch on mindlessly while you’re deciding what you’re actually going to eat. Duh. For a healthier option, you can always sub the chips with a great vegetable platter.
Indulge with: Spicy Queso Dip
Guilt-free option: Individual Seven-Layer Dip; Guacamole
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It’s here! It’s here! Girl Scout cookie season is here!
Sort of. It’s that time of the year where you put your Girl Scout cookie orders in and start salivating over the thought of them, wishing you had them in your possession now, but getting bummed out that you don’t. And then in early March a cookie god or goddess descends upon you and brings forth the delicious boxes of cookies that you’d forgotten you ordered, and it is beautiful. So I asked around, and here are our team's favorites (and not-so-favorites)!
The winners, from third to first place!
Do-si-dos: In third place, we have Do-si-dos, the crunchy peanut butter cookies with peanut butter filling. They are delicious, reminiscent of Nutter Butters (only round), and anyone who says they wouldn’t eat these if they were put in front of them is a liar, or possibly allergic to peanuts. Do-si-dos could totally be the all star, if the other choices weren’t so amazingly delicious.
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It’s around this time when everyone starts discussing the year in review. Inevitably, these stories take the form of lists. Best Ten Celebrity Trends of 2012! Top Five News Stories! Most Retweeted Tweets of the Year! Top 25 Songs! Retailers! Gadgets! Businesses! Leaders! Types of Bananas!
I’m not about to be left out of the “Best of 2012” list-making genre. I have thoughts that can be compiled into an easily digestible list format, so why not?
I now present you with… Top 2012 Lists of 2012! Beat that, other list-makers.
31 Glorious Roasts of 2012
BuzzFeed is easily the best List Compiler out there. If they're not talking about the 30 cutest kids of the year, then they're showing off the 30 best dogs — both of which will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Want to feel inadequate as a human being? Check out their list of 23 times Neil Patrick Harris did something legendary in 2012. Need a pick-me-up after viewing that list? Here are the year's 15 biggest movie flops, certain to make you feel good that you weren't the poor dude who spent $20 million on a movie, only to gross $1 million in sales worldwide. But one of my favorites is probably their list of roasts, simply because food is awesome. It features everything from a bacon and spinach-stuffed rib-eye roast to a beef wellington wrapped in roasted vegetables and bread. I MEAN COME ON. Even Ron Swanson would be proud.
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It was a busy week for everyone this week, but here are just a few of the things that made headlines:
Thanksgiving
Of course, the biggest event of this past week was the Thanksgiving holiday. A day full of food (and I mean a lot of food) and family get-togethers. Yesterday as a holiday treat, we shared with you the awesomely bad "It's Thanksgiving" music video, but today I figured I would show you the much better "Thanksgiving Song" by Adam Sandler. Enjoy.
Black Friday
As soon as the clock strikes midnight after Thanksgiving ends, people across the U.S. go into shopping mode with the start of Black Friday. Deals from stores across the country have people waiting in lines for hours and fighting through huge crowds in order to get the perfect holiday gift. I suggest waiting a couple days until Cyber Monday, where you can find deals online from the comfort of your own home.
Hostess closes; Twinkies are no more
In perhaps the saddest development of the week, Hostess, the brand that brought you Twinkies, officially went out of business this week. People cleared the shelves of Twinkies in stores across the country in order to get their final fixes of the confectionery treat. Hopefully it won't be too long before someone buys the Twinkie name and brings back the American classic.
Have a great weekend, everybody!
Since the fall season began several weeks ago, people across the country started getting pumpkin crazy. Not just in the normal pies and other baked goods, but in coffees, milkshakes, beers, ice cream, etc. I immensely enjoy the pumpkin coffee from Dunkin' Donuts, so put me down as an overall fan of the pumpkin craze. BUT, where I draw the line is people calling pumpkin the new bacon (as evidenced here, here, here and here).
Let me be clear: pumpkin is not, and never will be, on the same playing field as bacon.
REASON #1: Pumpkin is seasonal, bacon is forever (hopefully)
From September through the months of autumn, pumpkin is seen everywhere. But in the winter, spring, and summer, pumpkin goes into hibernation. Bacon is something that you can enjoy from the day you start consuming solid foods, until the day you die. The only issue is the looming shortage of bacon in the coming years, a.k.a. the porkpocalypse.
REASON #2: Pumpkin needs assistance to be good—bacon can stand alone
Pumpkin pie, pumpkin coffee, pumpkin ice cream. All delicious. All featuring other ingredients that help them taste better. Bacon just needs bacon to be good. Would you ever just eat a big spoonful of pumpkin? Obviously not.
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