appetizer

football party food to go Have you guys heard that there is a big game coming up? It is just weeks away. I’m not a big football fan, but there is something so exciting about that game. Ok, well maybe I’m not excited about the game, but I’m excited about the food. I love a good party. And every party has food. Make it a football party, and you’ve got a party that doesn’t need much fuss. Just yummy food, a little fanfare and good friends.

parties to go Our house is on the smaller side. We really just don’t have the space to invite a lot of people over for big shindigs so most of the time, my parties end up taking place somewhere other than my house. I’ve become really good at packing things up and hauling it with me all to ensure that it looks a certain way. Sure, you can consider me a bit of a control freak. I prefer to think of myself as a traveling hostess, on a mission to give people a good time in their own homes. I’ve tried many different ways of bringing food and supplies to and fro but we really need to look no further than Rubbermaid. Dare I say they’ve revolutionized the way I pack up my parties to go?

rubbermaid at target Now is the perfect time for you to try them out for yourself. Did you know that Target offers coupons on their site? Check out the Rubbermaid coupons, found exclusively at Target, and go pick up a set. I had a really hard time choosing which sets to get. The Take Alongs, which are light-weight and leak proof, offer an awesome range of sizes perfect for entertaining. They have big bowls that can be used for taking along chips or serving salads, dip-sized containers and even containers specifically for beverages. The Easy Find Lids sets offer the sizes you need at home for storing food and leftovers. They are sturdy and well designed and the snap on lid idea is plain genius. I decided to go with the 34 piece Easy Find Lid set. And oh hey, it was on sale for $16.99. Plus I had a dollar off coupon so I felt great about the deal I got!

fave rubbermaid size I also picked up these 4 cup rectangle Take Alongs containers. I was kind of stupidly excited over these. This is the perfect serving dish size for small get togethers and I haven’t seen it in a storage container before! For some reason I get bent out of shape when you put food in a dish and it doesn’t reach the top of it…so odd, I know. I feel like it just wastes a ton of space, especially in terms of fridge real estate. These are perfection! And they have the slightest little flecks of sparkle to them. Men probably wouldn’t even pick up on it. But all the ladies are going to love it! You may not have thought to use storage containers in your entertaining before but I’m telling you, Rubbermaid is the only way to go. Here are my tips for putting together a football party that won’t stress you out.

pretzels and beer for football parties There is no need to make a ton of food. Choose ready made items that you know everyone likes to nibble on. Instead of flopping the bag on the table, take just a second and put them in one of your new storage containers. Pretzel rods fit perfectly! And the best part is, if you are like me and have to bring your stuff to another location, these containers will protect the pretzels and keep them from getting smashed in transit! When the party is over, snap on the lid and bring them back home. They can be stored right in your cupboard for late night snacking.

Mix and serve an old favorite, onion dip, right in the same 2 cup Rubbermaid storage container. You don’t need to get crazy with decorations, but food labels are a great way to add flair and let the guests know what they are eating. This cheese ball recipe is also a great option!

diy chip packets As a way to add in some team colors to the food area, you can easily make these chip bags. I used a roll of kraft paper purchased from Lowe’s for under $10 (it’s a pretty big roll, I’ve used it for wrapping presents, creating table runners, craft projects with the kids…you will use it for ever!) and some washi tape. If you aren’t feeling particularly crafty, just grab a set of Take Alongs serving bowls!

horseradish cream cheese beef rolls Make something easy, but tasty, that your guests have never had before. These delicious Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls are sure to be a hit. ”What’s that?!” you say, probably a little bit in horror. It is the most delicious appetizer you’ve never heard of. And I don’t even like cream cheese. Or horseradish. True story. Pick something simple with elements that you know are crowd pleasers (hello, beef and cream cheese) and try something new. See, I knew these low sided four cup containers were perfect for serving!

rubbermaid perfect for fridge storage Whether you are hosting the party at your house or somewhere else, these containers make it super easy to plan ahead with your prep work, put together a crowd pleasing spread and then easily store leftovers.

packing up a party to go with rubbermaid And they aren’t just for food. They are the perfect way to transport decor items and other supplies to wherever your party is going to take place. There is an Easy Find Lid container that is approximately 9×13 (not pictured, I’ll be printing off another coupon and heading back to Target for that!) that can fit larger signs, banners and food picks. And the small 1/2 cup containers are just the right size for confetti (and more of course)! And of course, beyond parties Rubbermaid containers can get your entire life organized! Make sure you are following them on social media for all their tips! (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest) And to make sure you are all set for your football entertaining, Rubbermaid is hosting a Game Day Party Sweepstakes. You can win an Easy Find Lids Party Pack, a 48 Qt Cooler and a $100 VISA gift card! To enter, click HERE! Contest is open through, today, January 21, 2013, so hurry! One entry per person, per email address, per day. See full rules on contest page. Good luck!

horseradish beef roll recipe ingredients And now for the recipe. For real. Try it once. They are salty and creamy with a kick. Yum!

Horseradish Cream Cheese Dried Beef Rolls

Ingredients:

1 5 oz jar Dried Beef (found by the rest of the canned meats, I think by the Chili)

8 oz. cream cheese

2 TBSP (or more) Prepared Horseradish (not Horseradish cream)

optional: Garlic Powder, Worcestershire Sauce

spread cream cheese on beef Grab a Rubbermaid container that will hold at least 2 cups. Place your softened cream cheese in the container. Add 2 TBSP of prepared horseradish and mix well. Taste. If you want more heat, add more horseradish. If you are feeling like you need more depth of flavor try adding garlic powder or a little Worcestershire sauce. Spread cream cheese mix on a slice of dried beef with a knife or off-set spatula. Make sure the cream cheese goes to the edges so that when you roll it up, it will stick to itself.

cut beef rolls in half Roll it up, cut in half and place in whatever Rubbermaid container you want to serve them in. They are ready to serve or can go in the fridge for later.

beef roll appetizer You can also vary how much cream cheese you put on each one. I prefer a light spread while others might like a whole lot more. I love recipes like this! If any of you try this, let me know what you think! What are your football party plans?

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own. http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

I have had the recipe for this pink and gold goat cheese appetizer set aside for over a year just waiting for the perfect occasion. Lauren’s bridal shower was it. I don’t generally match my food to my color scheme but this was just too perfect. I would not suggest this for a manly tailgate or father’s day. Maybe it is just my family but I can almost hear the comments of the male family members now…

This recipe has freaking rose petals in it. I mean, it doesn’t get classier than that. And gold flakes. Plan ahead to make this recipe as these are not ingredients that you would find in your corner grocery store. And it cost about $30 to make… I certainly wouldn’t pay that for an everyday appetizer but I do have the spices leftover and can probably make it 2 more times. We are super lucky to have a Savory Spice Shop not too far from us which meant that I could buy everything in store and not have to pay for shipping. But I found most of the items available online as well for those of you who don’t have a really great spice shop locally. And a big thanks to Kristin for the gold flakes (she actually made this for me also since I was a decorating machine at that point)! You can find the goat cheese at Trader Joe’s and Costco also carries a two pack for a really reasonable cost. Because when you are making something with gold flakes in it, the price of the goat cheese is of great concern (shaking my head at myself as I write that).

Here is the recipe for Laura Santtini’s Carnal Sin Rub (BTW she is my kind of gal. She is cutting edge, fun and has a great sense of humor and style.)

Serves 8 (but if you serve it with other things it can feed a lot more)

2 TBSP dried rose petals, plus extra for garnish (I used edible flowers instead)

1 TBSP pink peppercorns

2 tsp sumac (sort of has a smoky, lemony flavor)

2 tsp salt flakes (I used Maldon)

4 small (4 oz) goat cheese logs (or 1 bigger as seen above)

Small pinch of gold flakes (I think I would have used these had I not had access to the gold flakes)

4 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Mill spices (reserve gold) in a coffee grinder to a powder. Spread on a plate and roll cheese until coated. Sprinkle with gold; drizzle logs with olive oil. Serve with lightly toasted crostini.

Do this!

All photos by Dez and Tam