Fall Football Party

It's now officially Autumn, and in my part of the world that means cool, crisp days, leaves starting to turn, and football! How about having the gang over for a Sunday afternoon football party? This is an easy, casual get together, so there's no need to go all out on decorations. However, there are a few things you can do to add a festive touch. Maybe you've got some items around the house that show your team spirit: a team blanket? Drape it over one end of the sofa. A team pennant? Hang in on your front door. Be creative with the NFL related items you've been accumulating. Discount department stores and party supply stores are usually good sources for inexpensive party ware, and this time of year you can often find chip bowls shaped like footballs or helmets, and platters with your favorite team's logo on them. Go for football themed paper plates and napkins, and if you can find a stack of large, plastic cups in your team's colors, they'd be great for sodas. Don't forget cocktail napkins or coasters to protect your furniture. Once your house is ready, it's time to assemble the food. Set this all up so people can serve themselves as they wish, and to save trips to the refrigerator, fill a big cooler with ice, stock with beer and sodas, and put it in a convenient location. As for the food itself, there are several ways you can go here, a crockpot full of chili or sloppy joes are a couple ideas, but you might consider them too messy to eat while sitting on your sofa. The easiest and least messy idea is trays of sandwich makings: buns, ham, turkey, salami, and strips of fried bacon, sliced swiss, hot pepper, and provolone cheese, sliced tomatoes, and washed and torn up lettuce leaves. Fill small bowls with ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise with spoons in each. Set out bowls of potato chips, tortilla chips, pretzels, and nuts. A vegetable tray makes great, healthy munchies. Cookies or brownies are the best no-mess, no-fuss sweet for this type of gathering, and can either be baked a day or two ahead of time or picked up from the grocery store's bakery. Also, a big bowl of shiny, red apples not only looks great, but offers a healthy alternative. Below are a few of my favorite recipes of dips to go with this spread.

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