My husband, 007, enjoys watching football from the comfort of his recliner. No crowds. His favorite foods and our favorite things surround him. I’m not that huge of a pro football fan. Pro football is his hobby. Mine is making it an event for both of us. That’s why I like to add a little cozy game-day decor to his man-cave in mid January. Decorating the table, preparing a few finger foods and wearing team colors make it an event for the two of us. He watches the game and I watch the commercials and halftime show. Fun for both of us! If you aren’t that big a fan either, here are a few vignettes to help you cozy up to gameday.
GameDay Decor – Centerpiece
Paula Deen magazine shows us how to make these adorable centerpieces and napkin rings. Tweak this vignette with your own team colors for a fun day. Should it be the Ravens, black placemats with purple napkins and yellow flowers support your team in high fashion.
Football Field Green Tablecloth for Game-Day Decor
Using a green “grass” tablecloth adds texture and lays a perfect foundation for your team colors. Add a colorful runner, food and beverages of your choice.
Playbook Table Decor
This butcher-paper playbook table cover is an easy starting place for your gameday decor. Adding flowers, napkins and favorite foods make this an easy clean-up option after the game.
There’s one recipe that we love every year. It’s easy, tasty and a tradition for Super Bowl Sunday. So, once you have your table set, add this platter of wings. For the two of us, we keep it simple with wings, celery, dipping sauce, a variety of chips and a cheese ring with crackers.
Crispy Baked Wings
Ingredients
For the Wings:
- 4 lb (1.8 kg) chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumettes
- 2 tablespoons aluminum free baking powder (NOT BAKING SODA) (21g)
- 1 tsp salt
- Nonstick cooking spray
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- ½ cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce (120ml)
- ½ cup butter (4oz, 113g)
Celery sticks, for serving
Instructions
For the wings:
- Preheat oven to 250F. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions.
- Dry the wings thoroughly with paper towels.
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, then place a rack on the foil. Spray the rack with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss the wings with baking powder and salt.
- Place the wings on the baking tray in a single layer. They don’t have to be very spaced out because they will shrink while cooking.
- Place wings on the lower-middle oven rack and bake for 30 minutes.
- Move wings up to the upper-middle rack and increase the oven temperature to 425 F. Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, using tongs to flip the wings halfway through.
- Remove from the oven.
- Toss with Buffalo Sauce or serve sauce on the side.
- Serve with your favorite Ranch Dip and celery sticks.
For the Buffalo Sauce:
- Heat butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking until combined.