Host a Chili Cook-off for Game Day!

Are you ready for some football? Get the whole gang together and host a chili cook-off!

Bring a “throwdown” to your tailgate or your kitchen as the competition heats up when guests battle for first place with their best chili recipes. You might even make it an annual event with a "traveling" award that goes from winner to winner each year.

THE HOW-TO: Send out invitations or call your guests to issue the “cook-off” challenge. 

Your guests should bring their best chili concoction in a crock pot or slow cooker. Iinclude printed copies of the recipe to share with other guests, if desired.  

When the guests turn in the chili, number or name it for voting and make up a ballot. Ask everyone to taste and vote for their favorite. Award prizes for first, second, and third place.

Make a condiment station with different types of crackers, Fritos, grated chesses, sour cream, chopped scallions and peppers, chopped onion, Tabasco or other hot sauces, etc.

Find a good spot to set up the bar; make sure it is away from the food to avoid congestion. Bloody Marys are a good choice for this party. Ice down some beer or wine and your bar is set.

Get the game plan for a Bloody Mary bar...

Special thanks to Jim Dandy Cooley Dandy RV Superstore in Alabama for allowing us to use their gorgeous motorcoach for this party!! And if you are heading to the game, you can rent one! 

Martie Knows Parties: 4th of July Recipes: My BBQ Rib Rub, Mixed Grill with Cilantro Pesto, and more

Looking for party ideas for your gang this 4th of July? Me too! I'm so busy this week that I'm just now making plans. If you're still looking for ideas for your get-together, here are some of my past and present favorites that will help you make your holiday entertaining a breeze!

THE FOOD

Put some of these easy salads and grilling all-stars on your Fourth of July menu.... yum!

START WITH FRESH TOMATOES

This Grilled Flatbreads with Tomato and Basil recipe from MyRecipes.comlooks wonderful and easy. Try it as a spin on a typical Caprese Salad or try one of my easy tomato salad recipes below:

TIPSY CHERRY TOMATOES

CAPRESE KABOBS

MINI BLT BITES

READ MY BLOG POST ON EASY PARTY STARTERS FOR MORE TOMATO RECIPES THAT ARE PERFECT FOR SUMMER ENTERTAINING!

FROM THE GRILL

I'm going to try this new recipe from MyRecipes.com this 4th of July: Mixed Grill with Cilantro Pestosince I'm always looking for something new to add to my grilling repertoire. But, you can't go wrong with the classics either. Here's a rerun of some of my own favorite grilling recipes:

BEER CAN CHICKEN

BBQ RIB RUB

GRILLED SHRIMP & SCALLOPS

CEDAR PLANKED SALMON

Will post some drinks, desserts, and decorating tips next.... stay tuned!

Easy Party Ideas: Build a Bloody Mary Bar

Perfect for New Year's Eve, watching all of those bowl games, or for New Year's Day brunch, this DIY Bloody Mary Bar is a hit every time!

Part salad bar, part drink bar, the Bloody Mary bar is becoming a popular interactive addition to parties and restaurant bars everywhere. Since everyone has their own idea of the perfect Bloody Mary, each drink can be individually crafted to get the seasoning just right.  It's not only fun but efficient to let guests mix up their own custom blend. Each region of the country has local add-ins and flavorings but one thing is consistent; everyone thinks their version is the best. As a Southerner, I would lose my membership card if I didn’t know how to make a good Bloody Mary. Southerners like a Bloody Mary to be spicy, heavy on the horseradish and loaded with fresh vegetables —a garden in a glass. To set up your own Bloody Mary bar, a cleared kitchen counter works well. You’ll need to keep your veggies chilled so put them in glasses, place in a low container or bowl and fill around the glasses with ice.

Use large glasses for serving since it will be packed with veggies and mix-ins until the flavor is just right. Long teaspoons are best to mix up the goodies—a plastic stirrer just won’t cut it. Have lots of wipes or towels on hand for spills and don’t use a white tablecloth for this one.

BLOODY MARY BAR SHOPPING LIST

VODKA:  Use your favorite vodka. Sometimes I use Absolut Peppar and rim glasses with a pepper and sea salt mixture before adding liquids and mix-ins.

MIX: Get one or two types of bottled mix or good organic tomato juice for the base

Major Peter’s (recommended)

Tabasco

Tomato Juice

FLAVOR AND SPICE

Lea & Perrin Worcestershire

Celery salt

Old Bay Seasoning (look at the fish counter if you can’t find it with the seasonings)

Cocktail Sauce

Rim glasses with a mixture of Old Bay, Kosher salt, and a dash of pepperHEAT

Tabasco Original

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Tabasco Green

Fresh ground pepper

Red pepper flakes

Fresh ground horseradish

CONDIMENTS

Celery stalks

Lemon wedges

Lime slices

Olives

Pickled okra

String beans

Cocktail onions

Cherry tomatoes

Pickled asparagus

SWIMMERS

Shrimp

Raw oysters

Clam juice

Make a Bloody Mary Bar for Your Next Game Day Party

Bloody Mary Bar

Part salad bar, part drink bar, the Bloody Mary bar is becoming a popular interactive addition to parties and restaurant bars everywhere. Since everyone has their own idea of the perfect Bloody Mary, each drink can be individually crafted to get the seasoning just right. It's not only fun but efficient to let guests mix up their own custom blend. Each region of the country has local add-ins and flavorings but one thing is consistent; everyone thinks their version is the best. As a Southerner, I would lose my membership card if I didn’t know how to make a good Bloody Mary. Southerners like a Bloody Mary to be spicy, heavy on the horseradish and loaded with fresh vegetables —a garden in a glass. To set up your own Bloody Mary bar, a cleared kitchen counter works well. You’ll need to keep your veggies chilled so put them in glasses, place in a low container or bowl and fill around the glasses with ice.

Use large glasses for serving since it will be packed with veggies and mix-ins until the flavor is just right. Long teaspoons are best to mix up the goodies—a plastic stirrer just won’t cut it. Have lots of wipes or towels on hand for spills and don’t use a white tablecloth for this one.

BLOODY MARY BAR SHOPPING LIST

VODKA:  Use your favorite vodka. Sometimes I use Absolut Peppar and rim glasses with a pepper and sea salt mixture before adding liquids and mix-ins.

MIX: Get one or two types of bottled mix or good organic tomato juice for the base

Major Peter’s (recommended)

Tabasco

Tomato Juice

FLAVOR AND SPICE

Lea & Perrin Worcestershire

Celery salt

Old Bay Seasoning (look at the fish counter if you can’t find it with the seasonings)

Cocktail Sauce

HEAT

Tabasco Original

Louisiana Hot Sauce

Tabasco Green

Fresh ground pepper

Red pepper flakes

Fresh ground horseradish

CONDIMENTS

Celery stalks

Lemon wedges

Lime slices

Olives

Pickled okra

String beans

Cocktail onions

Cherry tomatoes

Pickled asparagus

SWIMMERS

Shrimp

Raw oysters

Clam juice

Share your favorite Bloody Mary recipe by commenting below.

Update on Friday, January 23, 2009 at 12:48PM by Martie Duncan

This is a perfect for a Super Bowl party--- so we're rerunning it!

Argentine Asado and Chimichurri Sauce-- Great for Tailgating!

While I am planning my fall schedule, I automatically start thinking about my annual trip to Argentina--- I go every December with a group of friends for a non-stop two week party that always includes lots of great food. Beef seems to taste better in Argentina than anywhere else in the world and so we have an asado (BBQ) almost every day. No asado is complete without chimichurri--- a sauce that you put on grilled beef. This sauce isn't used as a marinade or for basting although it would be very good as either. it is used as a condiment. Here's my chimichurri recipe-- try some the next time you grill steaks. It is sooo good and easy to make. It's perfect for tailgating. Just add a fresh loaf of bread and a good Malbec (try the Zolo Malbec if you can find it) and you're all set to party Argentine style!

Chimichurri

1 large bunch of parsley, finely chopped (usually makes about a cup)

6 cloves of garlic, minced well (about 3 Tablespoons)

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup finely diced white onion

Salt and pepper to taste

I never mix my chimichurri in a food processor because it gets too runny. A sharp knife will do the trick. put dry ingredients in a bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice and vinegar. Mix together and let sit at room temp for at least an hour before serving. That's it!