Hostess Jo at Home

Football Fare

With the Super Bowl coming up Sunday you may be looking for some appetizing food to feed your family and friends.  I am not a fan of NFL football I'm more of a college football fan (War Eagle!), but I can always appreciate a gathering that involves food and drink!

This is my most popular dish to date!  Ham and cheese sliders.  They are yummy and easy to eat.  Everyone loves them.

Click here for recipe.

 

This is a super easy cheese plate I made into the shape of a football!  Just place your cheese and crackers around the edge working your way to the center.  Then layer pepperoni in the middle.  Top it off with string cheese to make the laces.

 

This recipe was really popular when I posted it years ago!

 Football Deviled Eggs

 

And for a sweet treat what about these cute football brownies from The Simple Parent?

 

To wash all this down, I'd suggest a Moscow Mule.  They are my current favorite cocktail.  To the standard recipe I added fresh cranberries and a splash of cranberry juice.

Recipe from Exclusively Weddings Blog

 

For more ideas check out my Pinterest board-Football Fare!

 

XOXO,

Jo

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

So sorry for the lack of posts this week!  In the meantime check out this fantastic Thanksgiving dessert buffet from Amy Atlas...

 

Wishing everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving and safe travels!
  

Thanksgiving Table Inspiration

I just love this natural Thanksgiving table scape from Real Simple!

The bright greens just pop against the browns and white.  Not your traditional Thanksgiving palette but just as beautiful.

 

With a few twigs, twine and greenery, you have a natural and lovely Thanksgiving table.  I think the twig bundles as place card holders are my favorite part!

This look would also work well for a fall dinner party or fall shower.

Go here for the how-to.
 

Thanksgiving Potluck

This Friday is our group of friends' Thanksgiving potluck.  The hosts are cooking the turkey and we are bringing side dishes.  After searching for a tasty side dish, I've decided on this one.  It's easy, I can make it the night before and it sounds delish!

Au Gratin Potato Casserole

Yield: Makes 10 to 12 servings

Ingredients

• 1  (32-ounce) package frozen Southern-style hash browns
• 1  (16-ounce) container sour cream
• 2  cups  (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1  (10 3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
• 1  small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2  cups  crushed cornflakes cereal
• 1/4  cup  melted butter

Make it

Stir together first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon potato mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with crushed cornflakes, and drizzle evenly with butter.

Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until bubbly.

Note: For testing purposes only, we used Ore-Ida Southern Style Hash Browns.

After reading the reviews, I'm going to add some garlic and swap the cornflakes for Ritz crackers.  I'm also going to swap the cream of mushroom for cream of chicken because some friends don't care for mushrooms.  What casseroles are you cooking up for Thanksgiving?  Send me a link!

(recipe and photo from myrecipes.com)
 

Harvest Giveaway

Head on over to Celebrations at Home and enter Hostess Jo's Harvest Giveaway!  We're giving away TWO pieces from our beautiful harvest collection just in time for Thanksgiving!  YOU get to pick which one you would like to win!  Good luck!

Turkey Napkin

How cute is this Turkey Napkin?!  It is made out of a squash and cloves for eyes! 

What a great conversation starter for Turkey Day! 

Get the how-to for the napkin fan here.
 

Simple Football Centerpiece

I just discovered these pictures of the football centerpieces I made for our first game celebration and thought I'd share.  They are good examples of how you can take things from around the house and turn them into party decor easily and inexpensively.

I actually took the football from my Touchdown Lazy Susan and cut floral foam to fit inside it.  I bought an inexpensive bouquet from Publix and divided it between the three.  Voila!  Instant decor for you game entertaining.  Of course the guys don't care about them but I bet your female guests will enjoy them. 

I set mine up outside where I knew my girlfriends and I would be hanging out.

They add just the right amount of football spirit to your everyday decor.

 

Get creative!  Look around your house-I bet you have items you can transform for any occasion!

 
 

Natural Fall Tablescape

I have been seeing a lot of people using dried beans and lentils in their fall decorations and I love it.  The natural look is simple and comforting.  You can either go all natural or just add a few things here and there in your decorating.  Here is gorgeous example of incorporating natural elements in a tablescape.

Get the how-to here!

For more natural tablescaping inspiration check out Chris from Celebrations at Home post here.
 

Friday's Fall Cocktail

Try a Falling Leaf Fiz at this fall's gatherings.  It's so pretty and sounds so tasty!  Sure to impress your guests.

Falling Leaf Fiz

 

Ingredients per cocktail:

1 part Grey Goose La Poire (pear-
flavored vodka)

1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin
butter

Pinch of pumpkin pie spice

Dash of simple syrup

4 parts of sparkling wine

Garnish: dried apple chip

Prep

Place vodka, pumpkin butter, spice and syrup in the bottom of a Champagne glass. Stir well.
1. Top with sparkling wine and garnish

Pumpkin Cupcakes

I just love these sugared pumpkin cupcakes!  The minis are my favorite. The recipe sounds delicious too.  If you aren't a baker (I am not), you could make cupcakes from the box and just decorate the tops like this.  Perfect for parties, treats for neighbors, kids at school etc.

To decorate:  Divide the frosting into two bowls and tint to different shades of orange with food coloring. Mound the frosting on top of cupcakes and make rounded. Roll the entire cupcake in the sugar to coat or roll just edges in sugar, alternating between fine and coarse sugars as desired. To make indentations, press a wooden skewer on top of the sugared cupcake. Add pretzel sticks or rods as stems.

Get the full recipe here.