Bengal spice cupcakes recipe

(Photo credit: Alegrya)

Several football seasons ago, I stumbled across Bengal Spice Tea by Celestial Seasonings while grocery shopping. Being a Cincinnati Bengals fan, curiosity got the better of me and I snatched up a box to try. I'm glad I did! It is a tea that will awaken your taste buds as well as your nose. Ever since the first taste of this tea, I have been trying to figure out how to incorporate this tea into my baking recipes. After much brainstorming, I decided to stick with a winning formula and model a recipe after my Earl Grey Cupcakes. The day I made these, I was in a time crunch, so I cheated and used a cake mix instead of making the cake from scratch. The resulting cupcakes were no less delicious. I present to you my recipe for Bengal Spice Cupcakes. Make 'em as minis and serve them for tailgating!

BENGAL SPICE CUPCAKES

• 1 boxed white cake mix and the required ingredients to make the cake as directed EXCEPT the water
• 1-1 1/3 cups strongly brewed Bengal Spice Tea (whichever amount your cake mix calls for)
• 1 can cream cheese frosting
• contents of one additional Bengal Spice teabag, finely chopped
• 1 capful of cinnamon flavor oil from LorAnn's

Directions
Prepare the cake mix as directed by the box, substituting strongly brewed tea in equal amounts for the water. Bake as directed. While cake is baking, empty a second teabag and finely chop the ingredients. Empty the can of prepared frosting into a bowl and stir in cinnamon oil and chopped tea. Stir well to completely blend. When cupcakes have completely cooled, frost each with a generous amount of frosting. For a little extra zip, you can dust each cupcake with a hint of cinnamon or clove. Dust lightly-these should have a delicate flavor with a little kick at the end.

Super Bowl party etiquette for hosts and guests

Super Bowl (3 February, 2013) ... (Photo credit: marsmet481)

For many of us, the 2012-2013 NFL season is a mere memory. The regular season games have come and gone, as have the conference playoffs. All that is left to enjoy is the Pro Bowl (this Sunday) Super Bowl (Feb 3rd). Year in and year out, the Super Bowl is one of the most watched events on television. With all of the hooplah surrounding the game, parties are inevitable. It is almost an obligation to host-or attend-at least one Super Bowl event on Super Sunday. Whether you are a fan of the game or not, there is a special kind of etiquette involved when attending an event. Here are some tips for hosting and attending a Super Bowl party.

GENERAL ETIQUETTE

• Don't be a bitter fan. Just because your team didn't make it to the big game doesn't mean others at the party want to hear your griping. Yes, some of us already know that the Steelers have six titles and that the Cowboys dominated the 90's. Do we really need to hear it again?
• Don't automatically assume that every man in attendance is knowledgeable of the game. On the flip side, don't assume every woman doesn't. Many women know just as much about the game as their male counterparts, if not more. And truth be told, some men truly do not care for football. Try to assess someone's knowledge level before engaging them too deeply in football speak.
• Don't ever say "It's only a game". Some attending have a lot vested in the game.
• Some hosts and guests may encourage friendly betting during the game. Don't place a bet if you don't plan on paying up.
• As you make your way to the restroom or to the kitchen to refill your plate, navigate the room so you do not walk in front of the tv. This holds true even during the commercials and half time show. Just because you don't care what's on the screen doesn't mean others feel the same way.

HOST ETIQUETTE

• If you are serving alcoholic beverages, especially beer, don't serve the cheap stuff. You are hosting a Super Bowl party, not a college kegger. When all else fails, serve Bud Light. It's hard to go wrong with a classic.
• Serve appropriate food. Super Bowl Sunday is not the time for prime rib, creme brulee and mimosas.
• Have two (or more) rooms open to guests-one for the die hard fans who want to watch the game and another for the more casual fan to socialize in. If guests will be bringing their children, you will want to offer an additional room for them to play in. Make sure you have made arrangements for proper supervision.
• Be prepared for upset tummies and headaches. Parties are loud and hot, people get worked up, we all overeat from time to time. Keep a stash of pain relievers and antacids on hand just in case someone needs them.

GUEST ETIQUETTE

• Even if your host is serving a full spread, bring something to eat or drink to the party and share it. No hoarding your stash. Food should be simple to serve and easy to eat. Think chips and dip, chili, meatballs, finger sandwiches. If you bring drinks, bring plenty of ice. The food is most likely already filled to the brim with food. Before bringing hot food, made sure your host has a place to keep it warm.
• It is a party, not a buffet or open bar. Consume food and drink in reasonable amounts. Do you really want to be the guest who throws up in the bushes or the belligerent drunk everyone avoids?
• No double dipping! No one wants to eat the salsa after you have already taken a bite from your chip and dunked it back in for a refill. Not only is it rude, it is gross.
• If there is only one tray of stuffed mushrooms and you love stuffed mushrooms, limit your consumption to one. It is rude to clear out an entire tray of food for your tasting pleasure. If you don't think you can stop at one, avoid the tray altogether.
• No matter who wins, be gracious and thank your host.
• Clean up after yourself. Don't leave your dirty plates and empty bottles laying around for your host to deal with. If you are a more casual fan, offer to help "sweep" the room periodically of trash during the game, but whatever you do, try to avoid walking in front of the television. You may get hit with a pizza roll or soda can.
• If you really want to score bonus points with your host, bring along a supply of paper plates, plasticware, cups or napkins. If the paper products don't get used for this party, they certainly will for another.
• If you drop a sauce covered meatball on your host's furniture or carpet, tell them immediately and offer to clean it up. Most likely, they have the necessary cleaning supplies on hand for accidents such as this. Trying to clean it with water and napkins may make the stain worse. And hiding such a mess is grounds for immediate party eviction.
• If you bring your children, explain to them in advance exactly how you expect them to behave. If they don't adhere to your ground rules, leave immediately. No one wants to be subjected to your child's whining, pouting, bullying or temper tantrums.
• Don't overstay your welcome. unless you are helping your host clean up after the game, there's no need to hang around after the end of the game. After running errands, cooking, cleaning, decorating and overseeing the party, your host most likely wants to relax and get ready for bed.

Cheddar ranch dip recipe

Royal Cheddar Cheese (Photo credit: artizone)

This savory dip goes well with chips of all kinds, veggies, bread sticks and more.


CHEDDAR RANCH DIP

• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 1 (1 ounce) package dry Ranch-style dressing mix
• 1 (3 ounce) can bacon bits
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
Thoroughly blend sour cream and dressing mix. Add bacon and cheese and stir well to distribute. Chill for at least an hour before serving.

Homemade salsa recipe

Tortilla chips, salsa, and guacamole from the Restaurant Weisshorn, Zermatt, Switzerland (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Super Bowl is right around the corner and now would be a good time to start planning your party menu. You can't go wrong with salsa and chips, but take it up a notch this year with homemade salsa. It tastes so much better than what you buy from the grocery and you get to control how spicy it is.

HOMEMADE SALSA

• 4 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• zest and juice from a lime
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to fully develop. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cook's Notes-this recipe is easily adapted to your individual tastes. If you want a hotter salsa, use a hotter pepper or more jalapeno. If you like it milder, use less pepper and more tomato.

Coca Cola meatballs recipe

English: Coca-Cola 375 mL cans - 24 pack (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Are you having an informal gathering this New Year's Eve and trying to keep your food options under budget? Here is a delicious and affordable recipe for BBQ meatballs that I have adapted from Allrecipes.com. You can easily double the sauce if you choose to make a large batch of meatballs (the original yield for this recipe is 36). This sauce also works well with kielbasa. Enjoy!

Coca Cola Meatballs
Ingredients

• bag of frozen meatballs
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 cup Coca Cola
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions
Mix all ingredients except the meatballs in crockpot and stir until well blended. Add meatballs and stir to coat. Cook on low 3-4 hours until ready to serve.