Your Souper Bowl celebration for the big game.
Hosting a "Souper Bowl" party is a great way to kick off the new
year with family and friends. Cook up a big pot of soup ahead of
time, then settle in and watch the big game. Check out our Recipes for
some easy, filling soups and stews.
For some good ideas about making your soups healthier, click to
Souper Health Tips. And if you're looking
for a way to dress up a simple soup, click to Soup
Garnishes.
Here's another spudtacular idea for all your football couch potatoes. Offer
fluffy baked potatoes and a variety of toppings: taco, cream
mushroom, sour cream and fresh-chopped chives, melted cheese with
chopped broccoli, bacon bits, and sliced green onion. This can be an
accompaniment to a soup, salad bar or both!
Helpful Hint: How to
"blossom" a baked potato. Make an "X" with a
knife. Push skin from both ends, forcing the meat inside potato to
fluff out.
To decorate for the game, grab your son's football and put out
streamers, pennants, pom-poms and confetti in team colors. Helium
balloons bunched together will also add to the festivities. Ask
guests to predict the final score of the game. Place their written
predictions in a football helmet. After the game, read the scores to
see who's the winner and provide a small gift, such as a soft toss
football (from the aisle at Winn-Dixie).
Souper Health Tips
Many homemade soups begin with a flavorful meat broth or
stock. It's easy to make your own, and economical, too. Don't
throw away any bones from roasts - they're nutritious and flavorful.
So start freezing bones (beef and pork) until you have about 1 1/2
to 2 pounds - enough to make about 1 quart of stock. Crack bones
before cooking. Also, save chicken necks, wings and backs in your
freezer. Save small portions of leftovers, too, like peas and
carrots as they accumulate, and add to soups.
Make your soup stock very high in calcium by adding a little
vinegar to the water. Vinegar draws the calcium from the bones,
making each cup of stock as rich in calcium as milk and almost calorie
free.
To de-fat your soup or soup stock, chill after cooking; the fat
will rise to the surface and congeal. Use a spoon to skim off and
discard the fat.
Soup Garnishes
Try slivered almonds, snipped parsley, fried onion rings,
cooked and chopped egg yolk, crumbled potato chips, bacon bits,
olive slices and croutons.
