Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Touchdown! The Perfect Preseason Party


With the start of school one thing is certain - football season is just around the corner! We know it's just preseason right now, but it's never to early to start practicing the wave and dusting off your favorite jersey. 

Watching your favorite team pass and run their way to victory just isn't the same if your friends aren't there cheering with you. That's why renters.apartments.com put together this list of the essential items for your football get together. Keep reading to learn more. 

#1 - TV:

You won’t want to cut your grass without a lawnmower and you can’t watch a football game without a TV. The larger the screen the better, and the more people you invite just means the television screen size has to be that much larger to be able to support all of the eyes fixed to the screen.

#2 - Plenty of Seating:
Even if you don’t have the biggest space, coziness makes for a great atmosphere while watching football. Think of the student section at a college game, they are crammed into their seats and have a great time! In addition to the comfy couch, put some extra chairs and stools around your apartment with a visible view of the television. Also keep in mind, when it comes to football, people won’t mind standing, especially if there is good food and drinks in the kitchen area!

#3 - Cornhole:
What’s a party without cornhole? Having a store bought cornhole will surly bring out the fun in the party. Even better yet, a homemade cornhole will allow you to customize and create your own sides. This game will allow for some friendly competition and an activity fun for all ages. Most apartment communities have plenty of space in the parking lot or pool area, which will provide the perfect set-up for some good old-fashioned bag tossing!

#4 - Good Food:
Once you have the party all set-up and people start arriving, you will want to have food ready for people to eat at the time you have scheduled. A good idea is to have everyone bring a snack, fruits or veggies, drinks, or another side dish. This will provide a great supplement to your cookout. The most popular food during a sports game is cooked on the grill; hamburgers, hotdogs, bratwursts, and grilled corn are usually the fan favorites. To wash it all down, you will also want some nice refreshments.

#5 – Fun Games Associated With Scores:
Another friendly fun way of keeping the football game interesting is to introduce a prize component. With a group of 20 people, if everyone throws in a friendly bet of $5 into the pot, you then can separate the prize amounts with a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, or just have one grand prize for the winner. The object of the betting is to guess the score and spread score of each quarter, the first and second half as well as the final score. Points are determined at the end of each round (1st Qtr, 2nd Qtr, 3rd Qtr, 1st Half, 2ndHalf, and Final).

Bust out your favorite teams schedule, circle a big game and make sure to invite your friends to a football themed party at your apartment! If you follow the 5-tips for the perfect football party, people won’t forget the afternoon at your place. Hopefully your favorite team pulls off the win as this will just add icing to the cake!

Thursday, August 21, 2014

How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven


We're betting there's a pretty high chance that you love bacon, since a lot of people do! But if you're tired of greasy stovetops or are interested in trying something new then how about baking bacon? Check out "How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven" below!

How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven


How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven

What You Need

Ingredients
1 to 2 pounds bacon
Equipment
Aluminum foil
1 to 2 baking sheets
Tongs
Paper towels
Platter

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F: Turn on the oven and preheat to 400°F. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven. If you're cooking multiple sheets of bacon, position a second rack in the top third of the oven.
  2. Arrange the bacon on a baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with foil (this makes clean-up easier). Lay the bacon on the baking sheet in a single layer. The bacon can be close together, but don't let it overlap or the bacon will stick during cooking. If necessary, use a second baking sheet.
  3. Bake the bacon: Place the baking sheet of bacon in the oven and bake until the bacon is deep golden-brown and crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Exact baking time will depend on the thickness of the bacon and how crispy you like it. Begin checking around 12 minutes to monitor how quickly the bacon is cooking. The bacon fat will sputter and bubble as the bacon cooks, but shouldn't splatter the way it does on the stove top. Pour off the bacon grease as needed so the bacon isn't totally submerged in grease.
  4. Cool the bacon: Remove the bacon from the oven and use tongs to transfer it to a paper-lined platter to drain and finish crisping. Serve immediately. You can also refrigerate leftover bacon for a week or freeze it for up to three months; warm the bacon in the microwave before serving.
  5. Clean up: If you want to save the bacon grease, let it cool slightly, then pour it into a container and refrigerate. If you don't want to save the grease, let it solidify on the baking sheet, then crumple the foil around it and discard.

Recipe Notes

  • Even Crispier Bacon: For even crispier bacon, set a metal cooling rack over the foil-lined baking sheet and lay the raw bacon over the cooling rack. Elevating the bacon allows it to cook from all sides and become extra-crispy.
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This post and recipe have been updated. Originally published 02/04/10.
(Images: Emma Christensen)



Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Double Chocolate Banana Waffles & Pastrami and Olive Muffaletta


Tasty meals for any time of the day! We're eyeing up those waffles ourselves. Check out "Double Chocolate Banana Waffles & Pastrami and Olive Muffaletta" and find a delicious dish for dinner today!




Smoked sausage sweet potato skillet "pasta"; grapefruit beer mimosa cocktail; and double chocolate banana waffles in today's Delicious Links.

(Image credits: see links for credits )



Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/double-chocolate-banana-waffles-pastrami-and-olive-muffaletta-delicious-links-199807

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Home Sweet Home

Loving your apartment isn't just about the things that you put into it. To transform your new abode from a simple apartment to a home you enjoy spending time in you only need to add a few things. These tips courtesy of Apartment Therapy will help you learn to love your space even more than you already do!

Letting Go: It's possible to focus so much on decor, design, and picking the perfect furniture to reflect your personality and interests that can turn your house into a place of stress. How about taking a quick breather and switching gears for a sec and not allowing that stress to enter your home? Trust it will all eventually come together and just let it all happen when it does. Try cherishing your home in all its different quirky stages. Your mind and wallet will thank you for it in the end.

Make It a Refuge: Do you have a place you go to in your mind that's a no-stress zone? A place that you sneak away to that just calms you down and clears your mind? For me it's when I step into a yoga studio — the outside world just seems to melt away. Now wouldn't it be incredible if that place was your home? How can you make that happen for you? Maybe try taking a few deep breaths before you open the door, or leaving all the negativity outside on the front steps. What can you do to eliminate stress and worry from your house and make it a peaceful, happy place?

Spend Time There: This seems like a no-brainer, right? But it's not all that easy. How much time do you just spend in your home enjoying it? Do you hang out there and get to know it better? Or do you run out every chance you get? The more time you actually spend in your house, the more you may grow to love it. Even if it's not your ideal space, you can start to appreciate it and make it work for you.

Share It: Do you share your home with others you love? Do you have friends over often for dinner or a movie? Or do you very rarely invite guests over because your house isn't perfect? The more happiness and laughter that enters your house, the more it is going to feel like a home.

Make Memories: This is a direct result of the previous tip. If you fill your home with people and laughter, you will be making memories all along the way. Filling your house with memories will quickly turn it from a mere dwelling into a home. You may not look back and remember this house for its amazing picture windows, or french doors, or balcony to the pool, but you will remember the birthday party where your best friend baked their first three layer cake and then the dog promptly knocked it off the table resulting in impromptu ice cream cookie sandwiches with candles stuck in them.

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