recipes | Sunny Slide Up

fantasy football draft party – take 2

Happy Labor Day weekend everyone! I hope you are out enjoying a fabulous long weekend vacation somewhere…and are just as happy as me to see football season back! Go Dawgs!

You might remember this football party post I did last year about setting up for my husband’s fantasy football draft party. Well this year I took that challenge on again and it was a huge success. I hope you find these recipes and party tips helpful for your next football gathering.

The guys were coming over at 11:00am to start setting up for the draft, so I wanted a “brunch” dish to start off with….

These were super quick and easy to make. Plus, a huge hit to start off the party.

Five Minute Chicken Waffle Sliders

Buy already cooked prepared nuggets. I purchased a nugget tray at Chick-Fil-A knowing I could serve up the extra nuggets later as a snack. Heat up nuggets appropriately. Pop Eggo Waffle Minis in your toaster to crisp up. Stick on a skewer and drizzle with syrup. I served them up on a football party tray. See, I told you that was easy!

Notice the “Challenge Flags” bucket in the background? I decided to switch up my penalty flags from last year. I bought some lollipops to tie up in napkins to act as challenge flags for the party. Super cute, huh?

Another fun find were these koozies made just for football draft parties. One of the guys got these and the giant draft board at www.draftkit.com

Once the draft got started, I brought in some lunch time food….. Mini Baked Ham Sandwiches, Chips and French Onion Dip, Antipasto Kabobs….

Antipasto Kabob Appetizer Skewers

What you will need:

Sliced Genoa Salami
Fresh Mozzarella Balls
Roasted Red Peppers (jar of)
Olives of your choice (I had kalamata olives)
Cherry Tomatoes
Package of spring lettuce mix

Simply stick all of the ingredients onto skewer and serve right away, or refrigerate until ready to serve. It’s like a salad on a stick!

I also served up these cute little football cookies I found a local Charlotte bakery (Kai’s Kookies) to make for me…

These live football draft parties can take like 4 hours, so I like to space the snacks out. About half way into the draft, I brought in some more bite size treats…

Turkey Meatball Subs On A Stick

Find recipe over at Cookies and Cups

(I couldn’t find “breadsticks”, so I used Pillsbury “pizza dough” which worked fine. And mine don’t look quite as pretty as the original recipe, but they were delicious!)

And, I HAD to make those Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes that were the hit from last year’s party!

I hope your favorite football team has a successful season….or at least you have fun planning some football party gatherings!

super easy quick pasta salad

by heather | recipes

I have been meaning to share this recipe with you all for some time. It is a favorite of mine, one I have been making for years and years. Perfect to whip up for a party, picnic, cookout, etc.

It takes 20 minutes. That’s all. From the time you boil the water to the time it is ready to serve. And it is super delicious. Promise!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. pasta, whatever kind you like
cherry Tomatoes chopped, however many you like
cucumbers chopped
red onion chopped
feta cheese crumbles
Zesty Italian Salad Dressing – 1/3-1/2 bottle
McCormick’s Salad Seasoning, to taste…I usually use a couple of tablespoons full.

DIRECTIONS

Boil water and cook pasta – while this is happening, chop all of tomatoes, cucumbers and onions.

Chill pasta after being cooked by running cold water over it in a strainer.

Mix all ingredients together.

It’s also good if you want to make it the night before to let all the flavors sink in. You could even add ham, olives…..whatever you like. See I told you it was easy!

homemade fruit roll ups – alivia jane

by Guest | featured guests, recipes

Today rounds out my amazing week of guest blogging for Sunny Slide Up! I’ve had a wonderful time sharing some of my favorite recipes and hope you will feel inspired to be experimental in your kitchens! Speaking of experiments, here is one more recipe that will knock your socks off: Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

I imagine almost everyone has a favorite childhood memory with fruit roll-ups involved. I loved eating Fruit by The Foot and Gushes galore! Now that I’m grown up (ah hem, sort of) I avoid eating packaged products with ingredients that are unnatural and contain preservatives, chemicals, and dyes. Needless to say, those old gummy friends and I have parted ways. Instead, I prefer to put the fruit back into fruit roll-ups by making my own at home using all-natural ingredients that taste great and are an overall healthier choice.

Homemade fruit roll-ups are easy to make and a great wholesome snack! I used a mix of strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries for this recipe, and I encourage you to personalize the recipe by using your favorite fruits. Strawberry and peach are both popular flavors. There is a time commitment needed to create these fruity and fun snacks (5-7 hours), but the satisfaction of making your own and eating well is worth the wait.

Homemade Fruit Roll-ups

Ingredients:

3 cups berries (I used a mix of raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries)
1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice or water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon Agave (organic honey or granulated sugar work also)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees or the lowest temperature your oven will go. My oven go as low as 170, as long as the temperature is 200 or under your fruit roll-up will dehydrate properly. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer for 20 minutes, until the berries have popped and the liquid has thickened.

Pour the hot mixture into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the fruit mixture onto the baking sheet and use a spatula to spread the mixture evenly, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place baking sheet in the oven and bake for 5-7 hours. You will know they’re done when you touch them lightly with your finger and they are no longer sticky. If the edges get a little too brittle and dry, you can brush a tiny bit of water over it and will be good as new.

Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Cut into squares or strips using a pizza cutter, knife, or scissors. If you want to make fruit roll-ups, roll the strips in parchment paper. Store in an airtight container.