Hi there!  So I asked our Facebook fans to give me some bunco ideas and they were so cute!  Here’s what I got. 

• The Big Bunco Theory (like the big bang theory)
• Pajama Bunco
• Mardi Gras Bunco
• Easter Bunco (bunny ears for the current bunco winner)
• St. Patrick’s Day
• Vampire Theme for the Black Dagger Brotherhood books
• Alice in Wonderland meets Sex and the City Theme (fun hats and Cosmo’s)
• Candy Land
• Alice in Wonderland
• Best dress
• Long Beach Housewives
• Fabulous 50′s
• Naughty bunco (bachelorette party bunco)
• Ugly bridesmaid dress bunco
• March margarita madness
• Hunger Games Theme

The ideas were so cute!

I also wanted to share a picture of some cupcakes that someone made for an American Cancer Society fundraiser.  She did a fab job and they raised almost $500.00!

Way to go!!  They look yummy!!

Here’s another online recipe I thought sounded good…baked, not fried!  Yay!

BAKED MOZZARELLA STICKS!!

8 ounces mozzarella cheese

• 3 tablespoons flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 teaspoons melted butter

Oh my goodness!  I just wanted to share with you ladies the email I got today from my Son’s Teacher!

“I’m so excited to let you know I’ve decided to nominate Bradley as Principal’s Pride for February!  He has done so well in spelling the past few weeks, and has shown so much progress with fluency, I am proud of him, and he deserves it! ”

Principal’s pride!  Yay!  I’m so proud of him!  He’s come so far and this year has been rough on him.

So, we are getting our bunco group together for a special LCR night this weekend.  We love getting together “just because” too!

Looks like we’re going to a Mexican restaurant downtown!  OH YEAH!

Not sure if I told you but my friend gave me his iPhone for free when he upgraded the the 4, so I have an iPhone!!  Anyway, since learning of my trip to Wendover, NV with my friend, I’ve been using this slot machine app on my phone.  It’s pretty pathetic but I’m addicted!  You just play with fake money OR you can purchase money on your iPhone to play with….I’m not that brave.

So, having casinos on my mind….has anyone ever had a “Casino Night” themed Bunco?  If so, I would love to hear how that went and what did you do for it?  I came across a poker chip collection the last time I was in Goodwill and thought about decorating for Casino Bunco Night.  Maybe everyone could be wearing the blinking bunco dice pin!

Bunco Blinking Dice – 1 Dozen Bunco Prize

Let me know what you think!

Hugs!!

Bunco Betty!

Ok, so I’m going to do a “My favorite bunco things” post!

First, I shall share with you some of the great sales we are having currently and I promise you will love them!  All under $10.00!!

Crystal Dice Wine Bottle Stopper – Gift Boxed

Regular price: $12.99

Sale price: $6.99

Bunco Center Piece Dice Candle – 5″ x 5″

Regular price: $9.99

Sale price: $8.99

Large Acrylic Dice Keychains 1 Dozen

Regular price: $12.99

Sale price: $6.99

I could keep going, but I will fill up the entire page with just sales!  Check it out at Bunco Game Shop!

Things have been going pretty well.  My daughter loves her Gymnastics class and I love watching her!  When I was a little girl that’s all I ever dreamed of but my parents couldn’t afford it.

Work has been going good too!  And guess what?? My dear friend won an all expense paid trip to Wendover Nevada for 3 nights on a radio station and she’s taking me!  WhooHoo!  Mommies weekend getaway here we come!  The trip included the round trip flights for 2 and 3 nights at a casino.  It’s going to be so much fun!  3 nights without kids!  Sounds like a great getaway!  It’s the first weekend of March, so I’m saving my money!  Anyone been there?  I haven’t been to Wendover Nevada…I guess it’s on the border of Nevada and Utah.

Until next time my bunco divas!

Bunco Betty

Well folks, I got a job!

Ok, I’ll say it again…I got a job!  I really wasn’t looking, as I have been blessed to be able to stay home with the little ones since day one.  It’s been about 8 years since I’ve had a job and was “Me” instead of “Mom”.  Well, as you all probably know from reading the blog, I love kickboxing and the Martial Arts Studio that I Kickbox at called me one day and wanted to see if I would work Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-8pm.  UM YEAH!  Time away from the home, not too demanding and a super fun atmosphere!  I jumped on it.  Now, I’m “Me” for about 5 hours two days a week and can hang up my “Mommy” hat and have adult conversations!  I love it!

So that’s what’s new in my life…Hubby gets home tomorrow night…thank God.

The Facebook page for the Bunco Game Shop really has been doing very well and I wanted to thank you!  You guys are so awesome!!

What do you think about sharing recipes on the page?  Let me know!  We can exchange them!

So I know a lot of you out there are trying to get together a Bunco group.  Don’t forget that you can look for bunco babes on our site too!  Maybe post your name and the city you are in and see if anyone out there can help you out.

My dogs are looking at me weird…Maybe I should go feed them or see if they are out of water.

Here’s a special Valentines deal for you!

Bunco Game Shop Forward to a friend Dear Bunco Friends- Happy Valentine’s Day to all of our Bunco VIPs! This year we are celebrating with you by giving away Valentine flowers PLUS offering free shipping on all orders of $39 or more through 2/14/2012. Shop Now to receive your Valentine gifts! Visit Bunco Game Shop and enter code: BuncoValentine at checkout. Hurry – offer expires Tuesday, February 14, 2012. Visit us now www.buncogameshop.com, or call us toll-free at 1-866-618-6382 to place your order now! Valentine’s Flowers include dice container and seeds. Potting soil not included. Cheers, -Bunco Betty

Forward this to a friend too!

Off to feed the doggies!

Bunco Betty

I can’t believe it’s already February!!!!  Everyone always said that when your kids are young, the time flies by so fast and that is SO true!

If you want some Feb & March ideas for your Bunco party, you can check some out here.  Also, I have been getting into the appetizer craze and my friend made one for Superbowl Sunday and it was YUMMY!!

Avocado, Cream Cheese, and Salsa-Stuffed Puff Pastries

Makes approximately 9 puffs, depending on size of squares and how thin dough is rolled

1 large sheet puffed pastry, thawed

1 ripe avocado, halved and mashed (approximately 1 tablespoon of avocado per pastry square)

1/3 cup cream cheese (approximately 1 teaspoon of cream cheese per pastry square)

1/3 cup salsa (approximately 1 teaspoon of salsa per pastry square.)

salt and pepper, sprinkled to taste

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 400F and prepare two baking sheets with either parchment paper or spray them well with cooking spray.

Thaw one large square of puffed pastry for about 10 minutes. Flour your counter top or working surface and roll out the pastry square as thinly as possible.  With a pizza cutter or knife, slice the puffed pastry into approximately 2-inch by 2-inch squares.

On half the squares place a dollop of avocado, then cream cheese, then salsa, season with salt and pepper.  Use the remaining squares as the lids and place one lid over the filling mounds. Seal the pastry by pressing the edges with a fork, taking care to seal the edges well, pressing the fork in repeatedly, so no filling escapes during baking.

In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork, and apply to each of the pastry packages. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until desired browning and puffing has occurred. Watch them closely after 10 minutes in case your oven is hotter or your brand of puffed pastry cooks faster.

Remove from the oven and serve.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and if desired, reheat leftovers in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds before serving.

So good and they were a hit!

I brought my cream cheese and roast beef pinwheels. 

Lots of hugs to you bunco babes!!

Hey ladies!

This weekend we had our bunco night at Sandi’s house and it was a blast!  We played a couple of rounds of bunco and then some LCR.  I believe I drank too much wine and had too much food.  The food was wonderful and everything was wonderful except one thing…no one brought a camera!!!  AHHHHH!  I guess we’ll only have the memories…no photos. 

My daughter wants to do gymnastics and I’m super excited to find a place for her.  This will help with her attitude…I’m hoping!  She has so much energy and needs to be a part of something.  Anyway, I’m hoping we can get her into it very soon.

My hubby took my son snowboarding Sunday and they had a blast!  That’s my husband’s favorite thing to do and he’s been snowboarding for about 20 years and is so excited that he gets to take the little guy.

They had SO MUCH FUN!  It’s nice to see the quality time together.    *H A P P Y*

We’ve been getting more “likes” on our Facebook page and I’m happy about that too!  Can’t wait for the giveaway!! 

I feel like crap…you know, that lingering crappy feeling that just won’t go away?  Well, I shouldn’t complain because my dear friend has been walking around with a severe case of bronchitis and after a few weeks, finally got some good meds.  So….I won’t bitch anymore. 

Here’s another fab and healthy recipe for you! 

Skinny Taco Dip

8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese

• 8 oz 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese
• 8 oz reduced fat sour cream
• 16 oz jar mild salsa
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
• 2 large tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
• 2.25 oz black olives,

In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sour cream, salsa and taco seasoning and mix well with an electric mixer. Spread on the bottom of a large shallow glass dish. Top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and black olives. Serve with baked tortilla chips.

Hugs to you all!

Bunco Betty

After hearing about Pinterest…I finally looked into it and was invited!  I have one for Bunco Game Shop and I must say it’s pretty freakin COOL!
  Lots of fun and pretty addicting.  I love seeing the other bunco lovers out there and all of the great ideas!  I’m going to share something I found today that I really want to try:

Arnold Palmer jello shots! 1 box lemon jello, Firefly sweet tea vodka, 10 lemons.  Cut the lemons in half, juice them, pull the pulp and skin out (I did it with my hands, but make sure your hands aren’t dry at all or it will burn!) Line the halves up in a cake pan so they’re snug. Then make the jello, put the mixture in a measuring cup with a spout for pouring and fill the lemon halves. Refrigerate over night and then slice in half again (with a sharp knife) before serving.

Now that I am sucked into pinterest…ahhhhhh!  Another obsession!!!

Today was a good day, I got lots of cleaning done!  Yay!  Hubby comes home tomorrow and hopefully I will sell my treadmill too!  I have someone coming to look at it so cross your fingers for me!  I really hate running…I went through a running phase and my wonderful husband bought me a really nice NordicTrack and now it just takes up room.  If I want to workout, I’ll go Kickboxing or do some P90X or Slim in 6.  So, if I sell it we will have “fun money” for date nights.

My daughter is a ROYAL PAIN IN MY ASS.  I’m hoping you heard that right….she’s a PILL.  Boy, do I have my hands full.  God help me.

Anyone out there have beautiful evil 5 year old daughters?  PLEASE let me know I’m not alone. 

Tomorrow night we are taking the kids to a hockey game!  I’m so excited!

Off to drink my glass of Vodka Tonic and watch some TV after a busy day!

Ta-ta for now!

Bunco Betty

Hey there all my loyal readers!!!

I had to share a couple of things with you that I thought was a good idea for your bunco night.  I’m wondering if everyone has the big fuzzy dice?  Of course every bunco group must have the big fuzzy dice and if not, you should look into it here. 

We use it when someone gets a bunco then the fuzzy dice is tossed to that person and then it goes to the next person and so on.  This is a funny little story a fan told me on our Facebook page.

”Just out of curiosity… does anyone else’s Bunco group THROW the big fuzzy die when someone else yells BUNCO!? LOL I’m not talking about a friendly toss… let’s just say it’s a good thing the fuzzy die is soft! “

We have our January bunco this Saturday the 28th and I can’t wait!  It’s always super fun!  Maybe I’ll win…something. 

I came across this *healthy* Red Beans and Rice soup recipe and wanted to share it too.  With this cold weather, I am ALWAYS wanting soup!  MMMM….plus, it could be good for a Mardi Gras bunco theme too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups dried 365 Everyday Value® Organic Red Kidney Beans, picked through
3 quarts low-sodium vegetable broth, divided
1 yellow, white or red onion, chopped
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
3 bay leaves
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup red rice
1 tablespoon no-salt Cajun seasoning
1 (16-ounce) package frozen 365 Everyday Value® Collard Greens or Blue Curled Kale
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped

Method

Soak beans overnight in a large bowl of water; rinse and drain well. Heat 1/2 cup of the broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until deep golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add wine and cook, scraping up the browned bits, until almost absorbed, 1 or 2 minutes. Add beans, remaining broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until almost tender, about 2 hours. (Skim off and discard any foam that shows up on the surface.) Stir in tomatoes, rice and Cajun seasoning, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until rice and beans are tender, about 20 minutes. Add greens and cook until hot throughout, about 10 minutes more. Stir in parsley and serve in bowls, topped with bell pepper.

If any of you would like to share some of your favorite recipes from your bunco night, please email me or leave a comment on the blog.  buncobetty@buncogameshop.com  I would love to share anything on the Facebook page! 

Happy Monday! 

Bunco Betty

Good morning ladies!!!

So I have had a few questions on how to keep all the bunco stuff together.  My group has a bunco bag that follows the hosts each month.

You can find it here.We keep our pens, pencils, score cards, tally sheets, dice and anything else that makes it’s way in the bag from a theme party.  I think our bag has a small collection from a Valentines bunco night and a St. Patrick’s Day bunco night.  Anyway, the host gives it to the one who is going to be hosting the following bunco night when she leaves the party.  Or, in some cases just whoever has it brings it to the next month’s host.  It’s a super cute way to tote your things and keep track of them when the party ends!

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve blogged!  I am now helping my friend try to plan her wedding!  Yay!  I’m a Maid of Honor!  The thing is, they want the wedding to be sooner than originally planned, so I’m looking into the date of August 18th.  They live in another state, so I’ve been searching online and I’m so gitty!  We met in Kindergarten and stayed friends this whole time, and we have very different views in life and we are completely different people but she’s the longest friend I’ve had.  We went to different High Schools and had different lives and now she’s getting married!!  I haven’t met her fiance, but have heard that he’s a great guy and she seems happy so I am happy for her.

I never really planned my wedding…we ended up going to Jamaica and getting married there.  It was the most romantic thing EVER!  Not many people can do that because both my hubby and I have very small families and we had to pay for our own wedding and honeymoon, so we figured, why not make it a Weddingmoon!!  No one came to the wedding but I really think it was the most amazing thing that we’ve ever done. (other than the children) When we got back from the wedding, we had a photo album and a wedding video that we shared with everyone at our Reception.  We threw a big party at our house for family and friends and everything was a success.  I’m excited to help out with her wedding!!

If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them, as I’ve never done this before!    AHHHHHH!

Big hugs to my bunco followers!

MUAH!
Bunco Betty

Directions

In a cocktail shaker, combine passion fruit juice, mango juice, sweet-andsour mix, dark rum, and spiced rum. Add ice. Cover, shake; serve.

I also came across the ideas below from other ladies who have thrown a Mardi Gras party.

Serve some New Orleans style snacks or meal; rice and beans with spicy sausage. Use fancy eye masks and have folks dress up in fancy attire. Lots of beads are a must! Serve a special “king” cake complete with luck baby inside. “Hurricane” punch I’ve heard is suited. For table snacks, have (multi-colored) M&Ms or Skittles, hot spicy peanuts, and type of “beaded” candy.

The mask idea is cool, I think you can pick them up at your local party supply store or even get some offline.

If you have ideas for a bunco party, let me know!  I love to hear new ideas and fun themes!

The hubby is out of town still, so I have put the kids to bed and now the dogs are staring at me wanting their dinner and maybe a few treats.    He comes home tomorrow just in time for the 3 day weekend. 

Hit me up on facebook or email me at buncobetty@buncogameshop.com if you have any questions or if you want to share ideas and pictures.