Category: Bunco gifts

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February Bunco Ideas

February is such a fun month for Bunco themes!  Of course the most popular theme is typically Valentine’s Day.  This is our fourth February as a group and our first time having a Valentine’s Day theme.  Red and pink hearts are fun but I prefer more creative themes for February.  Don’t worry we will still talk about Valentine’s Day Bunco:)

One of my favorite themes for February was Souper Bowl Bunco.  I hosted this fun event!  I love making soup, so I made some of my favorites, chicken noodle, fire roasted tomato and a pot of chili.  The rest of the group brought things that go with soup, such as cornbread, crackers, rolls, salad and sandwiches.  As usual there was an abundance of delicious food.  A football game was playing on the television and football themed decorations and table cloths made it even more festive. People wore football jerseys and t-shirts of their favorite team.

Another out of the box February theme is Chinese New Year.  This year it falls on January 31st, so you could do this theme for January or February. Fun decor can be found at party stores.  Using red and black dice at each table is really festive.  We did potluck for this theme and people brought Asian specialties such as fried rice, lo mein and egg rolls.  Of course there were fortune cookies at each table.  We had fun reading our fortunes.   You can package fortune cookies for each person to take home as a party favor.  I found cute takeout containers with Asian designs to put the prizes in.  I think the gals liked the containers better than the prizes!

Last but not least, Valentine’s Day Bunco. Red and pink dice at the tables would be perfect for this theme, along with some pink and red chocolate covered candies.  These red dice inflatables would be perfect to replace your fuzzy dice with that night for snake eyes or travelling.  They could even be used as prizes.  You could  have a dessert theme along with Valentine’s Day, or a chocolate theme.  A chocolate fountain or fondue would liven up the party as well.

What is your favorite February Bunco theme?  Let me know on the Bunco Game Shop Facebook page.  Also, enter our monthly giveaway!

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

 

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Pajama Party Bunco

Oatmeal Bar

One of my Bunco group’s favorite theme is Pajama Party Bunco. What’s not to love?  You get to show up in your pajamas, robe and fuzzy slippers and eat breakfast food (when it isn’t actually breakfast time!).

A Mimosa or Bloody Mary (either non-alcoholic or otherwise) would be a lovely way to start out. Breakfast favorites lend themselves perfectly to potluck.  Muffins, croissants, casseroles, waffles, cinnamon rolls, sausage, bacon, the list could go on and on.  I love all of those things!  However, I wanted to shake it up a bit!  Oatmeal in a slow cooker with a toppings bar is so much fun!  Some ideas are dried cranberries, golden raisins, nuts, brown sugar, honey, chopped apples, cinnamon, you get the idea.  This way there is a healthier option that people can customize.  Another idea for a crowd is make your own breakfast burritos. Make some scrambled eggs and keep warm in a slow cooker.  Have some warmed tortillas, cheese, meats, breakfast potatoes, salsa, sour cream, avocado, etc.so that each person can customize a burrito to her liking.  Easy yet delicious and something most people will enjoy.  If you prefer not to serve breakfast food, you could go the traditional route and make it a pizza party.  That is fun too!

Now onto the actual Bunco game.  Some prizes for this theme may include sleep masks, fuzzy socks, fleece throws,a Bunco apron even small packages of cinnamon rolls or muffins.  Everyone can vote on who is the most festive and she could win a prize–fuzzy slippers maybe!  There could be a fun movie such as, Girls Just Want To have Fun (one of my favs!) playing in the background.  We always have a ton of fun with this theme.  Some ladies wear pink rollers in their hair and are decked out from head to toe.  It is a fun way to start the New Year off!

Has your group held a Pajama Party Bunco?  If so, tell me what you did to make it fun on the Bunco Game Shop Facebook page.

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

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A Sweet Bunco Holiday

This is the time of year to whip up some sweet treats for your holiday Bunco game.  My group has many ladies who are not big fans of dessert but the holidays are the time to indulge.  I stumbled upon an awesome recipe by accident. I was excited to make Gingerbread Pops from the latest issue of Food Network magazine.  They were one of Food Network’s 50 No-Bake Treats.  Made from crushed ginger snaps, cookie butter (yes, there is such a thing!), candied ginger, powdered sugar and butter.  Yummy, gingery goodness.  I bought my candied ginger in bulk because it was much cheaper than the bottled variety.  Well, these treats were supposed to be on a stick as is but I decided to take out the stick and dip the gingerbread balls in white or dark chocolate.  I topped them with seasonal sprinkles and packed them up in festive bags with ribbon and a cute gingerbread man button.  They were delicious and looked adorable!

Gingerbread Truffles

14 ginger snaps

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup cookie butter (such as Biscoff or Trader Joe’s)

1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

1/2 stick room temperature butter

12 oz. melting wafers (dark or white) such as Ghiardelli

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor until it comes together.  Chill mixture in refrigerator for 1/2 -1 hour and then form into 1&1/2 inch balls.  Melt wafers in glass bowl in microwave for 30 second increments, stirring after each until fully melted.  Using a fork, dip each ball in chocolate and let excess chocolate drip off.  Place on parchment lined cookie sheet or 13×9 pan and refrigerate for at least an hour.  The truffles can be stored in the fridge or at room temperature.

These truffles would make a great homemade gift for your fellow Bunco Babes.  What is your favorite candy treat to make this time of year?  Let me know on the Bunco Game Shop Facebook page.  Happy Holidays!

Keep Calm & Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

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Seasonal Bunco Snacks & Appetizers

 

The weather is cooling down so that means that food for Bunco games is heating up. There is nothing like hot, delicious food such as  dips to share at Bunco.  I live in the Southwest, so in the summer I try to avoid using the oven. Now that the temps are in the mid 70s here (that is cool for us!) it is time to make some comfort food.
One of my favorite resources for delicious Bunco snacks and appetizers is The Bunko Junkie Appetizer Book.  It is available via free download here.  With 150 delicious appetizers, it is your one stop for finding a yummy food item to take to your next Bunco game.  Below is the recipe for one of my favorite appetizers from the book, Appetizer Surprise.  It is a creamy artichoke dip with lots of Parmesan cheese.  One of my favorite flavor combos!

Appetizer Surprise

Appetizer Surprise

14 ounces Can artichoke hearts

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Mayo
nnaise

1/2 cup Sour cream

8 ounces Cream cheese

Garlic salt — to taste

Dill weed — to taste

Paprika

Drain and chop artichoke hearts finely and set aside. Mix remainingingredients until smooth and creamy. Add artichoke hearts and mix well.Place in long shallow dish that has been greased or sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 F. for approximately 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly and brown.  Serve with Ritz crackers, or dipping cracker of your choice. Keep warm while serving.  A little dipper slow cooker would work perfectly!

Another book called, Dice with Spice would make a great gift or prize for a Bunco Babe.  Each recipe takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.  It is a time saver and the recipes are delicious!  Since the holidays are upon us, check out the video tutorials by The Bunco Game Shop for Winter Wonderland Cocktails and Chocolate Cherry Hot Fudge Cake.

What is your favorite snack or appetizer to make for Bunco games around the holiday season?  Let me know on The Bunco Game Shop Facebook Page.  While you’re there, enter our monthly GIVEAWAY!

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Pink Ribbon Bunco

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Pink Lemonade Cupcakes

It is the perfect time of year to throw a Pink Ribbon Bunco party.  A party such as this can be held as a fundraiser or as your monthly Bunco group’s theme.  Your Bunco group could decide to forgo it’s winnings this month and donate.

I have been to both types of Pink Ribbon Bunco.  Bunco for Breast Cancer is an annual event held in my city.  It is held on the patio of a Mexican restaurant and there are hundreds of players.  It is so much fun and great prizes are given away.  I won an amazing Pampered Chef basket one year and another year  set of neckties for my husband.

My Bunco group has also had a Pink Ribbon Bunco theme in the past and we are planning another one later this month.  Everyone gets into the spirit and wears pink!  I will be decorating my chandelier with these adorable pink ribbon lanterns.  Our Bunco sheets will be printed on pink paper (of course!) and each player will have a cute Pink Ribbon pen on a rope.  The head table will be playing with novelty pink ribbon dice .  I can’t wait until the ladies see these!  Also, a friend of mine who sells awesome organizational products will be  at our Bunco game. There will be prizes such as pink key fobs and lanyards wrapped in mini Pink Ribbon bags.  One lucky player will go home with a prize from a giveaway!

No Pink Ribbon Bunco party would be complete without  some pink drinks like pink lemonade or a pink lady cocktail.   Bowls of pink treats would be fun to snack on.  Think pink candy coated chocolate pieces, pink malted milk balls, licorice, etc.  Pink paper plates, napkins , cups and tablecloths are a must too.  Pink Lemonade cupcakes would be a festive addition to the dessert table.  I made these cupcakes for a baby girl shower and they were both pretty and delicious.

My group uses two Bunco necklaces  during our games.  The necklaces change depending on the theme.  For October Bunco we will be using these fun Pink Ribbon Bunco necklaces.  They are sturdy and will be fine being tossed across the room.  They can be used again at next year’s Pink Ribbon Bunco game! If you get the first Bunco you get to wear a necklace throughout the game and you get your money back.  The other necklace we pass around each time someone gets a Bunco and the person with the last Bunco wins a prize.

Are you going to have a Pink Ribbon Bunco this month?  Have you had one in the past?  Let me know about it on our Facebook page.

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

 

 

 

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Fall into Bunco: Fun Autumn Theme Ideas

Fall is officially here.  Pumpkin flavored beverages and desserts are already everywhere.  Even though I live in the desert and the weather is still quite warm, thoughts of fall bring hope of cooler weather and fun get-togethers with family and friends like Halloween and Thanksgiving.

This will be the fourth fall that my Bunco group has been together.  We have played  Harvest Bunco, Halloween Bunco (twice) and had an Apple themed Bunco.  I always coordinate the color of our Bunco sheets according to the monthly theme.  For Halloween Bunco I use orange and green paper, for Apple themed Bunco, red and green and for Harvest Bunco, gold, light brown and green.  This time of year there are cute fall paper products available: plates, cups, napkins, etc. which add to the festive atmosphere.

Another fun thing about fall themes are the endless food and beverage possibilities.  For Harvest Bunco we had mulled wine (check out these cute wine charms), for Apple Bunco we had hot spiced cider and for Halloween Bunco the hostess put dry ice in the punch and it looked like witches brew.  We have potlucks at our games and the ladies are very creative!  One of my favorite recipes for fall is a pumpkin dip I found on Allrecipes.com.  I made it for my Brownie Troop last week and one of the girls asked if she could lick the bowl!  Best of all it is inexpensive and easy to put together.  It tastes great served with apple slices, ginger snaps and/or Nilla Wafers.

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

1/4 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Prizes for Fall Bunco are fun to coordinate with the theme.  Some of my favorite prizes are seasonal dish towels, candles, welcome signs and aprons.  This Halloween Dice Bracelet would be a perfect Bunco prize!

What Fall Bunco Themes (Halloween, Harvest, etc.)have you done with your Bunco group?  What are your favorite prizes and recipes for Fall Bunco themes?

We have been having technical issues with leaving comments on the blog, so please let me know your thoughts on The Bunco Game Shop Facebook Page

Keep Calm and Play Bunco,

Bunco Betty

 

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Casino Bunco and Principal’s Pride!

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

Bunco Blinking Dice Pin / Necklace - 1 Dozen

Let me know what you think!

Hugs!!

Bunco Betty!

 

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Bunco gifts galore!

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!!

Regular price: $12.99
Sale price: $5.99
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
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Big fuzzy dice & Red beans and rice!

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

 

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Bunco Hosting Gift

Hi y’all!

Just thought I would share with you a super cute thing that Laura did at our Christmas Bunco party!  When the party was over and we were all getting ready to leave, she had this box that she passed around full of candy canes and taped to them were lottery tickets.  I think there was a winner of $2 but we all were so excited to do the scratch off!  What a cute idea Laura!

Tip from our site:

Give the members of your bunco group something to remember your party by.  Bunco Game Shop provides all kinds of fun bunco party gifts and prizes to really spice up your party.  Pick up some of these cheap bunco gifts and have at least 1 prize on-hand to give to every member of your bunco party.  Check out our bunco dice jewelry for other great bunco prize ideas!

So I had 5 helicopter mechanics from my husband’s work over for dinner last night.  I went to Costco and got all kinds of stuff to feed these guys AND baked chocolate chip cookies!  NOT from the package…I actually used my mixer and they turned out so good!  The guys worked late so we didn’t end up eating until about 7:45.  I started drinking wine at about 4:30ish so…..needless to say…I’m feeling like crap!  The guys didn’t leave until about midnight.  It was a good Thursday night!  I LOVED all the testosterone in my house!!! That’s just me.  🙂  I like manly men….the rugged kind…you know.

I had 2 cookies right when I woke up…not sure how that’s going to allow me to fit into the hot sexy outfit I have picked out for the company Christmas party…we shall see!

Happy Friday!!! Someone….Please comment on the blog!!!!  🙂