After Easter Ceasar Egg Bites for Bunco Night |
Hello Bunco Friends- What are you going to do with all of those left over Easter eggs? Why not try Eggland’s Best Ceasar Bites for an easy and healthy appetizer? Click here for this month’s After Easter Bunco Appetizer. Did I mention that I am the Idaho Rep for Eggland’s Best? Try these; they are simply delicious!! Happy Rolling! |
**Hello Bunco Friends-**<-
Why not have everyone wear green, roll some green dice, and host a leprechaun themed bunco party?
Happy Rolling,
-DeAnna
Bunco Caprese Appetizer for American Heart Month |
Hello Bunco Friends- Why not have everyone wear red, and host an American Heart Month themed bunco party? Ingredients – 2 Packages Fresh Mozzarella – 1 Package Fresh Basil – 4 Roma Tomatoes Sliced – Balsamic Glaze – 1 1/2″ Heart Shaped Cooke Cutter Cut out 16 heart shaped pieces of mozzarella cheese Cut 16 slices of roma tomatoes Layer the cheese, tomatoes, basil leaves into rows. Drizzle balsamic glaze over the caprese appetizer and serve. |
Football Themed Bunco Recipe |
Hello Bunco Friends! Today (Monday 1/30/17) is the last day to save 20% of any purchase at www.buncogameshop.com. Just use coupon code: Football2017 at checkout. Healthy 7-Layer Dip Cups for Football Themed Bunco Ingredients Drain the salsa, tomatoes, and olives before starting. Layer the cups with beans, guacamole, yogurt, and drained salsa. Cover each cup with clear wrap and refrigerate. Top the cups with the cheddar cheese, green onions, tomatoes, and olives just before serving. |
Artichoke Hummus with Grissini + $5 off Coupon |
SCROLL DOWN FOR YOUR $5 OFF COUPON! Running short on time and need a quick and easy appetizer for bunco night (like me this month….)? Check this out: Ingredients Use a blender or food processor to blend ingredients until smooth. Serve with breadsticks, pita bread, or cheese straws. Note: Grissini (Italian bread sticks) are usually found on the cracker at major grocery stores. USE CODE: HUMMUS at www.buncogameshop.com for a $5 discount on any purchase of $25.00 through 4/25/16. |
I have been drawing a blank lately about which Bunco topic to write about next. My group held their monthly Bunco meeting last Sunday. It was a fun Valentines Day themed game. Anyhow, one of our regular players brought a guest from out of town to play with us. The lady is a member of a Bunco group in her hometown. She made a comment to me that our group was very friendly and welcoming and noted that her group is focused primarily on ‘winning’ the game. It got me thinking, is that how most groups are? I have played with two groups and both have been mainly about socializing with playing Bunco a nice bonus.
I am the organizer of my Bunco group and I try my best to keep the game going and yet have people socializing. For the most part my group is very social but there are a few who prefer not to socialize much. They are usually the ones who say, ‘ding, ding, ding’ when the head table is talking and not starting to play when they want them to. If you play Bunco regularly you know what I am talking about:) Our games usually start at 2 pm on a Sunday and I have a rough schedule that I like to follow to try to keep all personality types happy. People start to arrive at 2 pm and then we have a potluck meal until about 2:45 pm at which time the game starts. We play two rounds of Bunco and then have a dessert break. This break is typically 15 minutes and then we play one more round of Bunco, distribute the prizes and then play an (optional) game of Left Center Right. From start to finish it is about three hours (give or take a few minutes).
Does your Bunco group have a ‘schedule’ that they follow? Are you a group who likes to socialize? Let me know on the Bunco Game Shop Facebook Page.
This month we are giving away a cute pair of dice earrings! The ladies in my group love these! Just head to the Bunco Game Shop Facebook page and tell me about the personality of your Bunco group! Also, if your minimum purchase at Bunco game Shop qualifies, you can add a pair of dice earrings to your cart for free!
Keep Calm & Play Bunco,
Bunco Betty
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
Eight years ago I moved from the Northeast to the Southwest. I had no family or friends here, so I joined a playgroup. I had an eight month old at the time. She needed friends and so did I. I met many wonderful ladies from that group, some of whom I am still friends with today. That group of ladies introduced me to Bunco. It was a nice way to meet people and get out of the house for some fun. I played with that group for about five years before I started my own group.
I, admittedly, am a control freak. It is in part why I started my Bunco group. I joined a social network that is intended to bring strangers with similar interests together and started my group in May 2010. We played our first game in June 2010 at my house with 15 players, 7 of which are still members. There are now 60+ members and we play Bunco once per month with typically 18-24 players.
As much as I like to be in control, we as a group have made changes throughout the years. Rules have been tweaked and more prizes are given out to spread the joy of winning. Even if I don’t win I have a great time! It is nice to socialize with ladies who are my friends. It’s also great to meet women who are new to the group and sometimes Bunco in general.
In addition to being a control freak I am shy and soft spoken. As many of you know, most Bunco players are not like that! At least in my group we have a lot of strong personalities (which is not a bad thing). The co-organizer for our group is my ‘voice’ at Bunco games. She will shout to quiet the group down when they are rowdy (which is all the time;) Even when I think I am being loud, I am not loud enough. This is why having a co-organizer is important. She helps me with things I am not very good at. Also, if I am unable to make it to a game, she will run it. If you are thinking of starting your own group, it is a good idea to have a friend that can help you organize.
Have you started your own Bunco Group? If so, let me know about it on The Bunco Game Shop Facebook page.
Keep Calm and Play Bunco,
Bunco Betty
Although Bunco groups all play by the same basic set of rules they are very different in their approaches pertaining to rules and entertaining styles
Some groups have 12 core players with subs who fill in for those who cannot attend. My group has 60+ members and typically we have between 18-24 players. We rarely play with a multiple of four players, so we more often than not have at least one ‘ghost’. A ghost is an empty seat, or invisible player whose ‘partner’ plays for them. At our last game we had three ghosts (yes I know some of you are cringing at the thought of this!). It is nice when there are enough players but a ghost (in my opinion) is not that bad. It really just means that someone at the table has to roll every other time. In our group whoever is the ghost usually does not keep score (unless they want to). The husband of one of our players made us small wooden ghosts (see photo). They are easy to carry from table to table and it lets us know that there is indeed a ‘ghost’ playing at that table. I have played with other groups that use a baby doll or nothing at all to stand in for the ‘ghost’.
Do you play with a ghost? Do you always have 12 players or a multiple of four playing? If so, how does it work? Do you use substitutes? My group has never used substitutes. I am not even sure how it would work. If your group uses subs, let me know how it works on The Bunco Game Shop’s Facebook Page.
Keep Calm and Play Bunco,
Bunco Betty
The holiday season is quickly approaching. With all the busyness of the holidays, it is fun to take a break and play Bunco with the girls.
One year in November my Bunco group held a Formal Bunco. It was so much fun! We all dressed up. Some of us were fancier than others but we all wore dresses. Our potluck was done differently as well. We had people sign up for food which included a variety of appetizers, salads, bread and dessert. The hostess provided pasta as the main dish. For added fun we had a sit down dinner instead of our usual buffet.
For dessert we had a chocolate fountain. People brought decadent dippers for the fountain. Cheesecake pieces, cookies, pretzels, strawberries, marshmallows and dried fruit all tasted delicious dipped in the chocolate. For my small fountain, it takes two packages of chocolate chips melted and mixed with 3/4 cup of vegetable oil. I love a mix of premium bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate, yum!
Typically we use paper plates, plastic utensils and plastic cups at our Bunco games. Formal Bunco is the time to break out the fine China, actual silverware and glasses. It really was nice for a change. We spent extra time socializing and enjoying each others company.
Whenever someone rolls a Bunco we pass around a necklace, usually one that pertains to the theme. At this Bunco we passed around a feather boa for a more formal touch.
The prizes were for pampering the Bunco Babe. Bubble bath, shower gel, mud masks and nail polish were some of the items that people won that evening. Formal Bunco was a fun time for all. It was a nice change from the casual approach we usually take and a wonderful indulgence, especially for a busy mom like me.
Have you ever attend a Formal or even a Black Tie Bunco? If so, please tell us about it on The Bunco game Shop Facebook Page.
Keep Calm & Play Bunco,
Bunco Betty
