Tag: Fall Bunco

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Favorite Bunco Themes: Formal Bunco

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

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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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Fall Bunco: Sweet Treats and Football

Salted Caramel Cake Pops

I asked our Facebook followers to let me know what their favorite fall themed Bunco ideas were.  There were some very creative ideas!  The most popular fall themes were Pink Ribbon and Halloween Bunco.  Some groups do a variation of Halloween theme, such a Howloween and Buncoween.  A group does Halloween with a Pink Twist.  That sounds so fun!  I think I will give that a try next year since I already have our Pink Ribbon Bunco planned for this month.

One Bunco player said that she hosts a Football Bunco each fall.  How fun!  I have seen some cute football themed plates, napkins, bowls, etc. at discount stores.  Guests can wear their favorite football jersey, t-shirt, hat or colors.  It would also be fun to have a game on in the background (perhaps your hometown team).  The best thing about Football themed Bunco is the food!  You can’t go wrong with dips kept warm in mini slow cookers along with some tortilla chips and crackers.  My favorite dips to make (and eat) are Spinach and Artichoke and Buffalo Chicken.  Both are really easy to make.  However, I have a sweet tooth and my favorite food at a Bunco game is usually dessert.  Salted Caramel Cake Pops would be a delicious addition to any fall Bunco theme (or any time of the year!).

Salted Caramel Cake Pops

1 Yellow Cake Mix baked in 13×9 pan according to package and cooled

1/3 cup canned vanilla frosting (or homemade)

1/2 cup salted caramel (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

1 bag chocolate melting wafers

1 cup white chocolate melting wafers

1 cup caramels (such as Kraft) unwrapped

1 tsp. water

Sea Salt for topping

32 lollipop sticks (available at craft stores)

styrofoam block (available at craft stores)

Shred the cooled caked and add frosting and salted caramel, mix well.  Shape mixture into balls.  Meanwhile, melt 1/2 cup of chocolate melting wafers in the microwave in 30 second increments until melted.  Dip a lollipop stick into the melted chocolate and then stick it into the cake ball.  Line small cookie sheet with parchment paper and put all 32 cake pops on the cookie sheet (use two if you need to).  Put cake pops into freezer for about an hour.  When you are ready to dip the cake pops, put the remainder of the chocolate melting wafers into a microwave safe bowl and microwave at 30 second increment until desired consistency is achieved.  Dip the cake pops one at a time into the chocolate mixture.  Stick the dipped cake pops into the styrofoam block and let dry.  Microwave white melting chocolate at 30 second increments until thin consistency.  Put a small dollop of white chocolate on each pop.  Next, put caramel and 1 tsp of water into microwave safe bowl and stir every 30 second until smooth.  Drizzle on top of the cake pops.  Finally, add a light pinch of sea salt onto each cake pop.  Enjoy!

Do you have a sweet tooth?  What is your favorite dessert to make (or eat) at a Bunco game? If you prefer savory food, what is your favorite? Please share your answer on our Facebook page.  Let me know if you make the cake pops!

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