It doesn’t matter if you are rooting for the Cardinals or the Steelers (or even if your team isn’t playing), Super Bowl Sunday is always fun!

We always have our good friends, Dale and Pat and April and Dave come for the big game! I spend all Saturday evening decorating for the big event – football shaped lights surround our kitchen island, while large plastic football players line up on top of the island. Next, I put a handful of football men lollipops in a bowl (the kids love these!). I always make a super-big inflatable football the centerpiece on the kitchen table.

The family room is gaily decorated with a hanging football mobile on the ceiling fan while the mantel has large cardboard cheerleaders on either side. Pompoms grace the length of the mantel. And pride of place, smack dab in the center of the mantel, is a 30″ tall autographed picture of Joe Montana, the GREATEST football player of all time (ok, maybe Johnny U is up there, too!)

Now the most important part ~ the food! If you come to our house for Super Bowl, you’ll always find the same menu:

Taco chips and Mexican dip (made with beanless chili, salsa and grated cheese ~ heated in the microwave), potato chips and onion dip, pretzels and peanuts, a large platter of cheese and honey mustard for dipping and party sandwiches filled with chicken salad, shrimp salad and ham salad. Big bowls of potato salad and macaroni salad beckon.

We serve a heaping bowl of steamed shrimp and cocktail sauce, along with a 3 foot long coldcut pick your own toppings sub. Don’t forget the veggies ~ we always have a large platter of chopped veggies and dip.

Dessert starts with a plate of huge gourmet cookies, Oatmeal Raisin, Sugar and Chocolate Chip, along with pure chocolate cookies. The pièce de ré·sis·tance is always our sheetcake decorated in the team’s colors of whichever team we are rooting for this year (Dale and Pat and April and Dave DO NOT get a say in this).

We play a pool and award prizes at the end of each quarter and a GRAND PRIZE at the end of the game.

Whether our team wins or loses, the best part of any Super Bowl party is sharing the day with good friends!

Hope you have a great day! We’re countng on it!

Oh yeah, don’t forget the beer!

Happy Super Bowl!