Football season is getting very thrilling and the sentiment does not escape our household. Although I did not grow up with [American] football at all, I’m happy to join in the excitement. I think it’s important to take an interest in your partner’s favorite hobbies and pastimes, especially if it’s their way to connect with where they come from. It’s a special treat when we can enjoy a New Orleans Saints game in New York City. I participate the best way I know how – as an event planner. Whether I’m hosting a large watch party or just a night with the family, I try to make it a fun and lively as I can.
1. Ambiance
Thankfully, I don’t have much decorating to do thanks to the dozens upon dozens of fleur de lis scattered around our home. A friend attending one of our parties once jokingly said that the group could easily play a game of “find the flour de lis” in our apartment. The winner would be the person who found the most.
We also like to set the mood by playing a New Orleans themed playlist featuring artists like Rebirth Brass Band, Dr. John, Kermit Rufffins, and The Iguanas. No party is a Saints/NOLA party without great music.
2. Fashion
We encourage our guests to wear black and gold if they don’t own a Saints jersey. I go a step further than wearing a black and gold outfit or Saints shirt by wearing black and gold makeup. It’s usually a hit among the ladies in the party. If you don’t own your favorite team’s jersey, Old Navy is now starting to sell sports jerseys for men and women. You can check them out here.
3. Drinks
There are also many New Orleans drinks a person can serve during party – daiquiris, hurricanes, sazeracs…the list goes on. I haven’t tried my hands at any of the mixed drinks because I’m usually too focused on the food. Thankfully for us, it’s not too difficult to find Abita beers in New York. My favorite is Abita Purple Haze and Abita Amber is a classic.
For the ladies who don’t like to spend their calorie budget on the alcohol, you can serve low calorie drinks like the Skinny Girl cocktails. Or, if you’re in the Miami area, get your hands on a few Miami Cocktail Co. drinks.
4. Food
The day of big games, we go all out on the snacks and food. My husband usually makes some Jambalaya while I handle the more creative foods. This usually means finding and executing black and cold colored food recipes. For our last viewing, I made black and gold soup (black bean with sharp cheddar soup). I also made black and gold salsa (black bean and corn salsa).
You can really get creative when it comes to desserts. I’ve made strawberry footballs, black and gold brownies (fudge brownies with a fleur de lis drawn on it using yellow writing icing), black and gold pecan cake (yellow cake with pecans and a chocolate icing in the shape of a fleur del lis).
For your health conscious friends, make sure you have a bag or two of POP Chips. They’re delicious and much healthier than other regular chips. They’re “popped” with heat and pressure, not fried or baked. No preservatives. No coloring. Just natural, delicious and healthy chips. You’ll love them.
