Football Party Beer & Cheddar Dip

Image courtesy Nealey Dozier, The Kitchn

When you think of football, food also probably comes to mind. From pizza to wings to beer, the unhealthier the food, the better it tastes on game day! Whether you're hosting a party or attending someone else's on Sunday, this beer & cheddar dip (courtesy of The Kitchn) is sure to please! After all, it's the best of both football food worlds--beer and melted cheese!

Beer & Cheddar Dip

Serves 4-6

1 cup (8 ounces) evaporated milk

2 eggs

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

10 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup amber beer

2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bacon crumbles and green onions, for garnish (optional)

Pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités, for serving

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together evaporated milk, eggs, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the shredded cheese. Once the cheese sauce begins to warm, add the beer and cornstarch-water mixture (aka the slurry). Whisking frequently, gradually add the remaining cheese and cook until the sauce reaches desired thickness, about 10 - 12 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Keep warm over lowest heat setting, stirring frequently, until ready to serve. Garnish with bacon crumbles and green onions and serve with pretzels, pretzel bread, or crudités.

What are your favorite Super Bowl snacks and recipes?

Finishing Touches for Any Room

"dinning room" by Corina Sanchez is licensed under CC BY 2.0

Once all of your furniture is moved in and the boxes are unpacked, have you ever looked around and thought, “it just needs something else?” You’re certainly not alone. Decorating is a tricky process that you have to get just right in order to truly feel at home. So when a room feels like it’s missing something, try adding one of these five things, courtesy of Apartment Therapy:

1. Art.

A room without art is like an outfit without accessories — just a little bit boring. Take your time and collect art that you love and that is meaningful to you. It'll give your space that extra dose of style and personality that makes the difference between a good room and a great one.

2. The right lighting.

Lighting is something we tend to think of as an afterthought, but it can make a huge difference in the way you perceive a room. If your space only has one source of light, you're definitely missing something.

3. Window treatments.

Window treatments are essential for controlling light and protecting your privacy, and in addition to practical considerations, they also soften the look of a room and keep your windows from looking naked. Depending on your window situation and the look you're going for, you may have curtains and a valance or something simple as a roman shade — but don't make the mistake of neglecting window treatments entirely.

4. A little bit of texture.

A whole room full of smooth, shiny things can come across a bit cold. Adding something with a little bit of texture — a fluffy throw, a worn old wood table, even a plant — will give any room a little extra warmth and depth.

5. Something you really love.

A room that only looks great will never truly feel like home. In order to feel like a space is truly yours, you need a little extra personal touch. Whether it's a special find from the flea market in Paris or a souvenir from an amazing vacation or a painting of your dog (or even an actual dog), don't get so hung up on getting your look just right that you forget to include at least one thing you really love.

Illuminate Your Space

"test" by jinkazamah is licensed under CC BY 2.0

A new year signals a new, fresh perspective on things - like your apartment style! If you’re not in the mood to complete big projects like moving around furniture or painting, there’s something simple you can do that will make all the difference in your apartment’s atmosphere - let the light in! Your apartment will feel bigger and happier by brightening it up with these tips from Apartment Guide:

Keep Shades Light

Since you probably want to avoid drilling into the ceiling of your rental, much of your lighting is bound to be in the form of floor lamps or end table lamps. The good news is that lamp shades offer an opportunity to really show off your style, so you can handle the whole daylight savings time issue with grandeur.

To keep your apartment as bright as possible, stick to light-colored lamps shades. Think white, cream, light gray, or similar hues when selecting a lamp shade. Darker lamp shades will filter out a considerable amount of light and may leave you sitting in the dark.

String Additional Lighting

If you still need more light once you have lamps set up, consider buying string lights, also known as fairy lights. While you may associate this type of lighting with the twinkle lights around a Christmas tree, there are other options available.

Designers now offer string lights with large bulbs, black or silver string, and a sleek modern look. Buy a decorative wooden ladder and string lights around it; set up your pyramid shelves in the corner and adorn the piece with string lights; or simply string them around a window.

Accessorize with Wireless Lights

Some rentals have a limited number of electrical outlets, and rewiring your home is not an option as a renter. Turn to wireless lighting that operates on battery power and is extremely mobile. Wireless LED candles, for instance, offer ambiance and go on with the flip of a switch.

Best of all, faux candles don’t pose the same fire hazard as an actual candle. Tap lights are also wireless and a good way to illuminate shelves or other small spaces. These lights are typically small and round, activated when you apply a small amount of pressure to the top of the light.

Use Mirrors to Maximize Lighting

Add a few mirrors to your rental space if you don’t have a lot of room or money for new lighting. Mirrors propped up against your walls won’t damage the drywall, and can reflect light from your lamps and other home lighting.

Mirrors create the illusion of more lighting sources, and doubles the amount of light that bounces around your apartment. Place larger mirrors next to a floor lamp and small wall mirrors adjacent to end tables with a lighting fixture.

Space Out Your Lighting

Now that your space is outfitted with several floor lamps, a few strands of string lights, and a handful of large mirrors–take a moment to consider the placement of each piece. Don’t put all the lighting in your living room, for instance, while neglecting to consider your dining nook.

Instead, space out your lighting fixtures. Put at least one light source near each corner of larger rooms. Place your mirrors within a few feet of a lighting fixture; this allows them to better reflect the light out into the rest of your space.

Lighting your new apartment should be at the top of your daylight savings to-do list. If you neglect to properly light your apartment, you will soon realize that it’s not possible to enjoy all of your lovely decor in the dark.

Eliminate Your To-Do List

"Dawa's Designed To-do list" by Juhan Sonin is licensed under CC BY 2.0

It’s a new year and a time to get organized. You probably have a lot of catching up to do after the hectic holiday season, so how do you keep up with it all? The to-do list, of course! Whether yours is digital or handwritten, there are ways to cut down on your time and increase your productivity. Follow these tips from Apartment Therapy and get those tasks crossed off today!

Include sub-tasks in your lists.

Getting things out of our heads and onto paper (or digital "paper") quiets the nagging anxiety that can creep up, that feeling of I have so much to doooo that can make us twitchy with stress and downright irritable. Channel the energy required to remember what you have to do into actually getting it done by freeing your head space through a list. Make your list detailed, including sub-tasks. For instance, instead of just Make key lime pie for office party also write everything you have to do to be able to make that happen: buy limes and whipping cream, make crust, etc. Your detailed lists give you the info you need to combine tasks and save time.

Combine tasks to save time.

The last thing we need to do is waste time. If you know what you have to get at the store for projects by having created a complete list, you can get them all at once rather than stopping by multiple times. If you're making more than one of something, combine these tasks as well. Sewing new curtains for two rooms, for instance? Buy all your fabric ahead of time, and parcel out the tasks across both projects into groups (for instance, all the measuring and cutting for both projects at once, before even getting out the sewing machine).

Multitask, multitask, multitask.

One excellent way to check a few items off your list — once you have a clear picture of what these items involve — is to work on a task while doing something else. Calling your great-great-aunt to wish her a happy birthday? Fold the laundry you need for your road trip while you're on the phone. Been meaning to have a get-together with some close friends? Turn it into a post-closet-clean-out clothes-swap party. You'll enjoy the company of loved ones and get the pleasure of finishing a task that's probably been hanging over all of you.

Use down times to update your lists and continue planning ahead.

Your list should be a constantly evolving road map of what you have to do. Crossing things off, updating notes (ask Sue to pick up the bread), and adding to it should be happening regularly so your list is always a snapshot of where you are and what you have to do to get where you're going. Use the time while you're on hold with Amazon, or while you're waiting for your bakery order to be filled to check your list again and again.

Grocery Planning 101

"Thanksgiving Supplies" by Phil! Gold is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

We’ve all heard the saying “never go grocery shopping hungry,” but that isn’t the only rule we should keep in mind when we’re at the store. Like many things, the prices of food keeps increasing, so how do we stick to a budget? Heck, how do we even set one in the first place? We’ll demystify grocery shopping in ten steps, with these tips from The Kitchn.

1. Track what you actually spend for a month.

Before you can make a realistic grocery budget, you have to have a realistic idea of what you usually spend. You might spend more on food (including drinks and eating out) than you realize. Start tracking what you spend for a month. Keep your receipts.

Whether you use a spreadsheet or a Word document, or just paper and pencil, it can be helpful to divide your food expenses into itemized lists. Drinks: coffee, tea, soda, alcohol, juices, mixers. Fresh produce. Frozen meals. Baking items. Meat. The key is to track everything that you consume.

2. Budget per month, but plan per week.

I track my income monthly, so I also track grocery bills monthly. Some people track weekly; it's a personal preference. I've found it's easier to stick to a monthly grocery bill, as I often go for two weeks without shopping. On the other hand, it is equally key to plan your meals per week, to avoid eating out or ordering in. I suppose you could plan your meals for an entire month, but for me that's not realistic. Having a rough idea of what we'll be eating for breakfast, lunch, and dinner helps me shop accordingly.

3. Name your priorities.

I'm learning to tell myself, "If this, then not that," as I shop for groceries. There are certain items that I prioritize for my wellbeing, such as fresh foods and basic whole foods. Towards the end of a month, I'll nix fringe items before cutting out my priority items, such as that new flavor of tea, juice, optional toppings for meals, and desserts.

4. Don’t eat out.

Just don't do it. Eating out is the Trojan horse of grocery budgeting. It sneaks into your monthly budget and destroys everything you've worked so hard for. Dramatic, yes, but true. We eat out for special occasions or with friends, but have made it our personal policy to never eat out as a response to laziness. Knowing your priorities and keeping basics, frozen double batches, and quick meals on hand can help with this.

5. Prize (and plan) variety.

...Or you will eat out, unless you have a willpower of steel. Plan variety into your grocery lists to stay well and keep food enjoyable. Some people can eat ramen for a month in the name of saving money. I can't. However, I'm also the kind of person who finds something they love and wants to eat it endlessly... a habit which always results in me tiring of that food for months afterward. So I try to plan budget-friendly meals that I know I'll enjoy, and rotate those meals throughout several months.

6. Keep a fridge list.

Keep a running list on your fridge and write down items that you need as soon as or shortly before you run empty. This is a basic tip but it can make all the difference between grocery runs that result in spending sprees or incomplete shopping.

7. Learn to love your leftovers.

They are your friends. They will feed you while protecting your budget. Invest in a good set of glass food storage containers—your food will last longer with better flavor. Plan meals that make good leftovers, and if you're feeling ambitious, make double or triple batches and freeze.

8. Don’t be duped by coupons.

Coupons are great — if they are for items that you need and from brands that you like. Too often, coupons trick customers into buying unnecessary items "because it's a good deal." Furthermore, generic versions of many items in the coupon book are even cheaper than the price you'll pay for a discounted name brand item. So if you find a coupon for an item that you usually buy, celebrate and purchase. Otherwise, steer clear and seek out cheaper options.

9. Stock when there’s a sale, but don’t overstock.

Sales are the cousin of coupons: they can often dupe customers into buying more because it's "a great deal," not because they need that item or can even use that quantity. On items that keep well, stock up with sales.

But a common mistake is to buy a few extra items of each product, thinking that you're saving time and money by not having to return later to the store. I did this for years before I realized I was still shopping at my usual rate, buying a few extras of this and that each time, which was inflating my grocery bills. Unless you live hours from a grocery store, this sort of pseudo-bulk shopping isn't helpful.

10. Take the time to comparison shop.

The suggestion of comparison shopping is inevitably met with a chorus of voices protesting the efficiency of "driving all over" just to find cheaper items. And I would have to agree. I used to shop at a closer grocery that was more expensive, than transitioned to a larger, cheaper store much further away, then began shopping at three different stores, with a separate list for each. Now I'm back to shopping at the closer store that's a bit pricier. Time and driving costs must always be factored into budgeting. There are still a few items that I will buy once a month at the larger, more distant store, but I don't have the time to go to several stores on each grocery run.

However, I also comparison shop within stores: some items are cheaper in the international aisle, or the yogurt in the organics aisle, for example, might be on sale when my usual yogurt selection isn't. So pick the stores that are most efficient for your shopping, familiarize yourself with your options, and make a plan.

What other grocery shopping tips to you have? Are there any apps you have found useful?