For the next month the world will be focused on the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. For a bit of international summer fun, get all your friends and family together to cheer on your favorite country with these fun World Cup party food and drink ideas.
Hosting a World Cup Party
Every four years, the soccer world comes together for the ultimate championship. The games are played three times a day at 7:00 am (ET), 10:00 am (ET) and 2:30 pm (ET) for an entire month. For the full schedule, visit FIFA.com.
Decorations
You can find soccer-themed decorations at just about any party store. Another idea: Print out flags of each team you support and hang them around your home. You can even print out a large poster of the match brackets so everyone can keep track of her team. ESPN has a cool printable bracket you can use.
Food & Drink
Take your menu from participating countries around the world. Prepare each country’s most popular food and drinksm or combine a few different ethnic cuisines for an eclectic meal.
For example, serve Mexican-style guacamole and chips, Greek stuffed grape leaves, and English fish and chips. If you are watching the morning games, serve classic eggs and bacon or Italian-style frittata. You can even serve food you typically get at sports arenas, such as hot dogs, French fries and chicken fingers, so your guests will feel like they’re right in the stadium.
For dessert, make cupcakes with soccer balls frosted on top. Beers, wines or cocktails from around the world are also great choices. Margaritas or Caipirinhas are work for matches featuring Mexico and Brazil, and sake-tinis for Japan.
Get creative with your menu to give your guests a great World Cup experience.
Recipes
Pomegranate Guacamole
Makes 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 cup diced white onion
1/2 cup minced cilantro
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Salt to taste
6 avocados, peeled and pitted
2 jalapeno peppers, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 large pomegranate
Directions:
1. Combine onion, cilantro and tomatoes in a small bowl and season with salt to taste.
2. Remove avocado meat from skin and mash into chunks. Mix in onion mixture and jalapenos, then season with lime juice and a little salt.
3. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over top of guacamole and serve with chips.
Soccer Ball Cupcakes
Makes 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup low-fat milk
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. Combine flour with baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, and then beat in vanilla.
4. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour.
5. Pour batter into prepared tins and bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden and toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and let cool for at least 1 hour before frosting.
Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients:
16 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons low-fat milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Beat sugar with butter, milk, and vanilla in a bowl until well combined and smooth.
To decorate:
1. Frost all cupcakes with a thin layer of butter cream frosting.
2. Using store-bought icing, draw an octagon in the middle of the cupcake and half-octagons on the edges. Fill in octagons with icing, and then draw lines coming from the middle octagon to the edges to create a soccer ball.
Caipirinha
Makes 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
2 limes, cut into wedges
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 ounces cachaca
Directions:
1. Muddle lime wedges with sugar in a shaker.
2. Pour in cachaca.
3. Shake well with ice, then strain over ice into a tall glass.
4. Garnish with a lime wedge
Related Video
Get pumped for the 2010 World Cup and watch this trailer for the US Soccer team.
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