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Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl Party.

patriots vs giants Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.

Posted by Phaon Spurlock

As we gear up for Super Bowl XLVI to watch the New York Giants and the New England Patriots face-off on February 5, 2012, we would like to take this time to provide you with the blueprint for hosting a Super Bowl Party. The Super Bowl is more than just football. It’s an event that links generations, crosses genders and also just a good time to drink beer for a couple of hours with your friends. I know you have all been to the regular Super Bowl party, you know, the one with a couple chip platters, some  dip, and a cooler full of beer. While this may be good for some, but its not for LuxuriousPROTOTYPE way. Simple doesn’t always have to be so simple. With a couple of tips and party ideas we hope to make sure that your friends and family will crown you as the KING of Super Bowl!

The Layout

For making your man cave, living room or even your outdoor area (depending on where you live) the crown jewel of your favorite team we have listed great places to go to get material:

Essentials

  • Chairs and lots of them!
  • Table – Food placement
  • Batteries (just in case the remote stops working)
  • Music system or DJ
  • Cups
  • Pitcher
  • Cooler
  • Forks
  • Napkins (LOTS!)
  • Water

 The Grub

SuperBowlSnacks Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.The items below are made to compliment your essentials: Plain Chips, Nacho Cheese Chips, Sour Cream & Onion Chips & Buffalo Wings, Chicken Fingers and Veggie Platter.

Beer-Battered Onion Rings

8 beer battered onion rings clt0111 xl 300x300 Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.courtesy of Cooking light

Ingredients

  • 2 large onions, peeled (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • 2/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon(s) paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup(s) flat beer
  • 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil, divided
  • Cooking spray
  • 1/4 cup(s) ketchup

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Cut the onion crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices, and separate into rings. Use 16 of the largest rings; reserve remaining onion for another use. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, paprika, and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in beer and egg white (batter will be thick). Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dip 5 onion rings in batter, letting excess drip off. Add onion rings to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until golden. Place the onion rings on a jelly-roll pan. Repeat procedure of dipping onion rings in batter and cooking in remaining oil, ending with 6 rings. Coat the onion rings with cooking spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until crisp. Serve rings with ketchup

Meatball Parmigiana Sliders

Meatball Parmigiana Sliders 300x300 Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.photo credit: Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients

  • 2 slice(s) white or sandwich bread, torn into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup(s) whole milk
  • 8 ounce(s) ground beef (85 percent lean)
  • 8 ounce(s) ground pork
  • 4 ounce(s) ground veal
  • 1 cup(s) (1 ounce) finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 3 tablespoon(s) coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 clove(s) garlic, minced
  • 1 large egg
  • Coarse salt
  • marinara sauce
  • 24  brioche rolls, split
  • 1 1/2 cup(s) (5 ounces) coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup(s) (1 ounce) finely grated pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese, for sliders
  • Small basil leaves

Directions

  1. Make the meatballs: Soak bread in milk for 5 minutes. Gently mix bread and milk with meats, 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano, parsley, garlic, egg, and 1 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Roll mixture into 24 one-ounce balls (each about the size of a golf ball).
  3. Heat sauce in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Drop meatballs into sauce, and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook, partially covered, until meatballs are cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
  4. Make the sandwiches: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Working in batches, arrange rolls, cut side up, on a baking sheet. Place 1 meatball, a spoonful of sauce, 1 tablespoon mozzarella, and 1 teaspoon pecorino Romano on bottom halves. Bake until cheese melts, about 3 minutes. Top with basil and close sandwich.

Potato Skins

Potato Skins 300x300 Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.courtesy of Good Housekeeping; photo credit Kate Spears

Ingredients

  • 4 large (12 ounces each) baking (russet) potatoes, well scrubbed
  • 4 slice(s) center-cut bacon
  • 1 tablespoon(s) extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/3 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
  • 1 ounce(s) Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
  • 1 large (10- to 12-ounce) tomato, finely chopped
  • 2 tablespoon(s) snipped fresh chives

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. With fork, pierce each potato 3 times. Place potatoes on parchment paper. Microwave on High 8 minutes. Turn over; microwave on High 10 minutes longer or until tender. Cover with kitchen towel; let cool.
  3. Meanwhile, in 18″ by 12″ jelly-roll pan, arrange bacon in single layer. Roast 10 to 12 minutes or until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels. When cool, crumble. Discard fat from pan but do not wipe clean; set pan aside. Reset oven to 475 degrees F.
  4. Cut each potato in quarters lengthwise. With spoon, scoop potato from skins, leaving about 1/4 inch of potato with skin and being careful not to break through skin. Reserve cooked potato for another use.
  5. Arrange skins, skin side up, in single layer on reserved pan. Brush with oil; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  6. Roast 13 to 15 minutes or until browned and crisp. Transfer, skin sides down, to serving plate.
  7. To assemble, spread 1 teaspoon sour cream on each skin. Top with cheese, tomato, bacon, and chives.

Rotel Spicy Cheesburger Dip

Rotel Cheeseburger Dip Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.Rotel Spicy Cheesburger Dip

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA®, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 can (10 oz.) RO*TEL® Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
  • 1 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 lb. ground beef, cooked, drained
  • 4 green onions, sliced

Directions

MIX first 4 ingredients in large microwaveable bowl.

MICROWAVE on HIGH 5 minutes or until VELVEETA® is melted, stirring after 3 minutes. Stir in onions.

 Libations

Cocktails

Long Island Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.Long Island Iced Tea
Ice
1oz Absolut Vodka
1oz Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila
1oz Bacardi White Rum
1oz Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin
1oz Cointreau Liqueur
1.5oz Lemon Bar Mix
1 Splash Cola
Take your Collins glass, and fill it with your desired level of ice. Next mix in 1oz Vodka, 1oz Tequila, 1oz Rum, 1oz Gin, 1oz Triple Sec and 1.5oz of Sweet and Sour Mix. Stir it all up and then pour in a splash of your favorite Cola.

images Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.

 

Manhattan
3/4 oz Martini Rosso Vermouth
2 1/2 oz Crown Royal Whisky
1 dash Angostura® bitters
1 maraschino cherry
1 twist orange peel
Combine the vermouth, whiskey, and bitters with 2 – 3 ice cubes in a mixing glass. Stir gently, don’t bruise the spirits and cloud the drink. Place the cherry in a chilled cocktail glass and strain the whiskey mixture over the cherry.

 

Boston Sidecar top chivas manhattan Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.
3/4 oz Bacardi White Rum
3/4 oz Chivas Regal Whisky
3/4 oz Cointreau Liqueur
juice of 1/2 lime
Ice
Shake all ingredients with ice, strain into a cocktail glass, and serve.
Garnish with a twist of orange.

 

Cape Cod cape Guide To Throwing A Super Bowl XLVI Party.
1 1/2 oz Absolut Vodka
4 oz cranberry juice
Ice
Combine in a highball glass with ice.
Garnish with a wedge of lime, and serve.

 

 

Beers

Ahh beer, the most quintessitial drink for ANY football game. We all think the classic beer choices are great for watching the game, such as: Miller Light, Budweiser, and Coors Light. However, we wanted to broaden your horizon, for all you are a LuxuriousPROTOTYPE man. We have listed our top picks for non-traditional beers for the Super Bowl.

  • Stella Artois
  • Dos Equis
  • Blue Moon Pale Ale
  • Abita Purple Haze
  • Magic Hat
  • Hoegaarden White Ale

 Games

The Generals

Take one drink for:

Winning the coin toss/loosing the coin toss, giving up a run of 10 yards, a pass of 20 yards, a sack/ tackle for a loss of 2-10 yards, make a field goal of 45 yards or more, missing a field goal of under 50 yards or a 5-10 yard penalty

Take two drinks for:

15+ yard penalty, giving up a touchdown and any turnover

Take three drinks for:

Your team losing on a fourth down situation or making a touchdown of over 50 yards

Take four drinks for:

Giving up any return for a touchdown and/or any reverse plan taken in for a touch down

Rules courtesy of idrink.com

Touchdown Toss Back

The touchdown toss back is a simple game. The game can tweaked to fit your “drinking” needs. The object of the game is to take a shot of your favorite alcohol each time your team scores a touch down. To spice the game up, you can even add a shot of beer each time your team scores a field goal.

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!?!?!?

Thanks for reading our Real Estate Blog!

Posted By: David Berg – Puget Sound Real Estate Agent

Office: 253-234-4289 Cell: 253-370-9449

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Short Sale vs. Bank Owned – Which is better?

Along with purchasing a home from an existing homeowner, many people prefer purchasing a home from an owner that is in the process of being or has already been foreclosed on. Homeowners who get behind on their mortgages, unable to refinance or modify their loans for a lower payment, lose their homes. These homes are sold at a reduced value, providing a bargain for buyers.  Let’s go into detail to explain the difference between a Short Sale and a Foreclosure, commonly known as a Bank Owned or REO (Real Estate Owned).

Short Sale

When an existing homeowner runs into trouble staying current on the payments with their mortgage, the lender may allow the home to be sold in a short sale. In a short sale situation, the bank agrees to let the home be sold for less than what the current owner owes on the property. The sale will be “short” of the owed amount. The sale amount has to be approved by the lender, a process that can take from three months up to a year or sometimes more.  Do not mistake the amount of time for being short.  This is generally a longer process.

Bank Owned Houses

A bank becomes the owner of a property once a homeowner defaults on the loan and the right of redemption period has expired. The house is foreclosed. This right of redemption varies from state to state. In Illinois, foreclosure takes a minimum of seven months. In a judicial foreclosure sale, the bank becomes the owner, allowing the institution to recoup any losses suffered from the loan default.

Buying a Short Sale

Purchasing a short sale home requires patience. During this process, the bank is attempting to get the highest amount for the house. The offer must be approved by the asset manager for the bank and lien holder and may take up to a year or more. During this time, a prospective buyer must watch spending habits and continue to keep their credit in good standing.  If they do not, they risk losing the house, along with putting the sellers at risk to going into foreclosure.

Purchasing a Foreclosure

The purchase of a bank-owned property is similar to dealing with a homeowner. At this stage, the bank is simply selling the property to remove it from its books. The houses are usually priced lower than market value and there is a single asset manager assigned to oversee the sale. This asset manager is authorized to accept, counter or reject offers.

Which are Better? Foreclosures or Short Sales?

If a prospective home buyer is looking for a bargain but does not have an extensive period of time to wait for bank approval, then purchasing a bank-owned property is better. Bank-owned properties, or foreclosures) are sold ”as is,” meaning the bank is not responsible for any repairs, and any damage in the home will be the responsibility of the new owner. There are certain situation where a bank may allow for absolutely necessary repairs to be made. For those who wish to purchase a home where the current homeowner is still involved and able to relay any information on the home, than purchasing a short sale is the better option, although a longer one.  For those of you that are willing to do some of your own repairs or obtain financing to have the repairs done through an FHA 203k or 203b loan, the foreclosure or bank owned is the route to choose.

Most Recent Bank Owned Seattle – Federal Way – Tacoma – Dash Point – Browns Point Foreclosures

Newest Short Sales in Tacoma – Seattle – Federal Way – Dash Point & Browns Point – Short Sales

Thanks for reading our Real Estate Blog!

Posted By: David Berg – Puget Sound Real Estate Agent

Office: 253-234-4289 Cell: 253-370-9449

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Top 5 Tips to Sell a Home Fast – Seattle, Tacoma, Browns Point, Dash Point, Federal Way, Redondo, Des Moines, Normandy Park, Burien, & West Seattle

In a hurry to sell your home? Here’s how to make sure you snag the best price in the least amount of time.

By Beth Braverman, Money Magazine staff reporter

1. You have to seriously undercut the competition

Selling a home in a down market almost inevitably means settling for a disappointing price. But to unload your home fast, you’re going to have to dip 10% to 15% below what comparable homes in your neighborhood recently sold for. You still may not be able to compete with foreclosures and short sales, but at least you stand a chance of getting buyers to notice your listing.

To prevent yourself from becoming overly attached to your asking price, try to determine the lowest possible offer you’d accept before your listing hits the market. That will help remove your emotions from the negotiating process later on, says Palm Beach realtor Heidi Cole.

2. Outside fixes have the biggest impact

Since your house won’t be cheaper than the distressed property down the block, it has to look far better. But you may not have the time or money to redo the kitchen, so focus on cosmetic improvements that will bring the most buyers to your door.

Spending a grand can go a long way toward improving your home’s exterior, says staging expert Sandy Hare of Eugene, Ore. Get the outside of your house power-washed, paint the door, replace the knocker, and hire a gardener to give your yard some TLC.

3. First-timers are your friend

The most efficient way to market your home is to target the most likely buyers. First-timers bought over half the homes purchased so far this year, thanks to a new federal tax credit and the flexibility to buy without the burden of selling another property (super-low mortgage rates don’t hurt either).

The average age of the first-time buyer: 30. To boost your chances of reaching the Gen-Y crowd, get yourself a snazzy online presence (see No. 4) and spread the word about your next open house through social networks like Facebook and Twitter, says Warwick, R.I., realtor Ron Phipps.

4. Online tricks will make your home pop

Buyers are faced with thousands of listings. Help them find yours by peppering your description with amenity keywords like “deck,” “pool,” and “granite counters,” says Heather Fernandez of real estate search site Trulia.com. Then make sure they like what they see by using a wide-angle lens to make your rooms look bigger in pictures. And set your home at the lowest end of its price range; a $299,000 home will seem expensive to a buyer in the $250,000 to $300,000 range, but a $301,000 home is a deal to someone looking between $300,000 and $350,000.

5. Your secret weapon is a speedy deal

It can take months for banks to approve a deal for a short sale or a foreclosed property. Make sure your agent lets potential buyers know that you can close the deal within a few weeks.

Another advantage you hold over distressed sellers: the ability to be creative in negotiations. If a potential buyer is wavering, offer to pay part or all of the closing costs or cover a year’s worth of association fees. At the very least, consider throwing in some new appliances or a paint job. After all, in this market no one is going to want a home that doesn’t seem like a bargain.  To top of page

Foreclosures around the Puget Sound, Seattle, Tacoma, Federal Way, Des Moines, and Redondo 

Short Sales around the Puget Sound, Seattle, Tacoma, Browns Point, Dash Point, and Des Moines 

Comparable Houses for Sale in Seattle, Tacoma, Browns Point, Dash Point, Des Moines, Federal Way, Redondo, Normandy Park, Burien, & West Seattle

Thanks for reading our Real Estate Blog!

Posted By: David Berg – Puget Sound Real Estate Agent

Office: 253-234-4289 Cell: 253-370-9449

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