Your Palmer/Forks Super Bowl Guide

It's the biggest sporting event of the year.

Super Bowl Sunday is near and there's still plenty of time to plan your Super Bowl party or find a place to watch the game in Palmer and Forks Townships.

Kickoff for the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The game, airing from New Orleans on CBS, will include all those new wonderful advertisements -- a show in itself -- and a usually memorable halftime show.

This year it's Beyonce, who follows in the grand tradition of past acts Madonna, The Black Eyed Peas, The Who, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Prince, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney and U2.

The best spot to watch the game in Forks Township is Big Woody's, the sports bar on Sullivan Trail that's great to watch any major sporting event or catch numerous ones at one time.

For Palmer Township, a stone's throw away in Lower Nazareth Township is Buffalo Wild Wings, which has tons of TV screens and plenty of choices for some of the best wings in the area.

For those watching at home, you're going to need to stock up on food: hot dogs, hamburgers, Brats, chips, beer and booze and all kinds of apps.

You can find great deal at both Giant Food Store locations in Forks and Palmer Townships and Weis in Palmer and Forks, where there's also a beer section.

Wegmans in Lower Nazareth Township will also be a hot spot to grab items this weekend. It also features a beer section.

Another great place is Primos, the new hoagie shop in the plaza across from Easton Area High School in Wilson.

Here are some helpful recipes too if you're interested in whipping up that perfect party snack. Try these easy recipes:

Wendy’s Super Easy Super Bowl Guacamole

Ingredients:

•    1 bag of ripe avocados (4) from Trader Joe’s
•    1 container of fresh salsa from Trader Joe’s (spiciness dependent on your      taste)
•    1 – 3 large cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
•    1 teaspoon ground cumin
•    1 bag of tortilla chips 

Directions:

1. Peel and pit avocados.
2. Mash the avocados in a non-metal bowl (if one or more of them seems a wee bit under-ripe, chop instead of mashing).
3. Drain the fresh salsa well (I usually use the lid to squish the salsa down and pour the liquid into the sink) and add it to the mashed avocados.
4. Add the pressed or chopped garlic and the cumin.
5. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs (adapted from Rachael Ray) - serves 8

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground white meat chicken
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 1 cup cilantro or parsley, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cup hot sauce (such as Frank’s or Cholula)
• 3 scallions, green and white parts thinly sliced
• Store-bought, good quality blue cheese dressing for dipping
• 1 bag pre-cut celery sticks
• 1 bag pre-cut carrot sticks

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground chicken with the onion, garlic and cilantro or parsley, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Shape the chicken mixture into balls—you should have 32 meatballs in total.
4. Arrange the meatballs on a wire rack on a foil-covered sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Bake until the meatballs are cooked through and golden brown, about 10-12 minutes.
6. While the meatballs are baking, melt the butter in a large, flat bottom pan over medium heat.
7. Add the hot sauce and whisk to combine.
8. In the pan, toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce to coat (you may do this in batches) and transfer to a serving platter.
9. Place the blue cheese dressing in a small serving bowl and garnish with chopped scallions.
10. Serve the meatballs with toothpicks alongside the blue cheese dressing, celery and carrot sticks.