With Memorial Day weekend in full swing and the unofficial start of summer (in my book), it's time for a cook out! A what out, you say? It's the East coast way of saying a backyard barbecue. With a nice fun gathering of friends and family, why not combine a cook out with a game night? It’s the perfect combination for fun!
Some of my most favorite game night activities are the trick-taking card games. My first introduction to a card game like this was when I was a child and my parents and grandparents would play Pinochle. I would sit on my grandfather’s lap while he would score combinations of cards into melds. The game seemed very complicated and to this day I still don't know how to play. All I remember was that there was a lot of joking around, occasional arguments and confusion. Ha!
A trick-taking card game that I was accustomed to playing was called Rook. This was one of my mother’s favorite games that we would commonly play with her side of the family. My mother’s family was more religious and so maybe that's why they used to call it "missionary poker”. Rook was played with a special deck of cards that had a funny looking crow on the face of the cards. There was a lot of laughter when you had to take a pile from someone else.
In more recent years, the trick-taking card game that’s become very popular with the younger generation is called Spades. This game can be played in teams or solo. There's a keen way of bidding and guessing how many tricks you can win. It takes skill and aptitude and it's a great card game to play with a big group (especially good on a camping trip or safari!). The trump is always a spade. A spade is a spade, as they say! This card game is popular in the military because it's a game that can be easily interrupted. Gruesome thought. :(
A new game was introduced to me this past summer at a Fourth of July gathering. It's a domino game called Mexican Train. It's about placing your dominoes in chains or trains from a certain “station”. It's a simple, energetic game that will fill a room with giggles and angst! Want instructions for any of these games? Just Ask!
And for you guys out there planning a poker night (I don't mean to discriminate the girls out there, but do girls really like playing poker or would they rather watch Carrie Bradshaw in Sex and the City?)…a word to the wise when picking your poker night: don't do it on a Monday during football season or you won't get a good attendance. Pick a date when you know a majority of your friends will attend. Men love to show their machismo at a poker table and don’t want to miss it, right? Remember to have plenty of beer, snacks and money!!! Celebrate being a man. Play poker! Need help organizing a poker night? Just Ask
Regardless of what type of game night you host, be sure to have loads of fun food. Pull out your amazingly delicious and cheesy nachos made for a crowd – because, who doesn’t like nachos? Here's my quick and easy recipe:
Ingredients
- Tortilla chips (10-12 oz bag) – I like to mix corn and blue chips
- Pepper jack cheese (8oz grated)
- Cheddar cheese (8 oz grated)
- Salsa – I use a medium spicy store bought kind
- Refried beans (already warmed)
- Shredded chicken – I use a whole roasted chicken from the gourmet grocery store and shred it myself
- Green onions (chopped)
- Diced tomatoes
- Guacamole (make your own or use store bought)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spread tortilla chips on a baking sheet
Evenly spread 1/2 of the cheeses over the tortilla chips covering every single chip
Spoon the refried beans, then the shredded chicken
Add the remaining cheeses over the incredible mound of goodness
Spoon on the salsa and pop it into the oven until cheese has melted completely and is bubbling (Approximately 12-15 minutes)
Serve with chopped green onions, diced tomatoes and guacamole
Olé!
Game night was never more fun!
