BUNCO!
In theory bunco is a game of dice, played in rounds. Players take turns rolling the dice and trying to accumulate as many points as possible to win each round. The game is played at tables of four in competing teams of two.
Sure.
In reality, bunco is a social event. It's a party. We get together once a month, leaving the cares and worries behind, and leaving the kids with their fathers or baby-sitters.
We fall off our diets, snacking on M&Ms, Chex-Mix, or anything else we can get our hands on. We have appetizers and seconds on dessert. We drink our favorite wine or drink-of-the-night, and we talk.
We talk about our kids. About the neighbors. About anyone who didn't show up. About our husbands, our jobs, their jobs, the builder in our community, TV shows, current events, and anything else that might tickle our fancy.
Oh yeah, and we play a silly, mindless dice game with wild abandon, hoping to take home a few more sheckles then we arrived with.
Now that's BUNCO.
BUNCO SNACKS
Sherry Spiced Almonds
1 egg white
½ c sugar
2 T sherry
1 t pumpkin pie spice
½ t allspice
1/8 t cayenne
2 c whole almonds
Preheat oven to 325°. Mix first six ingredients. Stir in almonds. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick spray (Pam etc). Bake 25 minutes or until toasted, stirring occasionally. Let cool. Break apart. Makes 2 cups. Also good with cashews.
Savory Walnuts
2 T white wine Worcestershire
1 T olive oil
½ t thyme
¼ t rosemary
1/8 t cayenne
¼ t salt
2 c walnuts
Preheat oven to 350°. Combine first six ingredient. Stir in walnuts. Spray a 13x9 inch pan with non-stick spray (Pam etc). Bake 12-15 minutes. Makes 2 cups. Also good with almonds or macadamia nuts.
Crunchy Caramel Snack Mix
4 ½ c Chex® type cereal, any grain
4 c popped popcorn
½ c cashew halves
¼ c butter
1/3 c packed brown sugar
2 T light corn syrup
¼ t vanilla
Preheat oven to 250°. Mix first three in mixing bowl. Heat butter, sugar, syrup and vanilla in microwave for 2 minutes, or until bubbling, but watch to make sure it doesn’t boil over. Pour over cereal mixture and stir until evenly coated. Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool then break into pieces. Makes 9 cups.
Texican Party Mix
1 ½ c small pretzel twists
1 ½ c corn chips
1 ½ c oyster crackers
1 ½ c roasted peanuts
1 ½ c cheese Nips®
2 T butter
1 t Worcestershire
1 t chili powder
½ t ground cumin
½ t oregano leaves
½ t garlic powder
¼ t cayenne
Preheat oven to 300°. Combine first five ingredients in mixing bowl. Combine remaining ingredients in small bowl. Microwave on defrost power level about 30 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir well. Drizzle over pretzel mixture and toss to coat. Spread in 15x10 inch pan (jelly roll size). Bake 25 minutes or until golden, stirring once halfway through cook time. Cool. Makes 9 cups.
White Chocolate Snack Mix
2 ½ c small pretzel twists
2 ½ c Cheerios®
2 ½ c corn Chex®
1 c roasted peanuts
7 oz M&Ms®
11 oz white chocolate chips
1 T vegetable oil
Line baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment. Combine first five ingredients in mixing bowl. Combine white chocolate chips and oil in small bowl. Microwave at 50% power for 15 seconds and then stir. Repeat until melted. Pour over cereal mixture and stir well. Spread on prepared sheed. Cool and break apart. Makes 11 cups.
