When I was a kid, my father used to get so upset yelling at bad calls and missed balls during the college bowl games that he finally had to stop watching them for fear of giving himself a heart attack. So it is safe to say that I grew up with an unreasonable fear of televised football, because WHO KNOWS? IT MIGHT KILL YOU.

Still, I am a wee bit envious of people who look forward to Super Bowl Sunday. Especially women who know what a touchback is and who not only own but proudly wear their favorite team's jersey. Who are they, and how did they get that way? Why aren't they spending the entire game on their laptops having emotional affairs on Facebook, flinching every time someone scores a touchdown?

I know, you could always just leave the house if you don't like the Super Bowl -- the streets are empty! It's the perfect time to go to Target! Fortunately, there are a lot of good reasons to stick around for the game.

We're getting ready for the showdown between the New England Patriots and New York Giants by cooking up some crowd pleasing football party foods in our Super Bowl Recipe Challenge. Each day we'll be pitting two delicious recipes against each other and declaring one a winner. Join us today as we make guacamole!

Guacamole is always a crowd-pleaser, whether you're a Patriot or a Giant. (Or really, anyone in the entire universe.) With only a few ingredients and a bag of chips, you can throw down the green stuff and watch it disappear. Which is why the guacamole recipe challenge was a no-brainer. Make guac two times? No problem-o.

Trying to step up the guacamole game, I tested out a truly easy version and compared it to a grilled recipe that also added sour cream to the mix. Super interesting! Grab your chips, and dig in to see what won the Super Bowl guacamole challenge.

We're getting ready for the showdown between the New England Patriots and New York Giants by cooking up some pleasing football party foods in our Super Bowl Recipe Challenge. Each day we'll be pitting two delicious recipes against each other and declaring one a winner. Join us today as we make spinach dip.

Spinach dip at a Super Bowl party is pretty much mandatory. Not just because it's a delicious snacking favorite, but also because it may be the only vegetable consumed the entire evening. So it's important.

But there are so many recipes out there, how to choose? I went for simplicity and tried two of the easiest recipes I could find. The first was the traditional spinach in a bread bowl, cold dip; and the second was a hot spinach-artichoke dip made in my slow cooker -- both recipes came from FoodNetwork.com. Read on to find out which one my fans say was the winner.

Know what goes great with the Super Bowl? Chicken Wings! Mmm, noshing on some hot, sweet-and-spicy wings with a side of ranch sauce and celery sticks sure would hit the spot. And wouldn't it be nice if some wings just showed up at your doorstep around half-time? Well, we've got you covered.

We rounded up some national chains that deliver hot wings and looked into what you get with your order. You know, just to make decision time a little easier for you.

It's shocking to me how ugly my house is.

It shouldn't be, I mean, I work from home (I use the term "work" loosely here), which means I'm firmly ensconced in my fugly house most hours of the day. But somehow, I started accepting the fug as normal, and that's when the wheels came a-flyin' off the train.

For years, YEARS, I've worked in an office (read: my dining room) that was painted such an atrocious shade of green that it made me actually angry to look at the walls. I hear green is supposed to be soothing, but let me tell you, this sort of "cat pee on plasterboard look" is what they probably paint prisons with if they want the inmates to start brawling. It's that bad.

Or it was.

This weekend, because I have a party in which people may actually show up and see the fug in person, I realized it was time for a change.

And now.

If there's ever a time to break out the bubbly, New Year's Eve is it. But if you don't want to be called an amateur, you're going to want to go one step beyond popping the cork. Yes, even if you're popping the cork with a saber. (Okay, if you pop the cork with a saber, you're officially off the hook for any more theatrics.)

Instead of passing out glasses of champagne, or thinking that mimosas are somehow "exotic" at night, instead take a gander at these five champagne recipes and surprise your guests with your ingenuity and taste.

Then you can start practicing with your saber for next year's New Year's Eve party.

I don't know about you, but this year we're staying home for New Year's. After an early dinner at a neighborhood restaurant, we'll be heading back to our place, moving the furniture out of the way, and dancing the night away. This means we'll need fuel!

Time to dig out some of our favorite party appetizer recipes. I'm looking for quick, easy snacks -- but something a little more exciting than potato chips and onion dip. Something light that won't weigh us down. And maybe a few unexpected treats!

Pigs in a blanket are the party app just about everybody loves -- kids and grown-ups. They're cute, little, savory, crunchy, and don't you love saying that silly name out loud? It's the snack that says "party!"

They're also incredibly easy to make -- remove from box and heat, if you can find them pre-made and frozen. If you can't find frozen pigs in a blanket, just cut up hot dogs (or buy cocktail wieners) and wrap them in triangles of puff pastry dough. Now that you know the basics, why not dress them up a little for the New Year? Rachael Ray's twist on the classic gives them extra crunch and three zingy dipping sauces for your guests to choose.