People often jump at the chance to bring salsa and a bag of chips to a Super Bowl party. Why? Because they think it's the simplest thing in the world: There's no prep work, no time-intensive, complex recipe to wrestle with, and it travels well.

Unfortunately, it's exactly this brainless, "always looking for the easy way out"-type of thinking that leads to such tragedies as bland, watery salsa and cardboard-tasting chips and threatens to ruin even the best game day parties. People, this must be stopped!

In fact, there's an art to choosing the perfect salsa to feed a hungry crowd of football fans. That's why we decided to taste and compare some of the top supermarket brands of jarred salsa to prove that not just any salsa will do.

One salsa in particular stood out from the rest -- can you guess which one it was?

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.

Hangover-curing hydrotherapyOh Goop. I don't know whether to avoid you or give you a wet, slobbery, commoner's hug. Sometimes Gwyneth Paltrow's weekly newsletter dazzles me with its usefulness and sparkles. Other times it just makes me feel resentful and 99-percenty. This week's newsletter actually puts me somewhere in the middle. It's all about to recover from a hangover -- and how to prevent one. Useful!

And yet...as I scanned through the newsletter something jumped out at me: All Gwynnie's gurus are making this hangover business way more complicated than it needs to be! Are there any hidden gems of that a broke, regular person like me can use? Let's review the highlights.

There are several kinds of holiday gatherings most people have to negotiate this time of year, from classroom cupcakes to family dinners and more, more, more. Let's see if we can help you get through the next few weeks of mandatory cheer without killing anyone, dying of embarrassment, or losing your mind.

1. The Office Party. Work parties can be great, especially if you work in a pressured environment, because all it takes is one person lighting a tray of shots on fire to make everything unravel into chaos. Chaos can be very entertaining, but you're more likely to keep your job if you're watching the mayhem from a safe distance. Ultimately, the success of an office party depends on how much you either like your coworkers or don't care at all what they think of you.

So you want to throw a holiday party -- but you don't have a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills budget? No problem. Everyone deserves to party, even the 99 percent. You don't have to resort to serving potato chips and beer, either -- unless that's your thing. Here are 8 tips to ring in a festive holiday party without breaking the bank!

Have I got the holiday entertainment solution for you! It's spectacular. It's decadent. It's nutty. It's a riddle wrapped up in blue cheese inside Emmentaler. It's the glorious 12-layer cheese ball! A 5-pound wonder of cream cheese, sausage, pecans, bacon -- did I mention this cheese ball has bacon? Yes, it's the cheese ball of your dreams, or of my dreams, anyway.

The magic elves at Chow have created the ultimate cheese ball recipe. The 12 layers look like a cheese-lover's dream come true when you slice a wedge -- and I bet it's worth every last hideously fattening calorie. Readers, meet the new gingerbread house.

Anyone can bring a cheese plate ...This year, I'm in charge of bringing a Thanksgiving appetizer, and frankly, I'm at a loss. I mean how many years in a row can I bring a cheese plate ... or salami rolls? Don't get me wrong -- I love me some cheese plates and salami rolls, but come on! What I'd really like to bring is something delicious (obviously) that's simple (duh) and is made with some of the season's best ingredients.

Well, you're welcome very much, I've found five pretty spectacular-sounding recipes that meet this criteria. Even better, all five of them look so incredible that I think you're going to get some rave reviews come Thanksgiving.