With the new year comes our annual resolutions to eat better, exercise more, and adopt healthier habits. Then by February we’re hangry (not hungry…if you’ve done a detox you’ll get what we mean here!) and though we’re still trying to maintain our new healthy habits, our old ways start to creep back in. The struggle is real, we live it everyday, but don’t lose hope just yet. What if we told you that there was a day created just for indulging that old reckless abandonment of calorie counting, food measuring, and portion control…a day when even your insanely fit vegan friends are making hot “wings” out of cauliflower, and munching away on chips and organic salsa…a day when you actually look forward to the commercials on TV? Well friend, there is such a day! By happenstance there is also a pretty high stakes football game played on that same day, but we digress. So, if on that one day you could eat anything you wanted, in good company, and not feel the least bit of guilt, what would you eat? We can answer that question on our end with great enthusiasm…NACHOS!!!

• Set the scene. You don’t have to go all out here (although we can’t seem to help ourselves...that may or may not be a custom made Nacho Bar sign. Don’t ask!) Just grab lots of bowls, platters, baskets, and of course some Lil' Holsters Any's for your serving utensils, and start filling them up. Play with colors and shapes to make it more fun...remember we feast first with our eyes!

• Start with a base. Tortilla chips are the obvious choice, but don’t discount other items in your kitchen. Sliced potatoes, sweet potatoes, plantain chips, and even carrots make delicious (and dare we say nutritious nachos).

• Add a little “glue”. Melted shredded cheese, or cheese sauce are always a good idea for nachos. They hold the chips together and anchor the toppings, so they don’t just slide right off the top. There are other options though…think hummus, or a non dairy “cheese” sauce made from cashews and veggies. (it’s yummy, really!) We broke out the fondue fountains for our cheese sauces, and it was glorious!

• Don’t forget your protein. Nachos don’t need meat to score a touchdown…beans are a great addition AND source of protein on their own, but for you avarice carnivores out there try a little ground turkey or beef, cubed chicken, or sliced corned beef (search Irish nachos…you won’t regret it!)

• Top ’til you drop! For some nacho eaters this is where the eating experience meets art. We don’t like to tell you exactly what to do here, but let’s just say that you can never, EVER, have too many different nacho toppings. Your choice of toppings will be what separates the newbies from the seasoned nacho creators, so go big, go spicy, go fresh, go crazy!