Blog

The Bra Debate: Are You a Stretcher or a Spinner?

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 GMT

So, one of the most interesting discoveries to come out of Bunco night recently is that not all women put their bras on in the same way. Not only that, but they are apparently very defensive about their method being THE right way.

It all started innocently enough with Mrs. Gee's bra coming undone. I know, I know. That doesn't sound even remotely innocent. Since I wasn't paying attention at the time, I can't even truly attest to the events that led to "The Girls" escaping their confines.

What I did see was Mrs. Gee reaching up behind her and then spending the next two or three minutes writhing, slouching, twisting, and sliding down in her chair while trying to reattach the hooks that had somehow come undone. It was comical, to say the least, and progress may have been a tad bit hampered by wine. Or not. It's just a guess.

Anyhow.

One of us wondered aloud why she didn't just spin the darn thing around, hook it in the front, and then spin it back. This is when the whole Jets vs. Sharks thing happened.

Stretchers: What?! Why would you hook your bra in the front and then spin it around? What are we...TWELVE?

Spinners: Well, it's a lot easier, and it doesn't stretch your bra all out of shape.

Stretchers: Yeah. But what are we...TWELVE?

The Stretchers' argument seemed to be based pretty heavily in the idea that hooking your bra in the front should fade with pimples, nervousness over buying feminine hygiene products, and the other horrors of adolescence.

The Spinners, on the other hand, were just flabbergasted at the inefficiency and general lack of concern for the lifespan of elastic displayed by their rivals.

This, my friends, is why my husband no longer asks "So, what happened at Bunco tonight?" when I get home.

These Cinnamon Rolls are to Die For!

Sat, 29 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

As promised, here are the recipes that Mrs. A used at this month's BFD (Breakfast for Dinner) bunco. Yummy, yummy stuff, I tell you.

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

20 frozen dough rolls

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup vanilla instant pudding mix

1-2 Tbsp cinnamon

1/2 cup melted butter

Night before: Grease a 10" Bundt pan and add the frozen rolls. Sprinkle with dry ingredients. Pour the melted butter over all. Cover with a clean, damp cloth and leave out at room temperature.

Morning: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes (although it seems to take longer in my oven). Let sit for 5 minutes after baking and turn out on serving dish.

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Cheese Cornbread Egg Bake

-One 8x8 inch pan of cornbread (you probably won't use the whole thing)
-One small loaf of bakery white bread, crusts removed
-1 lb ground sausage
-1 4 oz can mild green chilies
-1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
-1 8 oz. cream cheese
-1 1/2 cups grated Monterey jack and cheddar cheese
-7 eggs
-1 1/2 cups milk
-1 1/2 cups 1/2&12
-1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Cut the white bread into crouton
size cubes and place into pan. Sauté sausage and drain well.
Sprinkle sausage over bread. Drain green chilies and spread over
sausage. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over. Cut the cream cheese into
cubes and place over cheddar cheese. Cut cooled cornbread into
chunks and sprinkle over cheese. Sprinkle the mixed cheese over the
cornbread. Beat the eggs with the milk and half & half and dry
mustard. Pour egg mixture over entire pan as evenly as possible.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Bake next morning, covered with foil at 350 for 35 min. Uncover and
bake another 20 min. Let rest for 10 min before serving.

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Easy Cheesy Potluck Potato Dish

Mix together:

2 bags frozen O'Brien potatoes

2 cups sour cream

3 cans Cream of Chicken soup

Dump into a greased 9" x 13" dish

Top with as much shredded cheddar cheese as you can

Bake covered at 350 degrees for 2 hours 30 minutes

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Crème Brulee French Toast

http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/crembrulfrencht.htm

Although I used French bread since that's what I could find.

May Bunco, 2009

Mon, 24 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We had a ton of fun at this month's Bunco. It was hosted by Mrs. A who decided to do a BFD Bunco. If you're like me, you probably think that stands for one thing, but it really means "breakfast for dinner." Mrs. A did stuffed French toast, cheesy potatoes, this bread and meat thing, and some absolutely delicious cinnamon rolls.

As soon as she gets on the ball, she'll be sending me some recipes to post here. (Hint, hint!) According to her, the rolls were uber easy, so I'll be happy to pass that one along.

We had a couple of subs this month, and it was great to see them. Jennifer used to be a full-time member, so it was awesome to have her back in the fold. Vicki has been a long-standing sub and was patient with the rest of us, as per usual!

I didn't win anything this month, but that's cool. We had a ton of Buncos in the room, which was kind of weird. I think the winner of "most Buncos" had four or some such nonsense.

As usual, there was lots of wine, a fair amount of gossiping, and a ton of fun. Can't wait for next month.

It's Official

Tue, 18 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hello, all. Mrs. Bee here. I'm so happy to be officially launching the BuncoBunco website today. It's been a labor of love...a long, slow, tedious, slightly embarrassing labor of love. But, now it's real, and there's some great stuff here on the site to share with you all. A few of the coolest things include the fact that we have tons and tons of free downloads, including score sheets, table tents, our Totally Unofficial Rule Book, and more. There are also totally original Bunco shirts and other product available in the BuncoBunco shop, and we're really looking forward to adding more cool stuff as we go along.

I have a lot of ideas for the site, and I'm always open to more. If you've got anything you'd like to share, feel free to do it here in the blog or via the contact page.

Oh, and please don't forget to sign up for our newsletter. I promise on my honor not to give anyone access to your email address. (I will only use it for my own evil purposes.) Actually, the newsletter will include things like Bunco tips, theme ideas, recipes, etc.

Finally, I want to thank all of the ladies in my own Bunco group who have been so supportive of this whole thing. They've been listening to my hair-brained ideas for several years now, and never have they said, "You can't do that." Thanks, crazy ladies.

What You Need to Play Bunco

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

When starting a Bunco group, one of the first things you’ll need to do, after securing enough players, is to put together a Bunco kit. Our group finds that everything fits nicely into the “Bunco Bag,” which can then be taken home with next month’s hostess at the end of the night. Our bag includes the following:

· Three sets of three dice

· A master copy of the score sheets, with plenty of extras cut and ready to go

· Table placards telling us where to go at the end of each round

· The “Bunco Binder” with contact information, sub list, rules, and master copies

· Prize envelopes (we just reuse the same ones until they’re worn out)

· Twenty pencils and a pencil sharpener

· A bell

· The traveling Bunco frog (it doesn’t have to be a frog, that’s just what we use)

It helps if you put each set of dice, a handful of score sheets, and four or five pencils in three separate baggies. You can then pull them out and put them on each table without having to sort through every month. That said, you’ll also need three tables. We have a couple of players who are available to bring card tables, although we also get creative with kitchen tables, coffee tables, and the occasional sideboard!

It helps if each month’s host/ess double checks the bag before her turn so that she can run off any copies needed or sharpen pencils if they’re getting too dull. If your group pays in advance, she may also want to go through and ensure that the money has been broken down into the proper prize envelopes or to go shopping for prizes to be given away.

What to Do When Bunco Turns into “Drunk-o”

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

I would be fooling you, and myself, if I said that our Bunco group was full of saints. In fact, when I refer to us as “ladies” on this blog, it’s more because we’re all female than because we actually exhibit the qualities one would associate with the words. Some of us swear like truck drivers. Some of us can be a little catty. And some of us like to drink a bit. (Some of us do all three…)

When one of us has maybe imbibed a bit too much on Bunco night, no one gets too bent out of shape about it. After all, we see Bunco night as a chance to blow off some steam. From time to time, though, we have to intervene a bit to keep our friends safe. At times like those, someone who hasn’t been drinking will step up to drive the member home, and hostesses never have a problem with letting a player’s car stay at her house overnight.

When we have a night coming up where we know we’ll all be “partying” a bit, we make arrangements in advance. Players carpool together, with one acting as the designated driver. Others have friends or family on standby to come and pick them up. We’ve even been known to use taxi cab service to make sure that everyone gets home safely at the end of the night.

Another way that we mitigate the danger is to plan the occasional pajama party. All the ladies bring their jammies and plan to spend the night at the hostess’ house. Then we’re able to play our game, catch up with friends, and enjoy a few drinks, too. You might even consider having everyone chip in to create a nice, hangover-friendly breakfast the next day.

We recommend greasy food and lots of water.

Thanksgiving Bunco Ideas

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Some Bunco groups like to incorporate holidays into their monthly get-togethers, and with Thanksgiving coming up, that means there are lots of ways to have fun. One of the most obvious ways is for the host/ess to decorate for the big day. This could be something simple like using autumn-colored cloths on the Bunco tables, or as crazy as making those construction paper cutouts of your hand that look like turkeys and naming each one after a player in the group.

Some other fun ideas:

· Do a Thanksgiving-themed potluck where everyone brings a simplified version of their favorite traditional dish

· Have each participant share why they’re thankful for their Bunco group

· Burn a few pumpkin or cranberry scented candles during the party

· Use a stuffed turkey for the traveling Bunco

· Fill up the crock pot with some apple juice or cider and add a dash of cinnamon and another of cloves

Of course, you could take the theme idea to a whole different level with decorations, games, food, etc., but remember that Bunco is about having fun and hanging out with people you like. There probably won’t be a lot of time for games (except Bunco, of course) or crafts, so don’t put too much time into preparations for something that really isn’t necessary. Instead, focus on being Thankful that you are part of such a great group and know that they’re feeling the same way.

Bunco Basics

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

If you're new to the idea of Bunco, or you find yourself needing to explain how you spend the third Saturday of every month, here's a quick rundown of the highlights:

· Bunco is a very simple game of chance that uses three dice and a score card

· The setup requires tables of four players, and you rotate from table to table with each round

· Bunco is as much (or more) about social interaction as it is about throwing the dice or winning money and prizes

· Most Bunco groups meet once a month

· With a group of twelve participants, each member hosts one month out of the year at his or her home

Each group has its own rules and dynamics, to some degree. For example, our group prohibits men and children so that it is a nice “getaway” for the ladies. Other groups may hire a babysitter so all the kids can play together during this time, and yet others are just for men or are co-ed. The point is to set it up in a way that works best for your players and their schedules.

Bunco is played in rounds, with each taking approximately 30 minutes. Our group plays three rounds, and we have a “break” in between rounds one and two and another between rounds two and three. This gives us an opportunity to eat, visit, use the bathroom, and just hang out with one another. A lot of groups play four rounds, but since we're such talkers, we find that we usually only have time for three. Again, it's OK to consider the needs of your group when deciding what will work best. It's all about having fun, after all!

How to Start a Bunco Group

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 17:10:00 GMT

With so much going on in our lives, figuring out how to start a Bunco group can seem a little daunting. It doesn’t have to be, though. Try these tips and techniques to find players to join your fledgling group.

Who Do You Like to Hang Out With?

Bunco is all about having fun, so it makes sense that you would want to start with people you enjoy. Make a list of friends, family, church or organization members, and maybe even colleagues who are a lot of fun to be around. You’re looking for twelve players, but remember that not everyone is going to say “yes,” so try to come up with more than that. If you do get too many positive responses, that’s great, as you’ll be able to start your sub list at the same time.

Who Do You Not See Often Enough?

Because Bunco is only a one-night-a-month commitment, it’s something that many people feel like they are willing to fit into their schedules. This means that it’s a great opportunity to get together with folks that you don’t see on a regular basis but wish you could.

What if I Don’t Know Anyone?

If you’re interested in starting a Bunco group because you want to meet new people, then you need to start by finding those folks. You can do this by asking people you know to invite a friend or two, or by going out and “recruiting” them yourself. A great tool for this kind of thing is Craigslist.com. Under the “community” section on the page for your city, you’ll find a “groups” category. You can put your listing there. The “strictly platonic” category in the “personals” section is also a good place to find others who are looking for some social interaction. In addition to posting an ad, you can look through and see if there’s anyone there you want to invite to join the group.

Do you have any great suggestions for how to start a Bunco group or where to find players? If so, leave them in the comments section so we can all benefit from your wisdom!