Salvation Party

Get the fuck out there, your health depends on it.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that tomorrow is the Super Bowl which is being hosted right here in lovely Los Angeles, California. That means that many of us are going to shower and maybe, just maybe, hang out with some people. After the last 2 years, many of us have- rightly- grown a little gun shy when it comes to group activities. But unfortunately, a lil partying is good for us.***

#3 sisterwife but #1 in his heart @prettycritical

we all need to chill. i won’t go first but it’s something i've noticed.

Maybe you’re not the partying type so you think you’re off the hook. Nope. The facts are in and against your agoraphobia; it’s healthy to hang out with other humans more. For real. By now we all know that what we put into our bodies affects our health, but the people you hang around with or if you go out at all can affect it too. Hundreds of studies have found that people who frequently interact socially with others live longer than the socially averse among us. 

The health benefits of interacting with other people on the regular can be as obvious as a reduced risk for things like depression, but studies have found that it can reduce your risk for cardiovascular problems, some cancers, and can lower your blood pressure. It even helps balance your serotonin levels. Being anti-social doesn’t deplete your serotonin but in fact can make your body produce too much causing anxiety. Wild, right? 

So, like everyone else, you’re stressed about work, worried about money, family, and a looming life crisis and thus you  might not be in the mood to see other people. We get it. But you hafta get the fuck out there. Even if that means inviting your bestie over. A party of two is still a party.

Parties are about having a good time; not about eating a bunch of gut grenades you’re gonna regret in the not-too-distant future. Party food usually involves a bunch of prepackaged shit from the store. Which means what you’re eating while you’re trying to feel good with friends is loaded with trans fats, artificial everything, and always soaked in sodium. And if you’re drinking alcohol on top of all that super salty food, it’s only gonna drag you down more. 

chemistry go brrrr

A great party spread not only tastes good but is filling enough to keep the party rollin’ long after lesser snacks would’ve let you down. There’s a reason you’re still hungry an hour after eating fast food. But you can’t just show up to a house party with a basket of raw, unseasoned kale. That’s an easy way to get your name taken off the invite list next time. 

Money is tight, trust us we feel that. But you have to eat anyway, so you might as well not do it alone. Luckily our site has tons of recipes you can use to feed your crew no matter the budget. And like we’ve been saying for weeks in our Sunday edition, beans and rice can go a long fucking way to feeding a crowd. 

Before you even ask, no, you can’t just have drinks and no food. We explicitly explain this among many other rules in Party Grub, our second cookbook. Even the drunkest motherfuckers will get hungry eventually, if anything, they’ll be the first. People will get cranky real quick and start digging through your pantry and crunching on uncooked noodles. Save them from themselves. Also, this is the perfect time to show those garbage-eating goats you call friends that healthy food can satisfy their vodka-soaked cravings. Real food will fill them up AND they won’t feel like shit next day because they will have avoided eating room-temperature hot dogs. Curb the late-night drive-thru decisions by serving and eating quality food at the party. 

Whether it’s this weekend or sometime soon, here are some of our favorite party foods to get you started. 

Butternut Squash Chili Cheese Dip

Alfredo Garlic Knots

Mexican Style Grilled Corn aka Elotes

TexMex Queso

Baked Onion Rings

BBQ Bean Sliders

Hatch Chile Enchiladas

Frito Pies

Skillet Tempeh Pasta

Sweet Potato and Spinach Rolled Tacos

Frozen Banana Pops

Now go forth and be a little social. Your brain and body will thank you. Same time next week?

Michelle and Matt

*** Assuming everyone is tested and following all the rules for whatever virus is wreaking havoc on our lives at any given point. Be smart and stay safe out there.