If you’re in Manhattan this week, it’s difficult to ignore the increased activity in the city as New York and New Jersey get ready to host this year’s Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Super Bowl was not on my mind as I walked through midtown yesterday but as I got to Bryant Park, I noticed trailers and work crews. At first, I thought they were preparing to shoot a movie or television show. But as I approached Broadway, I knew it had to be the Super Bowl.

Work crews had erected barricades which blocked off Broadway from 34th to 47th Streets, creating a pedestrian-only thoroughfare that I found out later goes by the temporary name, Super Bowl Boulevard. They had also started installing giant television screens and stages for performances.

The whipping up of the winds reminded me of the prediction that the temperature would dropped significantly from the morning’s balmy 40 degrees to the 20s. As I hurried to the subway, I thought about the weekend’s forecast and the thousands of football fans who’d be watching the game from these giant screens on Super Bowl Boulevard, those who’d be sitting in the uncovered stadium and the players who’d be playing outside.

If the predictions hold, it’ll be a cold weekend — the first time the Super Bowl will be played outdoors in a cold environment. So as I settled into my seat for the ride home, I began thinking about the kinds of snacks I’d prepare if I had to host a Super Bowl party.

Whether we get the snow and 20 degree temperatures is anyone’s guess. Either way, it’s still winter so my super snacks will be warming, filling, tasty and most importantly, can be all prepared ahead of time.

I’d keep a pot of chicken soup on a low flame and ladle it out as guests arrive. Then I’d have jerk chicken wings, ackee and saltfish bruschetta, Festival, spinach or vegetable cocktail patties, stewed peas (meatless), roast pork, coleslaw, and macaroni and cheese. For dessert, I’d make a fruit cake and ambrosia, and have lots of Red Stripe beer and rum punch on hand.

What snacks are you making for Sunday’s Super Bowl?

How to join the #FoodieTuesday linkup –

• Add the link to your foodie post in the link tool at the bottom of this post
• Leave a comment.
• As a courtesy, please include a link back to this post.
• Tweet, G+, Like, etc., using the hashtag #FoodieTuesday