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One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE hosting parties and ones with themes? Even better! With the help of Coca-Cola Zero™ and OREO, I was able to get my friends together for a Taste of Madness party. Mondelēz International and Cocoa-Cola are Corporate Champion and Partners of the NCAA. Also, NCAA and Taste of Madness are trademarks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. © Mondelēz International group © Coca-Cola Zero is a registered trademark of the Coca-Cola company.

When it comes to hosting a party, having the right snacks are always the most important on my list. What better way to celebrate then with OREO cupcakes {yum} and Coca-Cola Zero Ice Cream Floats {double yum}. The recipes are available below and both items can easily be found at your local Jewel, Albertsons, or Safeway. Make sure to visit cokeplaytowin.com/tastethemadness for a chance to win NCAA prizes!

At the snacking table, I also added some popcorn and pretzels, a cheese platter, and some veggies and dip. All were super easy to assemble. For the cheese platter just choose 2-3 cheeses, 1-2 different types of crackers, and sprinkle around some dried or fresh fruit {I chose apricots}. For the veggies and dip just choose 2-4 different types of veggies {carrots, celery, cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, etc} and find a fun dip at your local grocery store {this one is a spinach and kale}.

Lastly, to get in the basketball spirit, themed party decorations are always a must. I was able to add some confetti and create some game day basketball straws to go with the Coca-Cola Zero Floats {see full tutorial below}.

STEP 1 // PRINT OUT IMAGE
Find outlined images of a basketball via the internet and print them out.

STEP 2 // COLOR & CUT
Color the basketballs with an orange marker and cut them out.

STEP 3 // ASSEMBLE STRAWS
Find some cute straws {I found these exact ones here} and tape the basketballs to the straws with some clear tape.

STEP 4 // PARTY
Add the straws to your featured drink and let the party begin!

Mini Oreo Cupcakes

3 cups of cake flour
1 tbsp. of baking powder
1/2 tsp. of salt
16 tbsp. of unsalted butter {at room temperature}
2 cups of sugar
5 eggs {at room temperature}
1 1/4 cups of buttermilk {at room temperature}
1 tbsp. of vanilla extract
1 package of mini OREO cookies
8 tbsp. of butter {at room temperature}
1/2 cup of vegetable shortening
4 cups of powered sugar
1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract
6 tbsp. of crushed OREO cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
Add eggs {one at a time} and beat after each addition.
In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine the buttermilk + vanilla.
Add the dry ingredients and the liquid to the batter.
Fill each lined cupcake tin with batter.
Bake 15-18 minutes, until toothpick insert comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a cooking rack.
For the frosting: cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy {about 2-3 minutes}. Then add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and some of the crushed OREO crumbs. Mix well.
Frost each cupcake and top with some more OREO crumbles and a mini OREO cookie.

Coca-Cola Zero Ice Cream Floats

1 pint of vanilla ice cream
2 liter bottle of Coke Zero
Whipped cream {optional

Put 1-2 scoops of ice cream in a glass.
Pour Coke Zero over ice cream until glass is full.
Top with whipped cream {optional}
Add a straw and/or spoon and serve immediately.

So as you can see, it is super easy to get your friends together for a fun day of snacks, basketball, and friendly competition. Also, make sure to visit cokeplaytowin.com/tastethemadness for a chance to win some NCAA prizes! What team will you be rooting for this year 😉 !?