Tailgate Menu Number Four: Best Ever!

Our last tailgate was hands down, my favorite tailgate so far. Our game was at 3:30 and we opted to have a late light lunch tailgate and then dinner at halftime. The weather finally cooled off around here, and even though it rained a little bit, we really enjoyed being outside.

The Menu: Part 1

Babyback Ribs

Loaded Baked Potato Dip with Potato Chips

Champagne Toast (always fun!)

The ribs were perfect for a late lunch {good job Mom!}, and the baked potato dip was a great complement. The best part was this whole meal was prepared ahead of time so all we had to do was set it out- no prep at all once we arrived!

Loaded Baked Potato Dip
Warning, this dip is addictive. All of your favorite baked potato toppings in a dip. The recipe suggested using waffle fries (the potato part) to dip, but we made it simple with a few different kinds of potato chips. So good!

The Menu: Part 2

-Chili Bar-

Chili, Grilled Hot Dogs, Tortilla Chips, Shredded Mexican Cheese, Sour Cream

We started out with the idea of a big batch of my Mom's chili and then the rest stemmed from there. 

Did you ever have Chili Chips and Cheese back in the day at Wendys? I remember we used to get it on our way home from church for lunch and it was so good. So we decided to recreate that goodness for those who wanted to snack. While we were at it, we threw in hot dogs to keep the guys nice and full. It was so nice to have the option for so many different meals: a bowl of chili, chili dog, or my favorite, chili chips & cheese!

{Artist T so soft and comfy, Tassel Scarf- my new favorite!}

Happy Tailgating!

Tailgate Menu Number Three + Weekend

Get all your magazine subscriptions at Magsdirect.com.

Our football game last week fell on Thursday night- which means dinner tailgate!

I made probably the biggest hit I have ever made for the tailgate and it was by far the most simple thing- ever! 

Enter Crescent Sausage Bites!

I ended up dividing these up and saving a handful to keep at home. All of the bites at the tailgate were eaten, and we heated them up for breakfast the next morning. I think they were even better the second day! I am not a big sausage person, but these are simply amazing with the cream cheese. And what's better than crescent rolls?!

CRESCENT SAUSAGE BITES

1 lb. hot sausage (pork or turkey)

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese

2 packages crescent rolls

Dash salt & ground black pepper

Directions:

-Brown sausage; drain. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Blend in cream cheese until the cream cheese is melted.

-Unroll one package of crescent rolls and place on a baking sheet- {I covered mine with foil to make it easy to wrap up later}. Press the seams together to seal them. Spread the sausage mixture evenly over the crescent roll dough, and leave about a 1/2-inch border along each edge.

-Unroll the second package of crescent rolls and place on top of the sausage mixture. Press seams together again and the edges together to seal. 

-Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until crescent roll dough is golden brown.

-Use a pizza cutter to slice into small squares.

Other things we had at our tailgate-

-Buffalo Chicken Wings

-Freshly popped popcorn in personal bags {found at Hobby Lobby}

-Veggies

We were so excited that Weeks got to meet Mr. Wolf! He was so cute looking at him. To be honest, I think he was a little scared! Please check out his football Babylegs socks- they got a lot of attention. So cute.

Since a weeknight game left us with the whole rest of the weekend, we were able to attend a wedding at home. Nothing beats this view!

This poor guy had his 6 month checkup last week and was left with a high fever from his shots. He has always done fine so I'm thinking it was the flu shot this time. It was pitiful and I was terrified. He's always such a trooper, even when he doesn't feel well. 

Sunday morning breakfast at home...

And our little guy was feeling much better and let us know splashing around in his bath tub!

Hope your week is off to a great start ;)

Tailgate Menu Number Two

We had a birthday party to celebrate for my Dad, brother (and a 6 month birthday for Weeks!) so we centered the menu around buffalo chicken - something all the men love.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders (see below)

Twice Baked Potato Casserole

Vegetables with Ranch Dip

Smoked Chicken Wings

Creamy Feta Dip wth Jalapenos
Savory Saltine Crackers

CREAMY FETA DIP WITH JALAPENOS

We served the dip with pita chips, but like the recipe suggested it would be a nice bite with some kalamata olives as well. If you are a feta lover, you will love this dip. My only complaint is we took the whole dip out there, when we could have saved half of it at home. It makes a lot! The feta is a nice complement to the chicken that packs some heat. The other crackers you see below are the savory saltine crackers I mentioned last week. You can find their seasonings here. So easy and SO good!

BUFFALO CHICKEN SLIDERS

4-6 chicken breasts, boneless

1 bottle hot sauce (Mild Texas Pete)

1 pkg dry ranch dressing packet

Mix hot sauce and ranch dressing together in a bowl, place chicken in crock pot, pour sauce mix over chicken, cook on low 6-8 hours

Shred with a fork

Serve on Hawaiian rolls and ranch dressing

Add a little more sauce before serving if necessary.

Welcome Football + Tailgate Menu One

I'm a little excited to welcome a new season in, and with that comes our beloved college football games. I would be lying if I didn't say my favorite part is coordinating and planning the menu each week with the rest of the family. We have some tried and true favorites but we also like to mix things up. I thought it would be fun to recap our menu from each week for all my fellow tailgaters. Let y'all know what was a hit at our tailgate so you can try it next week!

First things first though, Weeks wore his NC State bubble that my sister gave me at my baby shower back in January. So fun to finally see this sweet face in it.

Back to the food!

Menu One:

-Ranch Cheese ball

-Mini Ham Biscuits

-Saltine Crackers with Savory Seasoning

-Mexican Bean Dip

-Burgers and Brats

-Champagne Soaked Strawberries

 Our game was at 12:30 on Saturday, so we prepped a bit on Friday night. I saw a pinterest recipe I wanted to try- Champagne Soaked Strawberries. Like so many pins on pinterest, it was somewhat misleading. Originally, I thought I was going to simply soak my strawberries in champagne, but the recipe was actually champagne soaked & chocolate dipped strawberries. Well I attempted to dip a few in the white chocolate and it just was not turning out pretty. After soaking the strawberries in champagne they became soft and that didn't mix well with the melted chocolate. I opted to keep it simple and just bring the strawberries in champagne- yum!! The adult version of vodka soaked fruit I guess?!

My other contribution was ham biscuits. They were SO good but I did not take any pictures of our food and I am so sorry, especially since I am doing an entire post on food. The thought came after the tailgate! However, if you like ham biscuits, this is a simple recipe that is really good. 

MINI HAM BISCUITS

-1 Package Sister Schubert Yeast Rolls

-1/4 pound shaved ham (I think ours was oven baked, we couldn't find country ham shaved)

-1/2 stick butter

-3 tablespoons brown sugar

Bake rolls according to package directions.

Melt butter and mix with brown sugar.

Stuff each roll with ham and return to tin pan.

Baste top of rolls with butter and brown sugar mixture.

Bake for another 10-15 minutes until rolls begin to brown on top.

How cute is this boy at his first football game! Everyone loved those little football socks. Weeks got to stay at the tailgate with his Mimi and Pop Pop during the game because it was SO hot and we aren't going to chance a baby in the sun. I actually didn't stay in the game very long because I wanted to check on him! 

We left early and escaped to the AC and cuddled and watched the rest of the game. Perfect. 

Hope y'all had a great Labor Day Weekend!
Let me know your thoughts on the weekly tailgate menu post idea!

If Girls Ruled the Tailgate

First of all, I apologize in advance for bombarding you with what you are about to see. After my post yesterday on tailgating, you ladies really got the wheels turning for pulling together our menu for next week and for future tailgates to come. 

As a thank you to my awesome readers {I love ya I really do!} I wanted to feature some of their ideas they tossed my way. I really do appreciate each and every comment, but I am not the best at responding to emails and whatnot. However, I want to say "thank you" to everyone who reads this little blog and sends comments my way! 

Prepare yourselves....if we all got together...this would be our tailgate y'all: 

Soft Pretzel Bites

Mrs. Easton from Life of an Easton Wife recommended pretzel bread and beer cheese. I mean, that is a winning combination, is it not? As a twist on this idea, I have been wanting to make pretzel bites for quite some time now. I think it's time I give it a go. I have always been a sucker for Auntie Annes in the mall. Who's with me?!

Ham and Cheese Sliders

Laura from Our Life in the Queen City said one of her favorite things to snack on are these Ham and Cheese Sliders. Ham and cheese sliders are one of those things I will just pick up at a tailgate because they look so good and are irresistible.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

April from A. Liz Adventures knows how to make her hubby happy with Buffalo Chicken Dip. This recipe is the one I go by and the bowl is usually empty and devoured by the end of the party. I haven't made this one in a while so I'm thinking its a must!

Velveeta Chili Dip

Whitney from Drab to Fab Design shared that one of her favorites is Velveeta dip {also one of my all times faves}. Here is an easy version that looks delish!

And since we are on the "dip" subject, Megan from Fried Green Pickles  and I would get along great, we both are huge fans of any and all dips. Seriously though, if all my meals were dips I would be happy.

Southern Boiled Peanuts

Cotton from Cottons Pickins brings boiled peanuts and some good ol' beer to a tailgate. Sounds like every mans dream, right? 

I'm glad everyone kept it real and told me their favorite indulgences for this fun season upon us. Of course, we can throw in some celery, carrots and cucumbers to keep things under control.

Thanks again to everyone who commented yesterday!

{I only mentioned those who left specific food comments, but I appreciate every other comment just as much!!!}

xoxo.

Tailgate Time

via

Yes, ladies. It is officially almost that time of year. Some of you may dread football season {I personally love it}. The husband usually starts a countdown sometime in July as to when the first NC State football game is. However, I recall one year when it occurred as early as the Spring Game, sometime in April. So...here we are, with our first football game just 9 days away!

For the first time in many years, our game on Labor Day Weekend will actually be an away game. The Wolfpack will be playing Tennessee in the Chic-fil-A bowl game Friday night! This means we get to spend the weekend at the beach for Labor Day, a rare feat for us football fans.  Since we aren't really tailgating, we will be enjoying AC, having finger foods and tailgate-esque tasty bites. We are planning our menu now...so tell me, what are your favorite tailgate foods/recipes? This time around, we have a handy oven and fridge and microwave to make things very simple.

Go Wolfpack! xo.

Charlotte Belk Bowl

Last week, we got to enjoy the last football game of the season for our team {Go Pack!} and we happily walked away with a big W in the Belk Bowl vs. the Louisville Cardinals. Getting to go to a bowl game was thrilling for us, after our season got off to a rocky start. Here is a little photo recap of the nonsense of our little celebrations in Charlotte! 

Boys at the bar....is this scene similar/familiar to anyone else?

They cooperated and turned around for a quick pic.

Sister and I

Hubs and I at Mez 

Dirty Shirleys....have you had one of these yet? Just like when you were younger, but better! 

Before the game we enjoyed a free concert by this guy! 

It was pretty cold for us southerners!

My sweet parents

GO PACK!

Group pic- I love the NCSU scarves the guys have on!

Inside the game

So, the day of the game the girls spent some time shopping, very necessary in Charlotte. We ended up having a little party in the Kate Spade store at Southpark Mall. It was so much fun, complete with trying on every mitten, set of earmuffs, sunglasses and scarf we could find. We walked away with some pretty sweet deals. All very fun! Here are a few things we found....

Quote Mittens. Surprisingly, I enjoyed wearing mittens more than gloves, and they were warm!!

Taxi Mittens for my sister- she spent NYE in NYC! Lucky girl.

Funnel Neck Scarf, I am in love with this thing. Instant glam.

Well that is one of the last few things I will recap from 2011. Does anyone else feel like they are still catching up from the holidays? Hope y'all have a great night....

Cheers to it being almost Friday! xoxo.

Football in Fashion

Earrings / Scarf / Coat / Flats / Blouse / Skinny Jeans

The day after Christmas, the holiday fun continues and we are headed to Charlotte for the NCSU bowl game! We are all so pumped for a little fun in the Queen City. While this may not be the best bowl game out there, we are just happy it is within driving distance- the past few years they have been to far away to drive or not exciting enough to book plane tickets for!

 To some it may seem silly, but we tend to dress up rather than down for football games and this would be ideal for an 8 pm kickoff and pre-game tailgating. I would wear this outfit on any given day in December though, it is perfectly festive!

Are you all headed to any college bowl games this holiday season? Have a fab day! xo.

Weekend Recap

Friday evening and Saturday revolved around tailgate preparations I mentioned last Friday. Every year, NC State hosts a military appreciation day, and this year asked Wolfpack Club fans to volunteer to host a few from our military. What a great opportunity to give something back in a small way to those who serve our country. The weather was a little less than pleasant, and sadly I didn't end up taking as many pictures as I planned!

My sister and her roommate painted one of those "chef pigs" that my mom had to go with our Wolfpack theme. He turned out so cute! He proudly holds the American flag and a basting brush, of course.

Our setup, everyone braving the drizzle and cold temperatures!

Tailgate essential: a table centerpiece! We wanted to incorporate the flags for the military guys.

left to right: my sister's friend Madelyn, myself, my sister Stephanie

Then, we found out the National Guard was giving away freebies....of course we had to go grab these orange hats!

left to right: my brother- in-law Manu, hubby Stephen, and my brother Bobby

The chef with his amazinggg barbecue, almost ready to eat!

Chopping time.

Wolfpack on the field

Stephen got Dad and Bobby's birthdays on the scoreboard! He's a keeper:)

Stephen and I in the game (Dail club seats were an unexpected treat!)

Then, the guys decided it was only right that they all shotgunned a beer during halftime.

the pictures says it all.

Group photo of all the guys. (Military guests are mainly in center)

We started off hosting 2 men before the game started, and they brought about 4 other friends back to our tailgate at halftime. We like to think they told their friends how much fun our tailgate was, so their friends naturally wanted to come check it out. (I mean, who else was shotgunning beers at halftime?)

We really enjoyed being able to give these guys a fun night out. All have served overseas and all were so appreciative for a simple, nice meal at a football game. What we did for them pales in comparison to what they do for us.