The RV Brigade Is Coming

We've been hit with everything but the plague here at Hullabaloo Huddle: swine flu, hospital visits, the mormons, the dreaded Aslutians. We've survived and thrived.

Photo op of Mr. and Mrs. Greenwave Mobile.

Our adversity only make us stronger. (Our Personal Tragedy Will Not Affect our Ability to Do Good Hair.) See Matt Forte in game one of regular season. Perfect example. Jay Cutler has a massive meltdown, confusing the white and red jerseys with the green and yellow jerseys. Yes, Matt Forte wore a green jersey. Two years ago. Not that particular week though Jay. So Cutler is throwing every ball directly at the Packers. But Who Was The First To Get There and Tackle the Packers and keep them from scoring a touchdown? on that particular play anyways. Mr. Forte! 4 years of simultaneous playing running back/safety during the exact same play taught Mr. Forte that instant reaction to up and at 'em when things go south. Matt Forte injured his knee his junior year tackling a Marshall player after an interception. So there.

Well now we have ourselves the RV Bridgade trying to taunt us. Ha!

The McNeesians have taken to posting on our Tulane boards out in the internets. They're clogging up our tubes. Sayin' that cause they have RV's (!) at their tailgatings, they are ultimately superior.

Well I am here to say: We ain't scared of your stinkin' RV's! Dude, we stare down the throat of bigger programs than Lake Charles ball. We even scared LSU straight off into breaking a 10 year contract (cowards). McNeese? Puh-sha!

So in August, we had our hands full. I tell you.

First, Cody up and gets hurt on us during pre-season practice. So while getting therapy, his girlfriend succumbs to ailment. In the middle of the drama and phone calls with Nell, Coach Papa T calls together a very serious press conference to announce that 27 members of the football team had swine flu symptoms. OMG. Like for real, this isn't a funny movie. Talking to Nell, I could just picture the little couple all bandaged up in wheelchairs. And now the entire football team was running around with those little hospital masks.

The biggest tragedy was that Fan Day was cancelled. But Mr. and Mrs. Hullabaloo trugged on and made do with the Tailgating Festival.

And it rained. every. freaking. day. in August. Not just a little love sprinkle. We are talking biblical flooding. Like Everyday. I thought Coach Papa T was just gonna have to put on a wig, beard and a dress like Charlton Heston, grab some tablets and part the waters. Cause this weather was serious as a heart attack. We got $27 million donation to football last spring and the idea of Covered Practice Facility has not yet been discussed. All of Tulane Nation was having palpitations due to the turn of weather events in August. And then swine flu. We were ready to start staging town hall encounters like the radical crazies were, but with the football and weather gods over this situation. I'm serious.

Mr. Hullabaloo got to watch a private pre-season practice at the Dome with all of the special donors. He loved it! He got to rub shoulders with THE Vince Gibson, former HC of Tulane Greenwave.

So then after our Tailgating-apalooza, Mrs. Hullabaloo succumbs to the flu. It was my "weekis horriblis" (did you know there is no latin word for "week?"). I could only think of Queen Elizabeth when she addressed the House of Commons the year Windsor Castle caught fire, her children were getting divorced left and right, all manner of tragedy befell her poor little kingdom and she came out and started her address in Latin: "Her Annis Horriblis." So the week between Tailgating-palooza and the game against Aslut was my "Weekis Horriblis."

I barely dragged myself to the Superdome, barely managed to toss on my adorable Michael Kors top and cute shoes. But we managed to set up our tent with my fabulous chandelier.


Nell made this adorable stadium cake that was just to. die. for. Look, she had little fans, players and uprights!

Priscilla made her World Famous Brisket. It's true. It's famous. People came from far and wide to the Hullabaloo Huddle Tent, just to taste a sampling.

Priscilla's World Famous Brisket

Plan a full day and a half in advance (no cheating)
Oh, and if you are NOT a Tulane Fan, Ms. Priscilla respectfully has asked that nobody BUT Tulane fans are allowed to have this recipe. So Go Away Non-Greenies.

1 trimmed brisket

put into a plastic bag

season with garlic powder,onion powder, celery powder, salt and pepper
douce with a small bottle of liquid smoke
and 1/4 cup of worcestershire sauce

Marinate brisket OVERNIGHT in the fridge. Do not pretend and try cooking the brisket right away, you must marinate overnight.

The NEXT day cook the brisket COVERED at 225 degrees for AT LEAST 6 hours. Yes, 6 hours. So about 5.5 hours into cooking, make the BBQ sauce: a bottle Kraft Original BBQ Sauce; a Small bottle of Honey; one cup of A-1 sauce. Mix in a small pan and simmer until thickened.

Once the 6 hours have past, take the brisket out and drain the jus. Cover drained brisket with the BBQ Sauce.

The next home game against BYU. it rained. But not enough to run us off. Listen, Mrs. Hullabaloo has been watching Tulane games since 1991. Mr. Hullabaloo since the Perfect Season. We've endured a lot: the Katrina road games, the Stolen Game at Michie Stadium, the late hit on Joe Kemp at Houston. A little rain? Puh-sha!

I'm not kidding when I tell you that we in New Orleans are weather trained professionals. Any one of us could take over a weather person's position at a moments notice. We know how to graph storms coming off the coast of Africa, we know wind speeds, surges, all that. So Mr. and Mrs. Hullabaloo looked at the accu-radar, judged the distance of the red and orange clouds and rightly guessed that the really nasty stuff wouldn't hit until about 3pm.

So Mr. and Mrs. Hullabaloo managed to grab a few things and join the Tulane Nation that was braving the sprinkles. I wore my fabulous new necklace made by Peggy's little Hullabaloo-ette, Allison.

Nell again, provided a fabulous dessert. and How adorable it was! Nell's Delightful Desert Canapés: Green and Baby Blue personalized M+M's with "Tulane" and "Football" printed on them; on a dollop of chocolate; resting on a mini pretzel. Delish!

So since we have these expectations to meet with the RV Brigade, I've been trying out menu items in anticipation. Let me tell you those RV's have seriously upped the ante, we can't just suffice with just regular Cheeseburgers with the Cowboys.

Last Sunday, the New Orleans Saints beat the tar out of Kevin Kolb (THANK YOU WHO DAT NATION!). Yes, THAT Kevin Kolb. He of idiot Houston pedigree. Saints ran the score up on Kolb, sacking him, intercepting him until he left the field in tears like a sissy at the end of the game. Boo Hoo! Since the Saints were out in Philadelphia showing Kevin Kolb some angola-style "brotherly love," I spent the first half of the game cooking and trying out new recipes on Mr. Hullabaloo. Alternating between running in and out of the kitchen to catch the replays of 6 touch downs.

Mrs. Hullabaloo has discovered Tyler's Ultimate on Foodtv. Let me tell you Tyler did a fabulous show on Sloppy Joes paired with Butternut Squash Goatcheese Slaw and I can attest it is delish. I made a few adjustments* (the * means that these are my adjustments):

Mrs. Hullabaloo's Ultimate Sloppy Joes

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced

1 small roma tomato, diced*

smidgen diced green bell pepper (maybe a tablespoon worth)*

teeny tiny smidgen diced jalapeno (no seeds, about 1/4 teaspoon worth) *
1 1/2 pounds ground meat of choice (we used Turkey)

sprinkles of garlic powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 cups ketchup
1/3 cup yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

some sprinkles of water if too thick*
Rolls (we used wheat rolls with oat sprinkles)

Sautee your onions and the peppers in the olive oil until translucent, add in your meat, sprinkle with garlic powder and brown, add the rest of the ingredients, simmer. If taking to Tulane tailgating, put into a foil pan and keep warm. Whomp onto a roll with some Butternut Squash Goatcheese Slaw as garnish topping and make a mess!

The Ultimate Butternut Squash Goatcheese Slaw

Half a Butternut Squash, peeled and julienned (I just chopped, chopped, chopped it into long stringy bits and alternated some parts with a grater)

4 ounces of Goat Cheese (ok, 5 ounces so you can nibble on an ounce. I totally heart chevre cheese)

2 very generous tablespoons honey (if 3 sneak in there, no harm in that)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped up
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves

1 stalk of green onion chopped*

Whip together (seriously, with a whisk) goat cheese, honey, EVOO, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper into a froth or until your arm gets tired. Take a sip of wine and rest. Toss in your julienned strips of Butternut Squash (or my grated mishmash mess), the cranberries, walnuts, parsley and green onion. Turn everything (cause tossing is impossible) a bunch of times until everything melds together. Dollop on top of your Ultimate Sloppy Joes. mmmmm!

So I'm ready for that RV Brigade. Bring 'em on. Plus the Fan Day festivities have been rescheduled for that game, should be fun! ROLL WAVE!