Tailgating Rules

from Memphis Commercial Appeal. Coach Jim Pittman and two Greenwave football players graciously greeting Miss Liberty Bowl, Linda Thompson (future Miss Tennesse, girlfriend of Elvis and mother of Brandon Jenner)


I ran across this today

Virginia Tech VTcageTailg8ors Official Tailgating Etiquette

which I found hilarious. Luckily we have not gotten to the point of being out of hand at Tulane tailgating to warrent so many "official" rules created/enforced by individual tailgating clubs.

So I decided to comment upon them. What do you think?

P.S. This list is from the VTCageTailg8ors (I promise it is not mine. I do, however, claim the snarky comments).

1. Everyone is welcome to come and tailgate.
(mmmm...I don't know about that. We are snobs and I'm not embarrassed or ashamed to admit that. We have a weird sense of humor, so you need to have a very thick skin to fit in. You also need to be a foodie, this is a deal breaker on any invitation to join the Hullabaloo Huddlers. Also, trespassing on our tailgating space is verboten, that is some serious lack of manners to just squat in Peggy's Patio).

2. Everyone needs to help out by bringing food or financially assisting. It's not fair for a few individuals to always supply/prepare food for everyone. Suggested contribution if tailgating is $10 per game.
(Lord have mercy, this is New Orleans. When have you ever run out of food brought and generously shared at a gathering? I am usually the opposite and asking guests not to bring one more morsel. We tend to prepare obscenely generous quantities like it's the last meal for an army and share with strangers and friends alike. Most NOLA folk's tailgating supplies include mandatory ziplocks so that everybody can please take leftovers home with them, or you'll be reheating jambalaya until next football season. I can assure you that I will not show this list to Coach Hullabaloo or this last part of the rule will trigger some stupid idea on curtailing my tailgating spending. Seriously. Coach H used to host "Rent Parties" in college. You buy a keg of beer and then charge admission to your apartment (!). I was mortified to learn of such practices. I can assure you none of the Fiji, Sigma Chi, or Alpha Tau Omega boys I fraternized with EVER charged for their parties. )

3. Drinks out of the round silver cooler and kegerator are for everyone.
(fair enough, although we in New Orleans should have AA on speed dial, so there is always plenty of adult beverages to share).

4. When you arrive at the tailgate, chairs will be in the trailer. Chairs that have a red label around them are reserved chairs. Those that have a silver label are for general/public use. When you leave the tailgate, put your chair back into the trailer where you found it. You may store your tailgating chairs in the trailer, please make sure you put your name on the chair.
(what if I wanted to be ornery and use a fuscia label or something? anyways, all New Orleaneans keep folding chairs in their trunk ready at a moments notice because every weekend is a different festival, parade, game, crawfish or shrimp boil etc.)

5. We will start putting things back in the trailer approximately 45 minutes prior to kick-off of each game, PLEASE HELP WITH THE CLEANUP. Trailer doors will be locked 30 minutes prior to kick-off.
(I hope the designated driver is in charge of watching the time, cause we are usually having too much fun to be timing things with such precision).

6. Alcohol consumption is acceptable, but stupidity/out of control is not.(my one and only LSU game in which they were not playing Tulane, Coach Hullabaloo and I left about 3 minutes into the first quarter. Drunk is normal. Idiots are unacceptable. This one woman kept spitting daiqiuiri while screaming incomprehensibly while this other dude kept jumping around screaming "Who Let the Tigers Out?! Hoot! Hoot! Hoot!" to the chant of the Baja Men. ummm...quelle annoying. and they were both wearing jorts, ugly tee-shirts and crocs. which was both stupid and out of control just right there.)

7. No Smoking or cursing in the immediate area of the tailgate as we try to respect everyone
(also, no peeing on our cars. That applies to you Mesdemoiselles Co-Ed Underclassmen who get too drunk to stumble to the ample number of portolets paid for by Tulane. Because we aren't shy and will call you out and you will look stupid since everybody is watching you flash your cooter)

8. Please be respectful of everyone around. (If the jerk alert goes off, you will be asked to leave)
(ahem, COUGH, UofH and UCF peeps)

9. VTCAGETAILG8ORS is not responsible for any lost/stolen/damaged items left in the trailer.
(Koozie has got some stories to tell about some jacktard underclassmen that up and took our things during one of the games. So now everything just gets stored in cars and brought back out after the game.

10. Please RSVP by 12:00 pm Wednesday of each week if you plan on attending the tailgate for that Saturday. We want to ensure we have enough food for everyone.
(these tailgaters have clearly never received a Mrs. Hullabaloo mailed invitation creation to have to be giving out reminders about RSVPs)

11. If you see something that appears odd in or around the trailer, please question.
(at the Gormley tailgating, we caught a student's father come up and start making himself a bloody mary like we knew him or something. Friends and Friends of Friends are clearly always welcome, but if we don't know you, ummm...stay away. and much less make yourself a drink. We almost thought about instituting a bracelet policy. But usually we are all well-mannered and you know, make sure to introduce new peeps to all the regular Hullabaloo Huddlers so that we know who is who)

12. If you don’t see something, just ask.
(I do not see a special teams coach. or a new offensive play caller. while I'm at it, I don't see an indoor practice faility or an on-campus stadium)

13. If you see an area of improvement let's discuss...
(see #12)

14. Everyone needs to attempt an Irish Car Bomb during the season :)
(I raise you that Irish Car Bomb and give you The Koozie White Russian)

15. Have fun and Go Hokies!
(phew, I was going to ask if FUN was allowed here)

The Koozie White Russian
Extra Large Stadium Cup
Drink Ice (VERY important, regular cooler ice is just sub-par)
Browns Dairy Half+Half
Whipped Cream in a Can
Vodka
Kahlua

Gameday Breakfast

Mrs. Hullabaloo loves waking up on gameday. So much excitement to look forward to. One tip: it's best to just get your arguments with your husbands out of the way early. Then have a Zing Zang bloody mary with pickled asparagus and have fun!

Anyways, one of my favorite "go to" breakfasts for gameday is Savory Bread Pudding. Mrs. Hullabaloo makes a whole batch of these a day or two in advance, they keep beautifully in the fridge. Pop a couple in the oven at 200 degrees to reheat while your coffee is abrewin' and you have yourself a veritable feast.

When Joe Activia, the new athletic dictator in Baton Rouge, took over from Skip Bertmen (who sent his kids to Tulane); Joe's first order of business was to renege on the home and away agreement made with Tulane in a 10 year deal. So for 2 years in a row we had to drag ourselves to Baton Rouge. When Mr. Activia asked for a third variance on the agreement we thankfully finally said "No. So pay up." Shows why Tulane ranks #1 in the state as the highest income generating degree. Graduate from Tulane, make more money. and get everything in writing. So if they break a contract, they pay up. Very simple.

Honestly, the only thing I'll miss about those trips to Baton Rouge is stopping for breakfast on the way there. We had a delightful breakfast at Dot's Diner of all places. They have a delicious egg and biscuit dish that is topped with crawfish etouffee. What is not to love about that?

Here's a photo of Peggy in one of the fine academic buildings in Baton Rouge. Could you imagine this display in Uptown? ha!


And right out side this building was a tailgating group who had set up their grills next to a station of propane tanks. Just waiting for trouble. For real y'all!

So on this farewell tour of Baton Rouge, Koozie had made these hilarious million dollar bills with Billy Cannon's picture on it. See that day was special. Billy Cannon taking time away from his gambling and counterfitting career to participate in another activity other than pawning his heisman trophy for BBQ ribs. (You think I'm kidding? go google it yourself). This "university" actually honored a convicted felon at halftime as "Alumnus of the Year."

Friends, I use the term "university" in this situation very loosely. Can you call yourself a university and cut classics from your curriculum? forget it, they can't even spell curriculum...

... wait, I think conventional wisdom was that we were supposed to shed a tear over terminating one of the longest football rivalries in history here. I mean, after all they honor convicted felons as "Alumnus of the Year"!!!

Anyways, so we had a ball pulling out these bills and asking some very confused people for change. Peggy and I had to educate a very irate purple fan sitting next to us who was completely in the dark about Mr. Cannon's legacy. Apparently she had wanted us to stand up and clap.

a gratuitous photo of the ingenuity on display in Baton Rouge.


They totally failed in the wooden cut-out shape games most of us played with as children.

Well, let me tell you: your tailgating crowd will give you a standing ovation with this breakfast bread pudding.

SAVORY BREAD PUDDING


Nonstick cooking spray
Canola oil or a few pats of butter
half medium sized onion chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
6 or so breakfast sausage links
4 eggs
2 cups milk
dash mustard
dash hot sauce, like Tabasco or Crystal
dash worcestershire sauce
dash Italian seasoning
dash chopped fresh sage
(it won't hurt to add pinch of any other fresh herbs you might have)
stalk or two green onions, chopped
pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 long french baguette*, or 2 or 3 smaller pistoletes

*At the Vietnamese groceries, they sell amazing french baguettes usually 3 for $1. So I stock up and freeze them. If you take them out as you start assembling your ingredients, they are soft enough to tear when you need to add them in the recipe.

So spray a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and set that aside.

Saute your onions in the canola oil or butter for a bit until softened, then add sliced mushrooms. Once mushrooms are brown, add your chopped fresh sage and herbs (leave italian seasoning for later). once combined, set pan to the side to cool off. Meanwhile cook your sausage links to your preferred method (I toss mine in a toaster oven). Once cooked, slice up the links and add to onion mixture.

Preheat your oven to 325. Prepare yourself a cup of coffee.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, Italian seasoning, hot sauce, worcestershire, mustard and salt and pepper. Add in onion, mushroom mixture. Add in the chopped green onions. Now take your french bread and start tearing off bits and toss them into the egg mixture. Keep tossing torn bits in until the liquid is absorbed, but still juicy and soft. Turn the ingredients around a touch to distribute the onions, mushrooms, etc. Put the bowl in the fridge while you enjoy your coffee and peruse the newspaper for a few minutes.

If your mixture is super runny, add some more torn bits of bread. You want the pudding mixture to still be moist.

Now take your muffin pan and put batches about 3/4 way up in each crevice. Set your oven timer to 30 minutes. (If you want, you could add a dash of shredded cheese on top of each: cheddar, gruyere, whatever you like). Change into your cute gameday outfit, set your breakfast table and pack up one of your ice chests with tailgating grub.

Remove the puddings from the muffin tins and place on a serving platter. Take your place and wait to receive a rain of applause from your breakfast guests.

Mazel Tov!

Bonnie Schmonnie

A "sounds fabulous" drink recipe via The Drunken Tailgate. Might try it this weekend as we welcome Bonnie to our shores..

Dark and Stormy
2 oz Dark Rum Bourbon
4 oz Ginger Beer

"Add rum bourbon and ginger beer to ice filled glass and stir. Garnish with lime. Talk like a pirate red-neck Jamaican."

arrggg....

UPDATE: found genuine Ginger Beer (from Jamaica) in the gourmet and natural food aisle (adjacent to the Kosher and Diet food) at Rouse's in Mid-City. Tried this cocktail with our contraband Havana Club Ron (real rum from Havana, Cuba) and it was not as fabulous as I'd anticipated. Tried it with Jim Beam bourbon, and I was in heaven, girl!

and the lucky winner is..

"asil" as Coach Hullabaloo said. reading the winning slip backwards. such the comedian, coach hullabaloo!

congratulations Lisa!

Oy Vey

Shalom y'all! For the serious football novena....



from Rosaries Just For You (click link to webstore)

Football Tablescaping

Last weekend Miss Peggy and I attending a local jewelry show. Small, but we found some great things to add to our tailgating menu. Some pre-mixed dip packets and this garlic pepper jelly that is a favorite of Rachel Ray. It was yum-O.

One of our not so favorite things were these standing ashtrays that were customized for .... drum roll please .... LSU fans. ha! These mail box-looking things were personalized to say "LSU Smoke Pot" as in a vessel for smoke ashes, to be used by LSU fans. Yes, fellow tailgaters and sports fans, you truly can have it all. I can safely say I was not jealous.

Now, on the other end of the specturm of cuteness, I ran across these cute football party ideas from Kari in Texas. With her permission I am sharing them with all you Tulane Tailgating fans, who appreciate "fabulous."


love these ref koozies doubling as vases!





I can't wait to use mini webers as centerpieces.

And how creative using the mini foam footballs for filler, thank you Kari for the inspiration! We love it!!!!

Very Hullabaloo Huddle-worthy...

Put a Ring On It!

One of our fellow Hullabaloo-ettes is a lucky girl! Congratulations!!! The future Mr. and Mrs. "Voice of the Greenwave"....

So tell us, did the Voice of the Greenwave yell "YEAH BABY!!!!" when you said "Yes!"

Giveaway

Will select a lucky reader from the comment thread to give this "giveaway".

It's a gorgeous (Mrs. Hullabaloo has good taste) hurricane vase. It's about 8-9 inches tall.

Check back in a few days to see who is announced the winner...

Lucky you!

Leatha's in Louisiana

Oh USM. The Mustard Buzzards. Alma Mater of Trischelle.

I am not ashamed to admit that I count a USM alumnus amongst my Tulane cyber-buddies. Lee roots for both teams, and Tulane passionately, so he’s forgiven.

Gosh what a weird Martini Town v. Beer Town rivalry. Uptown duking it out against Hattiesvegas during baseball season either at the the Glamorous Turchin or under the stack of high-rise FEMA trailers in Pete’s Trailer Park (I promise it most definitely looks like a stack of trailers).

Fond memory of the 2009 CUSA baseball tourney in Hattiesvegas – the only fond memory: a banner the Greenbackers unfurled behind homeplate. “THANK YOU CORKY” ....as in thank you for the lopsided w-l record during Corky’s coaching tenure at USM. We had just beat USM during the regular season the week prior. Of course USM ended up winning the whole dang tourney and going straight to the CWS that year. So I guess they should have thanked us.

There’s some great football wins against USM during my time (1994, 1998, 2002, 2003). In 1994 USM turned off the stadium lights completely at the final. Leaving fans in the darkness to figure a way out. What a hoot.

Plus there are some great stories to share. For example: can you name which team Brett Favre debuted against in college, setting his professional trajectory? The day is September 19, 1987. The Greenwave is leading 24-17 in the second half..... My favorite Tulane QB is at the helm.


(psst...Messieur Louisiana Jones, you promised me a signed copy of this picture. Don’t forget.)

Brett Favre was seventh string and hungover, and warming the bench on the sidelines. Favre gets called up to play. USM has a miracle comeback .... the rest has been history.

How can you not laugh at this picture of Brett Favre?


Besides such luminaries as Trishelle and this hilarious picture of Brett, Hattiesvegas has also given us Chef Robert St. John with his delicious grilling recipes (Comeback sauce, yum!), and most importantly Leatha’s BBQ Inn. Seriously. Good. BBQ. Every place claims to be “the best” but Leatha’s really is “the best.” It’s such a simple place, nothing fussy. Leatha’s granddaughters wait on you in house dresses and slippers. You get towel washcloths instead of napkins or paper towels. The coleslaw is mustardy and delicious. The portions are ginormous, enough for a week’s worth of BBQ eatin. The whole place is a shrine to Brett Favre. They have this seriously funny cartoon on the wall: Favre is sitting on a horse carousel saluting the sunset. LOL! Because you know he’ll be out there under center until he’s using a walker.
So Leatha’s BBQ Inn was a recommendation from Peggy. and girl, Peggy knows her BBQ. I am serious.

Peggy has shared with us this really great rib recipe for tailgating, which is easy. and delicious. and is on the menu for November 6th.

PEGGY'S lsu student SLOW-COOKED BBQ RIBS
6-10 lbs ribs, cleaned and cut into 2-3 rib pieces
"Good Seasons" Garlic+Herb dressing (make according to package directions)
6-8 cloves of crushed garlic (using a wide kitchen knife, smash your garlic into a paste)
salt 'N peppa
Favorite barbecue sauce (mine is Maull’s from St. Louis)

Lightly salt and pepper ribs on the bone side only. Pour dressing and garlic into a large ziploc bag and combine. Put rib pieces in bag to coat with dressing on all sides. Remove ribs from ziplock (yes, these instructions are necessary as you just never know). Place ribs in a slow cooker with dressing. Cover and cook on low for about 18 hours. Peggy puts hers in overnight and reset in the morning. Use tongs to remove tender ribs to a cookie sheet. Coat ribs with your favorite barbecue sauce and finish off on a hot grill until barbecue sauce is dark and gooey. If the weather is uncooperative, you can place in a 400 degree oven to brown the BBQ sauce.

These ribs go perfectly with Charlotte’s Old Settler’s Beans

OLD SETTLERS BBQ BEANS
1/2 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1/2 lb bacon, chopped (or turkey bacon)
1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can pork and beans (or regular veggie baked beans)
1 16-oz can kidney beans, drained
1 16-oz can lima beans, drained
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup barbeque sauce (again, Maull’s is my favorite)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp prepared mustard sauce.

Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, brown ground meat, bacon, and onion in a skillet and then drain off any excess jus. Add in all of the canned beans to the meat. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, chili powder, mustard into a sauce. Pour sauce over the meat+beans and toss together. Pour everything lovingly into a greased 9" x 13" pan. Use a spatula and get every morsel of goodness out and into that pan. Bake for 45 min and stand back for the stampede (6 servings).

Mouthwatering tailgating food from the South ~

Roll Wave!

Shopping Alert

Even after I told myself not to, I couldn’t help myself. It’s a weakness y’all!

Everybody is always amazed at the gear I am able to find. Mrs. Hullabaloo is a seasoned professional. I’m a Texas girl, through and through. Shopping big and football are what we are genetically meant to do. It's in our DNA.

My partner in crime, Nell (from Texas), is just as bad as me. She always finds the cutest things and we swap methods on how to spend more of our husbands’ money on cute Tulane stuff. It makes them work harder. We are so excited to get to New York for the Rutgers game and sprout horns in Manhattan.

Right now, greenie gals, is the time to buy. After fourth of July, all of the picnic acrylic-type stuff is reduced and you can find you some great deals and not have to lie to your husband about it or keep the bags in your trunk until he's not looking.

These beverage containers were $7 at World Market. (Love me some World Market, they have the best wine selection, the best condiments and dry groceries, their Italian Sodas are wonderful). So now I have clear, blue, and green containers for any combination of tablescape I decide on.


This ice bucket for proper cocktail preparation was $5 at Big Lots. I added a car decal for instant personalization.


A beverage container and ice bucket are essential for my favorite tailgate and carnival parade adult beverage. I need to underline “adult” in adult beverage. If you make this at your next outdoor event: Please. Use lots of ice. or fun could quickly turn to tragedy.

This beverage recipe is by far my most requested by all of our tailgating guests. Coach Hullabaloo imported it from his college (which I have to say is the craziest campus of peoples) and has shared it with our Greenwave Nation. We Salute Coach Hullabaloo for introducing us to this fine concoction.


GAMEDAY LEMONADE
(the real name is “Skip and Go Naked” but that is just unclassy)
1 can of frozen Limeade concentrate (12oz)
12 oz vodka (a fifth of vodka is 25 oz, so this would be half)
24 oz of beer (or 2 regular cans)
bag of ice

Fill up your container with ice and then add your ingredients. Let it sit for a second, give everything a swirl and then serve over ice in your cute stadium cups. Refreshing and delicious!

Some also call this recipe a “beer margarita.” Whatever you want to call it, it is GOOD. It’s a perfect blend for when you don’t want to feel all full from beer and you don’t want to get away from yourself on a hard cocktail. One thing we are taught in the South, ladies, do not over do it and make a fool of yourself. and always drink out of a glass.

Groceries also sell mini cans of frozen limeade, which works wonderfully when you are at an away game and just need a personal-sized portion of gameday lemonade. You’ll need just one can of beer and then the smaller “split” size of vodka.

The Tulane Bookstore is on a more regular rotation on Mrs. Hullabaloo shopping itinerary. They usually have cuter women’s shirts and accessories than the team shop at the Wilson Center. Although whoever the buyer is for the Tulane Bookstore has this method of buying only limited quantities of the cute stuff and then tons of the not so cute stuff.

The bookstore had these adorable tankdresses which should be cute on gameday for the underclassmen girls. So I picked up the cute rhinestone shirt and cap from the same collection.


The shirt is going to become a fabulous gameday dress. Can’t wait to post pictures of that.

I also discovered Nicole who has this adorable serengeti patterned fleur de lis and has embroidered it on a precious jersey sundress I picked up at Target ($15 y’all).


Sunday, August 22nd is the “official” green+white scrimmage, Fan Day is Wednesday, August 25th and the first official Gameday is September 2nd.

40 days ‘til football season!

Hi my name is Mrs. Hullabaloo and I am a recipe junkie. Welcome to my tailgating blog.

One of my favorite “go to” brands for pre-made dressings and relishes is Stonewall Kitchen, which I try to use as inspiration for new tailgating cuisine. My heroine, Ina Garten, even has a line for Stonewall Kitchen. It is THAT good. So when our local Whole Foods brain farted and eliminated the SK Cilantro Lime dressing from their inventory of offerings, I staged a one woman protest. To no avail, sigh, so I actually have to mail-order this dressing. Quelle domage....


But seriously y'all...I need an intervention. I caught myself post-iting my latest Stonewall Kitchens catalogue because they have an eggplant relish that I just need to try to see if I can replicate it. You see, Chef Adolfo Garcia (Riomar, Boca, Amano) opened up a little eatery attached to the new Theatres at Canal Place. The new cinema is so totally my speed.

One of the tasty creations on the menu at Gusto is an Eggplant Caponata. My only complaint about it is that the portion size fit in the palm of my hand. and I was expected to share this heavenliness with Coach Hullabaloo? I don't think so. Okay, so my second complaint is that movie tickets are $13 a piece, the morsel of caponata is $9, with a refreshment and parking, seeing a 2 hour movie becomes a $50 situation. That’s like a new pair of cute sandals for gameday, or a down payment towards these fabulous $200 marc jacobs.
Don't you just love?

I digress...so this Eggplant Caponata is dreamy and I can’t wait to test out versions and bring the results to you. Only tailgate-worthy is shared with you.

If you can picture this: said post-iting occured immediately after I had finished polishing off my newest tailgate cuisine creation. Which I’ll call Mrs. Hullabaloo’s Simply Delicious Chicken Salad. Yesterday I finally posted Peggy’s amazing recipe for Sonoma Chicken Salad (also simple and delicious) which set off an immediate craving. Just so you know, Sonoma Chicken Salad made it’s debut a thousand years ago in October 2008 when Tulane played at Gormley. We could tailgate under the oaks. It was just fabulous. So very Tulane.

I just had to make a batch of chicken salad for lunch. But I had no celery or red grapes. I did, however, have apples, green onions, a some fresh dill from my latest venture to emulate Priscilla. I made Chef Ty’s bread and butter pickles and canned them myself y'all (such a proud moment)!

So of course, I also have 2 jars of said pickles that Coach Hullabaloo and I are slowly working through.

Side note: ladies, always keep fresh herbs on hand. The amazingness of a potato salad with fresh parsley just cannot be adequately captured in words. Whether you buy some planted herbs to toss in your garden (I promise I kill everything. With partial shade, herbs grow like weeds and require little if no attention) or if you buy fresh bundles from your nearest Vietnamese Grocery to keep in your fridge for cheap. I do a hybrid of both. I heart me some Vietnamese grocery stores y'all. All their fresh veggies and cheap! Ditto the Mexican groceries for awesome butcher selections at amazing prices. That is your secrets to haute tailgating right there.

The Crown Ingredient to my chicken salad is a new mustard introduced to me by my dear sorority sister Buffalo Heidi. Girls, one of the best decisions of my life was to pledge a sorority. Mrs. Hullabaloo as a young alumna with sorority sisters...


To any naysayers: if Mrs. Hullabaloo is accused of paying for friends, Honey, let me tell you I still owe somebody some money. Because I definitely struck oil on that bargain. I cannot imagine my college experience or adulthood without my sorority. I have an amazing coterie of sisters throughout our great nation, not just from Newcomb. I met Coach Hullabaloo while living in an entirely different state, through a sister who had pledged at University of Delaware. and most importantly here, I was introduced to Weber’s Horseradish Mustard of Buffalo. The pride of New York. It says so on their website!

Weber's Horseradish Mustard should be an immediate staple in any Tailgatress’ kitchen cupboard.


MRS. HULLABALOO'S SIMPLY DELICIOUS CHICKEN SALAD
this is enough for 2 large portions or 4 mini portions for cocktail rolls, so double or whatnot depending on your crowd. Since my “crowd” was me and the hullabaloo kitties begging for scraps I eyed it for a small portion. I’m trying to approximate my measurements, but you can adjust this or that.
1/2 cup chopped cooked chicken breast (I totally cheated and cut from a roasted chick I'm not ashamed to admit I picked up @ Sam’s)
1/4 granny smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 stalk green onions, chopped
2 teaspoons of FRESH dill chopped (I promise, there is a difference using fresh)
couple slices of Sir Tyler’s bread+butter pickles (recipe to follow)
generous tablespoon mayo
teaspoon Webber’s Horseradish Mustard – just a touch is enough, I promise.


CHEF TYLER “Mansicle” FLORENCE’S BREAD+BUTTER PICKLES
a real life LARGE mason jar – run it through your dishwasher
5 pickling cucumbers (about 4 inches long)
4 slices fresh horseradish, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 sprigs fresh dill weed
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup sugar
3 cups water
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tablespoons pickling spice (this is impossible to find so I winged my own of crumbled cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, whole coriander, mustard seeds, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, black peppercorns, crumbled bay leaves. try to use whole dried herbs in lieu of ground powder)
2 teaspoons ground turmeric – WARNING, this stains like crazy so don’t wear your favorite outfit. It will come off kitchen counters using liquid dishwashing detergent.
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wash cucumbers, slice into 1/4-inch thick rounds, and place in your heated, sterilized mason jar with horseradish and fresh dill weed. Where do you pick up mason jars? I found some at one of my favorite shops for kitchen cooking stuff: World Market. So this recipe says one LARGE jar, but there is nothing wrong with using several smaller ones and sharing with other tailgating friends.

In a large pot add vinegar, sugar, water, garlic and pickling spices. Bring to a boil and then, very carefully, pour over the veggies in your mason jar and top with the flat lid piece, and then twist the jar closed with the 2nd round lid piece. Let it cool down before putting it in your fridge. Gotta let the flavors combine some. You can actually hear the sucking sound as the jar “seals” closed. It’s the neatest thing. As tempting as it might be, leave the jar of pickles alone for at least 8 hours.

So now that you have pickles done (check!), you can toss together a proper chicken salad, which I can’t wait to do for Coach H this weekend.

I'll be honest. Mrs. Hullabaloo was so intimidated at first about the whole picking situation as I am an uber impatient cook, which has lead to many disasters in my immediate past. Pickling seemed very daunting. However, if you chop the pickling duties in half: slicing and putting the veggies in the jar, then mini cocktail or magazine break before resuming again to tackle the boiling of the marinade, it really is very easy.

Fait Accomplis!

My Tailgating Divas

I don't know what I would do without this pair of gals ~


Priscilla and Peggy are the most awesomest Tailgating Hostesses. Their recipes are truly "the best." Most gameday fanatics will do 6 or 7 tailgates a season. I do atleast 15 for football season alone.

I've learned a lot about proper hostessing from my tailgating divas: make it easy, but always try to use fresh ingredients. The most important lesson they've imparted: the earlier you start preparing dishes vastly improves the quotient ratio of enjoyment+fun V. spousal arguments+aggravation. Honey, this is so true.

Definitively, there's no "walking taco" at our tailgates. (quelle gauche, non?). The Hullabaloo Huddle zone is unequivocably not of the human garbage disposal tailgating variety.

I've shared a few of Priscilla's recipes, here and here. She even makes her own pickles! Priscilla inspired me to make my own pickles, using Tyler Florence's ultimate B&B recipe. Tyler, a true man of the South, is my kitchen hero.


Chef Tyler's Ultimate Sloppy Joe recipe with Goat Cheese Butternut Squash Slaw is SO easy and saves you from Manwich cans. I serve the butternut squash slaw at Mardi Gras and whenever I get a chance at home. If Coach Hullabaloo would allow it, I would paste a photo of Chef Ty lovingly on my fridge so that he could look over my tailgate preparations and offer reassurance and his blessings.

mrs. hullabaloo's version of
TYLER'S CHEVRE BUTTERNUT SQUASH SLAW
4 ounces fresh creamy goat cheese, room temperature
1 medium butternut squash
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
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 walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
2 stalks green onion (my addition as I love onion)

While you sip a cocktial, sweetly ask your husband to peel the squash with a vegetable peeler. Seriously, that is a hard task! So once it's clean, chop up the tip into big manageable hunks. save the bulb for something else. Grate the squash into shreds or if you have a mandolin, use that to make strips of the squash. Put into a bowl with your craberries, walnuts, green onions and parsley. Whip the wet ingredients into a smooth gravy. s+p to taste. Sneak a taste of this irresitable dressing, nobody will notice. Pour over the veggies and toss together. awesome! It's fabulous as a burger or sloppy joe topper. I promise.

So Peggy has a chicken salad that is like OMG fantabulous and Tyler Florence-worthy. We shall be enjoying it for the Sept 11 gameday.


PEGGY'S SONOMA CHICKEN SALAD
3 chicken breasts
dash of cajun seasoning
salt and pepper
quarter onion and clove of garlic
water
3 ribs celery, chopped
bunch of red unseeded grapes, chop in halves
6 stalks green onion, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 womps of mayonaise
mini croissants

Season chicken with s+p and cajun seasoning. Put in a saucepan with onion and garlic and then cover with water. Cover. Bring to boil and then lower to medium and let poach for about 20 mins. Prick the meat to check to see if juices are running clear. Remove and let cool (toss the onion and garlic, but keep that broth for something else. like BBQ shrimp). Shred chicken up. mix up with the rest of the veggies and adjust s+p to your liking. Lovingly scoop onto les croissants.

Bon Appetit Mes Petites Choux!

2010 Tailgating Season Menu

Dear Greenies, Assorted Tailgating Fans and Ultimate Parking Lot Hostess Wannabees,

I love you all dearly. and want your input.

The "official" Hullabaloo Huddlers football schedule has been posted along the right. As it is now less than 60 days to kick-off, it is time to plan out our menus for the tailgating festivities.

What do you think about the following menu options for the year?

September 2nd v. Southeastern:
Mini Muffalattas, Crawfish Cornbread, BBQ Shrimp, and Stuffed Artichokes

September 11 v. Ole Miss
Roasted Pork (cochon de lait) Sandwiches on mini cocktail buns, Peggy's Sonoma Chicken Salad on croissant, Barb+Nell's Shrimp Remoulade; Spinach, crumbled praline, blue cheese, red onion and strawberry salad; red and sweet potato salad; cookies

September 25th @ The Cooters
[Tulane Tailgatresses in Texas: we want Texas BBQ]

October 9th Homecoming v. Army
Grilled Pork/Beef Italian Sausage, Chicken+Apple Sausage and Brat po boys with carmelized onion+cherry peppers on french bread; Popeye’s spicy chicken; Priscilla’s potato salad; Peggy’s pretzels; Pam’s brownies

Halloween v. SMU
Bruisesiana beef or turkey burgers with zydeco sauce and root beer glaze, Mardi Gras slaw, Pico de Gallo, The Famous Guacamole and Chips

November 6th v. USM or “Leatha’s in Louisiana”
Priscilla's BBQ brisket, BBQ Chicken and Peggy’s Ribs, Charlotte's Old Settler’s Baked Beans, Honey Mustard Coleslaw

November 13th v. Rice, Rice, Rice
Chili served in pretzel bread bowls, Gumbo with white rice, Jambalaya

November 20th v. UCF
Grilled Pork cuban sandwiches, Orange rum marinade chicken shishkabobs, Empanadas (meat pies), steak kabobs with chimichurri, plantain chips and salsa

November 27 @ Marshall
Recreating Spahr's in West Virginia with a Mobile Bloody Mary Bar in the morning. Zing Zang mix, spicy asparagus, snap beans, spicy olives, celery, To Go cups and flasks

Roll Wave!