So it was about damn time.
We have been due a flipped script with UTEP. I have watched so many stupid games against CUSA teams go sideways for us, so it was high time.
I'll never forget our hail mary situation in 2008, Kevin Moore under center, Graf screaming "IF WE GET THIS, WE WILL BE ON SPORTSCENTER FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES!" We had been ahead most of the game, Andre Anderson was busting his tail all over the field, and then we let the game slip away 21-25 in the second half. Sigh.
So it was pretty funny to get this text from Chardonnay after the game yesterday.
I will say that I am deee-lighted Coach Johnson has architected something out of nothing. But am I satisfied? uh, Hell No. This horrid conference we were trapped in and the mediocrity that was orchestrated since being handed the keys to the kingdom in 1998 cannot just be forgiven or forgotten because we beat a bad team on our way out the door. No sir.
But it was a momentary distraction fo' sho'.
I hope that the team is enjoying their season. Proud of the change in attitude. Proud effort they are making. But if TPTB makes amends by hiring Jaime Garza or get us into a P5 conference then maybe I'll revise my hardened opinions about where we've been and where we are.
Could you, like, imagine this behavior being tolerated at Corndog land?
So in summation: don't like hold your breath that I'ma lead a ticker tape parade down Poydras about the New Orleans Bowl.
They actually want us to pay $25 to "secure seats". Chile please, I have walked up and bought tickets minutes before kick off at that bowl, sat where I pleased and didn't have to worry my pretty little mind.
The sister-in-law of the late great Greenwave booster, CJ Lenz, is one of my girls. She marched right up to me at tailgating and gave me somekind of lecture about me needing a serious attitude adjustment. "Now listen here young lady, a bowl is a bowl!" ha ha! This, from the same lady who ditched standing in her friend's wedding to be at the '73 win over the bataan rouge corndogs. But honestly, it doesn't matter what I think about it because the Universe is in charge at this point.
The math involved for us to upgrade our situation is pretty crazy right now.
It's the slightest glimmer of hope for a better bowl and I refuse, refuse, refuse to go down without bitching even more than I already have. I mean I picked my man pie Coach Hullabaloo after all. So as you can see, I am not a settle for anything that just wanders along kind of girl. So anyways: I can't even believe that we have to go through these scenarios for many reasons including the fact that UTSA wasn't even a zygote for Katrina, but the deal is that UNT had to lose yesterday, which they did - but now UTSA is an upstart and could win the division unless Louisiana Tech somehow has a miracle next week at the Alamodome (The Bulldog Miracle! pray for it y'all. seriously pray, pray, pray!).
But my feeling is hows that for some bs an inaugural member of the SEC has to resort to? And CUSA would be so stupid to let a provisional team rob the conference of a potential Liberty Bowl payout, the biggest bowl payout for conference. UTSA is not eligible to play a bowl game this year and the numbers aren't there for them to get a bowl bid even if they win enough games. If UTSA gets to the CUSA championship, Liberty Bowl would go free agent for the CUSA slot and that would be all she wrote. It would be a lose-lose situation for everyone. Just wretched!
So anyways, the game: what a hoot. It was more of a touchdown derby with a Lorenzo Doss interception mixed in to keep things interesting. Look, more photeauxs by Michael DeMocker.
I'm watching the replay today on an actual TV and not a laptop, because well, I can - they are actually showing games on TV this season for the first time since like Hurricane Georges.
When's the last season we had for real college luxuries like TV replays? Progress.
And speaking of luxuries: our tailgate food was Lindo Maravilhoso, Otimo!
In honor of our mighty Brazilian, our resident Lou Groza Award winning kicker, Cairo Santos, we chose a Brazilian theme for our senior game tailgating and word, it was some kinda good. And it was so great because everybody went out of their comfort zone and executed these exotic recipes flawlessly.
Priscilla brought the star of the show: grilled Tri Tip cut of sirloin, also known as "Picanha" and it was some kinda good. Our Band Mom whom I'll call Tupelo Honey brought chimichurri sauce to pair with the steak, which was exceptional.
Peggy brought traditional brazilian chicken salad, or Salpicao....word.
Whoever decided in Brazil that shoe string potatoes needed to be in chicken salad deserves a prize. Peggy's friend Marlene brought us some lovely brazilian rice, which went nicely with some "feijoada" I picked up from a Brazilian cafe out on Williams in Kennah Brah. Feijoada is basically red beans, but with pinto beans instead of red beans.
One of my sorority sisters joined our tailgating group, I'll call her Ginger. Ginger made a brazilian twist on spinach dip using hearts of palm ("palmitos") and kale and it was boss.
Coach Hullabaloo even contributed and made chorizo "Bolinhos" which are mashed yucca stuffed pillows of heavenly-ness.
We rounded out the treats of the day with an interesting version of brazilian carrot cake that is topped with chocolate ganache, which sounds like an odd pairing, but was actually very tasty. Also making a cameo were some Pao de Queijo rolls and then I made a coconut/ginger/tomato sauce to nestle some grilled chicken drumettes in.
Ok so most recipes are on my pinterest page, but here are a few of the standouts:
A NO FAIL CHIMICHURRI
cup of fresh parsley leaves
3-4 garlic cloves (the more the merrier)
2 tbs fresh oregano leaves (or 2 TSP dried)
1/2 cup olive erl
2 tbsp wine vinegar (red, white, no matter)
Tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Ok, so gathering the ingredients is the hard part. Toss in a blender or bullet and whiz everything together. Slather onto your steaks and like just die from happiness.
CASTELO AND PALMITOS DIP
6-8 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive erl
one 14-16 oz can of hearts of palm
5 cups of kale, chopped small
halfa cup of milk
8 oz pack of cream cheese, room temp
half cup sour cream
salt and black pepper
cup of parmesan
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a baking dish. On the stove, saute garlic in olive erl, add hearts of palm and mix, add kale and give it all a whirl. Turn off heat, add milk and cream cheese and mix through. Then add sour cream and parm, salt and pepper to taste. Pour deliciousness into the baking dish and bake for 25 minutes.
BOLINHOS DE CHORIZO
1 large yucca/cassava root
1 egg
2 Tbsp coconut flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 lb chorizo
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Saute chorizo in a pan until cooked, add chopped onion and stir through until translucent. Turn off heat and add chopped cilantro, stir through until well distributed. Set aside to cool to room temp. Peel your casava/yucca and then cut into 2 inch chunks. Boil in salted water until fork tender. Drain and mash like mashed taters. Add coconout flour, garlic powder and s+p to taste as you mash. Mold mashed yucca into balls, dust with coconut flour to keep from getting sticky and then mush/press a hole with your thumb to flatten out a bit, fill with a tablespoon of chorizo filling and then roll back up into a ball with a dust of coconut flour. Fry em up in a pan until golden brown and then keep yourself from eating the whole batch.
SALPICAO
1 whole skinless chicken breast poached in seasoned water, shredded
2 medium carrots, peeled and grated
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup peas
2 small granny smith apples cubed
1/3 cup seedless raisins, or dried apricots or dried figs, chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup mayo
1 package shoestring potatoes
1/2 cup of olives
1/2 cup of heart of palms (cut in cubes)
Salt and pepper
Ok, the ingredients are the hard part. And maybe the elbow grease you need to mix everything together. So combine everything and then s+p to taste. And be astounded by the deliciousness.
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