Welcome To Tailgating Season

Football and the ‘ber months kick off in a couple of weeks, and with that, welcome to tailgating season!

fall-football-field

Photo by Sarah Elizabeth

Tailgating season is the pass a good time prelude to the game where fan fabulous tablescape ideas and tasty recipes rule the field of creativity.

tiger tailgating

Tiger Tailgating

Can’t make it to the stadium?

Homegating works too!

tailgating-homegating

Country Living Magazine – Photography by Brian Woodcock

Bringing a festive tailgating-homegating event together requires thought and time to plan, and everyone has a method to their tailgating madness.

vintage-football-programs (1)

Cornell v. Yale Football Program 1956

To every sport there is a season, and to every tailgating style and spread there is a reason.

brown-football

Photo by Dave Adamson 

Successful tailgating times is defined in may ways, but festive camaraderie in late summer, cozy days of fall, and the chill of early winter is the common ground game goal of all.

tailgating tools graphic

 

 

Costway3-in-1-Vertical-Charcoal-Smoker-Portable-BBQ-Smoker-Grill-with-Detachable

Vertical Charcoal Smoker Portable BBQ Smoker Grill with Detachable 2 Layer

double-burner-gas-propane-cooker-outdoor-stove

Double Burner Gas Propane Cooker Outdoor Picnic Stove Stand BBQ Grill

Outdoor Iron Black with Powder Coating Fire Pit

Outdoor Iron Black with Powder Coating Fire Pit

Folding sports wagons and carts accommodate transporting your moveable feast to the tailgating table.

Academy Sports + Outdoors Folding Sports Wagon with Removable Bed

Academy Sports + Outdoors Folding Sports Wagon with Removable Bed

tiger-shoes (1) (1)

Tote in style.

Large-Basket-Bags-Braided-Raffia

Straw Bag with Leather Shoulder Strap

Igloo Laguna NCAA LSU 28QT Soft Top Wheeled Cooler Purple

Igloo Laguna NCAA LSU 28QT Soft Top Wheeled Cooler Purple

Crock-Pot-Manual-8-Quart-Slow-Cooker-Rhubarb

Crock Pot Manual 8-Quart Slow Cooker

Outdoor Gourmet 19-Piece BBQ Tool Set

Outdoor Gourmet 19-Piece BBQ Tool Set

Grill Brush and Scraper Bristle Free – Safe BBQ Brush for Grill

Grill Brush and Scraper Bristle Free – Safe BBQ Brush for Grill

Ozark Trail 10-Quart Collapsible Sink

Ozark Trail 10-Quart Collapsible Sink

Fall gardens, holidays, and celebrations can be the inspiration to guide your tailgating-homegating theme of the week.

Bronze-finish-Bulldog-Sculpture

Go Dawgs! Sitting Bulldog Figurine

6-x-16-Silver-Polystone-Football-Player-Sculpture

Silver Polystone Football Player Sculpture

Prowling Orange Bengal Tiger On Rocky Grounds Figurine

Prowling Orange Bengal Tiger On Rocky Grounds Figurine

Initial costs ding the wallet at first, but grant bang for your party buck satisfaction for tailgating seasons to come.

Natural Burlap by The Yard

Burlap fabric remains a great option of neutral and inexpensive for table covering needs. It comes in a good selection of colors allowing you to go with team colors game to game.

purple-burlap-fabric

Spills happen.

If a stain should occur, cover it up with a serving tray or platter for the duration of your tailgating soiree (a hosting trick).

Between tailgating times, head over to a fabric store or online retailer to pick up or order a couple of more yards of this tailgating friendly fabric.

tablecloth-sizes-chart

Take into account larger tablecloths give enough over drop to conceal table legs or baskets and totes stored under fold-out tables.

tailgating-throws-table-cloths

Pick up inexpensive throws in team colors, patterns, and textures to use as spot accents or tablecloths.

pumpkin-with-moss-BHG-photo-Ed-Gohlich

Better Homes & Gardens

In season local fruits and vegetables make excellent table and centerpiece decorations.

garden-vegetables-in-wheel-barrow-House-and-Garden

House & Garden – Photography by Andrew Montgomery

Play up the fall season and the holidays that come around this time of year.

Dried Vine Cornucopia

Dried Vine Cornucopia

Tailgate treasure hunt at home.

black-bronze-lanterns

Better Homes & Gardens 18″ Black Metal Candle Holder Lantern
Mainstays Solar Lantern Bronze

In other words, shop what you’ve got.

fall-arrangement-Oak-and-Sweetgum-branches

Martha Stewart

Introduce real or faux garlands to the tailgating table as fabulous fillers and display accents.

berry-garland-fall

Centerpiece ideas center around grocery store floral departments and my forever go-to, nature’s floral department; always open and the prices can’t be beat.

orange-yellow-mums-fall

Jeffrey Hamilton

Stems and branches denoting regional and seasonal beauty in varying heights and colors gathered together in vases or free form vignettes achieve the look of effortless style and casual elegance.

mature-cotton-boll

decorative-pheasant-feathers-bundle

velvet-ribbon

Take the display to new heights while freeing up table real estate by using crates turned upside down or stacked on top of each other.

crates-wooden-stack

Crates and baskets perform double duty as totes and serveware.

brown-wicker-baskets-collection

baskets-storage-set

Large Water Hyacinth Tray

Large Water Hyacinth Tray

Planters, trophies, and urns- all excellent choices as beverage tubs.

Better-Homes-Gardens-20-x-20-x-13-Brown-Resin-Whiskey-Barrel-Planter

Aluminum-Handcrafted-Champagne-Cooler-by-Christopher-Knight-Home (1)

Buff Concrete Planter-1

Tailgating treasures tip:

End of season clearance sales result in some mighty fine finds with price points to match. Don’t overlook the aisles and the shelves of big box and resale-vintage-thrift stores.

nickel-metal-serving-trays

Flea markets, estate, and garage sales source vintage dinnerware perfect for mix and match presentation, cast iron cookware, copper kitchen wares, cake stands, Tupperware, table linens, cutlery, holiday decorations and the like.

Tennessee Vols Go Big Orange Styrofoam Cups

Stylish Styros

Tiger fans making the trek down to Death Valley cross over the Mighty Mississippi River making Mississippi Mud Cake an appropriate sweet treat for tailgating times.

Homestead Textured Glass Jug Beverage Dispenser with Spigot

Take the look to next level style with wreaths.

fall-wreath-tailgating-table-decor

Uses include flanking table ends, candle rings, stunning base for a beverage dispenser(s), and placed on tabletops to complement nickel plated iron serving trays from Dollar Tree.

tailgating-treats-graphic

bourbon-apple-cider-thyme-punch

Bourbon Apple Cider Thyme Punch Recipe

bloody-mary-garnishes (1)

Who wants a Bloody Mary?

Clamato-cajun-spice-beans

Game Time Bloody Mary

Ingredients

6 ounces of chilled Clamato

1 ounce vodka

generous sprinkle celery salt

Pickapeppa sauce

ice cubes

fresh lemon juice

Louisiana spicy beans

sauces-for-Bloody-Mary

Directions

Pour Clamato and vodka into glass.

Shake several splashes of Pickapeppa sauce, celery salt, and a generous squeeze of fresh lemon juice into mixture.  Stir well. Garnish with a spicy bean garnish and it’s game time!

Speaking of sauces…

Louisiana hot sauces kick up the fun and the flavors- two things necessary at a Louisiana tailgating get together.

Pour up hot sauce (or any other type sauce or dressing) into clear  disposable plastic cups with lids for individual servings. The deals are better on large containers, and individual servings sizes?

hot-sauce-in-individual-cups

starters-graphic

fall-cheese-board

Simple and delicious crowd pleasing appetizer solutions begin with several bricks of cream cheese placed on a lovely plate or platter.

Next, top each brick with a favorite jelly, jam, preserves or spread.

Garnish with fruit, nuts, or fresh herbs.

How deliciously easy is that?

jelly-jam-spicy-spreads

Charcuterie boards score big points with the tailgating and/or homegating crowd.

Easy tops the tailgating menu when you pickup items at your local grocery store that put simple and delicious on the table.

Mix it up, spoon it out, and spread it on thick in real-time before game time.

super-bowl-charcuterie-board

tailgate-food-onion-dip (1)

Country Living – Photography by Brian Woodcock

Caramelized Onion Dip with Crispy Shallots

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil, divided

3 large sweet onions, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 shallots, sliced into thin rings

1 (16-ounce) container sour cream

1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Pretzels and potato, beet, and sweet potato chips for serving

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are a deep golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon; cool completely.

Combine sour cream and onions in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Top with crispy shallots and chives. Serve with pretzels and chips.

-Country Living

autumn-snack-mix-in-waffle-cones

Sweet-and-Salty Snack Mix

Jalapeño Popper Football Cheese Ball

Jalapeño Popper Football Cheese Ball Recipe

When tailgating friends ask what can they bring my stock answer is fried chicken.

fried-chicken

Pick up a basket, box or bucket of this tailgating food favorite and bring the delicious and the easy to the table.

Classic Beef Chili

Classic Beef Chili Recipe

Chili in a bread bowl, especially oval shaped Bolillos and topped with cheese or sour cream in the form of football laces, is game day genius.

baskets-storage-set

Freshness-Guaranteed-White-Bolillos

Game day often comes early, and there’s a recipe for that.

Texas-breakfast-tacos-recipe

Texas Breakfast Tacos Recipe

Traditional tailgating favorites such as links, burgers, and dogs score big points.

grilling-sausage

Photo by Paras Kapoor on Unsplash

hamburger-in-foilUnsplash

Louisiana cooking hits the flavor button with its unique blends and mixes of spices, sauces, and syrups.

Creole-spices

gumbo-bowl

Chicken and Sausage Gumbo

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Tiger-Bait-Cookbook (2)

To the trusty Tiger Bait Recipes we go for Cajun Red Beans and Rice-

red-beans-and-rice-recipe-Tiger-Bait-cookbook

sweet-treats-graphic

 

 

 

 

Bourbon_Balls

Bourbon Balls Recipe

Quick dessert bites of the simple to make-no bake-easy to take kind sweeten the tailgating season.

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars Recipe

Tiger fans making the trek down to Death Valley cross over the Mighty Mississippi River making Mississippi Mud Cake an appropriate sweet treat for tailgating times.

Chocolaty S’mores Bars

Chocolaty S’mores Bars

Giving a glance to the recipe below it, I must admit I am intrigued by this recipe for Sausage Cake.  It reads like a c’est si bon classic and new fall favorite to include in the recipe box.

sausage-cake-Mississippi-mud-cake-recipes

Here’s wishing the football faithful a winning and happy tailgating season!

Darleen-signature-love

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