Bear down, Chicago Bears!
Here's a 4 pack for the Bears fans:
Wake Up Call by Charley | Tagged Angel Bears Bliss Blitz Chicago Bears Jersey Poms Wake Up Call From the TailgateFan:
Try out this recipe for one of my favorite game-day appetizers: a zesty, filling dish that will keep the crowd happy. Black Bean Corn Flautas with Cilantro Lime Dip – makes about 30 flautas.
Ingredients
2 cups frozen corn
1 15oz can black beans, rinsed
2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
4 green onions, chopped fine
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt & pepper
1 package of wonton wrappers
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine all of the ingredients (except the wrappers) in a large bowl. To assemble the flautas, place a tablespoon of the mixture onto one of the wonton wrappers. Roll tightly, and wet the edge of the wrapper with a bit of water, pressing to seal. Repeat until you are out of mixture or out of wrappers.
Place the flautas seam-side down on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Once all of the flautas are on the baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray. Bake until browned, about 15 minutes. Serve warm with salsa or cilantro lime dip (recipe follows).
For the Dipping Sauce
Makes about ½ cup of dipping sauce
Adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen
Ingredients
4 ounces plain Greek yogurt
½ lime, zest & juice
Large handful of cilantro
2 garlic cloves, pushed through a garlic press or chopped fine
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine. Serve cold alongside the flautas
Given it was frigid outside, the Raptors tailgate party was a success.
Held outside the Air Canada Centre for the majority of Wednesday afternoon, the party saw a couple hundred fans — many ticket holders — indulge in:
Free poutine (the Raptors special was a carnivorous concoction of sausage, bacon and pulled pork)
Chili (about 700 pounds were consumed in 2 ½ hours)
Hot chocolate
“There is a lot more excitement in the air,” said Josh Samuel, a PhD student in theology at McMaster University. “Openers have a playoffs atmosphere.”
News by Charley | Tagged Basketball Chili Hot Chocolate Sausage Tailgating News Toronto Raptors food For administrators at Yale and Harvard, it is a nightmare to be confronted every other fall: how to best regulate the student tailgate area at the alcohol-fueled, tradition-bound spectacle known reverently as the Game.
The University of Missouri’s move from the Big 12 to the Southeastern Conference will mean the end to a long-time halftime tradition, and it means that fans needing a drink or a smoke will just have to wait until after the game.
The school currently allows fans to leave Faurot Field at halftime to grab a drink or smoke a cigarette as long as their tickets are scanned both when the ticket-holder first enters the stadium and again after halftime.
But SEC rules don’t allow fans to leave and then re-enter the stadium for football games.
In Big 12 country, a lot of people make a habit of running back to the parking lots to top off the tanks. I suppose that's why they make flasks!
Source: http://fox4kc.com/2011/11/16/mizzou-move-to-sec-means-end-to-tailgating-tradition/
The crew at the Bleacher Report have a list of the top 20 best games for tailgating in week 9...
20. Navy @ Notre Dame
19. Iowa @ Minnesota
18. Colorado @ Arizona State
17. Mississippi State @ Kentucky
16. Clemson @ Georgia Tech
15. Illinois @ Penn State
14. West Virginia @ Rutgers
13. Arkansas @ Vanderbilt
12. Baylor @ Oklahoma State
11. Purdue @ Michigan
10. Missouri @ Texas A&M
9. North Carolina State @ Florida State
8. Michigan State @ Nebraska
7. Kansas @ Texas
6. South Carolina @ Tennessee
5. Ole Miss @ Auburn
4. Wiconsin @ Ohio State
3. Oklahoma @ Kansas State
2. Georgia @ Florida
1. Stanford @ USC
News by Charley | Tagged Arizona State Colorado Iowa Minnesota Gophers Navy News Notre Dame Stanford USC Trojans 
We've all seen it. We've all heard it. We've all been next to 'that guy.' The big loud, smelly generator that they bought for Y2K. While they put out a good amount of power, you will pay with your hearing.
Five years ago, I bought a Honda EU2000i generator. Not only are they quiet, they are very fuel efficient. We've gone up to 8 hours on 1 tank (~1 gallon) of gas.
You can join two of these generators together to get even more power.
The Honda also has an "ECO" mode, where it will run at lower RPMs until the load increases. Even at the higher RPM, it is still very quiet.
The first time I've come across one of these generators, I stood there like an idiot wondering if it was even on, because there was a noise maker generator across the aisle in the lot.
The problem with these generators is the price. While they are spendy, as they say: "Buy once, Cry once." It is money well spent for a great setup.
The crew over at Inside Tailgating have a nice recipe for a tailgating snack... Armadillo Eggs:
Primary Ingredients
* 1 lb. hot bulk pork sausage
* 8 oz. shredded Cheddar cheese
* 8 oz. shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1/2 cup sliced jalapenos, or to taste
* 1 1/2 cups baking mix (Bisquick)
* 1 6-oz. package pork-flavor Shake ‘n Bake (optional)
Directions
1. In medium bowl, thoroughly mix sausage, cheddar cheese, 1/2 the Monterey Jack cheese and baking mix.
2. Shape a biscuit-size piece of the sausage dough into a 1/4-inch thick patty. Place 2 slices of jalapeno peppers and a pinch of Monterey Jack cheese in center of patty and wrap it around the filling. Seal well. Repeat for remaining peppers.
3. Roll prepared jalapeno peppers in Shake ‘n Bake (optional) to give the Armadillo Eggs a crispy crust like an armadillo shell.
4. Bake in a preheated 325° oven on a lightly greased baking sheet until browned, about 25 minutes.
Source: http://insidetailgating.com/food-drink/armadillo-eggs/
Wow.
Nothing like watching a nice game of Dizzy Bat, and getting a bat the face. Nice save on the beer though!
Cholula hot sauces. We've all seen the bottles with the wooden caps on them. Now it comes in 4 flavors for all your hot sauce needs.
Cholula was kind enough to send me a sampler pack which contained their Original, Chili Garlic, Chili Lime, and Chipotle sauces.
Original: All about Flavor, Fire and Fun. More than any other Hot Sauce, Cholula's delicious blend of piquin peppers, chile arbol and signature spices enhances food flavors without overpowering them. It's a combination that has defined Cholula as The Flavorful Fire. Cholula makes your enjoyment of eggs, omelets, soups, pizza, dips, appetizers, drinks - virtually all your favorite foods - a more festive experience you will want to share with others.
Chili Garlic: A garlic lover's dream. Cholula Chili Garlic gives you the full benefit of Cholula's original Flavorful Fire complimented with an abundant presence of fresh, coarse ground garlic. It is an incredible flavor enhancement to pasta sauces, pizza, poultry, soups and anywhere you would enjoy a little garlic!
Chili Lime: Gives you all of what you love most about Cholula's original Flavorful Fire but with the distinctively delicious, tangy hint of fresh lime. It's a hot 'n' tangy flavor sensation that is incredible on tortilla chips, seafood, chicken, salad dressings and more.
Chipolte: Featuring a savory blend of Cholula's original "Flavorful Fire" and the smokey and slightly sweet flavor notes of real Chipotle peppers. It brings sensational new flavor to soups, ranch dressing, steaks, chicken and more.
Tasting these sauces, they all share the great taste of the original, but each with its own distinct kick. The tanginess of the lime, the sweetness of the garlic, and the smokiness of the chipotle all stand out and make for great sauces. I've tried them on chicken, breakfast sandwiches, nachos, and some hot wings for an extra zip. In all cases, the sauces added a very welcomed flavor.
You can buy Cholula at your local grocery store, or if they don't carry it, you can always buy it online from http://www.cholulastore.net