Hello, My Name Is: Mrs. Fox

Well, I have finally figured out what day and time it is! After a wedding weekend 4 weeks ago that was absolutely GLORIOUS and SO MUCH FUN, we left a week and a half later for 10 days in Thailand by way of Beijing, China. In that 10 days, among some of the most amazing things I've ever seen and done (which we'll cover in another post I'm sure), we changed to 12 hours ahead of Baton Rouge, 13 hours ahead of Baton Rouge, traveled "back in time" for 39 hours back to Baton Rouge, and then faced the 1 hour "fall back" of daylight savings time. People, if you were debating it at all - jet lag is real. But here we are, married and with an unforgettable Thailand experience behind us.

Hello, my name is Mrs. Fox :)

And this weekend, Mrs. Fox was focused on (and nervous about!) a little thing called the LSU vs Alabama football game! Today would be Monday after a big BAMA victory. (Just in case you were wondering.)

But let's remember that my Bama self and my Auburn husband (HUSBAND!) live in Baton Rouge, home of the LSU Tigers and their very dedicated fans. And we are lucky enough to have some of the sweetest LSU fan friends around, that will actually have us over to watch said huge, season-determining football game, while feeding us full of yummy game time food. So this post will be dedicated to (besides my reminders that WE JUST GOT MARRIED!!! Woo hoo!) tailgate or game day treats. I mean that sounds about right for the South - cover football and tailgating first and get to blogging about wedding and honeymoon after that, right?

Ok, so down to business. I was asked to bring dessert. Boom, my specialty. Not because I'm an expert at making them, and more because I'm a champion at eating them. (Which I proved Saturday night just as well as my football team proved they had a killer defense) And here's where the learning to be domestic comes into play....

So let's start easy, which is what I did Saturday. Rice Krispy treats. Literally 3 ingredients, and barely any "cook" time. (I might be eating a left over treat as I'm writing this...and I may have had one with breakfast. Don't judge.) Once you've melted 3 Tbsp of butter on low heat, added one bag of jet-puffed Marshmallows and stirred while they melt down (I also bought a bag of miniature Marshmallows and added some of those, because when it comes to sweets, I don't know moderation), and added in 6 cups of Rice Krispy's cereal - bingo! Just pour the mixture into a buttered pan (or pan covered in cooking spray) using a buttered spatula (this is key!) and let them cool.

But football players don't just do the minimum required, they go all out. So why would we stop here? These are treats for watching football. And when your gracious hosts pull for your opponent, it's nice to make your treats reflect both teams. (I'll be honest, that purple and yellow icing tasted just as good as that red and white icing) The final outcome? A Krispy cake iced like a football field.

-Green icing for the "field" (I used a whole can. It was thin coverage, but I don't think people want thick icing on an already sweet Krispy cake)
- Red, white, purple and yellow icing - I forgot to get icing tips, so I cut the very ends off of the corner of plastic sandwich baggies, and viola! frosting bags! (A little domestic goddess helpful hint. Lol)

This dessert could be iced and colored to fit several different occasions, and a variety of "extras" could be added as well. For example, chocolate chips for the chocolate lovers. Fun, easy and delicious - Enjoy!

And since tailgates are about more than just the sweets, here's some links to some additional yummy recipes:

Corn dip - I ate my weight in this dip on Saturday. My friend that made it did tell me she used light mayo and sour cream....so I had another Krispy treat.
NOTE: I can say from extensive research that this dip is wonderful with plain tortilla chips, Fritos corn chips, and Hint of Lime tortilla chips.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/16816/corn-dip/

Corn and Avocado Salsa - Super tasty! Lighter in calories than most tailgate food, big on flavor. Also see chip "NOTE" above...

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/74692/corn-and-avocado-salsa/

The staple of tailgates are, of course, wings. I haven't yet found my "signature" go-to recipe, but I can tell you I could drink Franks Red Hot Sauce and Franks Red Hot Buffalo Sauce. (Yes, "I put that S**! on everything".)

http://www.franksredhot.com/recipes/franks-redhot-buffalo-chicken-wings-RE1303-1

And for a nod to my Cajun surroundings, what else but GUMBO?! I definitely don't have a gumbo recipe of my own yet, but that's something I'm working on for another blog on another day. In the meantime, here's some I found that look yummy.

http://www.gumbocooking.com/best-seafood-gumbo.html

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/216888/good-new-orleans-creole-gumbo/

http://www.gumbopages.com/food/gumbo.html

Crack open a beer, put on your stretchy pants in your favorite team's colors and bust out the cornhole boards - It's GAME TIME!

Cheers,
Angela (FOX!)  :-)