Southern Send-Off: Pimento Cheese

Well we did it, we made it to Friday folks! Tomorrow is the big day - the kick off to the 2013 college football season! AND I AM SO EXCITED! Go Clemson Tigers!

photo via

Now that I am finished with that pity party I threw myself yesterday, I am on to bigger and better things starting with my brother's recipe for pimento cheese. This recipe is a must have for any southern gal because it is quick, easy and oh so southernly delicious!

here is a list of what you will need:

1 lb of grated sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 lb of grated pepper jack

1 4oz can of diced pimentos

1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon of granulated onion

1/2 teaspoon of freshly grated black pepper

pinch of cayenne

1/2 tablespoon of green pepper sauce

1 cup mayo

1 hot pepper optional

side note: I buy the big blocks of cheese and put them into a food processor because I don't like to eat the shredded stuff you buy in the grocery store - there is a reason why the prepackaged cheese doesn't stick together! Think about it... ok I am off my soap box now! 



here is the really hard recipe:

Put all ingredients into a big bowl and mix together well! Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then enjoy!

We are taking this delicious snack with us to our Clemson Tailgate. It travels super well in a cold cooler and can defiantly be made a couple nights in advance. I plan on serving with carrots and celery sticks but pita or pretzel chips would be delish too! 

I also wanted to give you a sneak peek of the amazing cookies I had made for the tailgate this weekend. My new obsession Kate over at Kooking in Kate's Kitchen, is a cookie mastermind and also a BIG Penn State fan. Even with her love for Penn State she put a lot of love and attention in to these cuties! Thanks Kate and def check her out!

Needless to say, Reid and I are packed and ready to roll out when the clock hits 5:00 this afternoon. Wish us luck as we take on 95 South and a 6 hour car drive! I cannot wait to fill you in on all the tailgate details next week!

Good luck to all your teams out there! I hope everyone has a safe and happy Labor Day weekend!

till later loves!

CAD 

Can of Crazy!

Hey Loves! I am going to keep this post short and sweet since I have been neglecting my wifely house keeping duties annnnnnnd my parents are coming to stay tomorrow to watch our dogs! Oops! Guess I should change the sheets in the guest bedroom!

Tuggy is not helping to clean up - clown!

Why is it when you are about to head out of town a can of crazy opens up and you now have a million and one things on your already too long "to do" list? Ugh and of course Wednesday was one of those days at work...just cra cra nuts!  I had a whole fun tailgate post planned for today but by the time I sat down to collect my thoughts and put the finishing touches on it last night,  I found this post escaping through my fingers! I think I just needed a moment alone to vent! Hello blog! Where have you been all my life! 

Reid and I were also super busy last night preparing for our rode trip to South Carolina. He and I lugged all our tailgating gear out to the kitchen to await the final inspection of what goes and what stays. Man, we really have a lot of stuff! But I did get a chance to organize and re-pack everything so now it is officially ready to go!

this is before I pulled everything out and re-packed it

I also attempted to get through my mountain of laundry but that did not happen. I can receive half a gold star on my chore chart because I got through 3 of the 5 loads! That's right, 5 loads! 

All of this happened after a late night work meeting followed by a 6:30 Junior League meeting...  at 9:36pm I rewarded myself with a big bowl of Lucky Charms and sat down to work on Virginia Sweet. Phew! Thank goodness today is a brand new day!

So don't loose faith in me my sweet readers - I promise to reward you tomorrow with my brothers pimento cheese recipe! It really is the perfect tailgate treat and OH so southern. It travels well and it is a grand shade of ORANGE! 

xoxo Loves! 

CAD 

tailgate with a touch of southern class!

Happy Wednesday Loves!

Today Virginia Sweet is linking up with Newlyweds:North for a Kick Off Week Celebration! Stephanie over at N:N is actually a member of our Clemson Family and we will be seeing each other in 3 short days along with the rest of our crazy bunch! She and her husband are on a big adventure up North but still share the same passion for all things Southern.

Ashley, another member of the Clemson Family, and I have been hard at work this summer planning, plotting and pinning ideas to make this year's first game the best tailgate yet. Just the other day we were tossing around ideas of how to add a touch of southern class to our tailgate. With her blessing, I thought I would share some of our favs here with you! 

not everything has to be Clemson...

Oh lord, all you Clemson fans don't kill me but not everything has to have a tiger paw on it - right? 

A little tiger paw goes a long way! You can pull in your school's colors in other ways. Like really fun fabric for your tailgating table or a monogrammed tablecloth! Simple touches and moderation will keep your table and tailgate looking classy and refined!

make your self at home

Since you really do spend more time at the tailgate than actually at the game it is important to add some touches of home. Any good southern host wants their guest to be comfy, don't they?

Throw some color coordinated pillows into your tailgating chairs - not only does it add a great pop of color but also makes a great little spot for an afternoon nap if you have had too much gin! Who me??? NEVER! But really - don't you think that looks inviting??

Add some fun frames to the table in your school's colors! These cuties are in my living room and I did not feel like changing out the pictures but wouldn't it be cute to put pics from previous tailgates in them??

be a little formal, it's ok, we're all adults here!

 Dust off some of those wedding presents that never get used and bring them along!

 

Adding little touches of silver will bring an instant feel of southern hospitality and class! I love the idea of using the bar tool set for drinks and the silver drink tub to house our never ending supply of champagne! After all, you are having about 20 of your closest friends over for bunch SO why not break out the good stuff?

I really do owe Ashley a big shout out as she has been my partner in crime all summer and I cannot wait for all of our hard work to pay off on Saturday! Thanks also to Andrew (her hubby) and Reid (mine) for putting up with the two of us this summer going crazy about tailgating!! 

this is from the a LONG time ago but a fav of mine!
Reid, Caroline, Ashley and Andrew

Go Tigers!!! 

Later Loves, 

CAD

ps... If you popped over from Newlyweds: North be sure to check out my other Tailgating posts! It's really great to have y'all here!

Game Day Dress - Clemson vs UGA!

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone's week is off to a great start! I am counting down the days till Friday when we take off to South Carolina for the big game day weekend to watch the Clemson Tigers play the Georgia Bulldogs!

I am so excited to share my game day outfit with y'all! Here's the breakdown of the goods:

dress:
I bought this little couture dress from the Mamie girls of ShopMamie.com. They had the cutest booth set up at the Richmond Bizarre Bazar in April and I could not resist! The second I saw this dress I knew it would be perfect for Clemson's first game. I love that it is an ivory color - so classic for Labor Day weekend and could I ask for anything better than little orange palm trees? Hello South Carolina!
You should def check out their website, they have some great pieces and all of their "hand picked" clothes are under $100.

monogramed sun hat:

up close and personal - are't those little palms cute?

What kind of southern gal would I be without something monogramed on at our tailgate? I received this sunhat as a belated present for my Monograms and Mimosa bridal shower and I just love it! It makes me feel so feminine and classy! It also keeps the sun off my shoulders while I am not under the tents!

sunscreen and shades:
So, if you know me, you know that I am not really much on wearing makeup (except on special occasions) but I am a firm believer in wearing sunscreen! I am a pretty pale girl and love to lather on 30 spf if I am out in the sun for more than 30 minutes. Shades also are.a.must! That sun can be brutal in the South!

jacks:
no explanation needed! Pretty sure that most have a pair (or two) laying around!

the little things:
Since it is still August, I wanted to keep my jewelry easy and light! I am going with a gold bracelet that I bought myself as a birthday present at C. Wonder in Atlanta and my pearls. Tip! Don't wear anything too constricting or heavy - it can get hot and sticky out there and the last thing you want is to be uncomfortable. On the flip side, we are going to be out at this tailgate/game from 10am till close to midnight (Clemson has the 8pm time slot this year - NOW you know why we are sooooooo excied!) and I get cold at the slightest little breeze. I rarely go anywhere without a Jackie Cardigan so I def have my Clemson orange one already packed!

Well, I think that about covers it other than my undergarment! I am looking forward to posting some fun pics from the game and tailgate to show off the ensemble!

Check back tomorrow - I am linking up with another one of my Clemson Clan on her blog to help celebrate this kick off week!

till tomorrow loves!

CAD

oh yea! I am not advertising for any of the above mentions - I just love them! Oh and if you are lovin this blog leave me a sweet note or follow me!!! 

Tailgating Tips from the Mrs

Happy Monday Loves! 

Do you know what this week marks? I am sure most of you do, but if not, it is the first week of college football! Now, if you would have asked me 5 years ago I would have said ummmm... the last week of summer?? I can thank my crazy tiger lovin hubby for all of my cra cra Clemson football passion. Hah! I did not even go to Clemson but love* it just the same! 

As you know, this week I will be blogging all about southern tailgating...Clemson style!!!...but I will not be offended if you change the color scheme to match your home team! So now I ask y'all, are you ready for some football?

me waiting for the parade of tigers, a made up name but def one of my fav traditions!

I have compiled 3 key tips to help you kickoff an awesome tailgate:

 tip 1: tailgate with your best buds

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful Clemson Family and have the best time when we are all together! Most of these boys have known each other since high school and this group of 7 have grown up along side each other into wonderful men! These 7 are all either married or engaged to great gals (thus my entry into the club) and if it weren't for these ladies I would never love Clemson as much as I do. Isn't there a southern saying that goes something like "behind every good man is a strong woman".... well we have to be to put up with these clowns when they all get together! 

all of the wives!

tip 2: whip your tailgate bucket into shape

Our tailgate bucket has grown over the last 4 years to include a L.L.Bean bag, big plastic tote and the original orange bucket. It seems the amount of items that we need grows just a little each year! 

Here are some of the esstential items that we keep in our collection:

tiger tail for the back of the car - clearly a must have

hand sanitizer as one can never have enough

paper towels, trash bags and toilet paper (for those nasty porta-potties) 

koozies and tervis tumblers to keep your drinks cold on those hot game days

orange duct tape, lets be honest, you never know when you will need it

serving trays for your awesome tailgating food 

miscellaneous items such as grilling essentials, lighter, tape, napkins, paper plates and scissors

tip 3: tailgate prep

How can you have a successful tailgate without a dedicated day of prep? We spent most of yesterday running errands and pulling out all of our tailgating gear. Man, I am so glad we did because I think I left a roadie mimosa in my Tervis Tumbler from the final game last year - oops! Nevertheless, take this opportunity to restock your tailgate bucket (if you already have one, if not invest in one), wash up your monogramed cups and dishes, make sure your gear is in working order and set it aside so it is ready to rock and roll when you need to pack the car.

Some of our Clemson family sent pictures as they were preforming their tailgate prep! 

Laura going through her tailgating bucket

Andrew dusting off those corn hole boards 

Check in tomorrow for more tailgating ideas from the Mrs! 

xoxo,

CAD 

*disclaimer - Don't worry Mom, Dad and Bro, I still have a big place in my heart for UVA!