NO, I'M NOT AN ALABAMA CHEERLEADER, BUT I PLAY ONE ON TV

... or uhh, in my case, in the Thanksgiving follies after the big meal. I love how my brother, in the background, is so deeply enthralled with my performance he can hardly stand up straight.

Speaking of Thanksgiving, our family's fondest memory is when my aunt didn't offer any gravy for the roast beast. The oversight seemed so scandalous at the time... or at least for a gaggle of elementary school aged kids. My cousin couldn't get past it and it consumed the kid's table conversation not just that day, but every Thanksgiving moving forward, too. My mom felt so badly for her that she ended up carting gravy every year afterwards from Birmingham to Montgomery.

Oh, and by the way, I was never coordinated enough to be an "official "cheerleader of anything. The closest I ever made it to cheerdom was Top 20 in middle school. And Dorians in high school-- Are you kidding? A most embarrassing dance/ kick routine to say the least. (I do have one juicy little routine I managed to learn and teach my roomates in college to the tune of Barry Manilow's Copacabana, but that's another story.) It just wasn't meant to be. But that's ok, I've learned there are other ways to rally the troops ;)

Rah-Rah and Roll Tide.

YOUR TRICK IS OUR TREAT, OSCAR: HALLOWEEN PET CONTEST BRINGS OUT THE FIGHTER IN THIS O.C.D PUP

Firefighter that is. Oscar made his debut on the Southern Living website earlier this week. It took his fav squeaky toy, to capture this pose... and more than his share of vanilla wafers. His nerves proved to be a little shotty that morning, barking at all of the other pouches that crossed his path. It took all the strength I had to hold back this "hauss"of a beast and calm him into a comfort zone. By the time I got him home, I needed another shower!

Check out all of the "sweet baby angels sent straight from heaven" that came out:

http://www.southernliving.com/healthy-living/mind-body/pet-halloween-costumes-00417000069018/

Even though he wasn't the most cooperative of the bunch (nor the least), that's ok by this closet stage mom.
Photo courtesy of southernliving.com.

ENJOY!

THE ULTIMATE TV TAILGATE EATS: COWBOY NACHOS

Not too long ago, we featured the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, in Southern Living. My favorite recipe we tested was her Cowboy Nachos...the perfect snack to enjoy if you're planning to park-it in front of the television for an entire day of college football.

Plan to make the brisket ahead of time, so all you have to do is make the nachos on game day. And it's so worth it-- trust me. The bonus? There will be enough brisket to use in several other recipes as well.

I'm not kidding when I say: DE-LISH!

Cowboy Nachos: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1932564

CHOW.
Photo and recipe courtesy of myrecipes. And a special thanks to Ree Drummond for sharing her delicious recipe with Southern Living!

A WIN-WIN: EASY TO MAKE BAR COOKIES WILL BE LOVED BY ALL

One pan treats are a favorite of mine because they require such a small amount of effort to mix and bake. These rich bars are particularly delicious.

Chocolate Chip-Pecan Blondies
Makes about 4 dozen
Prep: 15 min., Bake: 35 min.

Game Plan: Prepare Friday evening and cool completely. Cut bars Saturday morning so the edges don't dry out. Pack in an air-tight container if traveling or stack on a pretty platter.

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 lb. dark brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 (11.5-oz.) package milk chocolate morsels (Ghirardelli)
1 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels (Ghirardelli)
1 (6-oz.) package pecan halves, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

Cream butter and sugar with a heavy-duty electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and mix until well blended. Add vanilla.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture, all at once, and blend on low speed; add morsels and pecans, blending just until combined. (I add the morsels and pecans just before all of the flour mixture is completely incorporated to prevent over mixing the dough.)


Spread dough in a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan (Tip: pan=metal/ dish=glass).

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center holds a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake. (I baked mine for 35 minutes because I like a gooier bar.) Cool completely. Cut into squares.

The Extra Point: Having a few friends for supper? Cut bars into 15 squares, microwave a few seconds until warm, and top with a generous scoop of Haagen Dazs coffee or vanilla ice cream. Drizzle with Easy Chocolate Sauce.

Easy Chocolate Sauce: Microwave 1 cup bittersweet chocolate morsels and 3/4 cup heavy cream in a medium microwave-safe glass bowl on HIGH 1 1/2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds. Makes about 1 1/4 cups. Prep: 5 min.

Let me know how you like them!

Enjoy.

5 EASY AND TO-DIE-FOR TAILGATE DESSERTS

If you're planning on heading to a friends house to watch the Alabama/ Duke game on Saturday, don't arrive empty handed. Plan to take something deliciously sweet. Hope you like chocolate!

Mississippi Mud Cake: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1646476

Peanut Butter-Caramel Candy Bites with Colorful Candies: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1906324

Cappuccino Frosted Brownies: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1563848

Peanut Butter-Toffee Turtle Cookies: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=353955

Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1981678

CHOW.

Photos courtesy of myrecipes.

DECK YOUR DOG IN TEAM SPIRIT

Oscar, our 2 year old black lab and hefty 100 pounder, needed a costume for a Southern Living Halloween shoot. I knew exactly what I wanted, I just had to find it. After scouring the Internet, I stumbled upon a great website that carries sports gear for pups, really, really large pups. Simply choose your size, your best players name and number and that's it. Sizes range from Petite to 5XL (Oscar's is a 4XL). The site tells you how to measure your dog for the best fit.

Retail: $17.95 to $19.95 with free personalization of your favorite players name and number. Add $5.00 for your pets name. Check it out: http://www.sportsfanimals.com/prod-NCAA_Alabama_Pet___Dog_Jersey-1018.aspx

Unfortunately, the jersey missed the shoot by meer hours due the the Labor Day holiday and a backup on the printing machine, so I scrambled at the last minute and found a fireman suit that he wore instead. He looked pretty good in it. Go ahead and order now for Halloween, it's only going to get busier.

Oscar sporting the number of his (and mine, of course) fav Alabama player.

Hmmm... a little snug, maybe we should have gone with Marcell Dareus.

Billy wearing a vintage logo hat because that's the way he rolls.

Roll Tide!

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SOUTHERN LIVING FOOD STYLIST

Many of you may wonder what it's like working at the world's greatest magazine, Southern Living (Ok, so I'm slightly biased, but how could you not love eating for a living and being exposed to new and beautiful things all of the time?)

It's a lot like your shoe collection. There's always something a little different depending upon the occasion.

I thought you might like to take a behind the scenes peek of a recent photo shoot at our headquarters in Birmingham. I was lucky enough to have the honor of working with an amazing team: Beth Dreiling, one of our food photographers and Mindi Shapiro Levine, a freelance prop stylist. Both of my friends are incredibly talented in their respective fields. Mindi snapped these with her iphone while we were shooting.

Details

Subject: Lightened Mac and Cheese

Month to run: January 2011

Objective: Make the subject look so scrumptious and delicious looking you can't believe it could possibly be light.

Let me know what you think when it hits the news stand.

Oh yeah, and the shoes? Sparkly, comfy flats... perfect.

Chow.

MARROW'S COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS: WEEK 2

Blogger: Marrow Gordon a.k.a. Becca's husband.

I took it on the chin last week. The Hokies really let me down. Hopefully, I can make it up this week.

• Auburn (-2.5) at Mississippi State: Both looked good in the openers. Give up the points and take the Tigers.


• Georgia at South Carolina (-2.5): This is a good match up, but A.J. Green is out and he is a big weapon. Go with the Cocks and give up the points.
  
• LSU (-9.5) at Vanderbilt: LSU looked poorin the 2nd half vs. UNC, but I think they'll handle Vandy. Give up the points.


• Georgia Tech (-7) at Kansas: Turner Gill had a horrible opener last week. This looks like a sure bet. Take Tech and give up the points.


• Colorado at California (-4): I really don't know about this one, but I'm going with the Bears and giving up 4.


• Miami at Ohio State (-10): Both looked tough this past weekend, but unfortunately I have to give up the points and go with the Buckeyes. Maybe I'll jinx them.


• Michigan at Notre Dame (-6): Michigan may have found a quarterback and ND played well against Purdue. Give up the points and take the Irish.


• Florida State at Oklahoma (-10): FSU looked great and the Sooners looked terrible, but I say give up the points and take Boomer Sooner in Norman.


• Oregon at Tennessee (+13.5): Oregon looked really impressive at UT won big. This game is in Knoxville and I say go with the Vols and take the points.


• Penn State at Alabama (-9.5): We've been waiting a long time for this rematch of two of the richest traditions in college footall. I wish they played every year. Hopefully, the team will be as pumped as the fans are and the Tide will roll. Our defense and the crowd should give Bolden some problems (even without Darius). Give up the points and take the TIDE.

There are a lot of great games this week. Have fun and ROLL TIDE!

3 MUNCH-WORTHY GAMEDAY DIPS

Try one of these easy dips this weekend. Simply mix and pack in tupperware for instant portable deliciousness.

Cuban Black Bean Dip http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1831963

Sweet 'N' Salty Honey Cheese Spread http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1886360

Bacon-Onion Dip http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1924733

Photos courtesy of myrecipes.

CHOW.

ALABAMA vs. SAN JOSE STATE: SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN T-TOWN

Bryant-Denny post Walk of Champions.

Denny Chimes

Marrow sporting new gameday duds in front of the President's mansion.

Formerly Liberty Cafe: My first kitchen job.