Hi I’m Ashlie from Brining Babies and I am excited to share with everyone at Kuzak’s Closet some of my family’s favorite football traditions. Growing up I was never a huge football fan, but that soon changed when I married my husband Mark. He is a huge Michigan State fan and loves all things Green and White. Go State!
Even though I still may not understand everything there is to know about football, I do know that I love the excitement of game day. Nothing beats being on campus on a beautiful fall afternoon. And on those off weeks when we are away, I enjoy preparing special food for those “home” tailgates.
Before sharing with you a couple of our favorite recipes I thought I would first share with you some of our (my husband’s) Michigan State “home decor” items. All I can say is thank goodness for basements!
Left: Our newest Spartan addition…the Sparty “Fat Head.” He is 6 feet tall! My husband got this for Christmas last year! Needless to say his face lit up!
Middle: Probably my favorite Michigan State item. I love the old school charm of it.
Right: Another Spartan “Fat Head.” I bought this for my husband a couple of years ago after deciding that the basement would be the man cave!
Another old school item, this banner was a Christmas gift to Mark last year from me.
The original Big 10 teams.
Since having kids a few years ago one of our goals has been to get the girls on campus each year for a game. We hope that they grow up enjoying the college campus atmosphere as much as we do. Our girls are only 3 years old so they have yet to attend an actual football game, but they have enjoyed watching the MSU band warm up and march into the stadium a time or two.
Audrey & Lilly’s 1st time on campus….6 months old
Mark with Audrey & Lilly at the Spartan statue on campus….1 year old
Mark with his little Spartan girls….2 years old
Now onto the food. Tailgating with kids can be tricky! The recipes I chose to share are ones that I have made time and time again. There is nothing fancy about this food…but I will promise you that it will please all ages!
First up is my Mom’s Sloppy Joe recipe. I love this recipe because it does not call for chopped up green peppers, mushrooms, or onions like most Sloppy Joe recipes. My husband is not a big fan and neither are my girls. Because of that I know that I can make this and please both of them!
Suzie’s Sloppy Joes
Ingredients
1 lb. hamburger-browned
1 cup ketchup
2 T. mustard
1 t. sugar
1 t. vinegar
salt & pepper
Directions
Simmer everything together a few minutes or put in crock-pot on low until game time! Can easily be doubled!
Next up is a sure to please chocolate chip cookie. Whenever I make these I always get asked for the recipe. I love the convienance of a cookie especially when attending an outdoor tailgate! My secret to a perfect cookie?……butter flavored Crisco and milk chocolate morsels!
Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter flavored Crisco
3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLE TOLL HOUSE Milk Chocolate Morsels
Directions
COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter,
granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs
one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour
mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto
ungreased baking sheets.
BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or
until golden brown.
Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool
Thank you all for stopping by this week, I hope you enjoyed Touchdown Week as much as I did. If you are interested in participating in my next themed week let me know, I am looking for guest blogging for Holiday Decor Week in December.
1 comment :
I think this sloppy joe recipe is similar to one my grandmama made, but she called them “Juicy Burger.” I'll be making them this week to have after my son's baseball game–that's always crock pot night. Thanks for sharing. I just kind of stumbled onto your site, and now I'm a new follower!
