This past weekend we stayed in town as we did have quite a big game on Saturday to attend. It was our last tailgate that we can attend this year so we wanted to make a full day of it! Although the home team did not win we still had a great time! Here are some pictures of this past weekend!

This weekend was not as eventful as I would have hoped but we were both down with a virus at the end of last week so we used the time for a little R&R.

1. Before you begin, cover your surface with newspaper or some kind of barrier between your table/floor/ground. We painted at the kitchen table so we covered it with newspaper. We used acrylic craft paint sold at any store that has a hobby section. 
   
2. Paint each pumpkin with a base coat. Choose a color that you want your shape to be once you peel off your stencil(The MsState Pumpkin was pre-painted white). It may take several coats especially if you're using a light color. Let dry one our between coats. Dry completely overnight
3. Cut out stencil using vinyl and stick to pumpkin. Being careful and mindful of the paint
4. Paint over the stencil and the entire pumpkin covering the entire under coat of paint(may take more than one coat) and let dry overnight.
5. Peel away vinyl and reveal under color! At this point you can decide if you would like to add some dimension to your design(like above with the SC pumpkin, I traced around the edge with black to make it pop more). Finally, admire your beautiful pumpkin!

I will say that we did not paint The Arnold's pumpkin. That is in fact just a vinyl sticker I cut and then adhered to the pumpkin. I love the simplicity and ease of that one!

Yesterday was game day here in Starkville! With it being a Thursday a.k.a. a business day, the university let us have the afternoon off! How nice huh? It was actually because they needed our very coveted parking spaces. But hey, a free half day off, who would complain? Since Mike did not get a free half day we decided that being able to make it to the game on time would be pretty impossible so we decided to stay home and have our own little tailgate! I personally like this option because it allowed me to wear pj's!

Anyway, there are a TON of Frito Pie recipes on the web but all I did was make my regular chili recipe(below) and then added to it some Frito's in the bottom of a bowl and topped it with fun toppings. I used a rotisserie chicken(from the grocery store) and chopped up the meat to use in the recipe. This will save you a ton of time as you do not have to precook anything before you assemble it in the crock-pot! We love chicken chili even though I know some people will think this is blasphemy but it's much healthier than using red meat and it's still delish. I hope you enjoy this simple recipe with the bonus being that you come home from a long day to a home smelling of warm chili on a cool fall day! Enjoy!

• 1 lb meat of choice(beef, chicken, turkey; I have made this recipe with all three) or I used 2 cups of chopped chicken from a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken
• 1 large onion; chopped
• 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes: drain one can and leave the other with the juice
• 1 can light red kidney beans; drained and rinsed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil(if you need to brown your meat first)
• 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

1. If you are using raw meat you need to add the oil to a pan and brown it with half of the onion until done and drain.
2. Add ALL ingredients to a 4-6qt. slow cooker and mix thoroughly. 
3. Set the slow cooker to the LOW setting and forget about it for 8-10 hours.

The then "future Arnold's" at the MsState v. Carolina game 2011

Today is the official start of the 2013 college football season!! As a southern girl I grew up going to games and listening to sports talk(ad-nauseam) from everyone I knew. My parents were not huge sports fans but I had plenty of family that was and I quickly became a lover of all things SEC football. It truly is a way of life and it is a great time of the year to go to games, tailgate or just sit at home and watch on tv! We live smack dab in the middle of a college town and we take part in all things Mississippi State football! But if you know me AT ALL then you know I am hands down a Carolina Gamecocks girl! Today Carolina plays Yankee Carolina...we need to send those guys back up north where they belong ;)

In honor of today and the beginning of football season I wanted to share a recipe that would be an amazing addition to a tailgate party! We're actually going to enjoy it tonight as we watch the game! If you have never heard of the Captain Rodney's products then you're in for a treat! We discovered this great recipe at a Christmas party a few years ago and it has been a go to appetizer for us since! The recipe is a fantastic addition to any party you host or attend!

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• One 8 oz. package of cream cheese
• Two cups of grated cheddar cheese
• Two green onions(chopped)
• Six Ritz crackers(crushed)
• Eight slices bacon(cooked and crumbled) or 1/2 real bacon pieces
• 1/2 cup of any Captain Rodney's glaze

Mix mayo, cream cheese, cheddar and onions in greased quiche pan(or 8x8 pan). Top with crackers and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with bacon and Captain Rodney's glaze. Serve with crackers.


I hope you enjoy this football season as much as I plan to! If you don't like football there will always be delicious food and cocktails!