Orange is one of my favorite colors.  In earlier times, I rarely used orange in flower arrangements,  garden planting, home decorating and especially when choosing my wardrobe.  I always gravitated towards reds, pinks and purples.  It wasn’t until I started painting landscapes, that I realized without orange the other colors do not pop.  (Try painting a Georgia tailgating scene with only reds.  It just doesn’t work.)  The oranges help by warming up the painting.

And for me during football season, Orange is the only color.

Especially when I go to a Tennessee Tailgate.

Our trip to the Tennessee/Florida game in Knoxville began with a celebration at my sister’s home.  We celebrated a belated birthday to me and the “house divided” family being together for the big game.  Kay always decorates with orange and white and usually adds just a little blue for Elizabeth and James, the only Florida fans in our midst (except for Dave who tries to be diplomatic).

The gorgeous cake with Go Vols is from Magpies, famous in Knoxville.

“All butter, all the time.  All real, all fresh and every day. That’s our process. At Magpies, cake is what we do.”

Thank you long time friend, Peggy Hambright.  I can’t believe I used to babysit you!

Kay’s bar setup.  Love the orange and white straws and mason jars.  Also I think there are a few PBR’s in the ice bucket.  Bottles though.  Not tall boys.

Such great fun being with my sisters, Lucy and Kay and my great friend, Robin.  We are the button girls.  Robin always wears an Auburn Mom button and her Go Vols Go button.

Thank you Kay and Lucy for a wonderful party.

Game Day Saturday.  12:00 games are always difficult when you are trying to set up a tailgate.

We didn’t have to worry because Tennessee friend, Joy McCabe was in charge.  Joy has been featured on my blog many times with her wonderful recipes and creative parties.  Joy also hosts a tailgating segment on WBIR station in Knoxville.  Visit Joy’s website for many more recipes.

Joy rounded up the troops and many friends contributed to the tailgate.  Neil Durrance has an old Suburban with 423,000 miles used just for tailgates.

Looks pretty good!

 Neil grew up in Florida, but played baseball at Tennessee.  Thank you Neil, Becky and Joy for coordinating coolers, packing the Suburban and transporting to the tailgate.

The tailgate was fabulous.

“TAILGATES & COCKTAILS & FOOTBALL OH MY!

 Love the Tailgating napkins I found at Theophilus, my favorite store in Brevard, NC.

Everyone temporarily leaves the tailgate to participate in The Vol Walk.

The Tennessee band leads the Vol Walk.

It was a chilly morning with these cute Tennessee coeds wearing hats and scarves.

Fists Up Defense

The Bandilitos, a group of middle and high school band directors,  roam the crowd stirring up passions with their Rocky Top playing.

Back to the tailgate.  Time to eat!

Joy’s Cornbread Salad can be made in a traveling casserole container

 or for serving at home, in a trifle bowl which shows off all the lovely layers.

Joy’s Cornbread Layered Salad

Serving Size: 25

Print Recipe

Dressing

• 1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
• Prepare ranch dressing early in the day or the day before and refrigerate.

Cornbread

• 2 packages of your favorite cornbread recipe
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chilies
• Add chopped green chilies to cornbread batter. Bake and cool cornbread according to package directions.

Salad

• 2 (15 ounce) cans kidney beans or black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 Vidalia onion, chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 2 cans sweet yellow corn, drained and rinsed
• 12 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Layer in a large bowl or large deep sided serving dish (a glass trifle bowl looks great)
2. Half of the cornbread, crumbled
3. Kidney beans or black beans
4. Green pepper
5. Vidalia onion
6. Half of the ranch dressing
7. Half of the cornbread
8. Tomatoes
9. Yellow corn
10. Half of the ranch dressing
11. Crumbled bacon
12. Shredded cheddar cheese

Notes

Note: This salad can be assembled the day before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

By Joy McCabe via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

Joy’s Game Day Hot Dogs with Special Sauce.

Game Day Hot Dogs

Serving Size:

Print Recipe

Hot Dogs

• 12 hot dogs
• 12 hot dog buns

Hot Dog Sauce

• ½ cup catsup
• ½ cup mustard
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup chopped sweet onion

Instructions

1. Cook hot dogs in boiling water for 10 minutes.
2. Place hot dogs in bun and wrap each hot dog in foil.

Hot Dog Sauce

1. Combine all ingredients and serve as a topping on hot dogs.

By Joy McCabe via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

My favorite “keep your food hot” tip from Joy,

“Years ago I figured out a way to keep the hot dogs hot by placing quart sized canning jars filled with boiling water in the bottom of a cooler. Wrap the hot dogs individually in foil and place them in the hot cooler. Sometimes I cut the hot dogs in half. I’ve found people want a smaller serving at a tailgate.  One surprise, after the hot dogs have been in the hot cooler, you’ll find they are steamed perfectly and so yummy especially topped with my hot dog sauce. Hot dogs will stay warm for one or two hours.”

“It looks like moonshine, and people always ask if I’ve hidden moonshine under my hot dogs in the cooler. Here’s a picture of the hot water bottle used to turn my cooler into a steamer/warmer. Perfect for game day hot dogs.”

 Neiman Marcus Cookies

Neiman Marcus Cookies

Serving Size: Yields 5

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups plain flour
• 2 1/2 cups quick oats
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 12 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. In a bowl combine flour, oats, salt, baking powder, and baking soda and set aside.
2. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream melted butter and sugars together.
3. Add eggs and vanilla.
4. Add dry ingredients to the mixing bowl gradually.
5. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.
6. Roll into balls or use a cookie scoop and place on cookie sheet.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

By LeRae Collins via Joy McCabe
Adapted from Neiman Marcus

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 Joy’s Carrot Cake is always a hit and for a tailgate she makes it in a sheet pan for easy portability; but if you are homegating, just look at this presentation!

Carrot Cake

Serving Size:

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Cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups grated carrots

Icing

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) box 4x powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup pecans, chopped

Cake

1. Blend together eggs and oil.
2. Sift sugar and other dry ingredients together.
3. Add to egg mixture, mixing well.
4. Add carrots. Blend well.
5. Pour mixture into two 9 inch cake pans which have been greased and floured.
6. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes. If a 12½x8x2 inch pan is used, bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Icing

1. Cake must be completely cool before frosting.
2. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
3. Add sugar, vanilla, and nuts, mixing well.
4. Frost the cake between layers, top, and sides or frost the top of the 12½x8x2 cake.

By Joy McCabe via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 On another table we served Ann Bodie’s Blue Cheese Spread.

Blue Cheese Spread

Serving Size:

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons pecans
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• ½ cup blue cheese, crumbles
• 1 8 ounce block cream cheese

Instructions

1. Place pecans, parsley, and chives in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely chopped.
2. Add blue cheese and cream cheese and process until smooth scraping down the sides if necessary.
3. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator at least 8 hours or up to 3 days before serving. Serve at room temperature with Stoned Wheat Thin crackers or Triscuit crackers.

By Ann Bodie via Joy McCabe

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 Joy is unbelievable as you can see.  She made all of the above recipes even after recent shoulder surgery.  Thank you Joy!

Ann and Jerry Bodie could not be with us because they were traveling in Europe.  But their delightful son and daughter-in-law, Davis and Meghan, joined us.  Meghan made wonderful Buffalo Chicken Sliders.

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Serving Size: 45

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• Family sized pack of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 12 ounce bottles of Franks RedHot Buffalo Wing sauce
• 1 package Ranch dressing mix
• Yeast dinner rolls
• 1 bottle Ranch dressing
• I jar hamburger sliced dill pickles

Instructions

1. Place the chicken breast in the crock pot and cover with a bottle of Franks Buffalo Wing sauce. Sprinkle the ranch dressing mix packet over the top and cover.
2. Cook on low 8 hours.
3. Once cooked, shred the chicken with a fork. (I usually add a little more buffalo sauce at this time.)
4. Let simmer for around 20 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, cut the yeast rolls in half.
6. Add some ranch dressing and dill pickle slice to the crown of the roll.
7. After the chicken has simmered, add a spoon full to the bottom of the roll, top and serve.

Notes

If you are taking them to a tailgate, I cut squares of aluminum foil and wrap each one individually. I get my rolls from Sam's Club. They come in a bag of 36. The number the recipe makes really depends on the amount of chicken in the pack. I get the family sized pack from Sam's, so that is more chicken than a family pack from the local grocery store.

By Meghan Bodie

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

 Many fans traveled from great distances for this game. Kathi and David Kraatz from Oklahoma met up with friends, Cheryl and Steve Wilburn from Houston, Texas.

Thank you Tennessee friends for welcoming our Gator family into your midst.

Meanwhile just southeast of our tailgate, The Vol Navy was in full swing.

Hundreds of boats make their way up the Tennessee River to “boatgate” before the game.

My “Tailgating With The Vol Navy” was inspired by this photograph.  Prints of this painting are available and make great Christmas gifts for your special Volunteer.

A new tradition for the pregame warmups had the Volunteer players and members of the Pride of the Southland drumline performing a “Circle of Life” warmup drill.

A Gator drummer looks on.  A new tradition for the Florida Drummers…Green drums  as in Gator skins.

I always love the bands!  Such a part of the college football pageantry.

Surrounded by Gators.

Gator Moms

The University of Tennessee’s Pride of the Southland Marching Band performs a fabulous Pregame Show, including facing the opposing fan section and playing the visitors fight song.  Such a great tradition.

The players run through the T.

Neyland Stadium was orange and white checkerboard all over thanks to fans wearing orange or white based on their seat locations.  Such coordination!

 Tennessee has a big game with Ole Miss this weekend.  Enjoy The Grove!

In celebration of the Florida/Georgia game, Loran Smith will be signing copies of his book, “SPREAD FORMATION:  TAILGATING AND HOME RECIPES FROM COLLEGE FOOTBALL GREATS!”on the porch at The Plantation Shops on Amelia Island, Friday, October 31 from 11-2.

I will also be signing prints of my “Tailgating Through The South” series at The Plantation Shops, that same day, October 31, from 10-4.

Watch for upcoming stories from my tailgating travels.  I welcome your comments, recipes and any inside information on your favorite tailgating spots.

Come celebrate with me.  I’ll save you a seat at the table.