This Saturday features Alabama at Ole Miss…if you have never heard about The Grove at Ole Miss, listen up…Ole Miss has never lost a tailgate!  As Saturday Down South (one of my favorite sports blog) says, “We’ll be in town all weekend to see the best team in the country and the best tailgate in the country.”

When I began my tailgating through the south painting project, I knew a trip to Oxford and Ole Miss was a must.  This was a few years ago, but some things never change.  You can always count on good tailgating, good hospitality, good food and good stories in Oxford, Mississippi.  Here is my story.

Good friend, Joanne, suggested a road trip together for the Alabama/Ole Miss game.   She called her brother-in-law, Hank Burdine and asked if we could come to a game and tailgate in The Grove.  He said, “Sure, I’ll coordinate the tailgate with friends and you can stay with my sister.”

Saturday. Game Day. Tailgating in The Grove time.  Hank picked us up at the house and drove us to a parking spot very close to The Grove.  No cars are allowed in The Grove.  You must drive up and unload in 15 minutes. I saw girls carrying flowers, girls hurrying to get to their tailgates.

Hank hurrying to get us to the tailgate.

 Being true Southerners, and having invited ourselves to a tailgate, we wanted to bring something to contribute.  Hank toted our cooler to The Grove.  We should not have worried about food.  Our hosts were Charles and Mary Ann Signa.  Their restaurant, Doe’s Eat Place, in Greenville, MS  is famous. They were the most delightful hosts.  One of my favorites at their tailgate was Doe’s Eat Place Marinated Shrimp. This recipe is fabulous and is the big hit whenever I serve it.  Thank you Charles and Mary Ann.

Doe’s Eat Place Marinated Shrimp

Serving Size:

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 pounds cooked and peeled shrimp 21-25 count
• 3 (15 ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts
• 3 (15 ounce) cans large whole mushrooms
• 3 (15 ounce) cans large pitted black olives
• 3 (15 ounce) cans green pitted olives
• 3 (16 ounce) jars pepperoncini peppers
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup Tony's Creole seasonings
• 1/4 cup paprika
• 2 (24 ounce) bottles Wishbone Robust dressing

Instructions

1. Place shrimp in a large bowl.
2. Drain artichoke hearts, mushrooms, black and green olives, and pepperoncini peppers.
3. Add to shrimp.
4. Add remaining ingredients, stir gently.
5. Cover and let marinate overnight...and ENJOY

Notes

I tailgated with good friends Joanne and Hank at Charles and Mary Ann Signa’s tailgate. What delightful hosts! Thank you! Stay tuned for some good tailgating stories from The Grove.

By Charles Signa via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

  You never know who you will meet at a tailgate.  Hank met 2 of the nicest Alabama fans and invited them to join our tailgate, Ken Yarbrough and Jeff Upshaw.

Ken Yarbrough’s Bama Bloody Mary recipe, below, is included in my Alabama painting. (The red wine adds an unexpected twist).

‘Bama Bloody Marys

Serving Size: 12

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Vodka (or 6 good splashes)
• 36 ounces tomato juice
• 2 shots cabernet wine
• 24 dashes red hot sauce
• 12 dashes worcestershire sauce
• 12 pinches salt
• 12 pinches pepper

Instructions

1. Mix well. Taste test to make sure you have enough spice.
2. Important! Let this mixture sit overnight to add body and texture.
3. Serve with one stalk celery.

Notes

Ken says, "The recipe for this delectable game day libation is based on 12 servings, but I tend to get a bit liberal on some of the ingredients (life's too short to be perfect). ROLL TIDE!!"

By Ken Yarbrough via KathyMillerTime

Recipe Printed from www.kathymillertime.com

We met the cutest Ole Miss KD’s

And their friends.

Charles, when hearing of my project insisted on walking us through the Grove to see the Lyceum, the oldest building on campus.

I clicked away with my camera taking hundreds of pictures.  We walked the Grove for hours.  I had read in Southern Living about crystal chandeliers in trees.  I was on a mission and I found not one, but two.  A chandelier is in my painting.

 I took pictures of the sea of red and blue tents, and the aisles meandering through the sea.

Several times I thought we were lost.  The tables ladened with tailgating foods were works of art.  This was no “let’s just put a red or blue plastic tablecloth on the table” decor.  I saw tablecloths with polka dots, stripes, checks and  pattern on pattern.

  Even a table with a color coordinated drape hanging to one side.

Love the “Houndstooth is sooo 2009…
Hotty Toddy” on the chalkboard.

The centerpieces were variations on school colors and orange pumpkins.  I saw many arrangements with cotton.

And pumpkins with Hotty Toddy and Roll Tide.  Another house divided.

I saw slogans such as “Nutt’n but Rebels Here!” ( Houston Nutt was still the coach) “

” …but one never graduates… from Ole Miss”,

 “Are You Ready?”, and “Grove Town”. My favorite is “Rebels Without A Cause”.  A hint of this tent is in my painting.

 Everyone was so accommodating.  Joanne and I would walk right up to a tailgate and start talking and asking for recipes.

At one point we were so tired we sat down in a tent and watched some of the Tennessee/LSU game on a generator powered TV, while the Ole Miss fans kept tailgating. (For those of you new to my story, I am a Tennessee fan.)

 The “Tailgating In The Grove” painting is one of my favorites.  I included the Lyceum, which sits at one end of the Grove. The red double decker bus, one of several that circle the Grove and goes back and forth to Oxford, is also in my painting.  The crystal chandelier hangs over a fabric draped table. Hotty Toddy cups stand ready for beverages.

‘TAILGATING IN THE GROVE” is  available in fine art giclee prints on canvas or fine quality poster prints.

  The fans are dressed like they are going to a party instead of a football game.  The girls wear all types of short dresses, with boots, high heels, or high wedgies.

Boots came in all colors, but I loved the red ones!

The guys have on jackets or long sleeved shirts with bow ties, khakis or red pants.  I saw T shirts and such, but the dress code is definitely dressier than at most schools.

The bathrooms portalets are luxury mobile toilets, named Hotty Toddy Potty and Hotty Toddy Potty Too.

The double decker buses traveling to and from The Grove and Oxford, Mississippi

After a long day at the Grove, Joanne and I returned to Taylor, Mississippi and to our home for the weekend.  As we nodded off to sleep we  could still hear the buzz and the strains of music flowing from Taylor Grocery.

See Tomorrow’s post for the place to go on a Friday night in Mississippi…

 We made ready to leave the next morning having to get back to the mountains.  Before making the long drive we were invited for brunch at the Sycamore Plaza Ballroom.  This is Hank’s stone outdoor patio decked out with a pink flamingo neon sign, colored lights dangling from the sycamore trees, an outdoor fire pit, bacon sizzling on a grill all in front of his quarter wide!

I will miss this place.

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.