Where the Weekend Went ~Spending Time with Friends ~Bison Football Report

A weekend highlight for us was having dinner with this couple.

We’ve been friends for decades,

so it was great to stop on our way home

for a visit and to catch up.

Of course, we all take watching Bison Football very seriously.

At home, we don our Green and Gold attire

and settle into our favorite chairs in the family room.

We make our favorite Football Food.

I have a whole Pinterest Board just for Game Day Snacks.

For NDSU home games, we make the quick trip to Fargo.

Saturday’s weather was perfect for tailgating,

unlike last weekend when we were in a Winter Storm!

Our seats were way up near the rafters in the dome.

Luckily, my fibula has made a full recovery

and I could handle all of those steps!

In the fourth quarter, we can usually find some seats

that have been vacated closer to the field,

where we can watch the actual players,

instead of watching them on the Jumbotron.

The Bison remain undefeated this season.

Our Furocious Fan is looking forward to the next away game,

so she can watch with us.

I hope your favorite Football Team won this weekend.

Take Care,

~Natalie

Here’s our first attempt at a Family Selfie.

I guess we need to try again...

Where the Weekend Went ~Lots of Rain ~Live Jazz Music ~Great Friends ~Bison Football ~Good Food

It has rained here for three days straight.

We have had about 4 inches of rain in this area.

(I saw it on Facebook so it must be official, right?!)

No complaints here, it was a nice gentle rain.

Our thoughts are with those that have suffered

from the effects of Hurricane Dorian.

We kicked off the weekend with

the Jazz Group playing at the Ward.

This is what it looks like when your hubby is the drummer

and you get there early to set up.

That’s the venue’s owner and the bartender to the right...

I had a choice of the best tables.

The band sounded great...

they hadn’t played together for a while.

Lots of folks came downtown to listen.

We enjoyed visiting with some friends that 

we haven’t seen for a while.

Saturday was Game Day...NDSU vs. UND.

The oldest Football Rivalry in ND History. 

We did house chores early so we could be ready for kick off.

Lizzie was in her Game Watching Chair early...

Then hubby and I joined her,

But not before preparing Football Snacks.

A favorite...Garlic Parmesan Chicken Tenders.

I cut strips of Chicken Breast and coated them with seasoned flour.

The second bowl is olive oil and garlic.

The last bowl is Panko Bread Crumbs,

Parmesan Cheese, and Herbs.

If you would like the recipe, look for it on my Pinterest Page.

With these in the oven, I could focus on a new recipe...

Homemade Mac & Cheese Bites.

Stir the Roux so it doesn’t scorch.

Once it bubbles and is slightly thickened,

you can add the sharp cheddar, cream cheese,

and an egg for binding.

Bake in a mini muffin tin.

Here are the Chicken Tenders with a little dipping sauce.

Here are the Mac & Cheese Bites with a Fresh Basil garnish.

Lizzie was soon bored with the game.

But we Bison Fans had plenty to cheer about.

I hope your favorite team won.

Take care,

~Natalie

My Favorite Holiday ~How to Make a Thanksgiving Turkey ~How to Make a Turkey Kielbasa ~Little Jack on Vacation

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. 

It is all about family, good food, and giving thanks.

And here’s how you make a turkey.

Start with some tail feathers for a sturdy  base.

Your Thanksgiving Turkey can’t have a naked body, 

so you must also make a vest.

Then clean up the edges and add embellishments.

This will bring out his personality.

Tom Turkey is ready for Winterfest.

Pinterest Photo

Speaking of Turkey, 

this weekend we made Bourbon Glazed Kielbasa 

to enjoy during the football game.

Cut the kielbasa into bite sized pieces.

You need 3 simple ingredients.

1 cup Apricot Preserves

1/2 cup Maple Syrup

2 tbsp. Bourbon or Apple Juice

Combine in your crockpot.

Cook on low heat for four hours.

It is a good recipe for tailgating, 

as you just stir it together and it cooks itself.

This is Amy’s current profile photo.

Jack and his parents just returned home from vacation.

Yes, we are in love.

Take care,

~Natalie

Get Up ~It’s Game Day ~Bison Football ~Homegating

We look forward to College Game Day here.

We have been Bison fans for decades!

We especially enjoy going to Fargo for the home games.

Don’t we look young here in this old photo?!

When the Bison travel we watch on ESPN+

The broadcast is complete with the tunnel walk.

Homegating Is the New Tailgating. 

Homegating emphasizes gatherings 

involving food and friends at one's house.

 Homegating is a good reason to sit on the couch 

and eat a lot of Football Snacks!

I am sharing some of our favorites.

Hubby absolutely loves these Garlic Parmesan Wings.

They are baked, not fried.

Bacon Wrapped Kielbasa with Brown Sugar Glaze.

Bacon makes everything better, doesn’t it?!

These are Garlic Parmsan Chicken Tenders,

I cut my own from boneless chicken breasts.

Even better for you, than the wings!

Sometimes we cheer for the Bison in the family room.

Olive Dip and Fresh Salsa.

I think my little dip bowls are perfect for our spread... 

they are the color of footballs!

Sometimes we cheer in the Man Cave.

Hubby’s work bench becomes our buffet table.

These Loaded Potato Skins are everyone’s favorite!

And the Man Cave is 

Jasmine’s favorite place to watch football!

Go Bison...Horns Up!

Take care,

~Natalie

How About that Bison Defense?! Winning the National Championship ~This is how we Tailgate at Home

Wow, what an exciting game!

You all know that we are crazy Bison Football Fans.

This weekend, the team and thousands of fans traveled to 

Frisco, TX, for the Championship game.

The Bison defeated James Madison 17 - 13

in a nail-biter of a game!

Congratulations to the players and coaches that worked so hard.

Hubby and I watched from home, in the mancave.

We have a couple of favorite tailgating recipes.

The Olive Dip is addictive with crackers or veggies.

Hubby's new favorite are these

Garlic Parmesan Wings.

I have made them for three football games in a row!

New to the Tailgating Table this weekend was this

Shrimp Scampi Pizza.

It can be prepared on a traditional pizza crust...

I wanted to use a French Bread Crust.

I will certainly make this again.

Back to the game.

#1 JMU played #2 NDSU

It was quite the match-up.

Words cannot explain how excited we were...

so I will just show you this photo.

Yes, our neighbors could hear my hubby cheering.

And true to tradition,

Hubby waved our Bison flag at the end of the driveway

when the Bison won.

Once a Bison, always a Bison.

We are proud to be a part of Bison Nation.

Take care,

~Natalie

photo credits to NCAA FCS Football

and to the North Dakota State Bison

for some of these images.