The Grove Gal has MOVED!

The Grove Gal has relocated her blog to:

http://grovegal.weebly.com/

Please visit there for lots of new tailgate ideas for the 2015 Football Season!

Burlap Door Hangers

All you Ole Miss fans have probably seen lots of football shaped burlap hangers around town and in the Grove... and now I'm excited to show you mine that are available on my Etsy store: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadileeDesigns

http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadileeDesigns 

Check it out for lots of Ole Miss and holiday door hangers!

Bunches of Braids

For the Ole Miss vs. Auburn game I made a Sausage Jalapeno Braid that turned out to be the star of the table. It was really easy to make, and everyone loved it!

I got inspired to see what other kind of "braids" people have made. You could really throw just about anything you want into these wonderful treats. All you need is a can of pizza dough, an egg white, and whatever else you are going to stuff it with! Gimme Some Oven has a great post on how to make a braid. Here are a few ideas for some braids to try!

Ham and Cheese Braid... love this idea! It's just like the Ham and Cheese Slider Sandwiches you see all over the Grove, but instead of making a dozen small sandwiches you just make one giant one!

Chicken Fajita Braid 

Taco Braid

Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Braid

BBQ Chicken Braid

Pizza Braid

What kind of braids have you made before? Comment and let me know!
Hotty Toddy!

Tailgate Treat: Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I've mentioned these little wonders in a few posts before, and I'm still crazy about them! If you haven't bought some Hershey's Pumpkin Spice Kisses, go get them NOW! They're seasonal, so they won't be around much longer! I bought 6 bags. Yes, they are amazing.

I've seen many cookies made on Pinterest with these kisses, and tried to make them myself. Attempting to make cookies with these and pre-made sugar cookie dough was a nightmare. Save yourself the trouble and don't even attempt it.

I found a recipe on Picky Palate that makes cookies using a spice cake mix and canned pumpkin. I altered the recipe a little, and here is my version:

1 box of Spice Cake mix

1/3 large can of pumpkin

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

Heat oven to 350. Mix all the ingredients together with an electric mixer. If the dough is too thick add more pumpkin. If the dough is too runny add some flour. Use cookie scoop to place dough onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until done. Press unwrapped kiss onto the cookie. 

Immediately place the cookie sheet in the fridge so the kiss won't melt too quickly. You'll need to leave the cookies in the fridge for about 20 minutes for the kiss to set.

These are a wonderful fall treat, and great to serve at your tailgate! Try these out for the Vandy game or the Egg Bowl! Hotty Toddy!

Fun Friday Finds

Here are some fun new tailgating ideas I've found on Pinterest!

I posted about finding some Silver Platter look-alike trays at the dollar store in a previous post. Melissa at  Silly Bee's Chickadees made this adorable chalkboard out of the same tray! Check out her tutorial, and you can also refer to my chalkboard paint post on some great ways to incorporate this into your tent.

In keeping with the pumpkin theme, how cute is this fall cheese ball? Not only is it yummy, it adds some fall fun to your table. Check out Family Fresh Meals for the recipe. 

BBQ Chicken (or Pork) in Cornbread Cups... thank you Paula Deen! And the best thing about this recipe: it might be the only one Paula makes WITHOUT BUTTER!! Yay!

Hoagie in a Bread Bowl, sign me up! This is a fantastic idea from My Missouri Kitchen. Serve with sliced bread or even crackers. Also great for Watch Parties at home! 

How adorable is this monogrammed tailgate chair?! You can find these all over Etsy, or if you're super crafty, make your own! This photo is from The Whimzy Tree's Etsy page.

Has anyone tried one of these recipes? Let me know how it turned out!

Hope everyone traveling to Athens this weekend has a safe and fun trip!

Hotty Toddy and Go Rebs!

Pumpkin Crazy!

With fall in the air, it's the perfect time to add some pumpkins to your tailgate! Place some pumpkin crafts on your table, and serve some yummy pumpkin spiced treats!

Here's one of the dryer vent pumpkins I made. A Diamond in the Stuff has a great post on how to make these super easy pumpkins. They only cost about $4.00 to make!

Another easy trick is using a pumpkin as a flower pot. Just carve the inside of the pumpkin out, and place the flowers in the pumpkin. You can even leave your flowers in the plastic pot so you can reuse them after you're done with the pumpkin.

 Unfortunately the Grove does not have an open container policy, but you could always use this cute pumpkin ice bucket idea for your Watch Party at home!

 Add some mini pumpkins to your flower arrangement! This would be really cute with cotton stalks.

Paint some pumpkins! These Ole Miss pumpkins are adorable and perfect for the Grove.

I love these scarecrow/snowmen pumpkins! Be creative and turn one into Colonel Reb! 

 Carve out a pumpkin and use it as a serving dish. Perfect for chips or dip!

This fall Chex-Mix is a great snack for the Grove. Serve it in a cute cupcake liner!

These White Chocolate Pumpkin Blondies are amazing! I made them last year and fell in love. A little hint... and some more pumpkin spice to the recipe.

 Turn cinnamon or orange rolls into Jack-O-Lanterns for a morning game!

 Chocolate Dipped Pretzels decorated like pumpkins are another great treat to add to your tailgate. Here's a tutorial on how to make them.

 If you haven't tried these pumpkin spice kisses yet, you are missing out!! DO NOT MAKE THESE COOKIES WITH SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH! Trust me, after attempting multiple methods it was a disaster. Definitely something for pinterestfail.com.

Follow this recipe from Picky Palate to ensure you're cookies turn out better than mine.

Have fun adding some pumpkin to your tailgate! Hotty Toddy!

Watch Party

If you aren't heading to Little Rock this weekend for the Ole Miss vs. Arkansas game, there's no need to leave your tailgating decor in the garage... throw a watch party!

Watch parties are a fun way to get your friends together, and still enjoy a little "tailgating" in the comfort of your own home. Hosting a watch party at your house will also let you cook some different foods that would be too hard to transport and serve in the Grove.

Recently I've been on a chili kick, and I think this is the perfect thing to serve at your watch party! Just make a big pot of chili, cornbread muffins, and set some bowls out! There are tons of recipes you can find all over the internet. My mom's chili is my favorite hands down. Here's the ingredients she uses:
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomoto puree
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 can kidney beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can red beans
1 can mushrooms
1 chopped onion

Don't forget to decorate! Bring out your tablecloths, hang your chandelier, turn your house into a min-Grove! What are your favorite foods to serve while watching Saturday football at home? Comment and let me know! Hotty Toddy!