Michigan State vs Univ of Washington tailgate with RevelXP

Sometimes things turn out even better than you could have hoped for. I put out a lot of hype calls, texts and emails trying to bring my friends together for a tailgate on campus at Michigan State for the MSU vs University of Washington Huskys game 9-16-23. Our Husky friends Matt & Sally had taken us to the football game when MSU played Univ of Washington in Seattle last year, so this was part of the master plan. Return to Michigan State and revel in the fun of being on campus again, but how? 

It was all a dream until I found out that REVELxp was a company that was founded on making tailgating easy. They handled all of the logistics that were hard for me as someone coming from out of state. They provide the reserved space; They put up the tent and fill it with a couple big tables and folding chairs and a few coolers full of ice. They hung a banner (they printed) so my friends could find me. They met us at a designated drop off spot and unloaded our car into a golf car and drop our load to our designated tent. (Am I dreaming?) At the end of the game, they make it all go away. Incredible. It was just what we needed and I can't say enough positive things. 

These 2 great friends of mine Tricia (and Tim) and Alicia (and Alan!) also went above & beyond to make our tailgate a success. They brought a huge bar of mixed drinks, a grill for hot dogs and tons of tailgating supplies. Things I never would have been able to come up with flying in. They are the best and I think they had as much fun as I did. What a great reunion. Tons of our friends from Junior League dinner club came with bells on.

Lots of my friends brought food or drinks to make the party great. Btw, REVELxp also offers catering. It's expensive, but it does allow you to guarantee that you'll have some bites for your guests. We had sandwich platters and chicken wings to fill people up. And we were able to get all of the drinks in cans at the local Meijers the morning of the game. 

Our Junior League of Birmingham, MI dinner club (started in 1997) came out and it was so wonderful to see so many of our friends again. I was levitating. I stood for 3 1/2 hours, didn't eat or drink and it felt like a wedding reception. I knew everyone there and I didn't want to miss a moment.

I couldn't pack a lot in my suitcase, but I did manage to bring football stadium tablecloths (cute!) and tiny beer can dessert picks with me. Don't they look darling in my friend Karla's brownies? They are my kind of beer.

Another whole part of this event was getting my Kappa Alpha Theta sorority sisters together. Many of these women, I hadn't seen in about 25 years and I had only been writing on Facebook. The photo above shows 22 women from my time as a Theta at Michigan State. It was fabulous.

We were known as the "4 H" 

You can see from the image above that our UW friends Matt & Sally made sure that the Husky fans they knew (that had also travelled) felt welcome to come tailgate with us. It was so fun seeing everyone together. Dan & I had stood in a sea of purple in Seattle the year before, so it was wonderful to host this year and include everyone.

Liz and I met our first year volunteering with Junior League in 1997 and have been kindred spirits ever since.  

There was a great banner so tailgaters can tell which tent to go to. This was just as we arrived - I'm so glad we took a photograph. Smartest thing we did in 2023 - host a tailgate and get all of our friends and family together. Yes, my brothers, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews came too. It was a awesome.

The game was a disaster. University of Washington won 41 to 7. It looked like we had sent our Tennis Team to try and play them. Horrible. But, our seats were great, the weather was beautiful and we had a blast! 

And, University of Washington went on this season to be in the National Championships, so clearly they were an excellent team. 

This was the best thing I planned all year. If you get a chance to do a reunion tailgate, I highly recommend it.

Football Tailgate

Everything tastes better outside!  This Saturday is dedicated to Spartan football and a two-meal tailgate outdoors on Munn Field.

My niece (20) and nephew (18) go to my alma mater, Michigan State University, and our tradition is to meet them on campus for a family tailgate with my Dad, husband and my brother's family, when possible.

The moon and stars aligned and the day was perfect!  We arrived at 9AM and got a great spot near the stadium to set up our tailgate.  By 9:30, French Toast and breakfast sausages were hot off the grill.  You can get my recipe for Outdoor French Toast here.

It was a bit cold and damp when we arrived and I was thankful for the "instant" MSU fleece scarves that I had made.  I bought a yard and a quarter of fleece (similar to this pattern) and cut it into 3 long strips to make instant scarves.  They looked great and added a necessary touch of green to our warm jackets.  Later when the sun came out (no rain!), I was warm enough to show my spirit in a vintage Spartan sweatshirt and green beaded necklace.

It was a perfect day - full of football, family and french toast.  Do you tailgate?

French Toast on the Grill

Since I have international readers, I want to explain what happens at an American "tailgate."  Fans of the football team arrive at the stadium 3-4 hours before the game starts to have an outdoor party in the area behind their car. Rows and rows of families have casual parties that blend into each other.  People grill, throw a football around and listen to sports radio in a relaxed atmosphere before they head into the stadium to watch the game.

I have to say, a lot of planning went into having "the perfect tailgate" at Michigan State's homecoming game this year.  My Dad had a new Coleman "Road Trip" grill and since this was its maiden voyage, I thought we should cook on it twice!  In the days leading up to Homecoming, we joked that this was the agenda:

9:00             arrive and park outside the football stadium
9:30 - 10:30  breakfast
10:30-11:30  lunch
12 noon        kickoff

In truth, that is exactly what we did!  First we cooked French Toast on a griddle pan (thanks, Kim!).  We served it with maple syrup, fresh fruit and hot coffee.  I used a football stadium serving platter and MSU Spartan napkins to add some spirit.

Then we grilled bratwurst and hot dogs for a lunch!  Somehow, eleven family members managed to eat 2 meals in 2 hours.  We had a great parking spot, perfect weather and my dear family all crowded around the new grill.  So much fun!  Here is my successful outdoor French Toast recipe:

Anne's "Outdoor" French Toast

1 loaf Italian white bread
Stick of unsalted butter
8 eggs
2 teaspoons table salt
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 cups whole milk
Ground cinnamon
Log Cabin syrup (I know! but I love it)

Preparation at home:
Open a large plastic rectangular food storage container with a reliable lid.  In it, whisk together the eggs, salt, sugar and milk.  Seal and place in an ice-filled cooler.

On site:
Preheat the grill.  Place the non-griddle pan onto the grill.
When you are ready to make the French Toast, put a few butter pats on the griddle to melt.  Place 2 piece of bread into the egg mixture.  Turn to coat all sides, then remove from egg bath with a slotted spatula.  Place bread in a single layer on the griddle.  Sprinkle with cinnamon.  Repeat until you have 6 slices cooking.  Turn slices over (with a different spatula - clean and nonstick).  When bread is golden brown, the French Toast is ready to eat!  Have your guests approach the grill when they are ready and serve the hot French Toast slices right onto their plate.  Serve with butter, Log Cabin (or real maple syrup) and fresh fruit.  Yum! 

P.S.  Everything tastes better outside!

Tailgating

It all went according to plan. It was a gorgeous Fall day and we were on campus for the big Homecoming Game at Michigan State University. My Dad went to MSU, my brothers & I went to MSU and now my oldest niece is a freshman. As many of us as possible made our way to East Lansing to tailgate, watch the game (we won!) and cheer from the stands.

We secured a great parking spot for our tailgate and spent the morning setting up tables and chairs, arranging our picnic fare (see my football-shaped brownies!) and making friends with the families around us. I had not attended a tailgate in years and saw some really fun arrangements that make me want to do this more often! I saw one father cooking french toast for his tailgaters on a flat top griddle - nice! The family across the way had a portable Coleman grill and they cooked pork chops (we tried some - yum!), kielbasa and peppers/onions. The smell was incredible and my Dad is hooked. I definitely think grilling "on site" is in our future.

Thank you, Spartans, for a great day! It was good to be "home."