With that said, I want to share a few thoughts I had about this game, game day in general, and how to keep your man and your home happy on game days.
I will start with THIS particular game:
First and foremost, ROLLLLLLLL TIDE ROLLLLLLLLL! The best thing about this game is that I actually RESPECT the opponent above any other that we have played. I wouldn't say it is because I studied up on their stats or because they have impressed me in any particular way, but, simply because they share some of the same core values and traditions that the Crimson Tide football team holds near and dear. We have a lot in common, those Irish and we do! They are classy, traditionally-minded, and all-in-all have remained a good program throughout the years. They don't change their uniforms up to follow trends, they believe in sportsmanship, and (to put in southern terms) "they don't fix what ain't broke." I generally enjoy them; HOWEVER, I am NOT digging their gilded helmets they are sporting tonight. Yes, they are always gold...but not THAT type of gold. It looks cheap and it isn't their traditional helmet...and it resembles that of a kindergartner's macaroni-necklace-spray-painted-gold craft project-ish. Please ditch this ASAP and go back to what you know!
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| Example of obnoxious helmet color |
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| I had to throw this one in... |
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Now, on to game days. One of my favorite things about going to a game in Bryant-Denny stadium is eating a "stadium dog." Like I said previously, food in general pretty much is one of my favorite things. During my stint at U of A our football team took a beating and still came back for more. That left me with two things to do during the games: watch our amazing cheerleaders (and learn all of their moves in the stands) and to eat stadium dogs. If you are not an Alabama fan and you have never had one of these amazing treats, then I suggest you follow this recipe and imagine yourself surrounded by over 100,000 of your closest friends and cheering on your favorite team while chomping down on one of these 'dawgs. Yup....it is one of the things that makes life worth living.
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| They are not pretty...but who cares! Looks just like the real thing |
I will give you my personal recipe for these....but keep in mind that I have guessed the ingredients and made these by trial and error. Please do not break out the measuring cups and mixers...KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. It is more the process than anything else:
For the 'dawgs' you will need one large pot with a lid, 2 cans of the cheapest beer you have in the house, and 2 beer cans of water. Pour ALL contents in the pot and add your wiener of choice. I also like to sprinkle some Old Bay seasoning in there as well just to spice things up. (You will notice in my future recipes that almost EVERYTHING has either Old Bay Seasoning or Cayenne pepper...or both. The hubs and I like things spicy.) Bring everything to a low rolling boil and cover with lid.
---Now ladies, if you are going for a "beautiful" dish...this is NOT the recipe for you. These wieners will explode/burst/split. You want this to happen no matter how horrific it looks. It makes all that juice soak in and makes for an amazing flavor that mimics that of those hot dogs that are turning all day under heat lamps (pretty sure that's how they do it at B.D. Stadium)
While your wieners are doing their time, make the Stadium Dog sauce. You will need one can of shredded sauerkraut, 1 medium/large yellow onion (chopped), about half a small bottle of Heinz ketchup (sorry, I am VERY particular on my ketchup of choice), yellow mustard (I eyeball this, but, probably 1/4 cup), and the world's tiniest smidge of chili powder and cayenne pepper. Stir all this together in a pot, cover, and heat on low stirring occassionally. It should make a bright orange-almost-pink colored mixture. (I like to taste mine to make sure the proportions are right...but do as you think necessary.)
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| This is the color you want to go for... |
Here is the crucial part of the recipe as this is the one that takes some creativity, patience, and all-together MacGyvering: steaming the buns. Keep those wieners-a-boiling and place a baker's wire rack over the open pot. Place your buns on the rack and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. That beer/spice concoction really turns those buns to pure pillowy-goodness. Do this for a few minutes and then add your ugly split wieners and a big-ole-spoonful of your Stadium Dog sauce. Replace over the steam and cover with the aluminum foil sheet again. Let it sit for a few more minutes. Wrap each dog separately, tightly, in a single sheet of foil and put in the oven at around 200 degrees. Leave them in there until everyone is ready to eat; the longer they sit, the better they are. Putting them in the oven to roast slowly not only makes the bun stick to the dog (which is one of the reasons these are so good), but, it also browns that Stadium Dog sauce so it is no longer a weird pink color but now a nice brown ooey-gooey-gob. It is FANGER LICKIN' GOOD!!!!!! ENJOY and ROLL TIDE!
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| My dogs are steaming! |
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This brings me on to a subject that I get quite a few calls for: THE MAN CAVE. Every little lady seems to want to give their man a place they can call all their own. These spaces usually consist of some sort of favorite sport or sports team, a recreational piece of furniture such as a a pool table or foosball table, collector's art such as Daniel Moore paintings (again, Roll Tide!), a mini bar or humidor, and comfy/durable furniture. Here's the kicker that these ladies ALWAYS request: make it look nice! Challenge says you? No says I! :) The most important thing about this space is making it fun and making it functional. A few key questions to ask before getting started:
1. What is the main function of the room? Will you mainly be watching tv/movies/sports or will you be reading/writing/playing games? This will effect the lighting needed as well as the paint colors.
2. What collectibles/art will he want prominently displayed? Again, this will aide in the paint color selection as well as fabrics and other soft finishes.
3. What is the most important thing to him in the room? You want to be sure to make it the most important thing to you in the room as well.
4. What sections/stations do you want in the space? Such as: Will you have a wet bar? Will there be a fridge? Do you need a cable or plug in a specific location? Where do you want decorative lights versus task-oriented lights such as a billiard light or decorative pendant?
Once these questions have been explored and answered it is time to select paint colors and fabrics. Now, realistically in a man cave we use our left-over furniture. There is not one darn thing wrong with that. This furniture will be punished; it will be spilled on, stepped on, moved, moved back, moved again, shifted, turned, and well-loved. There is NO SHAME in purchasing a few throw pillows to revive your old sofa and calling it a day. You can still get creative with your paints, window coverings, and accents. This is the route I typically choose as I am not one to advise purchasing new furniture unless absolutely necessary. With that said; we'll talk paint.
A new paint color in a space can really set the whole scene to a room. When it comes to a man cave, you will usually here a guy request dark paints. DO NOT BE SCARED; this is actually a great and dramatic way to go. If your man is a collector of prints, memorabilia, or other items hanging on the walls, then consider what the main color is that you want to accent in the pieces and think OPPOSITES. Yes, that sounds weird, but, whatever color you want to jump out at you from your wall art, you need to do the opposite as your wall paint color. Let's reference U of A once again; crimson is obviously their main color. Most people would immediately think "let's paint the whole thing CRIMSON." NO, please, do us a favor and do not. First off, it is a very fun color. A little goes a LONG way....and I promise you will tire of this color LONG before you are able to cover it up with another shade of paint. Does anyone know what the opposite of red it? GREEN! Yes, you guessed it. (No, this is NOT advice to paint your room grass green...bare with me, I am getting somewhere.) Try a nice medium to dark shade of grey that has a green base to it. It won't look green on your walls but it will let that Crimson do the talking on your wall art. A nice one to try is Sherwin Williams' "Anonymous". The same effect can be had with blue bases; try Ben Moore's "Kendall Charcoal" (this is currently in our family room/man cave and I absolutely LOVE it!) These are both very deep colors, so it would be best to use these in a room where the main activities will be watching tv and minimal tasks such as reading. HOWEVER, if you just love the look of a dark room, as I do, then just add extra lighting such as lamps and recessed cans to make up for any lost light you may encounter. For those "other" fans who prefer oranges and blues, the same rule applies: if you want the orange in your wall hangings to pop out, go with a dark blue based color. Don't go straight for the navy (although that would be pretty because I LOVE LOVE LOVE a navy room, it may look a little cheesy next to your AU stuff) but reach for a nice pure gray or dark gray/brown. Try Sherwin Williams' "Porpoise" for a gray, or Sherwin Williams' "Homestead Brown" for a nice gray/brown. This will really give those AU colors a pop. When in doubt: opposites attract.
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| Anonymous |
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| Kendall Charcoal |
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| Porpoise |
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| Couldn't find a blobby of this one |
Now that you have selected your paint color: let's talk accents. One of my favorite accents in a man cave is a nice manly plaid. Plaids come in so many shades and textures. You can go with the traditional wooly plaid or with some of the more woven patterns that have a more open weave. I also love a good stripe in a man-space. "Ticking" fabric is cheap cheap cheap and makes a lovely statement in a casual space. When thinking "manly man fabric" think linear. Anything that runs in straight lines or has more sharp-sided shapes will look more masculine. You can even mix these fabrics and layer them for a more plush and put-together mix-n-match look. Try a plaid with a stripe and then a solid in a cool texture: if they are all in similar color families they will go together splendidly. You can use different fabrics on pillows, chair covers, and drapes. Have fun and go wild, this is the fun room!
***Note, not suggested to use these three particular fabrics together: I can't give away all my secrets now can I?***
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| Manly Plaid |
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| Manly Stiped |
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| Manly Texture |
The last advice that I have for you is to 100%, every time, all the time, do not forget, so important, MUST DO: make sure that you make his favorite things in the room the center of attention in that space. Is his old college-recliner his must-have piece? Is it his pool table that he loves? Does he have a vintage record player? Does he play a musical instrument that he wants to incorporate in with everything else? Whatever his interests are, please be sure to incorporate them in any way possible. This is his space. His buds will be over. He wants to show off all of his man toys...so please let him. Not only will it make his space truly his own, it will also keep his stuff out of the rest of your house. Think about it, win/win!
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| Posh man cave (do those words actually go together?) complete with man toys |
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| Love the natural stone wall with recessed sconce lights and the ceiling treatment! |
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| Race car themed man cave |
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| My perfect man cave: plaid, stripes, textures, paint color, ahhhhhhh! (too bad it isn't a Mae Beth cave.) See how the dark blue-based color really punches those red-browns back at you? That's why I like to use opposite colors to make a statement. |
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| I threw this in because it is awesome: who doesn't want to reuse those old kegs as bar stools? Remember...have fun with it! |
I hope you enjoy designing your new man's space in your home. It is a lot of fun and you will be oh-so-happy when you see the look on his face after you present him with his brand new, shiny and cool, super-de-duper-de-awesome, all-other-guys-will-be-jealous SPACE of his very own. Now here's the next trick: how does he keep us ladies out? I know I am always in Allen's space....ooops!
Thanks for reading and ROLL TIDE ROLL!
~MB
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