These Ain't Your Momma's Nachos

Many Auburn fans have Gameday rituals of visiting Momma G's Deli prior or following the game (or if wise, both). Whether ordering up a Momma's Love, Turkey Delight, or Gobbler; it is not a true Momma G's experience without some delish nachos. For many of us, despite the recent franchise expansion, Momma G's nachos are not readily available. This Saturday morning while watching College Gameday, rev up your slow cooker to prepare some delectable Chalupa Nachos of your own to enjoy during the SEC Championship between LSU Tigers and the Georgia Bulldogs. War Eagle!

Chalupa Dinner Bowl Nachos
Ingredients
1 pound dried pinto beans
1 (3 1/2-pound) bone-in pork loin roast
2 (4-ounce) cans chopped green chiles
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (32-ounce) box chicken broth
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles with lime juice and cilantro
8 taco salad shells
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
Toppings: shredded Monterey Jack cheese, pickled jalapeño slices, halved grape tomatoes, sour cream, chopped avocado

Preparation
Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.
Place pinto beans in a 6-quart slow cooker; add roast and next 6 ingredients. Pour chicken broth evenly over top of roast.
Cover and cook on HIGH 1 hour; reduce to LOW, and cook 9 hours. Or, cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours. Remove bones and fat from roast; pull roast into large pieces with two forks. Stir in diced tomatoes and green chiles. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH 1 more hour or until liquid is slightly thickened. Serve in taco shells or on tortilla chips! Enjoy!
(recipe from Southern Living 2005)

Iron Bowl 2011

"Always Remember that Goliath was a 40-point favorite over little David." -Shug Jordan


"Punt Bama, Punt!"


Bo Over the Top


Sack Brody Croyle!


6 in a row!


2010 'CAM'back!

WAR DAMN EAGLE! BEAT BAMA!

Twas the Day Before Iron Bowl...

Twas the day before Iron Bowl, and all through the South,
not a Bammer was silent; all running their mouths.
Gameday stage built, campus prepared,
for Lee, Kirk, and Desmond to last year compare.
The fans were all nervous, their stomachs were sick,
while Tigers remembered that 'Punt Bama' kick!
Bammers in houndstooth (dress, tattoo or cap),
"Long live the Bear!" they continue to yap.
All through the Plains there arose such a clatter,
As RVs, fans, tv crews, arrive and then scatter.
On the corner of campus, there are many a flash,
Camera shutters capture Toomer's, ruined by white trash.
The sun on the tower of Samford Hall,
Gave the lustre of Gameday to all things football.
When, what to our wondering ears should we hear,
Bama claims two more national titles (they do every year).
With their evil coach, to represent all the hicks,
They praise their 'dear' coach, and call him "St. Nick."
On the opposite sideline, Gene holds the flame,
He whistles, and shouts, and calls them by name;
"Now, McCalebb! now, Frazier! now, Thorpe and Blake!
On, Lutzi! on Moseley! on Dyer, for goodness sake!
To the top of the quarter! To the In be the All!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away with the ball!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to Game time, the tension did mount.
and still with their trophies, the Bammers miscount.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard it at noon.
The wonderful, glorious, most beautiful tune.
As I turned my head, and towards the sound.
The bells of Samford, 'War Eagle' surrounds.
Aubie all dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
As he prances on campus; elephants underfoot.
Every year the same pressure, the 'game of the season,'
To outside fans, they don't get the reason.
Last year attention was brought by one fan: Updyke,
there are many words to describe him, including 'dislike.'
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a rat,
And the beard of his chin was as dirty as his Bama tat;
The stump of a cigarette he held tight in his teeth,
As he poured poison on our tree, all the way down beneath;
He had a broad face and a huge round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a selfish, hateful man,
Despised by many, in the AU family clan.
Despite his deed, and his harm to our tree,
there is one thing tomorrow you will see...
The eagle will soar through Jordan Hare,
The AU players will take a knee for a prayer.
The stands will fill to capacity with loyal and true,
Cheering forever for their orange and their blue.
The refs will take field, to the teams, give a whistle,
And away the ball flies like the down of a thistle.
We will hear fans exclaim, (yes, even a grandma)
"Rammer Jammer, Yellow Hammer, Go to Hell, Alabama!"

(KCN 2011)

A Sad Day For Auburn, and All College Football Fans

It's almost been a year since that dreadful day that Harvey Updyke poisoned the oaks at Toomer's Corner. I still remember receiving the email from Auburn and multiple texts as the news of 'some crazy Bammer on Finebaum' spread. After my anger over the news had subsided some (it will never completely be gone), I wrote this letter to Harvey Updyke and felt it appropriate to share as I still feel the same way a year (and one National Championship won) later.

"Al,"

I do not start out this letter with the customary 'dear,' because dear is FAR from what you are to me. Until this week, you were just a former Texas state trooper who lived in Dadeville, Alabama as the father to two unfortunately named children, Bear and Crimson. Now your nickname 'Al from Dadeville' produces over 387,000 results on a google search. You must be pretty damn proud of yourself, huh? The man whom you named your own son after, Bear Bryant, once said, "I have tried to teach them to show class, to have pride, and to display character. I think football, winning games, takes care of itself if you do that." Now the question I implore to you, is do you really think your 'wonderful divine Bear' would be proud of your behavior? The answer is no. The words class, character, pride, and school spirit do not describe your actions in any way, shape, or form. A better choice of words would be: malicious, hateful, disrespectful, criminal, and murderous. I'm not sure if you consider yourself a Christian man, 'ol Al, but if for nothing else, you have fatally harmed two of God's beautiful creations that have proudly marked the corner of Auburn's campus for 130 years. In addition, you have destroyed a sacred place for the Auburn family. Now, if I was any sort of vindictive person, I might contemplate defacing the statue of Bear Bryant outside of Bryant Denny stadium, or finding an old houndstooth hat of Bear's and burning it to ashes. But I won't do either of those things because I one, have more class than that, and two, it would not have anywhere NEAR the same meaning as what you have taken from us. Bama fans have "traditions'' of the million dollar band, the rammer jammer cheer, and your elephant. I hate to break it to you, but these are not traditions. These are mascots, cheers, and representations of your school pride. You and all your fellow Bammers do not come together to participate in these 'traditions' after a victory. These things do not bind you together. We, Auburn tigers, did have a tradition that bound us together and made us a family, and you have taken it from us. For decades Auburn fans of all ages have met at the corner to roll the trees after victories. The tradition began when Toomer's Drugs had the only telegraph in Auburn. During the away football games, upon an Auburn victory, employees of Toomer's would throw the ticker tape from the telegraph into the oak trees to signal a win to the public. This is more than the 2010 National Championship, Cam Newton, Nick Fairley, and Coach Chizick. This is even more than Pat Sullivan, Pat Dye, Bo Jackson, and Shug Jordan. Generations of Auburn fans have watched with pride as their children rolled the trees that they too had rolled years before. Unfortunately, you don't have this experience with Bear and Crimson because no such tradition exists at Bama. I've seen several proposals take place under these trees. When those couples have families and take their children to that sacred spot, the ambience under the shade of the trees will no longer exist. What you have taken from every Auburn fan, is unforgivable. David Housel once said, "There are as many definitions of Auburn as there are Auburn men and women. It would be safe to say, however, that Auburn is much more than a football game. It is much more than winning and losing. It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman.” You obviously have never experienced feelings anywhere near these for Bama, because if you had, you would have never dreamt of taking away something so precious- no matter the rivalry. Congratulations on your headlines, and your sense of personal victory for destroying such an irreplaceable Auburn tradition. However, the Auburn spirit will not waver and Jordan Hare won't implode as a result of your actions. The lines of the Auburn Alma mater "and hold in memory as we do now" will have new meaning, as we all will have to remember our dear Toomer's trees. But as you wallow in your hatred (and/or your jail cell), just be aware that generations of Auburn graduates will continue after you are long gone. Auburn will still win Iron Bowls, SEC Championships, National Championships, and have Heisman Trophy winners. The eagle will still circle the stadium, and the orange and blue will still fight on fearless and true. So to you, 'Al from Dadeville,' there are only three words I have left to say to you, 'War Damn Eagle.'

Sincerely,
Katie Nall

The College Football Fan's Prayer

In the spirit of Thanksgiving and being thankful, I thought it was appropriate to share this prayer written by Andy Staples for Sports Illustrated at the beginning of the 2011 season. Despite our rivalries, our fan hatred, and our extreme school spirit; this week we should all be thankful to live in a country where we have the freedom to enjoy college football and the joy/pain it brings to our lives. Thank God for Auburn Football!

Lord, it's been a tough offseason for those of us who love college football. The Auburn people could lose their trees. The Ohio State people have lost their coach. Oregon paid a street agent with a check. A former Miami booster sat in prison and admitted he paid dozens of players. Some LSU players went to a bar called Shady's and -- lo and behold -- something shady happened. My beloved sport smells like a cesspool.
Lord, maybe it is one. But it's my favorite cesspool. And after months of hand-wringing and moralizing, I only want to watch students from one school ram into students from another school at blistering speed while 85,000 people scream.
So Lord, I ask you for the strength to allow me to shut my eyes tight and forget that I love a multibillion-dollar business in which the coaches make millions and the players never get a raise. I don't want to feel guilty while I watch. I want to eat brats and scream at my coach's decision to punt on fourth-and-inches from the 50. (That millionaire pansy.)
Lord, there is so much to be thankful for in college football. Thank you for the Vol Navy floating along the Tennessee river. Thank you for the M Club banner in Ann Arbor. Thank you for Howard's Rock and for section GG. Thank you for gold helmets and a promise to play like a champion today. Thank you for nerds pulling pranks at Cal and Stanford. Thank you for "We Are The Boys" between the third and fourth quarters at The Swamp. Thank you for the dotting of the I in Columbus. Thank you for the burning couches in Morgantown. Thank you for the 12th Man. Thank you for the Blackshirts. Thank you for the flight of the War Eagle over the Loveliest Village on the Plains. Thank you for that moment in Tuscaloosa when Skynyrd blasts through the speakers and 100,000 pom-poms shake in unison.
Lord, thank you for Traveler, for Renegade, for Bevo, for Ralphie and for Boomer and Sooner, who pull the Sooner Schooner. May they not leave any gifts on the field. May Uga VIII rest in peace, and may his replacement live to see the second coming of Herschel Walker.
Lord, thank you for making Miss Americas who can name Ole Miss' backup left tackle. Thanks also for boots with sundresses and for chaps on cheerleaders.
Lord, thank you for spread offense. Thank you for the I-formation. Thank you for the quarterback, the dive man and the pitch man and the fact that they have options. Thank you for pulling guards made huge by pulled pork. Thank you for the Jack linebacker and for the twist stunt. Thank you for quarterbacks named Luck and for rush ends named Barkevious. Thank you for the Statue of Liberty and for Little Giants. Thank you for green grass and for blue turf. Thank you for Joe Paterno. May he outlive and outcoach us all.
Lord, thank you for Les Miles. Truly, we can never thank you enough for Les Miles.
Lord, I understand my beloved sport has been tainted by scandal, but please don't let those eggheads in the presidents' offices or those idiots in the press box change a thing.
Lord, please don't allow the NCAA to legalize payments from boosters, agents and endorsement deals, even though such payments wouldn't harm anyone or anything. When my head hits the pillow every night, I want to know that I might wake up and find out that Charles Robinson of Yahoo! has written something that will burn my rival's program to the ground. If Charles ever writes about my program, I reserve the right to call his story a witch hunt perpetrated by a mainstream media jealous of my team's success.
Lord, I want to believe that the color I wear will make a difference in the outcome of the game despite glaring evidence to the contrary. Also, while I realize you have many, many more important things to do, I might -- only once or twice -- ask you to intervene in the proceedings at a stadium at some point this fall. But only in the fourth quarter. I promise.
Lord, everyone says you only pull for Notre Dame, but I just don't believe that. I believe you gave us college football because you love us and you want us to be happy. I believe you gave us college football so South Carolina fans can chill themselves with sweet tea and hope every August and so Wisconsin fans can warm themselves with Leinenkugel's and rushing totals every November. I believe you gave us college football so Texas A&M students can yell. I believe you gave us college football so Starkville residents can get more (legal) cowbell.
Lord, this offseason has felt like an eternity. Scandal has dominated. Football has been reduced to an afterthought. But my faith remains unshaken. I swear.
Lord, please make them kick the damn ball already.
Amen.

Tuesday Tiger Treat!

Thanksgiving week is upon us! While preparing your menu for your Tiger feast on Thursday (and/or Saturday if you are preparing an elephant), why not add a delicious Bourbon Pecan Pie to the menu? Also known as 'Drunken Pie,' it will be a hit with your relatives and friends this Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble War Damn Turkey!

Bourbon Pecan Pie

Piecrust (Yield: two 9-inch crusts)
Ingredients
1 ²⁄³ cups all-purpose flour mixed with ¾ tsp. kosher salt
²⁄³ cup lard
¾ tsp. white vinegar
1 small egg
Water
Preparation
Place flour and salt in bowl, and cut in lard until mixture resembles small peas. In a Pyrex measuring cup, combine vinegar and egg, and add water to make ¹⁄³ cup liquid. Slowly add liquid to the flour mixture, forming dough. Do not overwork. Remove from bowl, halve, and pat into disks. If not using immediately, cover in plastic wrap and chill.

Bourbon Pecan Pie Filling (Yield: fills one 9-inch crust)
Roll out one dough disk and fit in 9-inch pie pan, crimping edges.
Ingredients
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups dark corn syrup
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 ½ tsp. all-purpose flour
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. bourbon
1 ½ tbsp. melted sweet butter
1 ¾ cups pecans
Preparation
Using a hand mixer, combine sugar, syrup, salt, flour, and eggs, mixing well. Stir in remaining ingredients
and pour into unbaked pie shell.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes (a toothpick inserted in center should come out relatively clean). Remove from oven and place on cooling rack, allowing pie to rest for 2 to 3 hours to set.

(Recipe from Garden and Gun - November 2011)

Game Day!

Just announced: ESPN's College Gameday will be in Auburn this Saturday for the Iron Bowl! War Damn Eagle! Make sure to tune in on Saturday AM to ESPN! If in Auburn, 'you stay classy' Auburn fans! Do not pull an Updyke and disgrace the AU Family with signs, gestures, or behavior.

Follow @CollegeGameDay on twitter for updates this week!

Sunday Snacking

If the game yesterday has you down and gloomy, why not brighten your mood with a delicious dip for some Sunday snacking? Whether you are watching NFL or just relaxing around the house, this dip is sure to please those tiger taste buds. War Eagle!

Don't forget to donate to the Beat Bama Food Drive! Only 8 more days! Text “BEATBAMA” and reply “yes” to 20222 to make a $10 donation to the food Drive.




Blue Cheese Bacon Dip
Ingredients
7 bacon slices, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup half-and-half
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
Flatbread or assorted crackers

Preparation
Cook chopped bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until crisp. Drain bacon, and set aside. Add minced garlic to skillet, and sauté 1 minute.Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add half-and-half, beating until combined. Stir in bacon, garlic, blue cheese, and chives. Spoon mixture evenly into 4 (1-cup) individual baking dishes.Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Sprinkle evenly with chopped walnuts, and serve with flatbread or assorted crackers.

(from Southern Living Dec 2004)

Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

Today is the day! 'The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry' is the title given to the football rivalry between Auburn and UGA. The first showdown between the Tigers and Bulldogs occurred on February 20, 1892 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta; Tigers pulling out a win with the score 10-0. Auburn and UGA have played almost every year since 1898 except when World War I and World War II prevented games from being played. Despite the long rivalry, UGA and Auburn have never played each other in an SEC Championship game. After 114 games, Auburn holds a 54-52-8 lead. Today the Tigers will take on the Bulldogs between the hedges at 3:30 EST. So crack open a cold one and grill up some hot 'dawgs!' Cheers to an Auburn victory!

Weagle Weagle War Damn Eagle! Kick 'em in the Butt Big Blue! Hey!

The Rivalry between AU and Bama

Don't forget to watch ESPN's film on the rivalry between Auburn University and the University of Alabama. As described by ESPN "With two Heisman Awards, two championships and one crazed fan, this one hour film tells the story of the rivalry between Auburn and Alabama. " The film comes on TONIGHT at 8 PM EST on ESPN. Don't miss out!

Dear 'Ol Aubie

I hate to admit that during several football games my attention has been drawn away from the action to one goofy Tiger prancing around in costumes on the sidelines. The official costumed mascot of Auburn University, Aubie, is adored by young and old. Aubie came into existence as a cartoon on the Auburn/Hardin-Simmons football program cover on October 3, 1959. An artist for the Birmingham Post-Herald, Phil Neel, created Aubie who continued to appear on Auburn program covers for 18 years. In 1979, Aubie came to life at the Southeastern Conference basketball tournament. Brooks-Van Horn Costumes in New York, N.Y (who also provided costumes for Walt Disney) designed and produced the first Aubie costume for $1,350. Since then, Aubie's fame has spread and led him to be a six time National Champion in Mascot Challenges.

Currently Aubie is #3 overall in the Capital One Bowl Mascot Challenge and needs your help!
Make sure to vote for him every day by visiting: www.capitalonebowl.com
or by txting 78527 : with the text "AUBIE"

War Damn Aubie!

What is Auburn?

What is Auburn?
Far be it from me to try to answer that question. There are as many definitions of Auburn as there are Auburn men and women.
It would be safe to say, however, that Auburn is much more than a football game. It is much more than winning and losing.
It is a spirit. It is an attitude. It is a way of looking at life and at one another. It is, almost, a way of living. Unless you have experienced it, you will never know what it is; you will never understand it. Once you have experienced it, you will never be the same. A part of you will, forevermore, be an Auburn man or an Auburn woman.

-David Housel
(
The quote was originally published as a part of a larger article titled "Spirit(s) of Auburn" printed in Auburn Football Illustrated on September 20, 1980)

Auburn Christmas

The day after Halloween, Target donned all of their Christmas decorations throughout the store. Call me a Scrooge, but there are two important events that shouldn't be fast-forwarded through between Halloween and the Christmas season; Thanksgiving and the Iron Bowl. However, for many of you preemptive Christmas crazies, November 1st starts your holiday season with decorations, Christmas tunes, and bad holiday driving. If you are already trimming your tree and drinking egg nog, check out these great hand-painted ornaments offered by the Atlanta Auburn Alumni Club that raise money for the Roy B. Sewell Memorial Scholarship Fund. While I may not agree with your early holiday hulabaloo, I do believe that buying an ornament to help out a future Tiger is what the holiday season is all about. To purchase an ornament, email: communications@atlantaauburnclub.org . May all your Christmases be orange and blue! War Eagle!

Tiger Tailgate Tunes

As much as we'd all love the Auburn Marching Band to provide musical entertainment at our own tailgates, alas, this is not possible. However, any good tailgate provides some good jams to add to the tailgate ambience. While varying ages and musical tastes choose different playlists, a good go-to playlist to please all Auburn fans is one filled with Classic or Southern Rock. Usually these songs aren't filled with abundant profanity, so Grandmas to Grandbaby Tigers can enjoy all these tunes. Here are a few suggestions to add to your tailgate playlist to please all Auburn fan ears! War Damn Eagle! Glory to 'ol Auburn!

Sweet Home Alabama - Lynard Skynyrd

Dixieland Delight - Alabama

Song of the South - Alabama

Fat Bottomed Girls - Queen

Caught Up in You - .38 Special

Living on a Prayer - Bon Jovi

Sweet Child O'Mine - Guns and Roses

Gimme All Your Lovin - ZZ Top

Highway to Hell - ACDC

Start Me Up - Rolling Stones

Graceland - Paul Simon

Up Around the Bend - CCR

Melissa - Allman Brothers

Stuck In The Middle With You - Beatles

Atlantic City - The Band

Benny and the Jets - Elton John

Brandy You're a Fine Girl - Gordon Lightfoot

Jesse's Girl - Rick Springfield

Hold on Loosely - .38 Special

Keep on Rocking Me Baby - Steve Miller Band

Take it Easy - The Eagles

Slow Ride - Foghat

Taking Care of Business - BTO

More Than a Feeling - Boston

Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond

Back in Black - ACDC

Wave on Wave - Pat Green

Come On Eileen - The Clash

Amie - Pure Prarie League

American Girl - Tom Petty

Carry On My Wayward Son - Kansas

Whiskey River - Cross Canadian Ragweed

Any Way You Want It - Journey

Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show

Tiger Tweets

Technology allows a readily available supply of the latest news to anyone with an iPad, iPhone, iTouch, iYouNameIt. Why not stay up to date with all things Auburn via Twitter? Here are a few Tiger Twitter users to check out and follow to keep up to date with the latest Auburn news. #WarDamnEagle



@AuburnU : Auburn University

@AUAlumniAssoc : Auburn Alumni Association

@AUAthletics : Auburn University Athletic Department

@FootballAU : Auburn Football

@AubietheTiger01 : Aubie the Tiger

@CollegeGameDay : ESPN Game Day

@Michael5dyer : Michael Dyer

@LUTZenkirchen : Philip Lutzenkirchen

@ESPN_SEC : SEC news on ESPN

@WarBlogle : Fellow AU Blogger

@wareaglereader : The War Eagle Reader

Lesser of Two Evils

"The Game of the Season" as many sports analysts have called it, occurs this Saturday. We Auburn fans know that the real 'game of the season' falls right after Thanksgiving in Jordan Hare. Regardless, the LSU Tigers and Bama will face off at Bryant-Denny Stadium this Saturday. Any true AU fan will never cheer for Bama (no matter the circumstances). Therefore, this Saturday, I will be cheering for one of the other SEC Tiger teams. Since having a full-blown Low Country Boil in homage to LSU and Les Miles makes me cringe, why not have a classic Southern favorite this Saturday night: Shrimp and Grits! Filling and delicious, this recipe from Garden and Gun would be an excellent dish to take to a viewing party or to host one at your home! As they say in New Orleans, "Laissez le Bon temp rouler!" (Let the good times Roll!) By Roll, I mean that the R*ll T*de can Roll Out!

Shrimp and Grits
(from Garden and Gun Magazine)
(Serves 4–6)
3 cups water
1 cup stone-ground grits
1 ½ cups half and half
Salt to taste
Dollop of butter
Handful finely chopped tomatoes and onions
1 lb. peeled shrimp
½ cup white wine

Bring water to a boil, and add grits slowly. Cover. Reduce heat to low, and stir occasionally. As grits thicken, add half and half. Continue to cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Shrimp Gravy
Put dollop of butter in frying pan, and sauté tomatoes and onions over medium-high heat until they begin to caramelize. Toss in shrimp. Using a wooden spoon, continue to stir shrimp, tomatoes, and onions until shrimp turn pink. Splash in ½ cup white wine, and continue to stir until shrimp are done and wine has reduced.
Plate grits. Pour entire shrimp and gravy over grits, and serve.