Since Ben and I didn’t have tickets to the opening game of the Iowa Hawkeyes’ football season yesterday, we brought the game, and the ultimate home tailgate, to us!
Instead of huddling in a tiny tent somewhere in Iowa City while it was poured nearly the entire game, we setup shop in our cozy, dry garage. (Yes, we were those neighbors for the day! 
)
I laid out food and drinks galore, while Ben setup a tv to watch our boys take on Tennessee Tech. This is the way to do it!!!
We masterminded the whole indoor tailgate party on Friday night circa 9pm, a couple Skinny Girl Margaritas (her) and Hoptoberfests (him) deep, which didn’t leave us a lot of time to cook much of anything. Instead I opted for buying the most basic, crowd-pleasing food options for the wide variety of people we had invited to stop by.
A plethora of munchies,
including Parmesan Garlic Popchips (YUM!),
freshly sliced peaches dusted with powdered sugar,
assorted veggies & dips,
smoked baby back ribs,
and White Chocolate Covered Popcorn!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, this stuff is like crack. I don’t even know if I’ll ever be able to make it again because my hand was in the bowl ALL. DAY. LONG. It was AMAZING (the popcorn, not the fact that I ate about 16 cups of it!) FYI – I used puffcorn instead of popcorn. UNBELIEVABLE!
Our guests, including my parents, started trickling in about 10:30am for an 11am kickoff.
We grabbed a drink and got ready for another great season of college football!
Our boys played relatively well, and won, considering the fact that it rained the entire game. The fans looked like they were having a great time regardless, but you know I have an irrational hatred for getting rained on. I was so glad to be home!
Friends and more family trickled in and out throughout the game and the day.
And at one point the rain stopped long enough for Ben to get an impromptu haircut!
In the driveway. 
Please don’t judge us!
Oh boys, no, do it this way!
Oh, tailgate shenanigans!
Back to business. 
Aaron, our barber, cut Ben’s super long hair into a mohawk to rock for the day.
But the resulting rat tale was just too much for anyone to look at longer than a few seconds.
All cleaned up!
The festivities lasted all through the afternoon, evening AND night, and Ben and I didn’t hit the hay until nearly 12 hours after we started.
Party animals! Who are we?!
We woke up feeling surprisingly good, and are off on a loooong, LOOOOONG, walk to burn off some of those extra calories. Gah – I forgot what an ish-show tailgating can be! Oh well, no regrets!
See ya!
~~~~~
What’s your favorite tailgate treat?
Looks like a ton of fun!
What a superfun day! And getting rained on is awful. I don’t care who says they don’t mind. Hating it is 100% rational.
Congrats on the win!
And YAY for football season!!
Looks like you had a lot of fun! I love dips of any kind at a tailgate.
Especially if they are cheesy and creamy!
that’s my kinda day…I grew up not missing a single Carolina football game with my parents who would close they’re clothing store during the game every saturday..I always looked forward to my mom’s homemade pimento cheese and fried chicken we ate at our seats..we’d beat a trail back to open up right after the game..and now kristin I’m headed to the store to get the fixins for that popcorn…oh and tell Ben his haircut looks great! thats
a cute pic of guys
LOVE that Ben got a haircut in the front yard! I also tail-gated pretty hard yesterday…gotta love the greasy food and beer
!
Favorite tailgate food = chicken wings. They’re not exactly super portable, but they are so darn good.
I got excited when I saw Ben in the trashbag- I thought he was trying to feel our sympathy in Iowa City! … trashbags are not as good as ponchos, but we’re were not going to to leave! Let’s hope the next game provides us with better weather! On Iowa!
TOO FUN! I couldn’t be up at the Notre Dame game yesterday either so we watched and drank and munched inside. I think my fav tailgate treat (besides beer) is cowboy caviar dip. I eat the whole bowl!
What a fun day! I won’t judge you for Ben’s driveway haircut, I cut my husband’s hair in the yard. I don’t know what that says about me LOL. Its just easier to not get all the mess in the house, I say!
I also was happy to be indoors watching the game. Go Hawks
I very much appreciate Ben’s shirt. GO CLONES! Hope you’re ready for next weekend
Ill be in Ames, and ready to FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT for Iowa State!
Love it! Any plans for Ames next weekend? My friends and I tailgate in B3 if you need a spot to land (you’d be proud of me, I made a huge bowl of fresh cut fruit for yesterday’s soggy ISU-UNI festivities!). My favorite pic is IG’s Mom Eat’s and her Miller Chill.
Tell her hello for me!
omg that is too funny!! i have never thought of moving a tailgate into the garage. we have had a few outdoor parties planned and when it has rained i end up with everyone IN my house! will have to try the garage next time!
looks like fun! i love partayin at home…….all the comforts just a step away! WOW…that golden tree is beautiful! i love fall but not sure i’m ready for it just yet! favorite tailgate food (favorite ANYTIME food!) would be chips and AE dip. and i LOVE those Stacys naked pita chips! you should try the HyVee brand kettle chips. buffalo bleu cheese or garlic parmesan….so darn good! you’ll be hooked!
I was in Iowa City for the game and let me tell you, I was soaking wet before I even reached Kinnick Stadium. We had a blast though but my shoes are still drying out.
I really enjoy seven layer dips and burgers… yummy!
Looks like fun! The smoked baby back ribs look delish & Ben’s friend (in the Nebraska t-shirt) giving him the haircut is very cute
You are so totally “those kind of neighbors”, but those kind are my ultimate favorites!
Ummmm…yeah. So we braved the elements and sat through most of the game (we left when it started thundering and the sky looked pitch black…5 minutes before the storm delay). I’ll be blogging about it tomorrow, but I think there comes a point where being a crazy fan starts to become just CRAZY. Like sitting in the rain freezing…but GO HAWKS!
Have a great rest of the weekend, and yeah our tailgating was an ish-show too. Need to work off the pancakes, sausage, hash browns and donuts…oh and the alcohol. God I need to go run 10 miles now….ciao!
I’d have to say buffalo chicken dip.
Looks like a fun time!
I hung out with your brother on Saturday. Finn was there too and got himself a girlfriend. He even kissed her a couple of times. It was hilarious
OMG he is such a little charmer!!!
Fun times! My favorite tailgate food is a giant hot dog. So GOOD!
Oh goodness, this is absolutely hilarious! Love the snacks.
My favorite tailgate food is buffalo chicken dip or jalepeno popper dip. I made the popper dip for the first time yesterday and it turned out really good.
I was at the game getting poured on! It was actually a ton of fun! And I was wearing that same T-shirt! TJ Maxx?
Pickle wraps are my favorites! We managed to stay somewhat dry yesterday thanks to the ponchos we brought. We left right after halftime and were almost to our car when the major downpour started again. That was awful b/c it was windy and rainy. It was an experience, but I so wish we had today’s weather yesterday.
I love this idea! Rain or not, I definitely want to try it out this season
That is the tailgate of all tailgates! I love it! And I must get my hands on some of that popcorn. I would help you eat it all no problemo.
Oh Kristin. If only you were a Cyclone fan.
Looks like a great time and, it’s not a party until someone gets a haircut
Ohhh you were really smart to do this. I went to that game and actually had a blast standing in the rain – until I woke the next day with what feels like bronchitis and a water-logged camera and cell phone. Oh college. Maybe I’ll make some white chocolate covered popcorn to feel better
Take out your phone battery and put it in rice (it helps absorb the water).
One of my FAVORITE gameday treats – Snicker Popcorn! Yum! I made a batch for the Husker game on Saturday. It’s my mom’s recipe – LOVE!
I cant believe the wait was so long!! Only to not have like anything happen afterwards.. haha but YAY hawkeyes! so glad football season is back!
I just have to ask – is there a U of I connection in your family? I guess I just don’t get being such a fan of a school other than the one you graduated from.
Love the Skinny Girl Margaritas
YAY for college football! Nothing beats tailgaiting & rooting on your team this time of year (which, for me is Cal – GO BEARS!)
Anyway, it looks like it was a fun tailgate! Your white chocolate popcorn looks especially delicious – it reminds me of this white chocolate candy cane popcorn that I saw on pinterest:
http://www.skiptomylou.org/2010/01/07/white-chocolate-and-peppermint-covered-popcorn/
Ha, sounds like fun! I must admit I’m not much of a sports fan, especially with football…however I don’t mind the hanging out with friends and food part that comes when gathering people to watch a game
Happy start-of-college-football-season! I’m so happy to be back living in the center of Badger craziness. Tailgating is a lot of fun.
It’s going to be weird not seeing the Badgers play the Hawkeyes this year. Guess we’ll get to keep that Heartland trophy in Madison for another season.
Hey! I just found your blog, and wanted to show you some love! I, too, am an Iowa food blogger, and die hard Hawkeye fan! Tomorrow’s the big day! Go Hawks Go!
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