It’s Friday! And back in my Academy Awards days that meant blasting that dreadful Rebecca Black song until all of the other site producers had no choice but to sing along with it. (I had NO shame about hazing them. None. #imgoingtohell) These days, though, Friday is most notable for being college football eve.
It’s the day when I’m filled with anticipation… and absolute dread about my alma mater’s impending match up.
See, I went to Michigan, and I was there when we won the National Champion in 1997. So basically that means I’m a perfectionist and I have HIGH expectations. Those high expectations lead to devastation when we lose… and a laundry list of criticisms even when we win. Our season started off promising with decisive wins over Central Michigan and Notre Dame… then the Akron atrocity happened. And now I’m basically rocking back and forth in a corner trying to tell myself it’s OK that we’re THE WORST 5-0 team in college football.
Instead of going off on a tirade about Devin Gardner’s interception to touchdown pass ratio, I’m going to go to my happy place instead.
My happy place involves bacon.
Lots and lots of bacon….
Before our season hit the skids, I went back to Ann Arbor for the final meeting of the Wolverines and the Fighting Irish in the Big House, and I made bacon and blue cheese potato salad for the tailgate festivities.
The tailgate was all kinds of fabulous.
See?
I played with girl friends who used to be my essential LA crew. Now Angela, Melissa, and I are spread out between LA, Detroit, and NYC, but we’re not mad about it. (OK, we totally are….)
And boy friends — boy friends with National Championship rings.
They took the field when we didn’t seriously suck.
I may have even stolen the baby belonging to Angela and one of those guys.
But honestly? Who could blame me? #lookathim!
It’s also worth mentioning that I wore my Michigan apron during my takeover of my dad’s (hideous) kitchen.
Michigan aprons are essential for tailgate cooking. So is Detroit Tigers LaBatt Blue. #truth
Here’s the bacon fruit of my labor in all its glory.
Behold the goodness.
Here it is with all its tailgate food friends.
We totally wrapped our other apps in bacon because we’re beasts. #baconforever
You MUST make this potato salad for your tailgate. (I’m not afraid to haze YOU either…. Obviously.)
Neither are Kelley and my panda. We may look harmless here, but we’re super serious about bacon. And football.
Bacon and Blue Cheese Potato Salad
(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
1/4 C minced shallots
Go blue and stuff.
OK, party people, I’m off to Cecconi’s with Anna. We’re going to get our tuna tartare on.
