We met the other tailgaters at 6:30am at the Sleep Inn and once everyone was present and accounted for, we (3 trucks and 2 cars) headed out to the stadium. The gates didn't open until 8am - so Rob (Tailgating Coordinator) had asked us to make some "pre-breakfast" snacks - we had chocolate chip, blueberry and corn (w/ green chilies) muffins, keilbasa rolls, and sausage pockets (inspired by the Bath Pasties!) -
Once in the parking lot (and after I yelled at the parking attendant - who was being a Jacknut) we started the set up. The clever dieselers always purchase an extra parking pass - so we can have even more room to spread out. We had 3 canopies - 2 of which we used for chairs and "side" tables - and one for the food tables. The guys have a mammoth flag pole from which they fly USA and PSU flags, wrap with blue and white lights and top with a cut-out of a nuclear submarine - makes it pretty easy to spot. We had 2 full-size gas grills, our tabletop grill, 3 coleman stoves, 1 of those outdoor deep-fryers and a propane fueled outdoor fireplace.
They fired up the grill and made bacon, sausage and eggs for breakfast - Suzanne made white russian coffee drinks and we heated up some apple cider. We put out some snacks and desserts on the tables -
For Lunch the guys heated up the deep fryer and made peirogies and deep fried Turkey (they made another around "linner-time") - Suzanne and I had prepared a "nacho bar" with refried beans, Chuck's Cheese Sauce, taco meat, lettuce, shredded cheese, ripe olives, salsa, sour cream and homemade nacho chips! We had skewered pounds of shrimp on Friday and marinated it in Good Seasons salad dressing (remember the tailgate next to Chuck's where "Steve" would make "Shrimps on the Barbie" - it's his recipe) - I grilled them up and Suzanne had gotten out a great platter for me - but they never made it to the table - folks were eating them off of the grill - it was hilarious, and a little scary! I didn't get one, but I'd saved a "good one" for Suzanne and she said that they were great - It made me very happy and a little nostalgic -
We had made: brownie bites; homemade pretzels; "big" chocolate chip cookies in the shape of footballs; cheese puffs; peanut butter/chocolate cookie bars; burnt keilbasa; chocolate covered pretzels; some crazy coffee/caramel cookies suzanne made; spinach dip; creamy salsa dip; 3D football cake; a big tray of "dirt" that we decorated with graham cracker tombstones and buried non-blue and white football players; tortilla roll-ups - and so on. It was a "locust" event of biblical proportions - we couldn't get the stuff out there fast enough - but it was great - everyone was eating and drinking and having a super time.
The Dieselers also made - sausage sandwiches, bbq brisket; beer can chickens, cheese/bacon burgers, cheese/meat tray, baklava - yum!
One tailgater's parents stopped by and brought baked goods including whoopie pies and cookies. Suzanne's parents brought homemade sweet potato pie and homemade chocolate lollipops. Dena and Mark, Cousin Tim, Tyler (and his friend Todd) were also there - Tyler brought his famous brownies and pumpkin bread - Todd brought some soft pretzels from south side pittsburgh - Suz's friends Shelley and Mike brought burgers and hotdogs, spinach dip in the hollowed out bread bowl and a crazy assortment of Smirnoff beverages (WAY too drinkable!) - Dena and Mark brought a bunch of beer and snacks (and they stopped at the supermarket on the way for me to get more whipped cream!)
The weather was cold in the morning - but clear - by afternoon the sun was out and quite comfortable -
It was a wonderful day (and night) - the Lions posted another WIN - the unofficial attendance is 120 - so there ya go!
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