Mini-muffin baking tin
Drill and drill bit
Artificial roses
Vase
Marbles or gravel
Roasting pan
BACON!

First things first. You will need to drill drain holes in the mini muffin tin in order to allow the bacon grease to drain out. We used a 1/8″ drill bit but any size you are comfortable with will do. Just don’t make it too small or the grease will not drain properly.

Next step is once you have cleaned out all the metal shavings produced by the drilling, place the muffin tin in a roasting pan or a broiler pan in order to catch the bacon drippings. Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.

Now you will need to roll your bacon slices as tightly as possible making about as tight as a Drew Brees spiral to Marques Colston. I chose to use different thickness in cuts of bacon in order to provide some contrast for the final product. I went with some thick cut butcher bacon and then a thinner sliced brand that I got from Costco.

Roll each slice tightly and then place them in the muffin tin to help maintain the rolled shaped. Once you have filled up your tin holes, place the roasting pan in the oven and cook for about 30 to 45 minutes depending on how crispy you like your bacon to look.

While the bacon rose buds are cooking, turn your attention to preparing the rose stems. (I would suggest checking in on your bacon roses about every 10 minutes to see if they need moving around to help the grease drain out the bottom. If so, just use a fork to nudge them slightly and the grease should drain out easily.)

I picked up some artificial roses at a local craft store but you can pick them up pretty much anywhere this time of year near Valentine’s Day. Take each flower apart and keep only the plastic backing and the green piece that attaches to the stem. You can discard the rest of the flower.

Once you have reassembled those two pieces, I chose to cut tooth picks in half and insert them into the backing. This was done to provide a little extra support for the bacon rose seeing how it will be a bit heavier than the cloth rose pedals.

Once you have assembled all the roses back onto their stems, place them in your vase with the gravel, marbles or decorative stones at the bottom. I chose a large mason jar as my vase. A mason jar is a bit more fitting on a tailgater’s table than a Waterford Crystal vase in my opinion.

By this time your bacon roses should be about done. Take them out of the oven, remove them from the pan and onto a paper plate or paper towel to cool and let the excess bacon grease drain. Once they are cool and a comfortable temperature to handle, slide each bacon rose bud onto the toothpick all the way down to the plastic backing. Once all the buds have been placed, arrange the bouquet for the best visual presentation.

As you can imagine, this bouquet of roses will smell way better to a tailgater than any flowers purchased at a flower shop or online. The best part is that it is widely understood that bacon is an aphrodisiac to tailgaters.

Make this Valentine’s Day, the year you give something unique that shows you put in some thought, some effort and some creativity into your Valentine’s Day gift. Even better is you can stash this idea away for next football season when you are looking for a fun and creative center piece for your tailgating buffet table.

(A tip of the cap goes to the folks at Instructables.com for the original inspiration for this idea. They thought of it and we made it on our own to make sure they were easy and it actually worked. We also modified their version to make it a bit more tailgater friendly.)

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For those folks who are a bit health conscious while tailgating, I thought it would be helpful to write a small article with some ideas and tips to watch what your consuming while still having a fun day. For those of you who love drinking micro brews and eating fried (insert favorite food here) please feel free to skip over this article.

 A list has been complied of things you can buy when you bring food/drink to a tailgate or things you can look to eat when you show up to a party. Hopefully this gives one some peace of mind about their diet while they’re tailgating.

Beer

Obviously this is a tricky one because beer is just empty calories.  Drinking beer is equivalent to eating slices of bread. The best diet conscious alternative to drinking beer to is to drink light beer.

Liquor

The worst part about consuming hard liquor is usually the mixers. When you make a rum and coke, cranberry vodka, etc. you’re drinking a lot of sugar with your alcohol. To cut back on some calories but still enjoy your drinks try buying a reduced sugar or sugar free mixer. Trop50 for example is a great fruit juice to buy and it tastes quite good. Club soda is the best mixer to use if you can handle the taste of your drink. Another little trick is to use more ice, thus filling up your cup more with water and reducing the amount of liquor. The last tip would be to use diet soda instead of regular. The diet has less sugar and the difference in taste is not that significant.

Condiments

Condiments may not make as big of an impact as other groups but changing a few choices can certainly help. For starters, if you’re using mayonnaise with any of your food why not buy low fat mayo? Sauces are much trickier but if you must have something on your food get some hot sauce. It will have a slight kick but the ingredients that hot sauce is composed of are totally healthy. You’ll be surprised to know how much corn oil and high fructose corn syrup is in other sauces. If there are salads available use fat free dressing, vinegar, olive oil or balsamic vinaigrette, instead of the dressings filled with fat.

Snacks

You’re going to have to put down the potato chips - yeah sorry. Wipe your fingers off too while you’re at it. Most chips are just an extension of fried food and not very good for you. Pretzels and Crackers are your new best friend in the snack world. If you can bring reduced fat anything, do it. Pretzels, crackers, Wheat Thins and Triscuits are all better alternatives. Another great one is any grilled vegetables (corn, potatoes).

Food

Fried food isn’t your friend if you’re looking to watch your figure.  When people actually read the nutrition contents of a burger they are pretty surprised at the fat content. If you still insist on hamburgers and don’t want to scare off your friends for being too healthy, look for reduced fat ground beef at the Supermarket.  Want to add cheese to your healthier burger? Get low fat cheese. Grilled chicken is a great alternative and you can even coat it in several spices or hot sauces to make some spicy chicken.

Desserts

Desserts are supposed to be a sparingly ingested sweet. However, if you must find a craving for your sweet tooth and don’t want to have fruit then go ahead and have desert. Just have it in moderation! It’s a desert, not a meal. You can cut some calories and fat by using reduced fat or sugar free sauces, cookies, ice cream, etc.

What one has to realize is that by using some of these tips one will be able to have plenty of food and drink, without as much guilt to go with it. The bottom line is you can still have fun; the key is to make a few small changes that add up to a big difference. You can still drink some beer have some burgers and dessert. Don’t kill yourself over it, you’re at a tailgate and the point is to enjoy yourself. Hopefully these reminders will help lead to a slightly healthier tailgate for some from here on out. Happy Grilling!

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In the next few days you will notice that TailgatingIdeas.com will have a new look and will also have some new content. Cut to the chase, Tailgating Ideas will be partnering with a brand new magazine called Tailgating Digest.

Since starting this website back in 2007 in response to the lack of tailgating ideas and scarcity of general tailgating information out there on the web, we have striven to provide you the best content for tailgaters written by tailgaters themselves. When we were approached by the people behind starting Tailgating Digest, we were impressed with their passion and commitment to bringing the best tailgating information to the print medium as well as maintaining a high standard on the web.

Just because we have chosen to partner with Tailgating Digest doesn’t mean that you will miss any of the things you have come to enjoy about Tailgating Ideas. If you have us in your bookmarks, you won’t have to change anything. You will still be able to reach us by going to www.tailgatingideas.com. We will still continue to post tailgating product reviews, news aggregates, recipes, tailgating cartoons, humor pieces, tailgating videos and anything else we think tailgaters might enjoy. Even though the look and the feel of the website may be changing, the content and what you have come to expect from us will not.

As far as our partnership with Tailgating Digest goes, you will have the opportunity to not only sign up for a free copy of the digital edition of the magazine but you can enter to win cash in the Tailgating Digest $10,000 Giveaway! The digital edition of Tailgating Digest will include articles and opinion pieces written by real tailgaters with real tailgating experiences and knowledge. The articles you will find in Tailgating Digest will only be available in the magazine so subscribing is the best way to ensure you will be getting all the tailgating information you can handle. The content you will find in the magazine will have the same high standards you have come to know from us over the years on the web. No cutting and pasting of press releases. No stroke piece product reviews. And no selling out. All of the members of our writing staff have been invited to join the team of contributors for Tailgating Digest. Content in the magazine will be exclusive to the magazine and by subscribing to the digital edition, you will get that content for free.

Tailgating Digest will be a Bi-Monthly magazine launching in the spring with the focus on tailgating and the tailgate party lifestyle. Here is a look at the editorial focus of each upcoming issue of Tailgating Digest.

March/April – Basketball and NFL Draft
Basketball tailgating? See it to believe it! Plus, our readers tell us their favorite NFL draft picks!

May/June – Baseball
Tantalizing recipes shared by baseball tailgating fanatics! Plus, a peek at the big college lacrosse final tournaments.

July/August – Football Training Camp
Tailgaters take to the streets and nearby parking lots at football training camps! And, get out your green jacket… we’re going to tailgate at the Masters Golf Tournament!

September/October – Football
See the winning photos from our “Extreme Football Tailgaters” contest! Tailgating on ice?? A look at college hockey.

November/December – Football and Holiday Gift Guide
Cold weather football fan…atics! Plus, a holiday shopper’s guide of tailgating goodies to add to your wish list.

A great magazine and website is built on content. Both Tailgating Ideas and Tailgating Digest understand this ideal very well. Nobody wants rehashed content. You want fresh, unbiased and engaging content. We are committed to bringing this to the web and in magazine form.

If you would like to suggest what you want to see in a tailgating magazine, feel free to leave a comment below and tell us. Giving you the tailgaters what you want is the top priority.

Be watching in the days ahead for these new changes and don’t forget to enter the $10,000 Giveaway!

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LOS ANGELES STADIUM

INSPIRED BY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA…DESIGNED FOR THE NFL

As football fans prepare for Super Bowl XLVI, the team at Majestic Realty is preparing the next great sports destination in Southern California, Los Angeles Stadium.

Los Angeles Stadium is our vision for the future of the NFL in our region. Shovel ready, we maintain a philosophy that our final product should draw from two key principles:

1. Football is a fundamentally different experience for fans than other sports.
2. We must capture the Southern California Lifestyle.

With those two principles in mind and a 600-acre blank canvas, we are designing what will become the greatest football experience in NFL history.

FOOTBALL ISN’T FOOTBALL UNLESS YOU CAN TAILGATE

Like most fans, we believe that football isn’t football unless you can tailgate. Football is the only sport where each week the pregame and post-game is just as important as what takes place on the field. We understand this philosophy and take it to heart. This is why we believe our location is the best for the NFL and offers the league and the future team no compromises. We have no compromises on parking, tailgating, traffic woes, retail destinations and other amenities for the fans.

Our location allows us to draw from four counties and over 15.5 million fans and is based on the top stadium models in the NFL like Dallas, New England, Miami, Washington and other areas. Because of our location, you won’t have to fight traffic and you won’t have to search for parking.

(Also a unique and strategic part of our stadium design is we will build in a way that prevents car and pedestrian traffic from intersecting. This big thing is often overlooked but will drastically reduce the amount of traffic issues.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuHMqQnv5BE

600 ACRES!!! OPEN SPACE IS KEY TO A GOOD TAILGATE

With 600 acres, we can work with fans and the league to design a perfect tailgate and one that resembles the Southern California Lifestyle. For instance, our plans include wave pools for surfing, mountain walls for rock climbing and a one of a kind skate park for future X-Games.

In addition, we will have unbelievable amounts of open space that will allow for traditional tailgate activities. Fans don’t want to sit at a chain restaurant and they don’t like the idea of being cornered in a parking garage where you can’t see the sun and you have no place to tailgate. They want to show up with a grill, a cooler, a big screen, an RV or a truck and enjoy the day. Because our location is outside of the urban core, we have plenty of space and on-site parking so you don’t have to walk. And for those who want to take public transportation, we will have an on-site Metro Link station and one of the largest bus staging sites in the area. (But we know you can’t transport your grill via bus…which is why fewer than 8,000 fans use public transportation to football games in NYC.)

WE NEED YOUR INPUT

Here is the fun part…We are looking for fans, enthusiasts and tailgating experts to share with us some of the best ideas for the future development of our site. Do you have an idea on how to make our site unique to Southern California or do you have thoughts on how we can upgrade the quality of a traditional tailgate?

If so, we need to hear from you. This stadium will be designed for the fans and for the ultimate tailgate experience.

Also, please check out the official LA Stadium website at www.lastadium.la

Follow LA Statdium on social networks:
Facebook.com/lastadium
Twitter.com/lastadium
YouTube.com/lastadium

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One in particular stood out and it is called BasketPong. Since beer pong is the fastest growing tailgating game in the parking lot amongst tailgaters, we were pleasantly surprised to see a new twist on an old game. You see, BasketPong takes the game play of beer pong and combines it with elements of basketball to make a completely new game. We met with Paul and Richard out in Las Vegas and had a chance to put together this video interview demonstrating how to set up and play BasketPong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tYuRsRNiEM

If you chose to skip the video, BasketPong comes in it’s own self-contained carrying case and sets up in minutes. Everything you need to play is contained within the game case. All you need to do is provide the beer and plastic cups and you are ready to play vertical beer pong in less than 90 seconds. Even the easiest of traditional beer pong tables do not set up that fast. And with stadium parking lots reducing tailgating times around the country, every minute counts when it comes to your tailgating time. Take a look at the photos we took along each step of setting up the BasketPong.

We were able to not only test and review the BasektPong beer pong game out in Las Vegas but we also tested the game once we got home. After setting up the game and playing it a few times we discovered a few things we had not noticed while out at the Tailgate Show.

One thing we liked is that you can use the backboard to help bank in the ball and make it into the cup. NBA players may lose style points for using the backboard but not in beer pong. Also, while playing with a friend, we transitioned into playing a game of H-O-R-S-E in that when one player would make a cup, if the other player failed to hit the same cup, the missing player had to drink the cup. We’re sure that once you play the game you can come up with a few rules and changes that suit you and your group of friends.

Another aspect we enjoyed was the fact that it does not take up a lot of room in your tailgating space. Normally while tailgating and wanting to play beer pong, you need to find a 8′ x 2′ space under your canopy so as to not spill out into your tailgating neighbor’s space. With BasketPong, less space is needed. Also, set up and break down is fast and easy meaning you will have more time playing and tailgating and less time setting up.

After seeing this product in Las Vegas and also testing one of our own, we are definitely going to give BasketPong the Tailgating Ideas “Tailgate Approved” stamp of approval. We enjoyed this product so much and think it would be a valuable addition to your tailgating gear that we have added it to our online tailgating gear store.

BasketPong is priced at $119.99 plus $14 flat rate shipping to the lower 48 states. Click HERE to learn more about BasketPong and how to take your beer pong game vertical.

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Simply stated, the Shotgun Champ is a plastic cup that has a hexagonal slotted pyramid at the base that punctures a hole in the base of your beer can. There is a mouth piece at the side of the cup where you will receive your beer rapidly. And when we say rapidly, we mean really fast. The Shotgun Champ is designed to empty a 12 oz can in less than two seconds. Repeat: 2 Seconds!

In order to use the Shotgun Champ you will need 1) a 12 oz. (or larger) aluminum can 2) a hard flat surface 3) a willingness to pound beer really fast. Here is how you use the Shotgun Champ.

1. Place the can upside down on any flat surface. Tables are the preferred surface but a unfolded tailgate will work or even the ground.
2. Put the Shotgun Champ on the base of the can and tap it to slightly puncture a small hole in the can.
3. Push the Shotgun Champ down onto the can until it locks
4. Lift the can up and place the mouthpiece in your mouth while the can is still mostly upside down.
5. Bring the can up and pop open the top of the can.
6. Drink the contents until gone.

If you need a video tutorial, here is one followed by a brief demonstration of two people trying the Shotgun Champ for the first time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6e8F3zF1LE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xezcgl6fc

We enjoyed this product and the effectiveness it brings to shotgunning that we have decided to offer it in our online tailgating gear store. You can get your own Shotgun Champ from Shop.TailgatingIdeas.com for $6.95 plus $5 priority mail shipping. The better news is that if you buy two Shotgun Champs we will charge you the same shipping price as if you bought just one. After all, who wants to shotgun all by themselves? Get the Shotgun Champ HERE.

Consuming large quantities of alcohol can be hazardous to your health and should be avoided. This product is a novelty item and is not intended for use as a means to consume large quantities of alcohol. The user may consume larger quantities of fluid in a shorter period of time than drinking without this product. Users of this product are hereby advised that they are responsible for what they consume out of this product. Using beer/alcohol in this product will result in quick elevations in blood alcohol level, and intoxication will occur more quickly and more intensely than consuming fluids without this product. This product should never be used, or furnished to persons fewer than 21 years of age. Use this product responsibly and in conjunction with state and federal laws regarding alcohol consumption. The user assumes all risks in any way associated with the use of this product. Tailgating Ideas does not promote excessive alcohol consumption. DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE.

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Fold in side mirrors – This might seem like a small suggestion but it will save you big money and big headaches in the long run. By simply folding in your side mirrors you reduce the amount of space between your vehicle and the one parked on either side of you. Typically people will walk between cars in order to get to and from the stadium. Typically people have had a few beers when they are doing this. People who have had a few beers don’t typically walk in the straightest of lines. So that means your side mirrors will get bumped quite a bit and could get broken. By tucking them in before turning off the engine right as you get to the parking lot and park will help reduce this hazard and could save you money down the road from having to get them replaced if broken.

Make sure grill is cool – How many times a year do we post videos or news articles about some knucklehead who left his charcoal grill out and too close to his car? More than we would like. Even worse, the amateur tailgater who thinks placing his $20 hibachi underneath his engine while still hot is a great way to hide it from potential thieves. No matter if you grill on propane or charcoal, make sure the grill is completely cool before packing it away. If using charcoal, if still hot, douse the coals with a lot of water to put the fire out. Sure it is messy but it is better to do that than come out after the game to find your car has been incinerated along with the other four cars parked on either side of yours.

Lock your vehicle but don’t arm your alarm – Never would we suggest leaving your car unlocked but in a stadium parking lot we suggest locking your car but not setting your car alarm. Here is our rationale. No matter where you are, at home, at work, at the grocery store, etc., and you hear a car alarm going off somewhere, what is your first thought? Is it, “Oh my God, someone’s car is getting stolen or broken into!”? Or is it, “Someone must have accidentally hit the panic button while trying to unlock their car or the car was bumped by someone walking by.”. Hardly ever do we think a car is being stolen when a car alarm is audible. Also, most car alarms sound the same, In a parking lot full of cars, how will you know that it is your car that the alarm is going off. Lastly, you will be inside the stadium a pretty good distance away from your car. Stadiums are noisy places. Do you really think you will be able to determine if your car alarm is going off while inside?

The reason why we suggest locking your car but not setting the alarm is that car alarms draw their power from your battery. If your car alarm is going off while you are in the game, 1) you won’t hear it, 2) nobody pays attention to them anyway and 3) all it will do is drain your battery. Instead of coming back to your car and wondering why you now need a jump, just double and triple check that your car is locked but forget the alarm.

Have tickets in hand – How many times have you gotten to the gates of the stadium and had this conversation/argument? “I thought you grabbed the tickets!” All too often this is the case and in my many years of tailgating and going to games it never fails that I will pass a group of people frantically checking their pockets and bags for tickets as they are standing outside the stadium gates. We would suggest having a fail-safe routine that includes the tickets. Maybe place the tickets someplace where you will have to pick them up in order to lock the car. Or place them with your hat and jersey you always wear before going inside. Or even better would be designating one person who regularly tailgates with your group to be the designated ticket holder. That way they know it is their responsibility to have the tickets and it just becomes part of the packing up routine of the day.

Leave plenty of time to get through security – Tailgating is great and sometimes can go long. Eventually you are going to go inside the game or concert and those events are going to start on time (concerts not as much). I have never heard an announcement over the public address telling the fans the game is delayed because “we are waiting for the last of the tailgaters to make their way inside.”

Ever since the September 11th terrorist attacks, security at large public places in the United States has increased steadily. With more pat downs and bag checks comes more delays and wait times to get inside the venue. Make sure to budget plenty of time to get to the gates, wait in line to be patted down and get through the ticket turnstiles. It sucks that you may have to pack up your tailgate a little earlier than you had liked but you need to determine you priorities. Is it more important to make it inside on time for the start of your event or is it more important to you to hang out longer and tailgate? Both choices have their merits but also be aware that many stadium parking lots have strict rules on tailgating after kick-off. If you choose to miss some of the game in favor of tailgating longer, you not only will be missing the start of the game but also may be inviting the cops to stop by and pay you a visit.

Those are just a few tailgating ideas for you to follow when the party is over. Feel free to share your tips in the comments section below.

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