This recipe will be great for your next cookout, especially for those people (like me) who don’t eat red meat.

Grilled Chipotle Marinated Chicken:

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves garlic
• ¾ cup chopped onion
• 6 tablespoons chopped canned chipotle chilies with some of the adobo sauce
• ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup water
• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt (optional)
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• Hot sauce to taste (optional)
• 2 cups Worcestershire sauce
• 2 (3 pounds) whole chicken cut into pieces

Directions:

Place garlic, onion, chipotle peppers and vinegar into blender. Puree until smooth, and then add water, lime juice, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper and hot sauce.

Blend until incorporated, and then add Worcestershire until mixed. Pour marinade over chicken in a large bowl, and toss to coat.

Cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 6 hours to overnight.

Preheat outdoor grill on medium heat and lightly oil grate. Remove chicken from marinade, and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade.

Grill chicken until juices run clear, turning frequently, about 20 minutes.

Photo and recipe by Bookcooking.net

If you are anything like me, you probably have a messy drawer or box filled with nail polish. Am I right?

Well I have a solution for you! I got so sick of my unorganized clutter that I called my “nail polish drawer,” that I came to the conclusion that I needed a nail polish rack.  Buying one was too expensive, so I decided it was time to get creative and make one.

I found two creative and affordable ways to make a nail polish rack. One using cut up pieces of wood (that’s the one I did), and one using foam poster board (even less expensive).

Wood Nail Polish Rack

You will need:

• 10- 2.5 in x 2 ft wood boards
• 2- 2.5 in x 36 in wood boards
• 1- 24.5 in x 36 in wood backboard
• 1 can of Ultra Cover Gloss in the color of your choice
• Gorilla Glue
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Pencil
• Ruler

*Wood boards can be found and cut at Home Depot*

Use your ruler and pencil to measure and mark 4 inches on the backboard so you know where to glue your shelves.  Repeat until you have 8 lines for the shelves.

Take your hot glue gun and go over the 4 inches where you marked for the shelves and quickly place the 2.5 in x 2ft boards. You must do this one at a time because the glue will dry fast.  Also use a board for the top and bottom of the rack.

Rapidly put glue on the sides of the shelves and put one 2.5 in x 36 in board on both sides.

Take your Gorilla Glue and place it on the bottom and top of each shelve to make it more secure.

Take a can of the Ultra Cover Gloss in the color of your choice and spray the rack.

Now organize your nail polish anyway you would like.

Video by DulceCandy87

http://bit.ly/w0VeX8

Foam Nail Polish Rack

You will need:

• 3 foam boards
• Exacto knife
• Ruler or measuring tape
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Duct tape in the design of your choice (optional)

Take one of the foam boards (this will be your backboard), ruler and pencil and mark off every 5 inches. These marks will help you know where to place your shelves.

Take the second foam board and use your Exacto knife to cut 7 horizontal  pieces that are each 2 inches long (for the shelves), and cut 7 one inch horizontal pieces (for “guard rails” that will keep the nail polish from sliding out).

Take the third foam board and cut 2 pieces that are each  ½ inch (this will be for the sides of your rack).

If you decide to use the duct tape to decorate your shelf, cut pieces of tape that are as long as the 1 inch horizontal piece. Wrap the duct tape around each piece.

Use the hot glue gun to glue down each 2 inch piece of foam as shelves.

Glue both sides of the board and place the ½ inch pieces.

Take the duct tape-covered pieces and glue them horizontally on the outer side of the shelves.

After you have completed all the steps, you may begin to fill your rack with your nail polishes.

Video by Nguerriero19 http://bit.ly/r2m1Dy and Picture from flickr.com by Hopeful Gratitude

When moving into a new apartment there is always that question, “What do I need to buy?” You can’t spend too much because you just paid your down payment and your list of needs is long.

 Although you want to stay within budget, there are some things that are splurge-worthy.

 Instead of that expensive TV, find yourself an inexpensive one and get a reliable laptop instead. You will use a laptop a lot more for work or school. Bonus? You can always watch movies on it.

 What about furniture? You need some place to sit. Instead of buying a whole bunch of chairs,

how about a considering a futon? Not only can you use it as a couch, but if a friend or family
member sleeps over it can be turned into a bed.

Buying an alarm clock is important, but if you have an alarm on your phone, it is not a necessity.
Hold off on a fancy bedside alarm until you have extra cash, and save the money for next
month’s rent.

Are you a big coffee drinker? Get a coffee maker! Without a coffee maker you will find yourself
spending more money at places like Starbucks than you would if you had just bought a coffee
machine for home.

Some items you don’t need to splurge on are kitchen appliances. As long as you have the basics
you will be fine. Make sure to have an oven, microwave, fridge and pots/pans. Buy plastic plates
and utensils at the Dollar Store. Those are things you can always upgrade when you have the
money, but don’t need to invest in right away.

]]> http://blog.forrent.com/college-life/to-splurge-or-not-to-splurge/feed 0 http://blog.forrent.com/recipes/kids-tailgate-fun http://blog.forrent.com/recipes/kids-tailgate-fun#comments Thu, 04 Oct 2012 13:06:48 +0000 dahlia.baqer http://blog.forrent.com/apt_life

KIDS TAILGATE FUN!

Why should adults have all the fun? Kids love tailgates too! I grew up loving tailgates and running around before the game began with my friends and family. I designed these special printables just for the kids at your tailgate! Print them off and have them ready for the kids as they arrive.

SET UP A KIDS GOODIE “BAG”

Pull together a few game-day finds including this kids word search in a cute green bucket, football-shaped take out box, or a simple cellophane bag! The kids will love getting their own little treat. Fill it with a drink box, sandwich, football cookie, and pom-pom for cheering!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE KIDS TAILGATE WORD SEARCH HERE!

Print off these fun football sandwich wraps for placing around everything from sub sandwiches to PB&Js and even drink bottles! These aren’t just for the kids either, they add a fun football pop to the party food!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE PRINTABLE FOOTBALL WRAPS HERE!

End your Kids Tailgate Fun with some sweet treats! Pick up some football shaped cookies (or tap your inner Betty Crocker and make them yourself – see these pennant cookies we made here!). Create a sweet “dip” for the kids with frosting and sprinkles.

Growing up in the South, she attended Vanderbilt University earning both a bachelors in Communications + masters in Organizational Leadership. Her expertise has been seen in HGTV.com, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, AOL’s DIY Life, Get Married Magazine, and MarthaStewart.com. She works with brands such as Tostitos, Pier 1, Orville Redenbacher, Sterling Wines, Sierra Mist, and Lindt to connect consumers with their products in an entertaining setting. She writes for Disney,The Huffington Post, SHE KNOWS, Hostess With the Mostess, and Tablespoon.

What a cute way to display your favorite pictures! Here’s the easy-peasy tutorial to transfer your photos to wood!

Supplies:

• Gel medium
• Picture
• Wood
• Bowl of water
• Rag
• Mod Podge

First cover your entire slab of wood with gel medium, and then place your picture face down on the wood.

Smooth out all the bubbles, and let dry overnight.

Take your rag and wet it in your bowl of water, and then gently wet the surface. Start to gently rub the wetted paper off.

Clean off all the paper residue and cover the picture with Mod Podge.

Let it dry.

Now you have one of the most creative ways to display your pictures.

Photo by buzzfeed.com and http://mariejanelle.wordpress.com/

What happens when you have reached the very end of the candle? The container is too cute and convenient to just throw away. So how about spicing it up and turning it into a storage container for your apartment?

This is a perfect way to upcycle in your apartment!

First, what you will need is:

• Wax paper
• Glossy or matte finish Mod Podge ( sealer and finisher glue)
• Glitter
• Regular nail polish remover
• Cotton pads
• A craft or glue brush
• A completely used candle (that has been put in the freezer for several hours or overnight)
• A butter knife
• Half a cup of water

Once you have gathered your supplies and your candle has been frozen for a couple of hours, you can get started.

First place a sheet of wax paper on your working surface. (This will make the clean up process easier.)

Take the butter knife and trace around the leftover candle, then take the knife and crack the middle of the candle.

Pull out the candle chunks.

Take half a cup of water and microwave it for 30 seconds. Pour it into the glass container, and swirl it around. This will loosen the glue of the wick candles so they can be easier to get out.

After that, take your butter knife and slide out the wicks. Now, wash your candle to make sure all the glue and candle wax is out. (The sticker on the front of the glass container can be peeled off and the sticker on the bottom can be scraped off with the butter knife.)

Rewash your container to make sure there is no sticky residue from the stickers.

Pour some nail polish remover on a cotton pad and rub it around the outside and the inside of the container just to make sure you got it nice and clean.

Take the craft or glue brush and paint the entire inside of the glass container with the Mod Podge.

Pour some glitter into the container and keep moving it around until it covers all of the Mod Podge. It’s ok if some of the glitter falls out. That’s what the wax paper is for!

Once the entire inside is filled with the glitter, tap out all the excess glitter onto the wax paper, and then pour it back into the glitter bottle.

Let it dry.

Once it is dry you can fill it up as a storage container or add some vase fillers inside and use it as a pencil or brush holder.

Ta da! Perfect storage container for bobby pins, make up brushes and anything else your heart desires!

Video by Missglamorazzi http://bit.ly/MqXnxS, Picture from polishjinx.blogspot.com and http://frappelattes.com

Furnishing an apartment on a budget is hard enough-shouldn’t decorating it be simple? How about decorating your apartment with items you find around your home?

Do you have shoe boxes lying around? Cover the lids with fabric and hang them on your walls. This is a simple way to add pizzazz to any room for a low cost.

A majority of people store precious memories in photo albums or scrapbooks. Use plant holders to hang them on your wall for decoration. Not only will it add a little more color to a plain wall, but finding these precious memories will be a snap.

Need to decorate a kitchen? No problem! Frame a favorite handwritten family recipe, and hang it on your kitchen wall. It will add a little something extra to a kitchen, as well as keep your favorite recipes well within reach.

How about your home office? A little décor will make working in your office more comfortable. Do you keep your important messages on a corkboard, how about fancying it up a bit?  Adding fabric to your cork board will make it more appealing. Also, if there is any space left, add a few of your favorite pictures. There’s nothing like seeing a picture that will make you smile after a long day at work.

You can even find a cheap way to decorate bedrooms and bathrooms. Go with a nature theme with plant prints.  All you need is a piece of canvas (painting the canvas is optional) and a painted leaf. Use the leaf as a stamp to leave the leaf imprint as a beautiful portrait.

With these five easy home décor tips, your place will look stylish in no time.

Pictures from mypartsofspace.tumbler.com, Nesting Place, Indulgy, homegoods.com, and simply this and that. 

Within time, many of us find ourselves surrounded by clutter of papers and other items that don’t seem to have a place but are also things we hesitate to throw away.

It might be an item that was given to us by a person who means a lot to us, or maybe we acquired the item during an important moment in our lives. Whatever the reason, we often end up stressing ourselves out every time we walk into that cluttered room and open that cluttered cabinet, drawer or closet.

Next time you find that you have some free time, conquer your clutter. Look at each piece individually and ask yourself, “is this something that I can possibly use?” If the answer is no, then toss it out.

If the items are birthday cards or something that holds sentimental value, purchase storage containers that fit under your bed.  Make sure to label the storage containers for future reference.

By purchasing storage containers that fit under your bed, you are getting rid of the clutter and creating more living space. This is especially a good idea for college kids or people who live in small apartments.

When you label your storage bins, make sure they are labeled in a way that if you open that box in five years you will know what it is. Try not to use abbreviations, unless they are abbreviations that you definitely know and use on a daily basis.

I know from that when I declutter my room and label the containers with abbreviated labels, I always have to open the containers because I have completely forgotten what the abbreviation meant.

Decluttering your home will keep you from getting overwhelmed, as well as make your room look larger.

Photos by shelterness and bohemianhome.tumbler.com

Spaceships and Laser Beams know how to party. For their football party, they showed us how to create a great get together with effortless everyday products. We are here to show you how to transform their fun football birthday bash décor, into a tailgating frenzy.

When hosting a tailgate you have to have the right snacks. Spaceships and Laser Beams put the whole nine yards into snacks when they celebrate; you will find an assortment of cupcakes, chips, popcorn and pretzels in delightfully designed containers.

Although the food is amazing (especially those cupcakes from The Cake Box), the real eye-catchers are the stylish packages for the snacks. By having portable containers, tailgaters can easily carry their popcorn to the next game of Ladder Toss.

Spaceships and Laser Beams printed out fun football pictures to jazz up the water bottles and other snack containers.  They also used brown paper bags and wooden clips to create little basket-like containers for the pretzels.

Every snack has a unique package, even the popcorn. Spaceships and Laser Beams used ramekins and mason jars to serve the chip and glass jars to serve the popcorn. By adding the printed out paper around the jars for pizazz they make these regular containers have a little more tailgate flare.

Most of the details that Spaceships and Laser Beams used were everyday items that can be found around the house. The beautiful displays on the packages were really what brought this whole shindig together. Just a few extra touches can create a fun and beautiful tailgating party everyone can enjoy!

Guest blogger Jim Higley of Bobblehead Dad scores a touchdown with this unique take on your boring potato bar!

Your fans will be cheering when they see this creative and fun twist to a traditional baked potato bar!

Turning your baked potatoes into mini-footballs is easy and will make this nutritious addition to any tailgating party a hit. You can prepare all of the toppings ahead of time and put them in easy-to-transport containers. Great toppings—including bacon, broccoli, chives, sour cream, diced tomatoes and grated cheese—are only limited by your imagination!

But the real champion of the show will be your football baked potatoes which you can put together right before you head out the door to tailgate! Instructions are provided below.

And for more tailgating fun, head over to the ForRent.com Facebook page – and join in their  “ForRent.com Has Tailgate Fever Sweepstakes” celebration. They’ve teamed up with the friendly folks at Nature’s Own to fuel your tailgating fever now through September 30, 2012. While you’re there, enter for a chance to win a $2,000 ultimate tailgating package!

The laces for the footballs are made from slices of mozzarella cheese.

Place the cheese slices on a tray and cut into thin strips (a little less than ¼” in width)

The number of strips you need will depend on the number of baked potatoes. Each potato will need one longer center lace and four shorter cross-laces.

Put the cheese laces on a hot baked potato. The heat of the potato will help the cheese stick a little better!

Place the four shorter cheese laces across the center lace.

Once the cheese laces are all in place, gently pat them down to help them set.

After a few minutes, the cheese will melt slightly leaving a perfect, football effect! Transport your potatoes in a plastic container to keep them safe!

You’re throwing the tailgate party this year, although you can’t seem to find a sitter for your children. How about inviting them to the party?

Planning tailgate themed activities for younger children will make them feel involved but will also keep them entertained.

Find tailgate themed cross word or word search puzzles and print them out. This is an activity all ages can enjoy!

Most children love to color, have coloring pages printed out of with some crayons. Turn it into a contest; whoever has the best picture done by halftime wins a piece of candy or a prize.

Bring a football for the kids to throw around. That’s something everyone can enjoy. Maybe during half time the adults and children can have their own little football game. Cornhole is also popular for all ages.

You can even plan activities for the adults like beer (or juice for the kiddos) pong or poker.

If you want to make the tailgate really exciting, plan little contests. You can set up eating contest, drinking contests (adults only), best tailgate themed nail designs, or best tailgate themed car.

Having activities planned out ensures that your guest will be enjoying every moment of your party, especially if they have children.

Photos from flickr.com by gobucks2, ApronStrings, and massivev

TAILGATE FARE: TOUCHDOWN TACO BITES 

When you want to switch up the tailgate food from burgers and hot dogs to something a little different, these TOUCHDOWN TACO BITES are perfect!

Not only are they super cute (isn’t everything cute in “mini” size?) but they’re delicious and totally customizable for your favorite flavors.

Serving up easy foods to eat at a tailgate is key for avoiding messy spills, keeping it easy and fun, and ensuring guests get to try a little of everything.

I absolutely love using toothpicks, wooden skewers, and cocktail forks to create tasty little bites that stay together for guests and allow them to enjoy the food while mixing and mingling!

When it comes to football, guy favorites prevail but the gals will also love these taco bites. Fresh avocado, sliced tomatoes and other toppings come together for a delicious “mini” version of the classic taco!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Flour Tortillas
• 1”-2” round circle cookie cutter
• Shredded cheese
• Grilled chicken
• Cherry tomatoes
• Avocado
• Cocktail Skewers (Mine were created by Sucre Shop)

HOW TO ASSEMBLE TACO BITES

1. Use a 1” to 2” circle cookie cutter to create mini round shapes from flour tortillas. For a slight crunch, toast tortillas on a pan over medium heat before cutting out circles.
2. Add a pinch of shredded cheese on half of the tortilla rounds.
3. Slice cherry tomatoes in half and place on top of shredded cheese.
4. Top tomatoes with a small slice of grilled chicken.
5. Add a small bite of avocado to the grilled chicken and finish with another round.
   
6. Skewer with cocktail forks + enjoy!
7. Be sure to make lots as this football fare will go fast!

For more tailgate decorating ideas, recipes, + more – stay tuned for more ideas here on For Rent’s blog!

Growing up in the South, she attended Vanderbilt University earning both a bachelors in Communications + masters in Organizational Leadership. Her expertise has been seen in HGTV.com, Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Ladies Home Journal, AOL’s DIY Life, Get Married Magazine, and MarthaStewart.com. She works with brands such as Tostitos, Pier 1, Orville Redenbacher, Sterling Wines, Sierra Mist, and Lindt to connect consumers with their products in an entertaining setting. She writes for Disney,The Huffington Post, SHE KNOWS, Hostess With the Mostess, and Tablespoon.

You’re getting ready to attend or host a tailgating party, but what do you wear? Tailgating parties are one of the most casual parties you can go to, which means your options are endless.

Wearing jeans and a t-shirt or a jersey is a popular look for these types of parties.

However, what if you don’t own a jersey? Jersey’s are not required for tailgating parties, although most football fans usually enjoy wearing their jerseys to represent their favorite teams.

An average price for a jersey is around $50, which can be expensive for some people. If that is the case for you, consider making a jersey yourself.

I found a DIY on how to make a jersey for your favorite team for under $20.

DIY Tailgating Jersey:

Supplies:

• T-shirt
• Scissors
• Fabric paint
• Iron- on letters
• Iron -on numbers
• Paint brush
• Iron- on chalkboard (optional)
• Letter stencils
• Iron

*Items can be purchased from Joann’s Fabrics for under $20*

Directions:

First, lay out your t-shirt.

If you’re using the iron- on chalkboard place it on the desired area on the t-shirt. Fold over the other half of the t-shirt and iron the chalkboard in place. Next, take off the sticker.

Now, grab your iron- on letters. Cut out the letters you will be using and place them on the desired section of your t-shirt. Fold over the other half of the t-shirt and iron the letters in place, then carefully take off the stickers.

Use the same process when placing the iron- on numbers.

After, grab your letter stencils. Take the sticker off of the front and the plastic from the back. Stick the stencil on the desired place on the t-shirt.  Paint over the entire stencil, and then carefully pull it off.

After the paint dries, your tailgate jersey is complete!

Watch the full video tutorial here! http://bit.ly/Phghvs

Do you know what “TGIF” means? Yeah, yeah—I know what you’re thinking. But in our family, “TGIF” means three different things.

For starters, it means “Tailgating is Fun!” It’s as simple as that! Casual gatherings with people we love are our kind of thing. And there’s nothing like the welcoming environment of a tailgate before a sporting event, a concert, or even something a bit out of the ordinary like a wedding (yup!).

TGIF also means “Tailgating is Family!”  Who says you can’t have your own quick spontaneous tailgate party with the kids any night of the week? If your family is like mine, you spend a lot of time chauffeuring from one thing to another. And family mealtime often falls by the wayside. Well, with a little creativity and planning, you’d be amazed how much fun a quick 10-minute tailgate with the kids can be before that dinnertime soccer practice!

And more than anything, TGIF means “Tailgating is Friends!” because all it takes is one other person to pull together a great tailgating moment. You can make tailgating as complicated—or simple—as you want. And truthfully, all you need are some sandwiches, a bag of chips and some beverages and you have the basic ingredients for fun with friends!

Are you getting that tailgating urge?

Well, for a little help, head over to ForRent.com Facebook page – and join in their  “ForRent.com Has Tailgate Fever Sweepstakes” fun. They’ve teamed up with the friendly folks at Nature’s Own to fuel your tailgating fever now through September 30, 2012.

Join in. And remember: TGIF!

Jim is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and has become an inspiring voice to people worldwide who daily enjoy his print and online columns for the Huffington Post and The Good Men Project. He also can be seen on NBC Universal iVillage and heard on his weekly radio show, Bobblehead Dad.

When throwing a party, one of the most important things to consider are the decorations. Decorating not only makes everything look nicer; it livens up the party.

However, after putting all that money into party essentials like food and beverages, most people don’t want to spend more dough on decorating.

Decorating doesn’t always have to be expensive. Here are some suggestions for throwing a tailgating party for under $20:

When throwing a party, classic decorations like – balloons and streamers are always a good way to go. At The Dollar Store you can buy 24 balloons in assorted colors for only $1. You can also find colored streamers for a $1 each (spending a total of two to four dollars).

Next, make sure to decorate the table on which the food will be placed. That is where most of your guests’ attention will be focused when they aren’t absorbed in the game.

Instead of putting your food on a plain table, cover it with a tablecloth. Buy a piece of green fabric that will fit your table (around five dollars) from Wal- Mart. Then, use white paint to make it into a football field. (You can buy 16 oz single color paint bottles at Wal- Mart for $2.88.)

Now that you have your own little football field done, how about some footballs? Since some of the foods that you will be having at your tailgate party might require the use of utensils, make some utensil holders. All you need are open cans and paint. Make sure to take any paper off of the cans and wash them very well. Paint the whole can brown.  After it dries, paint a white vertical line on the middle front and back of the can with three white horizontal lines going through it.

If you will be serving finger foods (pigs in a blanket, cubes of cheese, or mini sandwiches), buy plain wooden toothpicks from The Dollar Store (again it will only be a $1) as well as, a piece of brown foam sheet (it will be around $2 from Wal-Mart). Draw footballs on the brown foam and cut out the pieces. Use the white paint to draw the football lines, and tape the toothpicks to the back of them. Now, instead of serving your guest’s finger foods with normal toothpicks, you can serve finger foods with football toothpicks.

After you are done with all that, you will be ready for a fun- filled, delightfully decorated party. The best part is no one will know you did it on a budget!

Pictures by Rust and Sunshine, Hostess with the mostess, and Solo

Labor Day is almost here! And we all know what that means: cookouts, pool parties, friends, family and FOOD!  However, throwing a gathering can get pretty stressful. Here are a few ways to organize and make sure your guests have a great time at your Labor Day cookout.

When throwing any kind of party or cookout, decorations are always a must. Nothing says I am here and ready to party like balloons.  You can find red, blue and white balloons and other decorative items you might need at The Dollar Store- you can always find great holiday decorations there for $1.

Next, you will need a location for your shindig.  Throwing your Labor Day cookout at a lake, beach or park would be nice, but it may also get crowded. Try throwing it in your own backyard. Buy lawn chairs so your guests will have seating.  Don’t forget to get fold -up tables to place the food. Bring plenty of cups, plates, and utensils as well for food.

Now that everything is set up, you need to figure out what you will be cooking. A Labor Day cookout wouldn’t be a cookout without something grilled. Most people grill foods like burgers and hotdogs because they are inexpensive and typically a crowd pleaser.

Make sure to have some kind of fruit or vegetables laid out. Just because it’s Labor Day doesn’t mean your guests won’t want healthy options.

Some suggestions for side dishes are baked beans, macaroni salad, dinner rolls and salads.

And you always need good drinks! Some great drinks to have at a cookout are sweet iced tea for the kids and beer for the adults, and always make sure to have water.

Now, I know I said we need to be healthy, but we can’t forget about dessert. After all, it is a cookout. For dessert you can always go with cake or ice cream- classics that most people enjoy. However, if you’re thinking about getting creative, how about a Watermelon Sherbet cake!

Now you’re ready to party!

Watermelon Sherbet Cake:

Ingredients:

• 2 quarts lime sherbet
• 2 quarts raspberry sherbet
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 (3 ounce) package of Lady Fingers
• One round bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Spatula

Directions:

First, line round bowl with plastic wrap, make sure there is plastic wrap hanging over the edge (it will help you remove the cake once it’s frozen).

Smooth softened lime sherbet around the edges of the bowl with the spatula (wet spatula first with warm water to make ice cream spreading easier and smoother).

Freeze for 10 minutes.

Stir in chocolate chips into softened raspberry sherbet, spoon raspberry sherbet in the center of the lime sherbet.

Place Lady Fingers around the top of the sherbet, until all of the sherbet is completely covered.

Return cake to the freezer for an hour or until it is ready to serve.

Once it is ready to serve, turn cake upside down, and enjoy!

Picture and recipe provided by babble.com/family kitchen and Solo

This is your first time throwing a tailgating party – where do you start? What do you need?

Don’t fret!  We have a list of the basic necessities that every tailgate party needs to be absolutely amazing; and that will keep your guests coming back year after year!

These are seven essentials to a fabulous tailgating party:

Location:

Two of the most popular tailgating places are homes and parking lots. When tailgating at a parking lot, you will need to make sure you don’t forget anything, as well as make sure that all the food and drinks are at the right temperature. Nobody wants hot beer.  If you plan on grilling there is a grill at your destination, if not, bring one.

Guests:

When inviting guests, let them know a week or two ahead of time just in case they have other plans or need to find a sitter. Invite as many people as you would like and can handle. Don’t invite 50 people if you’re not prepared to throw a party for 50 people.  Have enough seats, drinks and food for all of your guests. Also, remember that not all your guests will be rooting for the same team. Talk to the guests before the tailgate. Remind them that you planned the party to have a good time, and if they are going to get out of hand, they will be asked to leave. Also make sure you ask a few people to help you calm things down in case a situation gets out of hand. Sore losers and beer are the worst combination at any party.

Food:

Every great party has food, so of course a tailgate party isn’t an exception. During tailgates there are three staple entrees: hamburgers, hotdogs and pizza. You also want to make sure you have sides, snacks and dessert.

For sides you can make things like salads, baked beans, breads, soups – there are tons of recipes out there.  Snacks usually consist of chips, pretzels, dips, vegetables and fruit. When choosing what to have for dessert, you can go with classics like cookies and cake.

Drinks:

For kids, a fun fruit punch is always a hit! Just add fruit.

Make sure to have a cooler with plenty of ice to keep drinks like beer, soda and water ice cold. Unless of course you are tailgating outside when the weather is cold – that’s a great time to bring some hot cider or coffee.

Decorations:

Decorations at a tailgate party are like cheerleaders at a football game. They keep the guests in a tailgating spirit. Don’t spend too much on decorations though. You will be spending more than enough money on food and drinks. Go to places like The Dollar Store for cheap decorations. If you can’t find any tailgating stuff, buy things that represent the colors of your favorite team.

Classic Tailgating Games:

Washer Toss, Ladder Golf and Cornhole are all very popular games to play at a Tailgate.

The Game:

The game! The reason you’re throwing this party in the first place. If you decide on having your tailgate party at home, make sure that your TV receives the channel that the game will be on, as well as enough seating for your guests.

Now that you have the basics to throw your tailgating party, get creative and have fun. As long as there is good food and the game is on, the rest will fall into place.

Pictures from Flickr.com by The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Apron Strings, Elizabeth1 and southern Cinderella