Estate Sale - Oakdale Court ~ UGA Tailgating - Let the Big Dawg Eat

Let the Big Dawg Eat: A Collection Bulldog Tailgating Recipes (2nd Edition), published in 2004. Filled with over 200+ recipes from the University of Georgia alumni, coaches and faculty, with many of the dishes containing a short bio or anecdote about the contributor. The first edition was published in 2002.

Of course we begin with Appetizers which consist of cheeseballs, pimento cheese or zesty pineapple sandwiches, lumpia, cheese artichoke squares, chicken wings and tuna stuffed eggs (the recipe was contributed by Kim Basinger (Athens native) who also made a donation in 1991 to fund the lights for the UGA tennis complex), which are followed by Dips and Sauces ~ shrimp spread, chili con queso, BBQ sauce, salsa verde and a few dips (black olive, BLT, crawfish, apple and artichoke spinach).

In Soups and Chili, we are treated to wild duck Creole soup, gator stew, Poss (local restaurant - now long closed) famous hash, Portuguese bean soup, Bulldog chili and a Cajun pheasant stew, with Salads offering a wild rice chicken salad, tortellini  salad, a 7 layer salad, chicken broccoli slaw, south of the border cornbread salad,  and a chicken with tarragon salad.

Moving onto Breads, we encounter crispy cheese wafers, sausage pinwheels, shortbread squares, beer muffins. mushroom logs and the ever popular monkey bread. A few of the selections in Vegetables and Casseroles are country fried corn, tomato pudding, buttered beans, a hominy casserole, corn risotto and a hot sausage mozzarella roll.

A few options in Meats and Seafood include lamb skewers, shrimp cakes with watercress remoulade, fried chicken, brisket, sticky roasted chicken, marinated shrimp, BBQ ribs, a grilled beef tenderloin, chicken mull, brats in beer, BBQ venison, seared ahi tuna, dove nuggets and quail. Moving onto to Desserts, there are molasses cookies, grilled apples, a fresh apple cake, a pecan praline cake, turtle bars, pound cake, peanut brittle, caramel brownies, coconut cake, pralines, bourbon brownies and lemon squares.

Of course there are a few Spirits ~ wine coolers, moonshine (you need a still to make it!), eggnog, coffee delight and planter's punch, plus a few Hot and Spicy dishes ~ Cajun chicken burgers, spicy chicken wings, jambalaya, and cheese scones.

We end with Mrs. Smith's (co-author) Recipe File which doles out a carrot pasta salad, coconut pie, pear relish, cream cheese bars, a peach pound cake, spaghetti pie, a Vidalia onion casserole and squirrel Brunswick stew.

Thrifty Find ~ Essentially Lilly (Pulitzer)

Essentially Lilly: A Guide to Colorful Entertaining, published in 2004.  In addition to the fashion empire she created, Lilly Pulitzer was also a renown hostess and the book offers numerous anecdotes and photos of the parties, food and fashion that made up her life in Palm Beach, Florida. Lily exemplified an attitude of casual elegance (easy to do when your mother was an heiress to the Standard Oil fortune!) and her style has been dubbed affluence at ease. There is a short bio with regards to her clothing line before the recipes begin and there are loads of gorgeous photos filling the book - many with guests dressed in their "Lillys".

There are a total of three chapters with several menus for various occasions and celebrations.

To start us off is Yellow Mellow Mornings and dishes perfect for a Sunrise Sail ~ lemon blueberry muffins and jalapeno bloody Marys, followed by a Sunny Yellow Breakfast in bed which features baked banana French toast with ginger maple syrup and tropical fruit Bellinis. The last menu focuses on a G&T (golf & tennis - not gin and tonic!) Brunch which serves up a potato & onion frittata with avocado and salsa, roasted asparagus with lemon & toasted nuts and dulce de leche crepes.

Think Pink Afternoons offers a Blushing Bridesmaid Luncheon with a cucumber avocado soup, new potatoes & green bean salad with mustard-chive dressing, poached salmon with lemon dill mayonnaise and a berry & cream trifle. The Pink and Green Thumb Birthday Party introduces key lime mojitos, grilled shrimp & pineapple skewers and beer-lime marinated flank steak, while the Hazy Crazy Pool Party dishes out mango coconut coladas, papaya-banana-orange smoothies and crab & hearts of palm salad in avocado halves.  The chapters ends with Tea & Empathy which rolls out cream cheese & dill toasts with smoked salmon, curried chicken salad on endive, goat cheese toasts with fresh figs & honey and cucumber-radish tea sandwiches.

The last chapter, The Blue Evenings, has dishes for a Kentucky Derby Do ~ mint juleps, sweet spiced pecans, baked brie with mango chutney and a macadamia coconut derby tart. There are menu suggestions for Movies Under the Stars which include classic martinis, caramel amaretto popcorn or butter Parmesan popcorn, before we end with a Blue Moon Beach Supper  ~ chilled hearts of palm soup with pomegranate seeds, watercress & jicama salad with citrus dill vinaigrette, fettuccine with saffron cream sauce and a key lime roll.