Whether your fall means partying for days in the parking lot outside MetLife Stadium or for a few hours outside Bryant-Denny Stadium or meeting for a few snacks at the local high school, tailgating is serious business. What it takes to make a successful tailgating party is the same, no matter how many guests show up, what is served, or how your team makes out once the game kicks off — it’s all about planning. The Todo app is your source for everything tailgating. Use it to organize your guest list, plan your menu, and even begin prepping for next year’s revelries!
Create a List of Fellow Tailgaters
Not to be snobbish, but some folks are excellent tailgating companions, and some, not so much. Keep the list manageable, because too many tailgaters runs up the food tab (and can also run up the noise, aggravation, and other undesirable things). Invite the folks who can both give and take a reasonable amount of razzing about their team, and those who won’t mind rolling up their sleeves when it’s time to pick up the trash and head to the stadium. Also, pick friends who won’t overdo it at the beer cooler. Nobody wants to spend the game caring for an over-indulger who can’t make it to the stadium unassisted. The Todo app can help you organize your list, work through the invitations, and even keep track of the RSVPs.
Decide How Long the Tailgate Party Will Last
Is this game big enough to warrant an overnighter, or just notable enough to brown a few hotdogs on the grill and perhaps indulge in a bit of dessert? The longer the party, the more you’ll need to plan, and that doesn’t just include food. When planning tailgate parties that last overnight or for more than a few hours, you’ll need to carry sleeping accommodations, medications, suitable clothing for temperature fluctuations or sudden changes in the weather, sunscreen and bug spray, and something for entertainment. Bean bag toss, ring toss, board games, and card games are excellent options to electronics because they don’t require power to keep people entertained for hours.
Making a list is the best way to ensure that nothing will be forgotten. Use the Todo app to generate and track a list of things you’ll need. Paper lists tend to get lost, dropped into mud puddles, or soaked with coffee. Plus, you’ll almost certainly have your phone with you at all times. Another advantage of the Todo app? You can share the list with others. They can add to the list and can be responsible for certain tasks or for bringing certain supplies. This can take part of the workload off you, which means you’ll be less stressed and you’ll have more time to relax and enjoy the fun.
Develop a Menu
One of the best things about a tailgating party (besides getting to heckle the other team’s fans) is the food. Fortunately, there are some great tailgating recipes that don’t take a lot of ingredients, meaning you don’t have to pack an entire grocery store to make good eats at the stadium. Here are some great ideas to whip up for any size tailgating party:
• Not Just Plain Old Nachos – Provide guests with a buffet table filled with nacho fixings. In addition to the chips and meat and cheese, lay out black beans, refried beans, Mexican corn, jalapenos, sour cream, chives, black olives, guacamole, salsa (both hot and mild), sautéed onions, Spanish rice — get creative!
• Something for Everyone Hot Dogs – This is an excellent idea for tailgating parties when teams are from different regions. For example, offer all the makings for Chicago style dogs, New York style dogs, Southern style dawgs, Midwestern dogs, California style dogs, or any region that is represented at the game.
• Let’s Go All Day Barbecue – Brisket, pork shoulders, ribs, and other long, slow-cooking meats are ideal for tailgating, because the cooking is almost as entertaining as the games!
• Never a Boring Baked Potato Bar – This is another one that’s easy to set out and let people DIY most of the work. Bake some big, fat potatoes and lay out lots of fixings: a variety of cheeses, chili, meat, veggies like cooked broccoli and cauliflower, sour cream, chives, peppers, beef stew — whatever you can think of!
A good way to keep the menu in check is to work from a theme. Make it a theme involving the teams or their cities or the specific people you’ve invited. The Todo app can help you track the recipes from conceptualization through shopping to the final steps of preparation. The shopping list can be shared with others and make it possible for them to pitch in when it comes to the list creation and shopping details.
Best of all, the Todo app makes it convenient and fast to make notes, so that the whole time you’re hosting this year’s tailgating parties, you can be tracking what you learn to make next year’s parties even more successful!
