Whole Foods is the official 2011 Po-boy festival sponsor this year. This year’s poster       artist, Monica Kelly, will be signing copies of the festival poster at the Uptown Whole Foods on Saturday from 12- 2 p.m. Rebirth Brass Band will even partake in the po-boy party as they perform at the Leanders Stage (Leonidas & Plum). You can also see performing acts on the other 2 stages, the Streetcar Stage (Carrollton & Oak) and the River Stage (Eagle & Oak).

You can even familiarize yourself with the history of how the po-boy sandwich came to be. Did you know the po-boy has been around for 82 years? Did you know “poor boys” were created following the 1929 streetcar strike? You can learn about this and more by sitting in on the Po-Boy Fest 2011 History Panel Discussions.

Y’all know we had to include our favorite places to get poboys!

Cecile Craves the GW Fins Fried Lobster po boy!

Sarah savors the Fried Shrimp po-boy from Parkway!

Hunter has to have the Magazine St. Fried Shrimp Po-Boy!

Rachel relishes any place that can make a killer oyster po-boy dressed of course!

Lauren loves Domilise’s Dressed fried shrimp po-boy!

Amanda adores the Grilled Shrimp po-boy from Guy’s!

Dakota dies for the shrimp po-boy from Zimmer’s Seafood!

Click here to see a list of the 2011 Po-boy fest food vendors.

There’s a long checklist of things you will need to do to prepare for this event, including sourcing an amazing hunk of meat for tailgating, brushing up on your team chants, and on top of all that, figuring out what to wear.

Not sure what to wear to this epic event? Allow us to make a few suggestions from our spot on the middle of the fence. Afterall, we are an office divided with 2 Bama, 3 LSU & 2 apathetic. Here’s a list of possible fashion items for the whole family!

Southern Belles

LSU – Paw Print Twillie. Whether you sport it as neckwear, a purse accessory or wrist flareg, this will keep you chic and supportive of your LSU Tigers!

If Houndstooth is considered “the third color” of Alabama, along with the crimson and white, then it goes without saying that you always have your eye our for a great patterned piece. Try a houndstooth blazer to keep you haute in the expected cool weather this weekend!

Good Ole Boys

LSU – Wear your very own LSU George Jefferson tee to honor your oh so talented & infamous quarterback! It seems that despite a rough start to the season, Jordan Jefferson has overcome adversity and has been ‘movin on up ‘ in performance each week, as one of college football’s top quarterbacks!

Optional Honey Badger costume left over from Halloween would be an O.K. ensemble repeat here, too. Just be sure to spray extra Febreeze on that ensemble if it hasn’t gone through the wash since last weekend’s festivities.

Bama Fedora Tie. Be the Dapper Dan that you are and wear a fetching Fedora Tie! You might even want to match it with a houndstooth fedora to really set it off. Grab a pipe and loafers to really register that Southern gentry refinement.

Mini Elephants and Tigers

In all the excitement of this weekend’s game, don’t forget about your little ones. Help them support their future alma matter on their own terms. Dress them up in their favorite elephant or tiger homages, following strict color guidelines of course!

Cubs: Try a Tigger Get up, it’s terrrr-ific!

Calves: ‘Horton Hears a Who’ onesies are a great way to start your kido on the right path to crimson & white glory!

Proud Pooches

Don’t forget to get your four-legged ice-chest guard geare up for this SEC spectacle, too!

Whatever you decide to wear, make sure you dress in true southern style: prim, proper and proud!

Choc-ful of Vitamin Kill
Smear ketchup on some old clothes, put a cereal box around your neck and be a “cereal” killer. Be breakfast’s worst nightmare in this quick and easy costume that will be sure to turn some heads. Add some plastic knifes for an extra effect.

What Women Want
You still live with your parents. Usually embarrassing, today a treasure trove. Raid your sister’s doll collection and attach them to yourself to and transform into the “Ultimate Chick Magnet”. Use heavy-duty tape to make sure Barbie stays in place. Be aware, all of the ladies might try to play dress up with your props later on in the night.

“Merry Christmas… sh*tter was full!”
Channel the infamous Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and party the night away in your bathrobe! All you’ll need is a short terry clothe robe, a warm hat, crew socks pulled as high as they’ll go and a cigar. Rottweiler named Snot, optional. Underwear underneath the robe, required.

Hero on the Half Shell
Get three friends, grab a trashcan top, place it on your back and be one of the Ninja Turtles! Complete this outfit with kneepads and a homemade eye mask cut from an old t-shirt.  Be sure to practice the art of ninjutsu while eating pizza to achieve full “Turtle Power.”

“Honey Badger Don’t Care…”
A YouTube sensation, the honey badger is the perfect costume if you just don’t give a sh*t. Wear black, just draw on some whiskers, pin some ear-shaped cut outs to a hat and you’re ready to be nature’s most fearless animal. Capture the honey badger attitude by taking what you want, rallying after passing out and eating larvae.

Occupy Halloween
As the title suggests, this is your chance to protest against the 1% that don’t give out candy during this sugar-laden holiday. Draw a line down the middle of your chest and write “99%” on one side and “1%” on the other. Stick all the high in demand candy on the “99” side with tape. Attach the bags of pretzels, trailmix and the dreaded dental floss in 1% Siberia. Bonus: You’re one wrapper away from a chocolaty late night snack.

Candy, Candy, Candy
Is your office candy drawer looking a little sad? Halloween is the perfect excuse to re-stock with “left-over” candy that you hid from Trick-or-Treaters. Diet starts November 1^st anyway.

OPI Spookettes
If you plan on passing out candy, make sure your nails are in Halloween mode! Get a manicure with a color from OPI’s 2011 Halloween collection. Choose from “He’s My Boo,” “Mummy Knows Best,” “I Only Date Werewolves,” and our favorite (because it glows in the dark!) “Zom-Body to Love.”

Modern Family Halloween Special
Halloween a little too scary for you? Watch this week’s episode of Modern Family and ease your anxiety with some laughs. Tune in at 8 tonight on ABC to see Claire gear up the Dunphy house for All Hallows Eve and find out what traumatic childhood event makes Cameron despise this spooky holiday.

“And they all asked for Boo”
If you’re tired of ringing doorbells, Audubon Zoo has the solution for your little Ghosts and Goblins! Boo at the Zoo is an exciting four-day spook-tacular attraction for kids up to 12 complete with trick-or-treating, haunted houses (scary and non-scary), games, prizes and food.

Haunted Decor
Show up the neighbors by going all out and draping your home the ultimate in graveyard decor. Spider webs, spooky lights, fog and skeletons are essential in making your home the eeriest manor on the block.  Use the Addams Family house as inspiration.

Paranormal Activity 3
If you’re a person who enjoys being truly terrified then dry ice and Charlie Brown Halloween specials are probably not doing it for you. Visit a graveyard at night, take a haunted tour of the Quarter or if you’re insane, catch Paranormal Activity 3 in theatres. The third installment of this horror epic follows two sisters in 1988 who begin a friendship with an invisible being residing in their house. Bring a buddy, a fresh pair of underwear and take Melatonin as this film will be so frightening, you’ll be up for days.

Is it a trick or a treat?
It doesn’t feel like Halloween until you chow down on a “ghostly” treat. Whether it’s “human finger” food,  “witches brew” punch or candy corn cookies, scary snacking is a must. We like “Dexter Blood Slide Suckers,” a candy recipe based on TV’s Dexter. Unfamiliar with the show? Say they’re Ebola infected blood samples! Either way, these blood slide candies are sure to make your skin crawl. For extra fright, pair this snack with a lychee eye-ball martini.

“You haven’t lived until we’ve scared you to death”
Think you’re man enough to enter just any old haunted house? The House of Shock, nationally recognized as one of the most extreme haunted houses in America, will give you a run for your money. For ten dollars, get the living daylights scared out of you at this legendary haunted attraction. If you’re like us and thinking a haunted house might be a little too intense for you, The House of Shock is also a full fledge Halloween festival complete with food, music and fireworks!

Gameday Etiquette for LSU Fans

1. No feeding Auburn fans to Mike the Tiger
2. The only thing you’re allowed to throw at Auburn fans is a football that they know is coming. No using the “think fast” trick.
3. Be a good host by carpooling to the game so the Auburn fans have ample parking spots.

Gameday Etiquette for Auburn Fans

1. Don’t try taunting Mike the Tiger. He’s got special Auburn fan sensors….
2. The word “corndog” should only be used to order late night from the bar menu
3. Be a good guest and treat the LSU campus with respect

If you feel yourself getting heated toward an opposing fan just remember the following things:

1. “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all…”
2. Win or loose, we still booze.
3. It’s only a game.
4. Black eyes are not an acceptable accessory for work/ school attire.
5. Southern ladies and gentleman always stay calm, cool and collected.

Notable Tensions

The Tiger Bowl
In pre-k we learned about the importance of sharing. This valuable lesson did not cover sharing mascots and tension is tight between the two Tiger teams.  When LSU and Auburn play each other its called “The Tiger Bowl” and the outcome of these games often determines the SEC Western Champion.

Earthquake Game
In ’88, Auburn was leading 6-0 with <2 minutes left in the game.  LSU quarterback, Tommy Hudson, threw the last chance touchdown and the reaction from LSU fans was so intense that it registered as an earthquake at LSU’s geoscience complex.

Grand Theft Auburn
From 1999-2005 either LSU or Auburn won or tied for the SEC Western Championship. 2006 marked the first season that neither team held or shared the title.  Because of the number of controversial calls, LSU dubbed the 2006 game against Auburn as “Grand Theft Auburn.”

Barn Burner
During a LSU v. Auburn game in ‘96, a tailgater placed a grill too close to the old Auburn Sports Arena causing it to burn down behind Jordan-Hare Stadium. The fiery flames caught ESPN cameras as LSU took home the victory.

The ‘99 Cigar Incident
After Auburn crushed LSU at Tiger Stadium, Auburn players and coaches celebrated the victory and the birthday of their coach Tommy Tuberville by smoking cigars on the field of Tiger Stadium. This irritated LSU players who later used this incident as motivation for their next game against Auburn.

The ’01 Rescheduled Game
Unlike the Saints, when Auburn went marching in, they got penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct at a rescheduled 2001 game, giving LSU the advantage to kick off from the 50 who came out victorious.

PUMPKIN CARVINGS We’d Like on our Porches
1. Bieb-O Lantern

Be one less lonely girl this fall with your very own Justin Bieber pumpkin.  Simply grab the correct tools and your favorite picture of Justin and carve away! Caution: you’ll need to provide pumpkin security since all your trick-or-treaters will be screaming 12-year-old girls.

2. Nerd Alert

Channel your inner nerd with this “brace face” inspired pumpkin carving. Complete your pumpkin’s braces with Harry Potter-esqe pipe cleaner glasses held together by tape. Go one step further by adding blemishes to your pumpkin to make him stand out. Your “loser” pumpkin will surely make you feel more “popular”.

3. Top Dog

Show everyone how important your pooch is to you. Better Homes and Gardens offers free pumpkin-carving stencil of 25 different dog breeds. This offer is too doggone cute to pass up. (Oh yes, we went there.)

HAUNTED HOME IMPROVEMENT

1. Party Cooler

Use your fairy godmother powers to turn a pumpkin into an ice bucket. Pick a large and wide pumpkin and cut off the top third. Clean out all the gook and insert a plastic bowl. Shave the inside edges of the pumpkin for a perfect fit. Stock with ice and your favorite flavor of Abita. Just hope your guests aren’t too thirsty or you’ll need a pony keg-sized gourd. We hear goblins can really pack away the brewskies.

2. Halloween Count Down

Channeling Count Chocula as you count down the days until Halloween? Scaring your friends/coworkers with this behavior? Cover a pumpkin with chalkboard paint, available at any home improvement store, and count down the days until the 31^st with style. You can still keep the vampire fangs…

3. Face Mask

Is the change in seasons giving your complexion a hard time? Use a pumpkin face mask to soothe skin irritations caused by nitpicky weather. Pumpkin contains high amounts of Vitamin A, C and Zinc. This mask will moisturize, soothe and aid other ingredients to fully absorb into the skin. The intense results will have you saying “nanny nanny booboo” to those harsh fall winds.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp. cooked or canned pumpkin, pureed
• ½ tsp. honey
• ¼ tsp. milk or soymilk

Directions

• Combine and gently mix ingredients in bowl and apply to your face avoiding eye area. Let mask sit for 10-15 minutes then rinse with warm water.

YUMMY IN MY TUMMY

1. 1. Pumpkin and Shrimp Bisque

This recipe has got our mouths watering! The cool weather will be no match for this pumpkin soup that keeps our bellies warm.  Kudos for the addition of shrimp!

Ingredients:

Directions:

• In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/3 cup sugar; stir in butter and press into a greased 13-in. x 9-i. baking dish.
• In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in 2 eggs just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, separate remaining eggs and set whites aside. In a large saucepan, combine the yolks, pumpkin, brown sugar, milk, salt and cinnamon. Cook and stir over low heat for 10-12 minutes or until mixture is thickened and reaches 160°. Remove from the heat.
• In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let stand for 1 minute. Heat over low heat, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir into pumpkin mixture; set aside.
• In a large heavy saucepan, combine reserved egg whites and remaining sugar. With a portable mixer, beat on low speed for 1 minute. Continue beating over low heat until mixture reaches 160°, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; beat until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved.
• Fold into pumpkin mixture; spread evenly over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Garnish with whipped topping and nutmeg if desired.
  3. When I Dip, You Dip, We Dip

This pumpkin dip by Martha Stewart is not only delicious but pretty as well. We suggest eating this dip early in the party, as the bowl will be empty by the end of the night.

Ingredients:

• 3 sugar pumpkins, about 2 pounds each
• 5 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing pan
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Slice the tops off of the pumpkins. Remove the seeds, and discard. Drizzle the insides of the pumpkins with 1 tablespoon olive oil each. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 sprig each of rosemary and 1 clove of garlic into the cavity of each pumpkin.
• Place the pumpkins in an oiled 11-by-13-inch pan, and bake in the oven until the skin is easily pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove pumpkins from the oven, and allow to cool.
• Carefully remove the flesh from the pumpkins, reserving shell from most attractive pumpkin for serving. Squeeze roasted garlic from papery skins; place in the bowl of a food processor. Add pumpkin flesh; puree until smooth. If puree is watery or thin, place it in a fine-mesh sieve lined with damp cheesecloth, and allow liquid to drain for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Add the grated Parmesan and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pumpkin mixture. Stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve at room temperature in pumpkin shell with bread, and crackers.

Meat has long been the ultimate silencer of the growling human belly.  Cave men craved raw meat before they laid down to slumber every night. Even old ladies upon arrival to parties demand, “Where’s the Beef?!” Alas, the answer to this age old question can now be found without bloody excursions into unsuspecting cow fields!

All the cow, pig, chicken and lamb you can eat will be at Lafayette Square Park this weekend. Today kicks off the 2011 Crescent City Blues & BBQ Festival! The festival will offer the best selection of home-style barbecue in New Orleans as well as feature some of the best soul artists in the nation.  Fest food favorite The Joint BBQ’s brisket sandwich will be available again this year for attendees to devour. You can even eat as island carnivore’s do with a jerk chicken or pork dish from Boswell’s Jamaican Restaurant. Other food vendors will include Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar, Love at First Bite, and Smokin’ Buddha BBQieux

While munching on your meat, you can listen to music from performing acts like Tab Benoit, Marcia Ball, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and The Campbell brothers.

New to the festival this year is the Abita Sports Bar, where delicious Abita beer will be on tap as well accompanied by televisions displaying all the weekend’s sports games, so you won’t miss out on your favorite teams! Also, be sure not to miss the Blues Fest Photo Contest. Upload an awesome picture of taken at the Blues & BBQ fest here for a chance to win a Festival fan package!

Not only can you indulge in your most amazing meat fantasies but you can help your planet by ‘saving the plants and eating more barbecue! With free admission into a world of magnificent meat, mead, and music, can you think of a better way to spend your evening?

It’s going to be a finger-lickin’ good time!

Event Information

Friday, Oct: 14: 5:30-8:00 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 15 & Sunday, Oct. 16: 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.

Lafayette Square Park

530 St. Charles Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70130

Admission: Free!

For more info visit http://www.jazzandheritage.org/blues-fest

Evergreen
Can you imagine how fun it would be to slide down the front banisters as a kid….or even an adult? We’d be on a permanent sugar high as Evergreen was and still is working sugar cane plantation. This is only one of the many reasons why we’d want to reside at Evergreen Plantation, the most intact plantation in the South.

Oak Alley
Who wouldn’t want to be the southern queen bee living in the most popular plantation in Louisiana? We would definitely want to drive up in a horse drawn carriage everyday among the oak trees that hang down over the main entrance. It would be a dream to sip mint juleps(see below) during a time when happy hour started at sunrise. We’ve started packing our old school petticoats and white gloves.

The Myrtles Plantation
The Myrtles Plantation is considered one of the most haunted homes in America. According to some, 15 ghosts linger about and only the brave (none of us in the office) are willing to stay over night. However, we figure if it were 1850, the Myrtles wouldn’t be haunted at the time, giving us ample time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Perhaps if we did live on the Myrtles in 1850, we’d be one of the 15 who spook our friends that live today.

San Francisco Planation
Ever wonder what the first Mardi Gras was like? The originators of the San Francisco Plantation do, which is why we’d go back in time and party it up with them. We’d want our time travel back to this antebellum home in 1850 to be a short one though as many residents got very sick and passed away.

Laura Plantation
In the 1800s, the creole inhabitants of the Laura Plantation spent half their time at the Plantation and the other in New Orleans.  We’d love to live with Laura in both the Big Easy and spend the weekends on the gorgeous grounds on which the Laura Plantation resides. Talk about best of both worlds!

Oak Alley’s Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients: Simple syrup, bourbon, mint leaves

Simple Syrup

2 cups mint leaves, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup water

Place water sugar and slightly crushed mint leaves in a pot.
Heat until sugar dissolves.
Strain.
Pour 1 oz. of this mixture (simple syrup) in a zombie glass or silver goblet.
Fill with crushed ice, stir until ice dissolves some, add crushed ice and bourbon to top of glass.
Stir until frosty.
Garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.

The Angola Prison Rodeo would boggle the minds of most Texans because it takes place at the Louisiana State… Penitentiary and features the incarcerated inhabitants of the synonymous institution performing feats of wild West glory. While trekking out to central Louisiana to visit a correctional facility might not seem like everyone’s cup of tea, the Angola Rodeo has been attracting visitors for decades with displays of livestock prowess each Sunday in October.

Highlights include Convict Poker where four brave souls sit at a table in the middle of the arena for a hand of poker. Doesn’t sound too bad right? Just wait… A royal flush means nothing once a riled-up bull finds its way into the ring! The winner is the last man sitting at the table. Hours of Texas Hold’Em on your iPhone couldn’t prepare you for this.

Not for the faint of heart, Guts & Glory will keep you on the edge of your seat. The wildest bull of the weekend gets a poker chip slapped to his forehead and each week, a different contestant tries to charm the bull and grab the chip for a cash prize and ultimate bragging rights. Oh, and did we mention that they only have three minutes to pull it off? As one inmate described it, “sometimes the bull come out looking like the devil incarnate.”

Other events include the Grand Entry, Bareback Riding, Bust Out, Wild Horse Race, the Buddy Pick-Up, Wild Cow Milking and Bull Riding.

Should you find yourself at this Tunica hills hideaway on October 15, ditch your car and ride home on that new horse you purchased at the Angola Prison Horse Sale. Some of the finest horses bred and raised, according to the flyer.

Besides arena events, be sure to visit the craft exhibit for one-of-a-kind art created by prisoners. Unsure what to get Aunt Ida for the holiday season? From carved wood pieces to innovative repurposed cigarette box accessories, the inmates will help you make the perfect selection. Concession stands, all put on by inmate organizations, focus on good, down-home Louisiana cuisine and standard rodeo fare.

Despite the fact that rodeo partakers are wearing stripes instead of cowboy hats, the Angola Rodeo is a family event and will find that the prisoners are well behaved, polite and respectful. (No need to hide your kids, hide your wife!)  Tickets to the rodeo are $15 and children under two are admitted free. Get there early to check out some of the inmate bands perform. And be sure to leave your phone and camera in the car since they aren’t permitted in the prison.

We’ll brand this a Grade-A good time!

Teeing Off Side Note:

While buying our tickets for the rodeo, a flyer for the Angola Prison production of “The Life of Jesus Christ” being performed in May at the Prison View Golf Course caught our eye.  That’s right, apparently greener pastures are located on the prison grounds, complete with a 9-hole course, driving range and club house. How might we wrangle a round on such a green?  If anyone can tip us off on how to get into the Warden’s next scramble circle, we have a fashionable payoff for you!

Got Bier?
Besides the beer, the size of the beer mugs is the basis of Oktoberfest’s appeal. “Big Beers to Go” on Bourbon doesn’t hold a candle compared to the amount of brewski these mugs are capable of carrying.  Weighing the same as a small baby or dog, these mugs are the perfect size for any beer fanatic.

Ready, Set, Go!
On top of the many drinking games and contests Oktoberfest has to offer, it also includes activities the entire family can enjoy!  Grab a bib and sign yourself up for the bratwurst-eating contest or see if you’re capable of consuming more pretzels than anyone! Design- your-own-pretzel and design-your-own-beer-barrel contests give those of us who cant stomach other contests a chance to bring home a medal!

“One Hundred Bottles of Beer on the Wall…”
Oktoberfest is infamous for their many drinking songs, accompanied by the accordion or tuba.  Certain songs have become “adopted” into tradition and not all of them are German. Some of the popular English Oktoberfest songs include  “Mambo No.5” by Lou Bega,  “Country Roads” by John Denver and even the Germans agree that its fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A. The Village People hit is an Oktoberfest favorite.

Style Watch: Traditional German Attire
The clothes Oktoberfest goers wear are what make the annual fall festival so special. Lederhosen and tall socks are all the rage from late September to early October.  The traditional German outfit isn’t complete without the Peter Pan-esqe hats. We also love the braids that the women traditionally wear. These aren’t your Jan Brady pigtails but serious intricate braids that only stilvolle Frauen (stylish women) can pull off.  Make sure you blend in by picking up your Plattlerhosen today!

Did you know…?

• The first Oktoberfest was a royal wedding celebration on October 12, 1810 in Munich.
• The locals in Munich refer to Oktoberfest as “die Wiesn” because of its location, Theresienwiese, which was named after Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen.
• The tapping of the first keg by the Munich Mayor is the official start to Oktoberfest
• Since August 2010, the tents of Oktoberfest have become smoke-free
• Children under six years old must leave the tents by 8 p.m.
• A liter of beer costs around 8.80 euros.
• The fine for stealing an official Oktoberfest mug is 60 USD.
• Around 1.5 million gallons of beer is consumed each year