{ pizza rolls ... aka, my favorite college food }

Pretty much every college kid in Texas (especially in College Station, TX) has memories of gorging on DoubleDave's Peproni Rolls (yes, that's how it's spelled) at one point or another. They were (and still are) the quintessential college grub, meeting all requirements -- cheap, portable, delicious, and easy to dunk in ranch dressing.
I can't even fathom a guess as to how many late nights spent "studying" were accompanied by cold [usually cheap] beer and a delivery of a dozen Peproni Rolls. And the most prized pages in the little coupon books that the bookstores would stuff in your textbook bags were always the pizza roll coupons from DoubleDave's.

Then I graduated (sniff, sniff) and moved away from my beloved Texas A&M. But fortunately for me, there was a DoubleDave's near our home in the Houston area, providing me with the necessary greasy fix at least once a week when I was pregnant with Aidan (and seriously craving DoubleDave's on a regular basis).



Since moving away from the Lone Star State, it's much more difficult to find some of my favorite meals -- and pizza rolls are no different. I've pretty much had to fend for myself and learn to cook our faves at home.

So here's the copycat version of DoubleDave's Peproni Rolls. Honestly, although smaller in size, they're a pretty dead ringer for the real thing (Ty says this version is actually better). And by using turkey pepperoni, you don't get that traditional DD's orange oil-slick on your plate from the dripping grease. And substituting light ranch for the real thing cuts even more calories and fat from the recipe. I mean, we're not in college anymore, right? ;) 
There are two non-negotiables when it comes to a good pizza roll experience: the first is the cheese -- it has to be provolone. The second is having a bowl of ranch dressing in which to dip the crusty, cheesy goodness.

Beyond that, you can pretty much get as creative as you'd like. Although, my personal preference never strays from the tried and true original of pepperoni and cheese ... nothing fancy on my rolls, please. This is not the time for artichokes or feta. Oh, I also like to put a sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes on my plate for an extra kick -- dip the roll in the ranch and then the pepper flakes. Yummo.

Pizza/Pepperoni Rolls with Ranch Dressing
Ingredients

• 1 bag enriched dinner roll dough (located in the frozen food case)
• provolone cheese slices
• turkey pepperoni
• ranch dressing (for dipping)
• dried red pepper flakes, optional (for dipping)

Process
Remove rolls from the freezer 1-2 hours before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet with foil.

Using your thumb, press the roll dough into a flat mound, continuing to pull and knead at the circle until it reaches the maximum stretching point, without ripping.

Cover the round dough disc with a slice of provolone (I use a round cookie cutter to get the correct size). Top cheese with 4 slices of turkey pepperoni.

Continue process with the remaining rolls.

Bake rolls 15-20 minutes, or until dough is golden in appearance. Some oozing of cheese will appear -- not a bad thing! It's all part of the experience when you get to peel the crusty warm cheese off the pan and nibble on it before anyone else does!


Serve hot with a side of ranch dressing for dipping sauce.

appreciation in aggieland

My Fightin’ Texas Aggies will be sporting camouflage jerseys tonight at Reed Arena when the men's basketball team takes on Iowa State.

All veterans or active duty military personnel may receive two free tickets to the game and can purchase additional tickets for only $10.

Following the game, the jerseys will be auctioned off at AggieAthletics.com. Proceeds will benefit the USO.

-- until everyone comes home.

corn husked

My 18th-ranked Fightin' Texas Aggies notched their fifth straight win with a 9-6 victory over No. 9 Nebraska last night in front of a record-breaking crowd of 90,079 fans at Kyle Field.

Maroon momentum is surging, just in time for the annual Thanksgiving Day tradition -- Texas A&M vs. the University of Texas.

Gig'em Ags. Beat the hell outta t.u.!

class of 2033

My little girl is going to be representin' right from the start, thanks to her first Aggie gifts from Aunt B.

The only thing greater than maroon gear is maroon gear in a size newborn.

Whoop!

tableau tuesday

november 19, 1999

Ten years ago today, the Texas A&M family lost 12 young lives in a horrific accident. To many, it was a silly college tradition. To us, it represented unity and family. Out at Bonfire, we weren't Greeks, or jocks, or CTs, or BQs. We were Aggies. Memories were made out there, and lives were changed.

From its inception as a scrap heap to the more familiar and impressive stack of vertical logs, the Texas Aggie Bonfire symbolized every Aggie's "burning desire" to beat the University of Texas in football. Attracting between 30,000 and 70,000 people each year to watch it burn, Bonfire became a symbol of the deep and unique camaraderie that is the Aggie Spirit.

In preparation for the much-anticipated annual football game against "t.u.", as Aggies refer to their rival, the student-built Texas Aggie Bonfire would burn after Yell Practice. The lighting ceremony included the playing of "The Spirit of Aggieland" by the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and the traditional reading of "The Last Corps Trip" poem. An outhouse, known as the "t.u. tea room" or "t.u. frat house" was built by sophomores in the Aggie band and sat atop the completed Bonfire. Aggie lore has it that if the Bonfire stood until after midnight, they would win the game.

Since the initial Bonfire in 1909, Texas A&M students have banded together each year to build and burn the Bonfire, and in the process helped it to evolve into the largest in the world. Bonfire burned each year through 1998, with the exception of 1963. That year Bonfire was built but torn down in a tribute to President John F. Kennedy who was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Texas A&M Head Yell Leader Mike Marlowe said, "It is the most we have and the least we can give."

In 1967, responsibility for Bonfire construction was transferred from the Yell Leaders to "Red Pots," students specifically chosen to plan and construct the stack. The safety helmets or "pots" worn by Bonfire construction workers were painted various colors to designate the hierarchy of responsibilities.

In 1955, Bonfire was moved from Simpson Drill Field in front of the Memorial Student Center to Duncan Field, behind the Corps of Cadets area, where it was held for 37 years. The 1992 Bonfire marked the first year Bonfire was built in its final home on the Polo Fields.

The second time in A&M’s history that Bonfire did not burn was almost exactly 92 years after the first Bonfire due to its collapse on November 18th, 1999 at 2:42 a.m. The collapse killed 12 Aggies and injured 27 others.

Five years later, the Bonfire Memorial was dedicated on the exact location of the ’99 Bonfire.

Information from the Texas A&M Hospitality Committee.

tableau tuesday

Beatin' the dirt monkeys in Lubbock is worthy of two pictures.

Gig'em Ags.

i may not agree with his politics

... but I'm proud of the warm reception President Obama received at my beloved Alma Mater, Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. I'm sure it didn't hurt that he was flanked by Aggie favorite (and legend in his own time around our parts), former Texas A&M University President and now Secretary of Defense, Dr. Robert Gates.

According to student newspaper, The Battalion:

President Barack Obama received a hearty "Howdy" from more than 2,000 attendees at the Presidential Forum on community service on Friday afternoon in Rudder Auditorium at Texas A&M.

"Service isn't separate from our national priorities or second to our national priorities, it's integral to achieving our national priorities," Obama said. "It's how we will meet the challenges of our time."

Aggies are known for their dedication to service, so this non-political speech on a subject that we could all get behind made it easy to temporarily put aside ideological differences.

Mr. Obama was treated with respect, yet dissenting opinions were peacefully on display outside the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum where Obama was invited to speak as a guest of former President, George H. W. Bush.

The First Lady of Texas A&M, Reveille (our beautiful collie mascot) was there to greet the President as well. And one resourceful Aggie football fan even managed to get in a plug for our quarterback, Jerrod Johnson (and a pie-in-the-sky hope at a Heisman).

All in all, a great fall day in the Lone Star State.

four-day weekends and fall

Everything has pretty much come together perfectly this weekend.

I already had Monday off (Columbus Day), and since Ty is home for a few days, I figured I'd make it an even longer weekend and take Friday off as well. His visit is much-too short, but we're trying to make the most of our few days together.

In honor of the occasion, Mother Nature cooperated beautifully and ushered in our first good cold front of the season -- just in time for tailgating and football yesterday. Kick-off against the Cowboys from Oklahoma State was 11:30 a.m., so our tailgate crew did breakfast tacos, Bloody Marys, screwdrivers, and Paula Deen's gorilla bread (holy crap, that stuff is rockin' good).

We also took Aidan to his first football game. He's attended a few tailgates in the past, but he's always been too pooped (or hot) to head over to the stadium. But yesterday's temps, combined with the early kick-off time and Ty being home, was the perfect opportunity to give it a shot. He [unbelievably] slept through the first half, but woke up just in time to watch the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band take the field.

So here we are ... Sunday morning, sipping coffee and enjoying the temps and each other.

And the good news is, tomorrow is a work-less Monday. Woo hoo!

cheering from afar

The nastiness that has affectionately come to be known as pig flu (H1N1 for all you semantics freaks) is keeping me at home this weekend, rather than in College Station cheering on my Fightin' Texas Aggies as they do battle with the Aggies (yes, Aggies) from Utah State.

My little guy needs his mama to cuddle him and give him lots of fluids and love. So its sofa city for us this weekend.

But in spirit, I proudly and vehemently will be sending a stern message to my beloved Texas A&M: beat the ever livin' hell outta Utah State.

I'll miss the cold beer, warm burgers, good friends and roar of the 12th Man. Give 'em hell, boys.

Gig 'em.

football, family and friends

My beloved Fightin' Texas Aggies opened the season last night at home with a solid and convincing win against New Mexico.

We spent the day tailgating and catching up with family and friends -- and wading through the excitement of college football gameday.

My sister made some killer stuffed mushrooms that we cooked on the grill. Another friend brought the hottest, cheesiest, and yummiest jalapeno dip that I've ever tasted. Drinks were strong and cold, and rain threatened all day (but never materialized), adding the perfect amount of breeze and tolerable temperature levels.

No matter how crazy life can get, returning "home" to College Station amongst the friendliest people in the world, always helps to ground me and remind me how fun this whole ride can be.

So ... beat the hell outta Utah State, Ags!

it's that time of year ....

... the most glorious time of year -- COLLEGE FOOTBALL IS UPON US!

Although my beloved Aggies aren't predicted to do much [again] this season, it feels so damn good to know that the best chunk of the calendar has officially arrived!

I'm not, and never have been, a big people person. I don't like crowds. I hate malls. I have very little tolerance for ignorance. But put me in a stadium -- Kyle Field, to be exact -- with 83,000 of my maroon peeps, and life is just about as good as it can be for me.

We're kicking things off this year at home in College Station against New Mexico. The good guys are picked to win. But for some reason, it doesn't much matter to me. What matters is that fall is in the air, our tailgate crew is already planning the menu (and the tailgate drinks), and we're ready to get things started with Aggie friends and family (minus Ty ... sniff sniff).

So ... beat the ever livin' hell outta New Mexico, Ags!