{ buffalo chicken tacos }

Talk about the best of both worlds -- tacos and chicken wings! It sounds like a strange combination, I know, but it really works. It's one of those things that I couldn't believe I'd never thought of myself.

The great taste in these tacos comes from the spicy kick from the chicken (and there's definitely a good kick!), contrasted with the cool avocado, lime and blue cheese. I really enjoyed it.

As with any taco, you can pretty much top yours with whatever floats your boat. I walked on the chicken wing side of things and added [light] blue cheese dressing (Ty opted for ranch), some [light] crumbled blue cheese, plus cubed avocado with lime and fresh cilantro.

This is a perfect, casual weekend meal. And talk about great for a tailgate menu (without all those gross, picked-over chicken bones piling up) -- just cook up the chicken ahead of time and set out the sides.

Buffalo Chicken Tacos
(adapted from mrsregueiro.com)

Ingredients
Chicken:
1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into 1 inch pieces
2/3 cup flour
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
salt and pepper, for seasoning
approximately 3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce (we prefer Frank’s); extra for garnishment
2 tablespoons canola oil
12 6-inch corn tortillas
Toppings:green leaf lettuce leaves
diced red (or green) onions
cilantro
avocado, cubed and coated with fresh lime juice (to prevent browning)
blue cheese or ranch dressing

ProcessHeat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

In a large bowl, combine cornstarch, flour, cayenne, and garlic powder. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then dredge in the flour mixture.

Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in Dutch oven. Add chicken and cook on both sides – about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Once the chicken is done, set it aside in a bowl and toss with buffalo wing sauce (enough to coat all the chicken pieces).

Roll chicken pieces in tortillas, along with desired sides.

Yield: about 10 servings, 2 tacos each.

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!