IT'S NOT OVER YET!

League 1, 2

1t. class of 87 - 148
1t. rickysanchez - 148

3. Montezuma's Revenge - 143
4. goshatgo - 142
5t. AussieBrian - 140
5t. Clean Cut Media - 140
5t. NorcalNick'sPicks - 140
5t. kmando - 140
5t. vanman1013 - 140
5t. tmoran3020's picks suck - 140
5t. Josh in Portland - 140

What to do?  We ultimately decided that the best thing to do would be the extend the competition between class of 87 and rickysanchez to this year's College Bowl Pick'em.

So sign up here, and sign up for league #20598, and use the password "gobears".  As before, if there's enough demand we'll set up another league.  Whomever performs better between class of 87 and rickysanchez will get the $50 gift card to the Cal student store, but that shouldn't stop everyone else from signing up too.  Maybe we'll come up with other random goodies for whomever happens to win the Bowl Pick'em if it's not one of our two regular season leaders.

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AWWWWW DUBS IS JUST TOO CUTE TO EAT

So why don't we all just use this recipe to make him some more treats?  From HuskyHaven.org:

SUPER TASTY DOG COOKIES

1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tbs. Garlic powder (may adjust to your smell)
2 tbs. Knorr instant beef stock mix (may substitute veggie or chicken stock mix)
2 tbs. bacon bits
6 tbs. oil
2/3 cup water (approximate)

Mix together well. Roll out to approximately 1 inch thick and cut out with dog biscuit "bone" cutter or some cookie cutter that is appropriate. Bake at 350 for approximately 35-45 minutes. Basting regularly with meat drippings or bacon fat.

When cooled, store them in an airtight zip-lock bag, freeze or give them as gifts. Dogs really love these!

Use this as your open thread for tonight's Civil War for the Rose Bowl.  Civil War for the Roses?  War of the Roses?  Civil War of the Roses?  Anyway, go...Ducks!  I think.

CHAMPION!

Nov. 29, 2009

Rag's Doombringers won the California Golden Blogs Championship by a score of 164 to 128 over Yellow Fever.Toby Gerhart led the team in scoring in the championship round and he also led the team in scoring for the season. Congrats once again to Rag's Doombringers on a terrific College Fantasy Football Season. Hope to see you all next year!

So close, yet so far.  But really, I knew I had no chance once I saw Jerrod Johnson's stat line.  Watching Jonathan Dwyer and Josh Nesbitt get stuffed repeatedly by the Georgia defense didn't help a whole lot either, especially considering that Tonka Toby was running Charlie Weis right out of South Bend at the same time with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind.

But it's ok, it's not like I paid for season tickets to watch my favorite basketball team set a NBA record for consecutive losses to start the season or anything.

Oh wait.  FML.

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Gingerbread Tree Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 cups butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups light molasses
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 10 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 container (3 ounces) cinnamon red-hot candies (about 1/3 cup)
• Confectioners' sugar, optional
• Clear Contact paper (optional)
• 10-inch flat serving plate
• Patterns

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, molasses and vinegar; mix well. Combine flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and chill overnight.
• To prepare star pattern: Trace each star size onto waxed paper and cut out. If you would like to preserve the patterns, copy them, cover both sides with Contact paper and cut out. On a lightly floured surface, roll a portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness; keep rest refrigerated.
• To cut out stars: Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut around star patterns. You will need a total of 33 cookies--two treetop stars; three each of stars 1-4 and 9; and four each of stars 5-8. Place 12 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Press a red-hot candy into the center of each treetop star; press red hot candies into points of the rest of the stars. In one number 9 star, make two indentations as shown on the pattern (to hold the treetop stars in place).
• To bake: Place all cookies in a 350° oven and bake until lightly browned on the edges; 5 minutes for treetop stars; 8-10 minutes for numbers 6-9; 11-12 minutes for numbers 1-5. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks and cool completely.
• To assemble: Starting with star number 1, stack stars on the serving plate, staggering star points. For a natural-looking tree as shown in the photo at left, the sizes are alternated in the following order: 1-1-2-1-2-3-2-3-4-5-4-5-5-6-5-6-6-7-6-7-7-8-7-8-8-9-8-9-9 ( with indentations). Place the two tree top stars in the indentations, leaning back to back. Dust tree with confectioners' sugar if desired. To serve, pass the entire tree. Yield: 33 cookies.

League 1, 2

• rickysanchez takes over with a 13/21 week, while class of 87 falls after an 11/21 week.
• Three people tied for the weekly lead, Tedford is God, AaronTheAwesome, and LEastCoastBears, correctly picking 14 games. AaronTheAwesome actually managed to pick 14/20 correctly, since he didn't make a pick for the Thursday night Cincinnati/West Virginia game.  AaronTheAwesome and Tedford is God both incorrectly picked Houston, BYU, Miami, Utah, and Florida, though the only one of that group that LEastCoastBears got wrong was Utah, having correctly picked the other five games. 

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Use this as tonight's open thread for Cincinnati/West Virginia.  Go Big East!

League 1, 2

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Jimmy the B's Wildcat Barbecue Spice Rub

The Washington Post, January 11, 2006

• Cuisine: American
• Course: Condiment
• Features: Healthy, Fast

Summary:

 

This rub tastes better than store-bought brands we've tried. Use it with BBQ Quesadillas With Jay's Quick and Easy Barbecue Sauce.

 

Makes about 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

• 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted*
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted*
• 2 1/2 pieces dried chipotle peppers, toasted*, broken into pieces, seeds removed
• 2 teaspoons diced sun-dried tomatoes, not packed in oil (optional)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Directions:

 

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or spice grinder and pulse until the spices are well blended. (Remove the large pieces of sun-dried tomatoes, if using.) Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

To toast the cumin and coriander seeds:

*Note: To toast the cumin and coriander seeds, place a small skillet over medium heat. Add the seeds (do this in separate batches) and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until the spices are fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and cool completely. To toast the dried chili peppers, place them in a dry skillet over moderate heat for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.

 

Probably better than eating actual wildcat.  You don't know where it's been!  Anyway, use this as your open thread for tonight's Rutgers/South Florida game.  Go Scarlet Knights!

League 1, 2

1. Montezuma's Revenge - 103
2. class of 87 - 101
3. rickysanchez - 99
4t. Clean Cut Media - 98
4t. Takimoto - 98
4t. Josh in Portland - 98
7. tmoran3020's picks suck - 97
8t. gigglingone's picks - 96
8t. goshatgo - 96

Montezuma's Revenge is still in first on the heels of a particularly strong showing two weeks ago, but can he hold on with his lead dwindling?

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Beaver with Sour Cream

Ingredients

• 2-4 pounds of cut beaver
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon paprkia
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• Oil to cover
• 1 onion

Clean beaver and soak overnight in salted water (1 tablespoon salt per quart of water).  Drain, cut up, and roll in 1/2 cup flour seasoned with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon parika.  Fry in fat until browned.  Then cover the beaver with sliced onion.  Sprinkle onion slices with 1/2 teaspon salt.  Add 1/2 cup water.  Cover skillet tightly.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Add 1 cup sour cream in last 15 minutes of cooking time.  Serves 2-4.

I don't know about you guys, but I often enjoy beaver on the weekends.   

This is your open thread for Cal-Chico State. After the jump,  some details on tonight's exhibition matchup.

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Tonight is the Nets' home opener (and hopefully the last one that will require me to connect from subway to train to bus in a span of 40 minutes) and if Wednesday's opener against the Timberwolves in Minnesota is any indication, I'm in for a long year.

For three quarters, the great Minnesota center had an uncomfortably close view of Lopez’s coming-out party, as his young opponent dominated him in every way imaginable, while the rest of the Nets helped make Big Al look like ... well, a guy coming off ACL surgery.

But right around the time they fell into a 16-point hole, Jefferson and the Wolves held Lopez scoreless in the fourth quarter, held the Nets to one field goal in the last 6:51 minutes, and yielded a grand total of two points in the last 3:13.

And that gave Damien Wilkins the opportunity to provide the finishing touch, as he hit a short follow at the buzzer to cap a 24-6 blitz to the wire and lift the Wolves to an improbable 95-93 victory at Target Center.

Thrilling, really.  I'm totally psyched to watch them go 12-29 at home this year.