Sunday, November 14, 2010

NFL Contest

This is a sponsored post by BlogHer and P&G.

My all time favorite NFL team is the New Orleans Saints. Of course this seems timely considering they are the defending Super Bowl Champs, but my love affair with the Saints didn’t begin in the 2009 Season. My love for these boys started a long time ago back before I even really understood the rules of the game. I am a very ritualistic person who thrives on a routine and one of my earliest weekly routines was centered around Saints Football. As far back as I can remember Sundays in the fall and winter consisted of three things: Church, Popeye’s Chicken and the Saints game. My Mom would take us to 11am mass, and then straight from mass we would pick up lunch and rush home in time for kick-off. My family always watched the Saints and anyone who knows about the history of the New Orleans Saints knows that it wasn’t normally easy. Most of the games were filled with disappointment, anger and choruses of onlookers groaning, “Same Ol’ Saints”. But all that being said, all of those years of failure made last year just that much sweeter. Winning the Super Bowl seemed like and unattainable goal as a Saints fan and last year’s miracle will not soon be forgotten or taken for granted.

During last year’s season we tried to simulate our family game day ritual from my childhood as much as possible. Forrest and I were away from home and being a Saints fan in Washington D.C. wasn’t easy. The Famous Fried Chicken piece of the puzzle was doable, but watching the game from our couch wasn’t always an option. Frequently we had to find a sports bar that was airing the game or even travel to the game if it was within driving distance. It took a lot of planning and forethought to make sure we could cheer on our home team last season.

This season we are back in New Orleans and luckily the games are all aired on local TV. We haven’t had to make sure we had fried Chicken to feel at home this season. The spirit of the Saints is all around us. Everyone in this city is a Saints fan and they know how to show it. Sundays are filled with people donned in Saints clothes everywhere you go from Church to the supermarket. Every street you drive down has homes that are decorated with Saints garden flags and “Who Dat” wreaths on the front doors. It is much easier to cheer on our beloved Saints in their own city. So now on game day we have the luxury of watching from our own home and choosing a recipe from my archives to enjoy during the big game.

I have included the links to some of our game day favorites below:

Caramelized Onion Dip

Chicken Empanadas

Fried Pickles

Spinach Dip

Potato Skin Fries

Since everyone loves a competition that leads to fun filled prizes, go to http://www.facebook.com/takeittothehouse to enter this amazing contest. This football season, YOU have a chance to win some amazing prizes! In football speak, “Taking it to the House” means scoring a long touchdown, but this season, Procter & Gamble, one of NFL’s sponsors, wants to help you take it to the house as part of their Facebook photo contest. Prizes include an at-home visit from a local team legend, a $10,000 community donation in support of NFL PLAY 60 and P&G products.

Show P&G how you bring NFL game day to life at home with your football family for an opportunity to meet an NFL legend, win awesome P&G products and get a $10,000 donation for a children’s health and wellness organization in your community in support of NFL PLAY 60. One lucky Grand Prize Winner will even win a trip to the 2011 Pro Bowl in Hawaii!

It’s easy! Just submit a photo of your “football family” on NFL game day. For more information on “Take it to the House” and to enter the photo contest, visit www.facebook.com/TakeItToTheHouse and click the contest tab.

Take it to the House

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