tapas tailgate

I have been on the road for the past five weekends, so I was really looking forward to chilling out on the couch in my sweatpants, farting around on Pinterest, and catching up on a seriously overloaded DVR.  In my mind, tv binges and appetizers go together like bananas and nutella. Though our aim was a tapas party,  it would more aptly be called a pork small plate party.  I think my subconscious was telling me something.
That something is "eat more pig".


Pulled pork sliders on garlic herb biscuits.  
These were pretty decadent! In retrospect, they would have been just as tasty on little potato rolls,but the biscuits were quite a treat.

Chorizo and apples braised in cider 

This was so amazing, and EASY.  You just chopped up some chorizo links, sauté them in a pan, then remove it and add the apples. Then, put everything back in the pan, add some hard cider, and let it reduce. It was sweet, spicy, and delicious!

Prosciutto wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese

Probably the least photogenic snack of all time (is it just me, or do they look like locusts?)

Patatas Bravas served with aioli 

That's really just a fancy way of saying fried potatoes. 

Miniature wedge-style salads served in endive boats. No forks required. 

In my mind, this was a "light" dinner. Now that I look at the pictures, I reaize that was a gross understatement. Whoops!
My sister texted me halfway through the second quarter to remind me that the Miss Universe pageant was starting -- believe or not, I've rarely missed a televised beauty pageant since the early 90s I was a little kid watching them in my sister's bed.   I mean football is great, but I heard Miss Costa Rica might be making balloon animals for her talent this year.  And watching the parade of nations with those insane costumes is one of the most unintentionally comedic events in television.
Unfortunately, my husband does not understand the importance of such an event, especially when LSU is playing their biggest SEC rival. HARUMPH. We do have a second TV in my office, but apparently it only plays the food network and bravo (and apparently all of the other non-network cable channels). How are they not live streaming this on the internet… is that too much to ask? Ok,yes, probably.
I contemplated walking down the street to the bar and asking them to please turn on the Miss Universe pageant, but after thinking about it for three seconds, I determined that they would receive this request even more incredulously than my husband.
Because all marriages are about compromise, we watched the pageant during halftime of the game. Lucky for the dudes on the couch, halftime perfectly coincided with the swimsuit competition. I guess it all works out in the end, eh?