My son “Booger” picks the winners of the NCAA games that feature the local teams (Butler, Purdue and Notre Dame.)

Courtesy of the San Diego News Network who’s headline just before this story was “Beware of Binge Drinking on St. Paddy’s Day”!   Thanks for the mixed messages SDNN!  Recipes include Beer Bread, Cheese-Beer Soup, Chocolate Stout Pudding and my favorite, Boozy Beef Chili!!

http://www.sdnn.com/sandiego/2010-03-15/restaurant-food-wine/eight-great-beer-recipes-for-st-pattys-day

Governor Mitch Daniels stopped by Z99.5’s Smiley Morning Show this morning and responded to a listener’s question about who he was picking in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament (remember, the Final 4 will be played in Indianapolis).  The governor’s comments were obviously meant as a friendly poke at our southern neighbor; but, I guess the Wildcats just don’t have a sense of humor. 

Click here to watch video from LEX18, WLEX-TV/Lexington (embed not supported, you may need to watch a brief commercial before the video plays).

I wonder if these comments will someday cost our man Mitch those valuable 8 Electoral Votes from Kentucky? 

Leave your comments on our blog, or call Smiley in the morning!

To celebrate you should cook with an Irish orginal – Guinness.  Here are 10 recipes to try:

1. Beef Braised in Guinness. Chunks of beef are browned with bacon and onions, then braised until tender in Guinness and beef stock.

2. Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue. A perfect St. Patrick’s Day party dish, this fondue uses Irish cheddar and stout in place of the traditional Gruyère and white wine.

3. Warm German Potato Salad. Try using Guinness for the tangy beer sauce that’s tossed with warm potato slices, fresh herbs, bacon, and hard-boiled eggs in this hearty side dish.

4. Chocolate Guinness Cupcakes. Guinness’s chocolaty-coffee undertones make it a natural fit for chocolate desserts. Here, cupcakes get a flavor boost with the addition of stout, then are finished off with a smooth cream cheese frosting.

5. Welsh Rarebit Bites. Toasted slices of baguette are topped with a melty cheddar, Guinness, and mustard sauce for an easy hors d’oeuvre.

6. Guinness Stout Marinade. Guinness, lime juice, and fresh herbs are blended together for an all-purpose beef marinade.

7. Guinness–Milk Chocolate Ice Cream. This unusual ice cream features the hearty flavor of Guinness blended with creamy milk chocolate and a hint of vanilla.

8. Guinness Pub Burgers. Adding Guinness to these burgers keeps them juicy and enhances their beefiness.

9. Gingerbread with Stout. Stout gives this gingerbread a dark, rich flavor and keeps it from being too sweet.

10. Cheddar Beer Dip with Smoked Sausage. A bubbling cheese dip full of hearty stout and smoked sausage bits, good served with pretzels or cut-up vegetables.

Here I am at RaeLynn’s Boutique trying on dresses for Smiley Prom!  Which dress will I wear??  Join me at Smiley Prom on March 27th at the Knights of Columbus to find out!  Tickets are on sale now at the WZPL studios!

The NCAA® Men’s Final Four® is coming to Indianapolis April 1 – 5.  Our friends at Indianapolis Downtown, Inc. tell us about some of the biggest fan-friendly events the city has planned:

Bracket Town™ refreshed by Coca-Cola Zero™
The Ultimate Final Four® Fan Fest will take place April 1-5 at the Indiana Convention Center. Fans of all ages can test their skills in the new and improved basketball extravaganza that brings you closer than ever to NCAA championship action with the latest in video games, digital technology, hands-on interactive experiences. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children, seniors, and military with appropriate ID. Discount tickets are available at Mejier stores courtesy of Coca-Cola Zero.

Also, don’t miss the State Farm Slam Dunk & Three Point Championships (ESPN), Thursday, 7:00 PM at Bracket Town. Tickets are $25, which includes admission to Bracket Town.

The Big Dance®
The Big Dance® is a free three-day concert series in Downtown Indianapolis’ White River State Park in celebration of the NCAA Men’s Final Four that features national recording artists and chart topping acts accompanied by plenty of food and festivities, sponsored by AT&T®, Coca-Cola®, and the NCAA®. Stay in the park on Saturday to participate in The World’s Largest Pep Rally and watch the game on the video boards. It’s fabulous, fun, and free!

FINAL FOUR FRIDAY®
Get into Lucas Oil Stadium for free and watch the student-athletes from the 2010 NCAA Final Four teams in their final practice before the national semifinal games followed by the Reese’s® College All-Star Game with the top college seniors in the country. There will be promotions and special guest appearances. Fans also have chances to win Final Four game tickets throughout the day. Gates open at 11:00 am. Team practices are noon – 4:00 pm with the Reese’s College All-Star Game tipping off at 4:30 pm.

I was wondering when they would make this surgery happen.  Been a no-brainer for YEARS!!

http://tiny.cc/surgery

Here are my picks for the 2010 NCAA Tournament. Feel free to laugh and mock me later.

MIDWEST: Round 1:

Kansas over Lehigh
N.Iowa over UNLV
Mich St. over New Mexico St
Maryland over Houston
Tennessee over San Diego St
Georgetown over Ohio
Georgia Tech over OK St
Ohio St over UC Santa Barbara

WEST: Round 1:

Syracuse over Vermont
Gonzaga over Florida State
Butler over UTEP
Vanderbilt over Murray State
Xavier over Minnesota
Pitt over Oakland
BYU over Fla St
Kansas St over N. Texas

EAST: Round 1:

Kentucky over E. Tenn St
Texas over Wake Forest
Cornell over Temple
Wisconsin over Woffard
Washington over Marquette
New Mexico over Montana
Clemson over Missouri
West Virginia over Morgan State

SOUTH: Round 1:

Duke over play-in winner
Louisville over Cal
Texas AM over Utah St
Purdue over Sienna
Notre Dame over Old Dominion
Baylor over Sam Houston
Richmond over St. Mary’s
Villanova over Robert Morris

__________________________________

MIDWEST: Round 2:

Kansas over N. Iowa
Mich State over Maryland
Georgetown over Tennessee
Ohio St over Georgia Tech

WEST: Round 2:

Syracuse over Gonzaga
Butler over Vandy
Pitt over Xavier
Kansas St over BYU

EAST: Round 2:

Kentucky over Texas
Wisconsin over Cornell
New Mexico over Washington
West Virginia over Clemson

SOUTH: Round 2:

Duke over Louisville
Texas AM over Purdue
Notre Dame over Baylor
Villanova over Richmond

___________________________________

MIDWEST: Sweet 16:

Kansas over Mich St
Georgetown over Ohio St

WEST: Sweet 16:

Syracuse over Butler
Kansas St over Pitt

EAST: Sweet 16:

Kentucky over Wisconsin
West Virginia over New Mexico

SOUTH: Sweet 16:

Duke over Texas AM
Villanova over Notre Dame
_______________________________________

MIDWEST: Elite 8:

Kansas over Georgetown

WEST: Elite 8:

Kansas St over Syracuse

EAST: Elite 8:

Kentucky over West Virginia

SOUTH: Elite 8:

Villanova over Duke

_____________________________

FINAL FOUR:

Kansas over Kansas St
Villanova over Kentucky

Championship:

Kansas 74   Villanova 65

Did Leno know what was going on when he took a picture with this “fan”?   

By the way COCO “FTW” is “for the win”.  I’m sure Conan O’Brien is proud.

Former Butler player and current radio analyst Nick Gardner breaks down the Butler vs UTEP game on Thursday.