What’s up everybody?  How did you enjoy your Singles Awareness Day (Valentine’s lol)?  Some people get so mad about February 14^th but again I remind you that February 15^th launches a full week of deeply discounted heart shaped candy so cheer up slugger, you’ll get ‘em next year.  As for now, enjoy those truffles!  Oh yeah, ladies, and if your man waited to see you on the 15^th instead of on Valentine’s Day, you “might” be the side chick (and by “might” I mean um yeah, you are lol). 

Either that or he was waiting for the clearance sale on cards and candy too but hey, that’s better than pulling the old “start an argument in January then make up in March to avoid buying a present” trick.  Which is once again better than breaking up ON Valentine’s Day which is surprisingly common on this and other “expectation holidays.”  So I guess the point is that things could always be worse eh?  So, appreciate what you have…especially if what you have is a Reese’s Peanut Butter Bouquet for only $5 (Thanks Kroger)!

So I wonder how many of those Papa Johns heart-shaped pizzas were sold on Valentine’s Day too (see my last post for photos/context).  I need to call and find out.  I’m sure a few of those being presented as legit presents contributed to the February 14^th breakup stats! Wait, hold up, are those leftover pizzas half off too? Hmm…

Anyway, enough about V-Day, did anyone else catch the Grammy’s?  If you’re a music fan and missed that show, you definitely need to catch a replay somehow – it was great!  They totally reinvented themselves because a decade ago, they used to be known as the “fuddy-duddy (lol that was fun to type, let’s do it again…fuddy-duddy…lol fuddy-duddy…okay sorry, I’m done…where was I?  Oh yeah…) out of touch” awards show but they’ve been on fire in recent years!  It’s actually one of the few awards shows that I still watch because everyone seems to step it up a notch for The Grammy’s.  Some of the performances on other shows feel dialed-in but everyone brings their A-game to this one and it’s a joy to watch.

I especially love the unique musical collaborations where fans of one style can be exposed to other genres.  Collaborations like that are so important for broadening your horizons.  That’s how Aerosmith became one of my favorite groups of all time.  I had no idea who they were until Run-DMC joined them for Walk this Way.  Music really is the universal language where people from all races, political stances and classes can find common ground.  The world needs more of that.  Music, art and theater are usually the first programs cut when schools have tight budgets but these creative outlets are so important.

Anyway, yeah, that show was amazing from top to bottom and wow James Corden was incredible as the host!  Man that dude is talented!  I heard he used to be a member of a boy band back in the day.  Ha, who knew (hmm, Justin Timberlake was in N’Sync and he also thrives in late-night comedy so maybe we’re onto something here lol)?  Don’t get me wrong, Leno was great and David Letterman was one of my major comedic influences but man, between the aforementioned James Corden, Jimmy Fallon, Conan, Seth Meyers, Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert and even more on cable, we may be in the new golden era of late-night comedy.  They’re all hilarious and in such different ways lol it’s an embarrassment of riches really. 

But yeah, The Grammy’s – check it out.  Hopefully I’ll win one of those someday!  Since I also act and I’m a hip-hop artist maybe I can pull off the elusive EGOT that Tracey Morgan’s character on 30 Rock was aiming for (but the phrase was first mentioned in real life by Phillip Michael Thomas…yes, Tubbs from Miami Vice!).  That would mean I’d need to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award at some point during my lifetime lol.  But if I do manage to make that happen, I’ve also already created The Best Sandwich in the Nation (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s my recent post about it) so I may be the first to pull off the EGOTS.  Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, Sammiches!  Haha, aim big right?  Mom, clear the trophy case!  I’ve got work to do lol…

Anyway, The Grammy’s weren’t the only awards show whose name begins with a G that was held this past weekend.  Well, at least not in Georgia that is, because I was proud to have been a special guest of the 5^th Annual Georgia Entertainment Gala held at the historic Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta!  What an incredibly professional and smoothly run event! I had a great time!  As soon as they announce the date for next year I’m marking it off on my calendar immediately!     

Now for those of you who don’t live in The South or are unfamiliar with how huge the entertainment industry has gotten down here, you may think that Honey Boo Boo was the only show filmed in Georgia!  But due to the amazing tax breaks for production companies, the weather and diverse locations throughout the state, the film industry is booming here!  And when you factor in the huge music scene down here too, Atlanta trails only Los Angeles and NYC as the third largest media hub in the United States! Platinum selling artists and Hollywood A-lister sightings are a daily occurrence down here now.  Infact, I’m still mad at the guys at Metroflex Atlanta for not telling me when one of my heroes, The Rock, showed up at their gym not once, but twice!  C’mon man (©ESPN MNF) my phone better ring next time people!

Anyway, this event celebrates the best and brightest in film and music within the state of GA and I was honored to have been a part of it.  With that said, I’d love to share a few photos for you to check out!  I took a lot so I obviously can’t post them all.  I was also fortunate enough to have been backstage for most of the show, so for performance and stage shots, you can check out http://www.gaentertainmentgala.com/ but here are a few…

Okay, so this is the outfit that I had on…

I normally prefer a regular tie but wow, people really seem to love the bow-tie look…oh and that’s before they even fully knew what it was capable of.  What do I mean?  Ha, see for yourself in the video clip below!

Ha, I told you, adulting is hard lol but yeah, that tie was great!  It even has 3 flashing speeds!  Besides, how do you stand out in a crowd full of other people who are also trying to stand out from a crowd?  Sounds like one of those, “if a tree fell in the forest” conundrums (ha conundrums, that was fun to type too…not as fun as fuddy-duddy though…) Anyway, yeah I’m really glad that I bought it.  The conversation for that purchase went something like this:

Her: Hey Darrell, this is a black-tie formal event so maybe you should wear a bow-tie

Me: Eh, I hate bow-ties – besides, I’m probably wearing gray so I don’t want to look like Pee-Wee Herman.

Her: Yeah, but look, this bowtie lights up!

Me: I’ll take 2 please.

The coolest part about the tie is that it looks completely normal when you turn it off.  This guy didn’t quite have the same option with his ensemble!

Ha, between our outfits and height difference this looks like the makings of a horrible buddy cop movie lol.

Here’s me hanging backstage with Young Joc from Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta.  Fat Darrell and Young Joc also sounds like a buddy cop movie lol very cool guy.

This is one of the hosts for the event, actress Beth Keener.  Fans of The Walking Dead may know her better as Annie, her character on the show.  She also made the top 5 for the Live with Kelly co-hosting gig so needless to say, she was great!

 

Walking Dead fans may also recognize Chandler Riggs who plays Carl Grimes on the show. 

Hmm, you know what lol this is going to take forever if I try to post every photo AND include a caption lol.  So instead, here’s a slide show with some fun shots from of various winners and honorees backstage along with a few shots of the venue.  Some faces you’ll recognize from various shows and others you will definitely recognize very soon.  There was a lot of talent in that arena!

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Did you see that cake?  It tasted as delicious as it looked!  Actually all of the food was great!  The waiters and waitresses caught on to how greedy I was and just started walking straight from the kitchen directly to find me first with every new item they brought out!  “Look for the guy with the bow-tie” was the directive so yeah, that accessory was the gift that kept on giving! 

There were some pretty amazing entrees in the buffet lines as well!  This guy, Chef Leroy served up an incredible pasta entrée!  And Chef Will Brown of Will’s Way Creole Kitchen (not to be confused with Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen on which he also appeared) served up this Cajun gumbo that was so good that it made me twice as mad that I didn’t pull off making it out to New Orleans for Mardi Gras yet again this year!  Oh and shoutout to Stephanie Moore from Platinum Creations Catering & Events for the Incredible Caribbean Jerk!  Oh and by Caribbean Jerk I mean chicken, not my former boss who was an incredible Caribbean jerk too…

Again, for additional photos and video highlights, check out the official Georgia Entertainment Gala website and social media pages.  Or even better yet, check it out for yourself in person next year!  Congratulations again to all of the honorees and to the event organizer Autumn Bailey for putting on an amazing production!

So all of this food talk has gotten me hungry (lol if you’re regular reader or have been paying attention so far, this shouldn’t surprise you!).  A few days ago when I asked my friend Nancy Posey in El Paso, TX what she was making for breakfast, she said cactus with onion, tomatoes and eggs.  Huh?  Cactus? I legitimately wasn’t sure if she was joking or not.  Why?  Well, forgive me Texans but I didn’t know that you could actually eat those!  I lived in Phoenix, Arizona for a little over a year and all that I knew about cacti was that there was supposedly a 25 year jail sentence and a $15,000 fine for urinating on one of those!  Wait, or was that for shooting one of them? I can’t remember anymore but either way you get the point, they were these sacred things with stiff penalties associated with them, not something you’d douse with Franks Red Hot and chowdown on.  (Okay, so it was driving me insane after I typed that so I looked it up.  The actual penalty for cutting one down in Arizona is a class 4 felony which could land you in jail for up to 4 years! I love food and all but if I’m going to do 4 years of time over breakfast, there’d better at least be some pancakes and bacon involved!  I’ll have to look into this more though, the edible ones must all come from other states?  Hmm…stay tuned, I have some useless knowledge to acquire!)

Anyway, apparently I’m late to the party because after doing a little research online, I now see that the cactus is actually an amazing superfood!  Some of the nutritional benefits include fat loss, blood sugar control, cancer prevention, antioxidants and it can be used as an anti-inflammatory. What?!

Intrigued, I asked her how it tastes and she says that it’s delicious!  When she buys it whole, she removes the spines and uses it in shakes.  If she cooks with it, she boils it first but she said to always add an onion because without it the cactus is slimy.  She also mentioned that you can buy it already prepared so it’s easier to just get the leaf and save yourself the trouble. 

Hmm, now for the sake of science, I’d love to just run out and buy a cactus but I’m writing this pretty late so short of stealing my neighbor’s houseplant and throwing it into a pot, I don’t know where I’d find this ingredient.  I’m sure some specialty bougie (bad and boujee…) store like Whole Foods probably has it though so I’ll check asap but for now, the next best thing was to ask Nancy for her recipe to share with all of you!  Not only was she sweet enough to type it up for me, she also made a batch and provided photos throughout the process! So with that said, here’s the recipe for:

Nopales Rancheros

Total: 20 min / Cook: 10 mins  – 2-3 servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive oil

1/4 cup onion

1/4 cup tomato

1 jalapeño (add more if you want it to be spicier)

1/2 cup fresh cactus pads

4 eggs

1/2 cup Cheddar cheese (optional)

Directions

In a sauté pan heat the oil. Sauté the onions, tomatoes and jalapeño.

 

Add the cactus pads and cook for 3 minutes. Add eggs and mix together. Add cheese (optional)

Serve with refried beans and tortilla for a delicious meal!

Wow, that really does look great!  Thanks again Nancy!  Now can you mail me a plate?

Do you have a recipe that you’d like to share or a food suggestion for me to try? Have you ever shot a cactus? lol tell us in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

Luv – Tory Lanez (closing out the V-Day week…plus it’s a great song “Everyone falls…”)

Walk This Way – Run DMC and Aerosmith (this collaboration was unheard of at the time – groundbreaking track right here)

Welcome to Atlanta – Jermaine Dupree ft. Ludacris

It’s Goin’ Down – Young Joc (Sup Joc? We need to collaborate asap!)

ATLiens – Outkast (lol I love this song haha)

The Cactus – 3^rd Bass (ha, this is actually one of my favorite albums of all time lol these guys were so underrated)

Midnight Train to Georgia – Gladys Knight and The Pips (need more useless info?  I just looked up why the background guys called themselves The Pips and here’s the answer https://www.yahoo.com/music/bp/why-did-gladys-knight-background-singers-call-themselves-191655418.html)

Georgia on My Mind – Ray Charles (Unless you’re listening to the Ray movie soundtrack, then it could be Jaime Foxx…)

Have another song that fits today’s theme?  Tell us about it in comments below. I can already think of several more, especially with Georgia in the title…can you?

Okay well that’s a wrap for today.  I’ll be back again with another post on Monday but in the meantime, you already know what to do!  Please continue to keep liking, commenting and sharing this page and follow me on social media by clicking those buttons on the side panel! Until next time my friends – may the fork be with you.

“Be careful when you follow the masses. Sometimes the ‘M’ is silent…”

Fuddy-Duddy.

-Darrell

If ya smellllllllllll what The Rock is cookin. (I’m still mad at you Metroflex ATL!)