Hey what’s up everybody? Welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza!

So how many of you are still doing this?
Ha, don’t worry, it happens to the best of us. Actually, I’m even worse, I also wrote the wrong month on a letter yesterday!

Anyway, I’m happy to report that my food poisoning is officially over! Finally! Thanks to all who have reached out to check on me.

I honestly didn’t expect the symptoms to last so long. I guess I didn’t realize just how serious it was, so I expected to be able to eat like a normal human being after a few days. Instead, I was stuck on crackers and apple sauce for nearly a week!

Around Day 3, I made the mistake of trying to use a pre-workout energy drink mix thinking I’d be able to workout again but that didn’t go well at all! Let’s just say that after that decision, I was able to count every tile in my bathroom over the course of the next several hours! Definitely not my greatest idea ever but hey, you live you learn, right? #yolo

It took nearly a full week to get down normal foods again so needless to say, when I finally had that first can of chicken noodle soup it felt like a gourmet 5-star meal! I even got bougie with it and threw some oyster crackers in the bowl. Fancy, Fancy eh?

I’m officially back now though. I even dared to try spicy Chinese food again last night so it’s safe to say the storm is finally over!

Several people have been clamoring for me to file a complaint with the restaurant but I’m just going to let it go and move on. I’m still trying to be a kinder, gentler, less petty Darrell as I mentioned a few posts ago. However, that still won’t stop me from wishing explosive diarrhea upon the entire restaurant staff who made me sick. May you all step on a thousand Legos! Namaste. 😊

Speaking of Joy to the World, peace on Earth and all that good stuff, have you taken down your holiday decorations yet? My friend John Urbine has one of those houses that you see on tv that’s literally decorated down to the very last inch! See for yourself:

I wonder how long THAT monstrosity must take to break down (and what his light bill for December was)? I’ll have to ask him. He might be removing decorations all the way through the summer!

Actually, that might be how long it takes for him to get a warm enough day to be able to spend hours outside anyway! He’s up in New Jersey where they had that snow “bomb cyclone” last week.

I’ve never heard of a bomb cyclone before, is this new? It sounds like a ride at Coney Island or something Dairy Queen might serve. I’ll have to look up what makes a bomb cyclone any different from a regular snowstorm but either way, my friends up North have been reporting back some brutal temperatures! …Especially the ones all the way up in Canada!

Canadian winters are always terrible, yet I’ve seen people in Toronto standing outside wearing shorts surrounded by like 10 feet of snow before. So, if a Canadian says it’s extra cold this year, it must be bad!

It’s kind of like if a 4-year-old calls you ugly. It must be true! Don’t worry though, only 2 and a half more months to go…yay.

Oh yeah, speaking of blizzards and Dairy Queen, remember the ice cream truck that I showed you last post (*for the record, that wasn’t a Dairy Queen truck though, it was a different company)? Well perhaps he really was up to no good because I apparently spooked him off when I filmed him from my balcony! He hasn’t been back since that day.

Actually, if you look at the video, you can see him quickly pulling away after spotting me with my cell phone aimed in his direction! Of course, I was sick all last week so perhaps I just didn’t notice him but to my knowledge, that video was the last known sighting.

We have a lot of kids in my neighborhood so if he was up to something, I’m glad that he’s no longer coming around. It’s only speculation at this point obviously but an ice cream truck cruising around when the temperature outside is below freezing is curious to say the least. So yeah, if scaring him off was my way of helping to keep the neighborhood safe, then I’m glad I went outside! Of course, I’m not saying that I’m Batman or anything…although have you ever seen us together in the same room? Hmmm…

Oh yeah, speaking of Batman, check out these electrical socket accessories my friend Maura sent over!

She sent one more hilarious one but it’s a bit too scandalous for this blog (but I’m sure you can find it with a quick Google image search for “electric socket stickers” – you’re welcome)! However, the PG ones can be found at the Electric Sticker Co store on Etsy.

Pretty cool eh? I might get a few for my home office.

Speaking of scandalous, there are a few words in the following puzzle that may make you blush, but all-in-all this word find is pretty hilarious. Check this out!

I actually found the words “Love, Marriage and Health” first which is cool and all but after spotting “Pizza, Money and Nachos” I’m kind of upset now. Can I go again?
Oh wait, I have to get used to the fact that I’m dating someone now! I can’t say that, she might kill me! So okay fine, I suppose I can ditch “nachos” for “Love.” Awww, romantic eh?

While we’re on the subject, this meme definitely reminds me of her!

She does this too – she always has the windows or balcony door wide open with the fan on full blast but then bundles under 1000 blankets!

I’ve never been the type who can sleep with the windows open because I always end up sick when the temperature drops overnight (that cold I had a few posts ago was from attempting to do so at her apartment).

Since I’d rather be too hot than sick, I usually jack my heat up to point my apartment feels like the surface of the sun before I go to bed. Meanwhile, her place usually feels like the polar ice caps but we’ve managed to compromise on a temperature somewhere in the middle lately that seems to be working so far. Teamwork makes the dream work eh? See? I told you she’s worth ditching nachos for. Pizza on the other hand…hmm, I don’t know. Just kidding!

Anyway, moving on (before I end up having to sleep on the couch), my niece shared this post on Facebook the other day:

Blockbuster went out of business when she was still eating crayons, so I’m surprised she even remembers but boy is that meme accurate! Blockbuster was THE spot back in the day!

For those who don’t know (you know, young’uns), Blockbuster was a place that rented movies – and the new releases always came out on Fridays! They also had a huge selection of old movies too but best of all, you could actually take your time strolling the store. Plus, they had snacks and even sold many of the older copies of movies for half price. Man, I miss that place!

Rumor has it there are a few locations still open. There are also a few mom and pop shops that still rent movies but otherwise, your only options are a digital or streaming service like Netflix. It’s either that or Red Box.

Red Box annoys me though because I always feel like I have to rush since there’s usually a line behind me. It’s too much pressure at those with annoying people all up in your business! It’s just not the same.

There are several stores that have now gone out of business that I still reminisce about, but Blockbuster may be at the very top of that (currently unwritten but possibly future…hmm) list. RIP.

And now for your obligatory Oreo discussion (remind me to reach out to them for a sponsorship, I swear we talk about them every week!) – I forgot to take my victory lap because I correctly identified the Mystery Oreo Flavor as Fruity Pebbles (see this post for proof)! Although I didn’t win the $50,000, I suppose bragging rights are better than nothing, right? Blah.

I now see that they also ran a contest called #MyOreoCreation where people could nominate a new flavor! I somehow had no idea about that one, but here are the 3 finalists that will battle it out in stores this May:

Hmm, Pina Colada, Cherry Cola and Kettle Corn? Honestly, the thought of any of these turns my stomach. As stated, I’m an Oreo purist so my fave is still the OG original Oreo…but some of these crazy new ones have been pretty good so maybe one of these will surprise me. Which are you most looking forward to trying? Comment below!

Speaking of turning my stomach, let’s talk about some eggnog (hmm, that would actually make sense as a holiday Oreo flavor too…), shall we?

If you read my Darrell’s Disgusting Foods Post, you’ll remember that I was going back and trying all of the foods that I hated as a kid to see if my palette has changed since then. I couldn’t complete that post however, because eggnog was out of season.

Last week I was going to try it but ended up with that horrible bout of food poisoning but alas, now that I feel better, let’s have some nog (what is nog anyway? I also need to look that up)!

Now, just to be fair, I bought 2 different brands because it’s possible I was traumatized by this liquid nastiness as a child because it came from a particular company.

With that said, I’ll be trying a traditional blend from Mayfield and an almond milk version that I found from a company called Califia Farms.

Despite the sweet, fun-loving Santa on the bottle, that Mayfield one scares me the most since it’s likely to taste more like the one I had growing up. Ugh….the things that I do for this blog. I think I’ll start with this one because the almond milk one will probably taste better so I’d rather end on that flavor.

Anyway, enough stalling, here we go. Mayfield first…

Hmm, I expected that to taste a lot grosser than it did so I’m actually in shock right now. I’m still not sure if I actually liked it but I didn’t hate it. Let me try another sip…

Okay, it’s not the worst thing I’ve ever had. I’d be fine going through life never having it again, but it wasn’t the rancid concoction that I remember from my childhood. This is plain too so I can see why some people might enjoy this spiked or with a little cinnamon.
It’s okay. I’ll give it a thumbs in the middle (no, that’s not a Sheamus “bar” pose if you read that post…). I could take or leave it but since that was supposed to have been the nastier of the 2, I have high hopes for this almond milk blend!

I was tentative with the last one but since this most likely tastes like almond milk, I’m pretty confident gulping this one down. So hey, bottoms up eh?

Oh boy….oh no….whiskey-tango-foxtrot, what have I done to myself? OMG this is DISGUSTING!

Wow, no wonder this crap was half-off. I thought it was just because the season was over! Ugh, and I drank so much of it instead of just sipping like I did with the other. Hold on, I’m going to get some toothpaste and brush my tongue….

Man, that was awful! Who would voluntarily do this to themselves? Okay, well I did but never again! Definitely a thumbs down for this one! I wonder if the neighborhood cats would like this? Either that or I’m pouring it down the drain. Wowsa! Good thing I didn’t try that last week!

Final verdict on eggnog: It’s still banned. I got this one right as a kid, it’s gross. Never again.

That still leaves at least 4 items plus another I just remembered that I need to revisit for part 2 but feel free to check out the first half of my banned foods list by clicking here!

Anyway, after cleansing my palette, I also decided to try out these plant based chicken strips from Beyond Meats.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll remember that I reviewed their delicious plant based burgers awhile back and they sent me a few coupons to try out some other products.
With that said, today I’ll be taste testing their Grilled chicken strips!

Here’s the nutrition label. 20 grams of protein and GMO free – not a bad start! Most frozen foods have really high sodium levels but the amount in these (330 mg) isn’t too bad if you stick to one serving.

I am a little disappointed this one contains soy since the burgers didn’t but in small quantities I don’t mind that so much. You can research the pros and cons of soy protein for yourself since that’s a lot to get into and there are various stances on this issue. I’m okay with high quality sources and in small amounts but that statement applies to most foods.

Anyway, I decided to whip up some Grilled Chicken Caesar wraps.

You’ll have to pan fry these since the microwave is not suggested but it only takes a few minutes. 3 to be exact (and yes, my spatula is cooler than yours. Thanks!).

Here’s what they look like after being heated. Hey, nice style points for the grill marks guys! These look legit.

I won’t bother writing up an actual recipe since it’s pretty straightforward stuff here but I used a sun-dried tomato basil wrap and the salad had shaved parmesan cheese, romaine lettuce (which was hilariously autocorrected to “romance lettuce” – ooh la la!  By the way, if you live in Canada or the US, be careful with this ingredient since there’s currently an E.coli situation in North America linked to Romaine.  Read all about it here: https://www.consumerreports.org/food-safety/avoid-romaine-lettuce-for-now/) and garlic herb seasoning along with Caesar dressing.

I added croutons to the remaining salad and served it on the side along with a few multi-grain chips.

As for the taste?

Wow, this is more like it! This is almost delicious enough to make me forget about the eggnog travesty (…almost.  That eggnog was disgusting!  Ugh)! Of course, anything can taste great when it’s covered in dressing but I also tried a strip by itself and it was just as tasty.

Beyond Meat makes some good stuff so if you’re looking for a high-quality meat alternative, I’d definitely check them out. I’m not a vegan but I do like to occasionally mix things up so it’s nice not having to sacrifice flavor when I do. Impressive stuff!

Do you have another food item, recipe or restaurant we should try? Tell us about it in the comments below and also make sure to join our Facebook Foodie Group Phenomnomnomenal by clicking here!

That leads us to today’s fitness tip! I also encourage you to mix things up with your nutrition as well. Just like your body adjusts to workouts, it also adjusts to how you eat so even if you eat really healthy foods, you may still need to throw your system an occasional curveball to keep it firing on all cylinders. That could mean finding different protein sources as I did above, intermittent fasting or even incorporating a cheat meal here and there! Yeah, I knew that part would get your attention!

Try downloading a nutrition tracker or keeping a journal to determine how the foods you eat affect your body to help better determine how to incorporate new choices. You may also want to consult an expert nutritionist or dietician to come up with a game plan to help you hit those fitness goals in 2018!

Before we move on from fitness, I’d also like to formally announce that I’ve dropped “The Bull” and have officially “Gone Insane”!

That’s right, some of you might remember my past affiliation with a different supplement brand. And while I have nothing but great things to say about them, I’ve moved on to a bigger and better company, Insane Labz!

They have energy drinks, protein blends and more! Best of all, if you use discount code DOUBLEFML at checkout, you’ll receive a 20% discount on your order! Check out their full line of products by visiting http://insanelabz.com/ and make sure to check out our #DoubleFML Deals and Discounts page for other exciting hook-ups!

Do you have a fitness question or accomplishment you’d like to share? Let us know in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

Best Friend – Sofi Tukker ft. NERVO, The Knocks & Alisa Ueno (this is that incredible song from the iPhone X commercial!)

Lemon – N.E.R.D. ft. Rihanna (another one of my current faves)

Jungle – Pitbull & Stereotypes ft. Abraham Mateo & E-40 (ha, this is a fun playlist this week! Do yourself a favor and check these out)

Do you have another song that first today’s themes? How about a song that doesn’t fit today’s themes but Is just so great we should check it out anyway? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Okay, that’s about it for this week but before we go, congratulations to Alabama and Georgia for an incredible College Football National Championship game and to Alabama for getting the W! 

I’d also like to give a shoutout to Kendrick Lamar for that amazing halftime show!

Hopefully they continue having major acts perform at halftime each year going forward like the Super bowl does. Although I do feel for the bands who may not have gotten to perform their full routines on the grandest stage as a result. Still it was a great and historic game that was close all the way to the very end!

Even though my alma mater, Rutgers University, didn’t make any bowl games this year, it’s still the birthplace of college football (true story).

They also won the very first game ever so you can’t take that away from them! GO RU! Hopefully they can pick up a few more wins next season. Who’s your favorite college football team? Comment below!

Anyway, as always, please leave a comment below before you leave. Also make sure to follow me on social media by clicking the buttons on the side panel.

That about does it but I hope that you all have an amazing week! Thanks again for stopping by and as always, May the Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“I heard you like Bad Boys. Well at Walmart, I enter through the exit doors…”