Aaaaaannnd, we’re back! What’s up everybody? Welcome back to #DoubleFML FatDarrellPalooza!

If you can’t tell in the cover photo, I fell and injuired my head.

Well, not the actual me, but I did accidentally drop my “mini-me action figure” so now it’s slightly dented. ☹ I suppose I’ll have to make another one now. I’m giving a whole new meaning to that “New Year, New Me” cliché, huh?

And no, that’s not photoshopped! That really is an action figure that I keep on my desk (yes, I am aware that I’m strange. Thanks for asking…)! Unlike this photo that IS photoshopped:

I know, fressssshhh huh? My “sister” Cynthia made that crazy photo for me!

I put the word “sister” in quotes because she’s not my biological sister but we both separately share the last name “Butler” and went to the same high school (Long live the mighty MHSN Lions!).

Even though I’m a short black guy and she’s a tall white chick, we both got asked if we were related so often that we made up a backstory of being identical twins.

Despite our differences and the fact that she was a grade behind me, you’d be surprised how many people actually fell for that over the years! Apparently, people didn’t catch on to our sarcasm.

I suppose that it’s fairly common for siblings to have different skin tones, looks and heights, but I still find it hilarious that we pulled that off! What’s even more impressive is that we didn’t really know each other that well when we simultaneously started telling people that story. It’s like we were connected telepathically. Hmm, maybe we really ARE twins…

Anyway, how many of you are still feeling the effects from the Daylight Savings time change? I definitely am.

It’s always awesome in the fall when you get to set that clock backwards to gain an hour. It’s even better when you’re out having a great time at a lounge or nightclub that normally closes at 2am because BAM! Suddenly you gain an extra 60 minutes of fun.

Even when I’m not at a party, getting to sleep in for an additional hour is honestly just as exciting!

This whole, “spring forward” thing is for the birds though. It’s awful. I mean, “fall backward” is clearly the star of the Daylight Savings experience. The good cop if you will.

“Fall backward” feels like buying shots for the entire bar while “Spring forward” feels like checking your account balance the next morning. I suppose it’s time to pay the piper as they say.

‘Fall backward’ feels like buying shots for the entire bar while ‘Spring forward; feels like checking your account balance the next morning” -Fat Darrell

It’s not all bad though I suppose. I mean, it’s pretty exciting to know that summer is just around the corner I also enjoy it staying brighter outside later in to the night, so once I’m fully adjusted, I have no complaints. However, right now, in this moment? Yeah, you can have “Spring forward.” I’ve been dragging all day.

I suppose that another reason I’ve been dragging all day is because I’ve been working over the past several nights doing background work for a movie that’s been filming here in Atlanta. Wait! Don’t get excited, I’m only an extra in this one.

Although I’d much rather be starring in the film, it’s still been a fun experience so far…despite spending hours outside in freezing temperatures!

I’m not sure how many details I’m allowed to provide at this point since we weren’t even allowed to have our phones with us on the set, but I can tell you that it’s a horror film and should be released around Halloween.

Ironically, the extra roles that I’ve taken recently have been as a personal trainer (which I am), a gym rat (which I also am) and as a guy who loves Halloween (which I do since that day is also my birthday). I know, I’m really pushing the envelope and expanding my acting chops with these roles, huh?

What’s next, a guy who loves snacks? Oh wait, I’ve already played that role numerous times in catering! You should see the endless amounts of food they provide! It was “Phenomnomnomenal” (which is also the name of my foodie group on Facebook – click here to join now!)!

Actually, typing that last sentence just reminded me that I have a pack of peanut butter crackers still stashed in my jacket that I’m going to eat as soon as I finish this paragraph!

No, I wasn’t kidding…

Standing outside shivering for the past several nights really put things in perspective though because there are many people living outside each night and not by choice.

I had a stomach full of food and the option to leave if I chose to. I also had on 2 pairs of socks, 3 pants about 8 tops including a hoodie and a jacket. Others are much less fortunate, so this experience served as a great reminder of that fact.

Earlier in the week I also made my way over to FilmHubATL’s entertainment industry mixer. If I’m going to land more leading roles over background work and pull off winning my EGOMS (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, MTV Music Award in addition to the S in “Best Sandwich in the nation” which I’ve already accomplished. Click here to check out my post from last year where I first laid out my EGOMS goal), I’m going to have to do a bit more networking!

Unfortunately, nobody is going to “discover me” in my apartment. Unless the Chinese food delivery guy has connections…

Anyway, the event featured penguins and horses and Santa, oh my!

Although, in hindsight, I suppose that networking with actual humans instead of animals and magical gift bearing elves may have been more productive…

Wait, actually that meeting with Santa was very productive because I not only secured a future interview for you guys (that’s right CNN and FOX, #DoubleFML has landed an exclusive with Kris Kringle himself! You jelly?), I also got an update on my current status for a Christmas present this year!

He said I’m currently on the naughty list but that I still have time to turn things around before he makes his final list for December. ☹ We’ll see how this all plays out… I’ve got 9 months, so anything is possible!

Oh yeah, let’s take a closer look at that shirt, eh?

Hey, they suggested wearing a name tag so there you have it…

Speaking of things that take 9 months to happen, I was laughing at this meme until I realized that this skateboard baby stroller was actually a real product (the left side of the meme, not the right with the upside down kid)!

What?! Really? Wow! Are baby helmets and elbow pads required? Who could possibly think this is a good idea? Maybe they should have put a stroller on one of those luge things during The Winter Olympics too. That might have boosted the ratings a bit.

While we’re on memes for a second:

True story.

Anyway, how many of you used the Google maps navigation app on Sunday? If so, did you find the hidden Super Mario feature? It was incredible!

In case you missed it, March 10 was National Mario Day! Why? Well, look at the abbreviation -> Mar10. Get it? It looks just like his name!

Anyway, to celebrate, Google Maps added a feature where instead of hitting the regular start button, you can hit the Nintendo question mark box instead to have Mario guide you to your destination!

Let’s-a-Go!

If you missed out on the fun, no worries, the feature will be available for the rest of the week. However, you should also follow me on social media because I announced this on Sunday morning! To follow me now, click the social media icons on the side panel.

Speaking of national days, I may have forgotten to mention National Oreos Day last week and National Pancake Day the week before, but I ended up having an impromptu celebration of both this past weekend! How so? Well for starters, while running errands with my girlfriend, she picked up these Peeps Oreos (now you see why we’re a good match eh?)!

These aren’t new by any means; however, I hadn’t tried them yet since I don’t really have strong feelings for or against Peeps. They’re not bad, but I don’t crave them or anything. My girlfriend on the other hand, absolutely loves them so she was all over these!

I have to admit that she was right though, they were pretty good!

The marshmallow flavor tastes a lot like the traditional Oreo cream filling, but it’s covered with the signature Peeps sugar crystals to provide a crunch within a crunch (within a Crunch if you eat them at that popular gym chain but I digress…) which is pretty cool!

If you love Peeps, you’ll definitely love these!

They taste exactly how you’d imagine it should taste if you smooshed a Peep in between 2 chocolate cookies!

I’d provide a little more insight by tasting another one but wrestling that bag back from my girlfriend is a very risky proposition!

I’ve seen that look in her eyes before.

Just tell her that she’s pretty and slowly back away Darrell. No sudden movements! Everything is going to be okay…

I’ve learned to never stand in between a woman and her chocolate fix! That’s never a good idea. Especially when your head resembles a giant Milk Dud like mine does!

See?!

I’m sorry but I value my life way too much so there’s absolutely no way that I’m reaching back into that pack of Oreos. You’ll just have to get your own and try it for yourself.

Wait a minute, that reminds me that I also stashed a mini-pack of Oreos from catering at that movie set too!

Again, no, I wasn’t kidding!

Anyway, that was the belated National Oreos Day celebration. “So, how did I celebrate National Pancake Day” you ask? With these!

(*Michael Jackson tee sold separately…)

BAM! That’s right, pancakes and syrup Peeps! Say What???

As mentioned, I don’t mind Peeps. I mean, I’ll eat them and occasionally nuke one in the microwave to see how big it can expand before it explodes but aside from that, I rarely think about them outside of Easter. These on the other hand are a potential game changer! It’s pancakes y’all! Pancakes!

That’s really all the set-up that you need. There’s no more time to waste, I’ve got to know what these taste like!

The verdict: Meh. These are okay. I think that I hyped myself up too much for them. It still tastes just like one big marshmallow to me. I suppose there’s a hint of pancake and syrup deliciousness but I’m still slightly disappointed.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to eat the rest of these! That has more to do with my greed than a love for these though. I don’t dislike them, they’re just not as flavorful as I imagined they’d be.

Still, I had no idea they made so many other flavors now! I also spotted these 2 as well.

The fruit punch reminded me too much of cough medicine. It’s not bitter but the flavor profile brought back apparent suppressed memories because I wasn’t feeling these at all.

The sour cherry was pretty good though! It takes a bold flavor to overpower the strong marshmallow taste and the sour cherry is just that. It’s like a mushy Sour Patch Kid if you’re familiar with those.

Oh yeah, speaking of old school candies, check out what was on the shelf above the Peeps!

That’s right, Fun Dip!

I didn’t buy it since it’s basically just a bag full of sugar but man I used to love this stuff!

Old school candy was hilarious though because I’m old enough to have had candy cigarettes back in the day as well. Plus Big League Chew which was bubblegum that was made to look just like chewing tobacco! That’s right big tobacco, reel ‘em in young.

This Fun Dip has evolved though. Look at that! All Natural ingredients now? Wow, I’m impressed…and nope, I take that back. Now that I looked at the ingredients on the back, it includes the artificial dye, Red 40. How is that possibly natural? Is there a Red 40 tree somewhere in California or something? Maybe it’s in the “Redlands” ….get it? Nevermind.

Seriously though, how do companies get away with that? Sneaky sneaky.

Seeing all of this delicious looking candy made me crave more but like I said, summer is just around the corner so loading up on processed sugar isn’t the smartest idea. That’s when I remembered seeing this suggestion on Facebook and decided to give it a try!

The recipe is pretty straightforward. All that you need are strawberries and a cookie sheet. Oh yeah, and an oven but hopefully you already figured that part out.

Anyway, after rinsing and cutting them in half, I baked them for 3 hours like they said but they were still mushy instead of being chewy like a Twizzler. Perhaps I didn’t slice them small enough or I should have preheated the oven longer? Either that or the temperature needs to be adjusted.

As is, these remind me of a strawberry shortcake but without the cake which is obviously depressing.

After throwing the pan back into the oven for another hour though, here’s how they came out!

Okay, now we’re talking! These aren’t bad at all! Once they fully cool they’ll probably be even better.

With all the dried fruit options readily available in stores though, these seem like more trouble than they’re worth.

I could have bought an entire bag of dried strawberries for only 50 cents more and avoided having to prep ingredients or wash a pan!

I will keep this recipe in mind if I ever have a garden or strawberries that are about to expire though because this is a smart way to preserve them if I don’t feel like eating them right away for some reason.

Otherwise, I’d save my time and effort.

The verdict: Not bad…but time consuming and somewhat pointless unless you have a ton of strawberries lying around.

Do you have another food item, recipe or restaurant that we should all try? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Although I’ve shared variations of the following tips before, they’re relevant so I’m reminding you once again.

First of all, don’t be fooled by the claims made on the front of your food labels, always read the back including the serving size and list of ingredients.

Secondly, as I demonstrated with the strawberry candy, there tend to be healthy alternative options for nearly anything you can imagine.

Does it always taste as good as the real thing? Of course not, but it might just be close enough to get you by until your “cheat meal” when you can indulge your actual cravings in moderation.

Last but not least, summer is just around the corner and many of you will be going on vacation so use that trip as motivation to stay focused on your workouts through this final cold spell!

The more specific you make your goal, the more likely you are to stick to it. For example, “I want to get in shape” is a lot less motivating than “I want to get in shape for my trip to Miami in July”!

Give yourself short term goals to use as check points along the way and team up with a buddy who has similar goals to help you stick to it!

For example, plan that trip to Miami together! Or better yet, take me! I know, I know. Hey, it was worth a shot….

Do you have a fitness question, goal or accomplishment you’d like to share? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Today’s Soundtrack

Daylight – Maroon 5 (Ugh, I’m still tired…)

Marshmello ft Lil Peep – Spotlight

Hungry Like the Wolf – Duran Duran (Back away Darrell…back away…)

Anniversary – Tony Toni Tone (Happy 50th Anniversary to my parents!)

Diplomatic Immunity – Drake (what up JP?!)

Do you have another song that fits todays themes or that’s just so good we should check it out anyway? Tell us about it in the comments below!

Before we close this one out, if you were paying attention during the soundtrack, you may have noticed that I gave a shout out to my parents who celebrate their 50-year anniversary on the 16th!

WOW! Let that sink in for a minute!

They’ve been married to each other for 50 years and still go on romantic dates and everything! They really are a dream couple.

I can barely make it through an entire day without even annoying myself, so to put up with another person for 50 years (even more if you count the years they dated first) is absolutely incredible!

My girlfriend and I were just patting ourselves on the back for making it to our 3rd month of dating each other but wow, we’ve got a long way to go to catch up to them!

It’s easy to be cynical after witnessing so many divorces in this country but a couple like my parents who met in college and remain rock solid to this day gives hope to us all!

They’re going on a well-deserved vacation this weekend and then my brother and I will be meeting up with them later this month to celebrate again. I couldn’t be happier for them! Congratulations Mom and Dad!

For those of you wondering why I didn’t include a photo of them here, it’s because they prefer not to be on the internet. So, here’s a drawing of them instead. Enjoy.

Oh yeah, and since many of you have asked to see what the girl who’s melted the ice around my jaded heart looks like, here’s a picture of my girlfriend as well:

I know, she’s a cutie, right?!

I’ll also probably talk about this a bit more next time if it actually happens but it looks like the entire Toys R Us chain is about to go out of business. Wow, talk about the end of an era!

Anyway, that’s about it for this week. I’m still debating heading out to Savannah for their St. Patrick’s Day celebration this weekend but if it’s as cold as it has been lately, I’ll probably stay home instead of standing outside and freezing my lucky charms off!

Whatever you end up doing this week though, I hope that it’s incredible!

As always, please don’t forget to drop a comment below before you leave!  (if you’re a regular, you didn’t seriously think that I was going to forget to say that, did you?)

Okay, that about does it. I wish you love, peace and tacos. Until next time my friends,

May for Fork be With You…

-Darrell

“My day runs backwards:  I wake up tired then go to bed wide awake…”