What’s up everybody?! So, I just got back from my “guilt workout” after eating almost every brownie in the state of South Carolina last week! As I mentioned last post, my parents always feed me like I’m dying whenever I visit them.

Needless to say, once your sweat starts to smell like chocolate frosting, you’ve probably gone too far. I literally drove straight to the gym once I returned to Atlanta! Don’t worry though because no workout pants were harmed during that workout!

If you read my last post, you know that I ripped 2 of my favorite workout pants during separate leg workouts (the actual number is 3 but I never mentioned the first casualty!). I was about to throw away the last pair, but my mom was able to stitch them and bring them back to life! Thanks to Mom, I was able to celebrate 2 resurrections last week…

Yes, that was an awful segue, but I do hope that everyone had a great holiday weekend!

What a busy convergence of celebrations! From Passover to Easter to April Fools Day to Spring Break for some, there was a lot going on these past few days!

Did any of you give up anything for Lent? If so, what was it and how did you do? Hopefully you made it the entire 40 days!

Comment below and tell us what you gave up and how it went!

Oh yeah, and if you’re a regular here, you already know I’m going to crowbar my favorite April meme into this post somehow, so we might as well get this out of the way now. No creative segues necessary…

Ha, that never gets old!

Oh yeah, speaking of memes, anyone who’s ever experienced Georgia traffic will appreciate this one (I told you that I was going to hijack this meme Fiona Bagley!)!

Anyway, that didn’t stop me from taking Highway 85 up to South Carolina last week. I was fortunate that I didn’t hit much traffic but that’s still one of the most boring drives ever!

Back when I lived in New Jersey, I still drove to South Carolina all of the time. Even though it was 4 times the distance, the scenery along the way made the drive feel much faster. The only thing to look at along my new route between Atlanta and South Carolina is a Walmart Distribution Center. Yeah, I know, #TurnUp right?

Although, this route is still better than the drive between Phoenix and Dallas. Most of that route is just one large rock, followed by a bunch of sand and then a cactus repeated in sequence for one long 18-hour loop. Fun times.

Anyway, my older nephew DJ had a baseball tournament (Go Majors!) in Myrtle Beach last week which coincided with our preplanned trip there to celebrate my parent’s anniversary, so it was perfect timing.

Of course, no trip to South Carolina would be complete without rocking one of my Piggly Wiggly tees!

Yes, I said “one of” because I own more than one (3 different designs to be exact) and yes, Piggly Wiggly is the greatest grocery store name in the history of mankind. #facts

Anyway, I rode out to my parent’s house to spend a day or so there first and have some of Mom’s home cooking!

“One brownie, 2 brownies, 3 brownies, 4. How many brownies before Darrell hits the floor?” The answer? Approximately 26.

“’One brownie, 2 brownies, 3 brownies, 4. How many brownies before Darrell hits the floor?’ The answer? Approximately 26.” – Fat Darrell

In hindsight, I probably should have taken photos considering this is partially a foodie blog, however I was too busy shoveling ridiculous amounts of food into my mouth that I completely forgot. Whoops.

Anyway, after a day or so at my parent’s house, we drove up to meet my brother and his family (sans my niece) in Myrtle Beach.

My older nephew DJ is of “cool teenager” age and hates taking pictures, so I’ll spare him the torture. However, here are a few pics that I took with my mini-me 6-year-old nephew Domonick!

Ha, that Ben and Jerry’s picture cracks me up!

In a future post, I’ll also have to post some video of him dancing like Michael Jackson! As many of you may know, MJ is my favorite artist of all time and I made sure to heavily influence DJ’s music choices, but I had no idea that Dom had become such a huge fan too!

Speaking of which, check out this shirt that I found at the Myrtle Beach Old Navy outlet store (Nicole Gilmore, you’re slipping! I should have been told about this shirt ages ago!)!

Unfortunately, they didn’t have kid’s sizes so instead Domonick made me promise to buy him a Michael Jackson costume for Halloween. Hmm…okay little guy, that I can do.

Oh yeah, aside from that shirt, I also scored these socks as well (shoutout to my sister-in-law Bobbi who got the Batman one’s for me!)!

Yep, I know what you’re thinking right now! And no, I have no idea how I have a girlfriend either…

Anyway, after strolling the Boardwalk (which I highly recommend) a bit, we grabbed lunch at Jimmy Buffett’s restaurant, Margaritaville!

Random thought: I’ve always liked Jimmy Buffett’s name because it reminds me of buffets and buffets make me happy… #phenomnomnomenal

” I’ve always liked Jimmy Buffett’s name because it reminds me of buffets and buffets make me happy…” – Fat Darrell

Anyway, this place was awesome…especially the food!

I ordered the Maryland Style Crab Cakes but also stole some of my brother’s Jambalaya and a coconut shrimp from my mom and all 3 were delicious!

They also had unique beach themed scenery including this huge airplane literally on the ceiling and this giant mermaid that it unintentionally looks like I’m “motorboating” in the photo. Whoops.

I also know a few friends (including myself) who would love to have this giant margarita blender (I don’t drink but could you imagine the epic protein shake I’d make with that thing?)! Check it out in action as Jimmy Buffett’s song Margaritaville appropriately plays in the background!

How cool is that?

Oh yeah, and although I’ve encountered many salty beaches in my lifetime (especially at my last job…), these shirts in the gift shop are the actual inspiration for today’s title! 

I hadn’t been to Myrtle Beach since I went there for Spring Break during my sophomore year of college, so I was really impressed with how the boardwalk has changed in such a short period of time!

There were rides, attractions, top flight restaurants and plenty of shopping.

Many of you may have seen my appearance on Paula Deen’s show, Paula’s Party, back in the day (if not, check out our media page to watch both segments) so it was a surprise to see that she had a restaurant location here as well. I had no idea!

Oh yeah, and here is a pic of one of my favorite stores that I discovered on the Boardwalk, Stupid Factory (which I suspect is also the name of the college many of these politicians must have graduated from…)!

It’s full of crazy tees and random items like this bacon lip balm for example. Walking into that store felt like I had been teleported back to my apartment…

Speaking of stores, although Toys R Us went out of business recently, my childhood favorite, KB Toys, has announced that they plan to reopen and make a comeback soon! Based on the excitement that I saw as Domonick ran through stores, this is a great idea! The toy industry is far from dead…especially if my nephew is in town!

His favorite toy was a custom remote controlled car that he made at this store Ridemakerz on the Boardwalk. For those who are unfamiliar, it’s like Build a Bear Workshop for automobiles. It’s such a smart business concept…especially since that car ended up costing $90!

Prior to meeting my girlfriend, I always thought it would be cool if there was a “Build-a-Bae” workshop where I could take a pretty face, place it on a fit body, then ad brains and an amazing personality to create the ultimate woman! Of course, I don’t need that anymore since I’m already dating her. Awww 😊 I know, smooth eh? If my girlfriend is reading this right now, I must have earned at least a few extra brownie points for that one! Mmm…brownies….

Anyway, the Boardwalk was great but that was far from the only thing to do in Myrtle Beach. I had no idea how large (yet incredibly clean) this city was. When I visited during college, I stayed in a beach house and we only really ventured away from that area at night when we drove straight to clubs. Apparently, we had only scratched the surface of attractions!

Speaking of attractions, although we packed a lot into such a period of time, the absolute highlight of the trip was our experience at the Pirate’s Voyage Dinner Show!

My mother had seen this show relentlessly advertised on tv for years, so we finally decided to check it out and boy am I glad that we did!

The show features singing, dancing, acrobatics, crazy stunts and even sea lions! They also get the crowd involved in the fun and games and the food was delicious!

Before the event begins, they have a 45-minute pre-show in the lobby which was already worth the cost of admission. Plus, kids have the option of having their faces painted to get in the “pirate spirit.” Check out what they did to my nephew! 

Here’s a photo that I took with a few members of the cast as well!

We were fortunate enough to have front row seats (thanks again Bobbi!) but there honestly wasn’t a bad seat in the house. They really do an amazing job with this show! I highly recommend checking it out!

It was well produced and an amazing experience!  

I had no idea that it was a Dolly Parton company until I spotted this on the way out…

With that said, great job Dolly!  We had a wonderful time!

The closest comparison that I have for this experience would be Medieval Times but with water and pirates instead of knights and horses!

Of course, that’s only a guess at this point since I haven’t been to Medieval Times yet but after this experience, I definitely plan to go there too!

I also definitely plan to go back to Myrtle Beach again soon! I was impressed with my entire experience there both times and there’s still plenty to see!

Oh yeah, and shout out to the Marina Inn at Grande Dunes which is the incredible (bad and) bougie hotel I stayed at!

Every high school in town was having their prom last week as well apparently, including a few at the event hall at my hotel. Had it been a wedding, I might have crashed the reception! I can see why they’d have it there though, this place was immaculate.

The staff and service were outstanding, plus check out this shower!

I’ve never seen a 2-headed shower like that before, but I loved it! It was like standing in the middle of a rain storm. I’ll definitely have to have that installed in my house someday! What’s that design called, the Siamese Twin Shower? Whatever it is, sign me up!

Anyway, if you’re looking for an upcoming vacation destination on the East Coast, I highly recommend checking out Myrtle Beach. It’s a great time.

Do you have a travel destination we should all check out? Tell us about it in the comments below!

This past month I allowed work and life to beat me down a bit. It was nearing the point that I had partially forgotten how to have fun. To an extent, I was becoming a salty beach myself! With that said, this vacation was perfect timing!

Aside from the amazing attractions, it was great to surround myself with family and unwind for a few days. From my parent’s caring optimistic energy to my brother and nephew’s extroverted fun-loving spirit, they reminded me how to relax and enjoy the journey a bit more.

I’m usually so focused on the destination that I don’t always appreciate the beauty that can be found along the path to get there.

I know that I’m not the only one so when you find yourself being drained of your energy by negative influences, a temporary change of scenery and surrounding yourself with positive vibes and supportive friends and family might be just the boost that you need!

Remember, detoxes aren’t just for the mind and the body, they’re also for your contact list… Nobody likes a shady beach.

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

Before we close this post out, I’m sure that many of you have a zillion hard-boiled eggs lying around the house now that Easter is over! Well, if you don’t want to eat them plain, here’s an amazing recipe that I found online for Brunch Enchiladas. Arriba! Check it out:

Brunch Enchiladas Recipe

Courtesy of Taste of Home

Prep/Total Time: 30 min. Serves 8

Ingredients

8 hard-boiled large eggs, chopped
1 can (8-1/4 ounces) cream-style corn
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons taco seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 corn tortillas, warmed
1 bottle (8 ounces) mild taco sauce
Sour cream, optional

Directions

Combine the first six ingredients; spoon 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla. Roll up tightly. Place, seam side down, in a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Top with taco sauce.
Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

For 31 other creative ways to use those hard boiled eggs, check out the full article here https://www.tasteofhome.com/collection/recipes-using-leftover-hard-boiled-eggs/view-all/

Do you have another great recipe featuring leftover hard-boiled eggs? Tell us about in the comments below! Also make sure to join our Facebook Foodie Group, Phenomnomnomenal by clicking this link!

Today’s Soundtrack

Margaritaville – Jimmy Buffet

Bum Bum Tam Tam (KondZilla) – MC Fioti

No Roots – Alice Merton

Be Careful – Cardi B

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

Here’s another meme for you before we head out.

This is pretty hilarious because it’s true! People share “fake news” every day of the year without question but on April 1, everyone becomes a detective!

Also shout out to all of my friends back home in New Jersey and the northeast in general who got blasted with yet another snow storm! Wow, that picture I posted last week was no lie, the groundhog definitely lied! Snow in April is loco (that means crazy in Spanish if you didn’t catch that. Sorry, those enchiladas are still on my mind!).

Anyway, it was great to see my family again last week. Unfortunately it was such a quick jam-packed trip that I didn’t have time to meet up with my friends and fellow foodies, Dan and Cathy LaGrippo Bennett who live in the area. I definitely appreciate the invitation though and believe me, next time I’m in the area, I’m showing up to your house around dinner time with a fork already in my hand (May the Fork be With You…)!

Before we go, here’s your friendly reminder to please leave a comment below! Your likes, comments and shares are helping to grow this blog so I appreciate your support!

Also make sure to follow me on social media and check out the amazing offers we have posted on our #DoubleFML Deals and Discounts page!

Speaking of deals, I unfortunately missed out on the free pizza and soft drink that Little Caesars owed for losing their NCAA bracket bet! Hopefully you got yours and if you missed out, that’s yet another reason you should join my Facebook foodie group, Phenomnomnomenal! I sent out an alert first thing Monday morning!

Anyway, it’s better off that I don’t have any pizza today. It’s time for another guilt workout.

I’ll keep you posted whether my gym pants make it through to the other side again. In the meantime, I hope you all have an incredible week! Until next time my friends, May the Fork be With You… (And I’m not kidding Cathy and Dan!  You’ve been warned!)

-Darrell

“If you fight for your dreams, your dreams will fight for you” – Daniel Bryan