Video Review: CLIF Organic Energy Food (Pizza Margherita, Sweet Potato Sea Salt, Banana Beet Ginger) & GONNA WATCH THE KENTUCKY DERBY, BRAH
Junk Food Nation, it’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday…while much of the sporting world is getting geeked out for the Mayweather/Pacquiao fight tomorrow night, I am not. And it’s not because I don’t understand the drama; oh I get it. Mayweather, the perfect villain. Pacquiao, the underdog old man. Oh wait, Mayweather is two years older than Pacquiao?? Is this “Grudge Match”? That was a horrible movie.
No, tomorrow I will be more focused on game 7 Spurs/Clips and the KENTUCKY DERBY. Yes, why watch two men beat on each other when you can watch horses run around in a circle?? (PS: Most sports are ridiculous when described.) The first leg of the Triple Crown kicks off in the afternoon tomorrow, where for “the fastest two minutes in sports” we’ll see whose cuisine reigns supreme. I mean, who has the fastest horse. This year’s candidates: American Pharaoh. Firing Line. Stanford. Harvard. Ocho Ocho Ocho. ESPN the Ocho. And of course, Ocho Cinco. I made up some of those. Do you really care? (Nope).
Seven years ago, I went to the Kentucky Derby – it was sweet. Friends of mine lived in Louisville, and that morning we packed up a bunch of food, a bunch of liquor, some blankets, and we were OFF TO THE RACES…literally. That weekend was a COMPLETE BLUR to me. I do remember, however:
1. The primary objective was to sneak as much beer/alcohol into the Derby as possible. We were worried about security checkpoints and searches…but after shuffling our way into the tunnels to emerge onto the infield 35 minutes later, I didn’t get searched AT ALL. Nice security, Churchill Downs. One particularly smart girl that we met up with baked a bottle of bourbon inside of a loaf of bread. You screwed off the heel to drink. It was amazing.
2. All my friends got all decked out for the Derby: seersucker suits. Light sundresses. Big hats. Cool sunglasses. If I remember correctly, I wore an old T-shirt and cargo shorts with Nike flip flops. yeah….2008 was apparently a rough year.
3. The signature drink at the Derby is the mint julep, an iced drink consisting of bourbon, mint, and a sugar syrup. Even with all the booze we brought, our group drank an astonishing amount of these for like $10 a pop. Each mint julep came in a signature glass, which meant there was LOTS of broken glass all over the infield! FUN, CHURCHILL DOWNS! Anyways, everyone ended up walking away with like 13 glasses…I still have mine:
Yes, that image is correct – it is now serves as a planter for a bamboo plant on my office desk. I’m like Martha Stewart. Plus, I need to dust.
4. The best memory of the weekend was that our group pooled our cash and hit on a trifecta box bet. We were all jumping up and down screaming, trying to avoid the broken glass on the ground, and thus began my descent into sports degenerate status. I won like $200! I promptly blew it all on mint juleps.
It was a pretty great weekend all in all. Since then, I’ve always tuned into the Derby with a bit of nostalgia. Anyone want to go next year? Junk Food Nation #meetup. Let’s do it.
Do you have any horse race memories? Are you even into it, at all? Or will you be focused on the boxing match? Let me know in the comments below.
Today’s junk food: CLIF Organic Energy Food (Pizza Margherita, Sweet Potato Sea Salt, Banana Beet Ginger)!!
VIDEO REVIEW TIME! It’s been a while, but click play see today’s review!
MMM MMM MMMMMMM. Here are some extra photos of this CLIF Organic Energy Food (Pizza Margherita, Sweet Potato Sea Salt, Banana Beet Ginger):
CLIF Organic Energy Food (Pizza Margherita, Sweet Potato Sea Salt, Banana Beet Ginger): How it looked on the shelf
CLIF Organic Energy Food (Pizza Margherita, Sweet Potato Sea Salt, Banana Beet Ginger): The Money Shot
The not-purchased flavor
ADULT BABY FOOD! It’s the future, man. ENJOY THE WEEKEND!
PURCHASED AT: REI, Rockville, MD
COST: $2.50 – $3.00
Thoughts? Please comment below or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. I also have Google+!! Let’s hang out.
Sincerely,
Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 23 Comments
Here comes the athlete out of me rather than the junk food junkie:
First off, I will say that there is some reasoning behind savory foods for endurance athletes. The body starts craving salt because it’s losing more of that. Even though my sweet tooth is well documented, I can say that from experience. It’s why I easily go through a jar of pickles a week.
Two, there’s a lot more behind banana beet ginger. Beets increase NO levels that promote muscle healing, and ginger is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory spices (something I use myself even as a strength/speed athlete).
@Jessica: So you need to try the banana beet ginger!
good for you for even trying these because i would never. maybe if for some reason i was no longer able to chew i’d think about it, but as of now – it’s a hard NOPE.
I would like captions added in. But it seems that you didn’t like these
What do you suppose would happen if I swapped one of those in for the pouches I usually give my son?
@Steve B: Your son would cry. A lot.
Huh….I had no idea us regular people could go to the derby. I thought you had to be totally loaded with connections. Good to know! My dad taught me how to bet long ago when we would go to the races in fort Erie (Canada). I haven’t picked my favorite for Saturday but I will be watching for sure!
@Sarah: Oh yeah – the Derby is totally open to the public (for a price):
http://www.kentuckyderby.com/tickets
This one DC bar is charging 20 bucks for cover even if you’re already inside before the match.
@Elisa: RIDICULOUS. Which bar
The weird thing that stands out to me with this is the warning that it’s not intended for pregnant women. My assumption is that the sodium level is the concern. While appropriate for an athlete (as Jessica explained) not good for children or pregnant women.
People still watch boxing?? Seems like something your old dad or grandpa would watch. Everybody found out it was so rigged decades ago. Plus that whole pay-per-view thing of like $200 for 9 seconds of fight?
My racing memories? In the late 1980s, the local supermarket chain gave out scratch off tickets to watch Arlington race track on like Saturdays at 5pm to win, I guess money? Or groceries? Or horseburgers?
@MP: LOL, MP you strike as someone who is so turn-back-the-clock that boxing would be right up your alley!
@ JFG – Boxing? Are we all having a bully day? Bully! **boxes kangaroo**
I don’t know, I just don’t find it appealing of two people beating the crap out of each other. I much prefer ball & puck sports. Without Interleague Play. Or a DH. Or steroids.
@ JFG – Oh I hate running! I’m fine with short sprints, but anything longer than say, a quarter mile, I’m gasping for air & my sides hurt. I always ran a mile in 17 minutes. Growing up I could actually run faster than anyone else, just couldn’t do it for very long. Running is bad for your knees anyway!
Now it’s been revealed that Manny Pacquiao was fighting with a bad shoulder & never had a chance. It was all a money grab. Hurts the sport’s credibility.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/manny-pacquiao-s-injury-debacle-leaves-bad-taste-after-floyd-mayweather-fight-020042467-boxing.html
@MP: Once Mayweather’s Showtime contract ends, boxing will be dead
The closest I came to the Kentucky Derby was betting $2 on it at the OTB a few years ago, mostly because I went into the C-store to pick up a 40. I do remember going to the dog track (!) when I was really little, and just being fascinated by the fake rabbit thing.
Now you need to go again to get a real mint julep since the news came out they haven’t served a true one in 18 years.
Sweet now I can finally get rid of these pesky teeth. Chewing is so 20th century.
@Keith: next up: PILL FOOD!
Whoa! I think I would mix the sweet potato and the pizza one together!
@GiGi: I just gagged a little :p