Wildcard Playoff Thai Kale & Carrot Salad Giants @ Packers

Wildcard Playoff

Thai Kale & Carrot Salad

Giants @ Packers

Pregame

We made it!  The Packers ran the table and got a home playoff game in the process.  In the middle of the season, this day seemed very unlikely.  The Packers will only be without Quentin Rollins and Jayrone Elliott.

This game should be a tight one.  Eli Manning has won twice in Lambeau during the playoffs and eventually leading to two Super Bowls.  Right now the Packers offense is hot for the last 7 weeks but the Giants have an equally hot defense. Probably the key to the game will be whether the fairly poor Giants offense or equally inept Packers defense are going to step up and win the game.  The weather will be in the teen's but it shouldn't be much of a factor as both teams are used to playing in cold weather.  

Go Pack Go!!

Recipe

Thai Kale & Carrot Salad

by Debra Byczek

Salad:

1 bunch of Kale, torn and tossed with 1 tsp lime juice

1/2 head of purple cabbage, sliced thin or chopped

1/2 bag shredded carrots

Dressing:

1/2 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts

2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup coconut sugar

4 cloves garlic

1/4 tsp red chili flakes

(Blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth)

Maple Curry Nuts:

1 cup unsalted nuts (I used cashews, peanuts, and pecans)

1 T. maple syrup

1 t. curry powder

(Toss the nuts with the maple syrup and curry powder.  Baked on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes)

This is a delicious crunchy salad that my friend Mrs. Plant taught me how to make at a cooking class.  

Tip:  Don't toss the salad with the dressing or nuts until ready to serve.  It will get too soft if you add the dressing ahead of time.

Check out Mrs. Plant's website for lots of great, healthy recipes.

www.mrsplantintexas.com

Dressing Ingredients

Enjoy!

Game Recap

Packers WIN!!!  They beat the Giants 38-13!  This game was not won till after halfway in the 4th qtr.  The Packers had an extremely slow start but the defense miraculously only allowed 6 points when the Giants were dominating.  Then the Pack scores a td halfway through the 2nd qtr and topped it off with a hail mary to Randall Cobb going into halftime.

Then the Packers had another slow start to the 2nd half and gave the Giants a chance to take over the game but they just couldn't do it.  Then the Pack took over the game towards the end of the 3rd qtr and never let up.  

I said in the pregame the difference maker would be either the Giants offense or the Packers defense and the Packer's D bent but never totally broke.  Clay Matthews didn't make a play all day until the 4th qtr when he hit Eli Manning, dislodging the ball, then running 10 yards downfield and recovering the ball. The Packers were still playing hard with seconds left and Demarius Randall returned an interception for 70 yards.

Now it's onto Dallas for next week's game.  The Packers lost to the Cowboys earlier in the year but then the Cowboys lost 2 of their 3 games to the Giants while the Packers have beat the Giants twice.  

Here's a prediction.

So the Cowboys can't beat the Giants.

The Packers can beat the Giants.

The Packers lost to the Cowboys at home.

The next logical progression in the pattern seems to be:

THE PACKERS BEAT THE COWBOYS AT HOME!

It will be an interesting week here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area of having to put up with all the Cowboys' fans ribbing but hopefully it will be worth it next Sunday.

GO PACK GO!!

Game 11 Baked Fries & Homemade Ketchup Packers @ Eagles

Game 11

Baked Fries & Homemade Ketchup

Packers @ Eagles

Pregame

Monday night football in Philly should be a good game.  Can the Packers win? Now their backs are to the wall and probably have to win the remaining 6 games to make the playoffs.  They'll have to do without their two starting linebackers but they will get back Damarius Randall.  Look for Clay Matthews to probably get some snaps inside.  Philly is a tough place to play and Carson Wentz has played great most of his rookie seasons far.  

Recipe

Baked Fries & Homemade Ketchup

Recipe by High Carb Hannah

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into strips

1 tsp each:  onion powder, garlic powder, paprika

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Place fries in a large bowl and toss with spices.  Arrange fries on a pan prepared with parchment paper.  Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.  Top with nutritional yeast for extra flavor if you like.

Homemade Ketchup

1/2 cup water

1 (6oz) can tomato paste

4 Medjool dates, soaked in water for 1 hour

1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried oregano

Blend all of the ingredients on high until smooth.  Refrigerate for up to one week in an airtight container.

Health Tip

This recipe was from High Carb Hannah.  You can visit her website Raw Till Whenever to find out her full story.  She has lost 70+ pounds in 2 years by first following Dr. John McDougall's book The Starch Solution eating a lot of potatoes. Along her journey she has developed her own recipes and system that has helped many lose weight.  

She has a new ebook out called Lean and Clean that you can purchase and save 10% by using the code "mrsplant".  Check out Mrs. Plant's blog if you want to see great examples of some of the recipes in the book.

Game Recap

Packers win 27-13!!

The skid has finally halted.  The Pack came to play and maintained their intensity for the full 60 minutes.  They had long time consuming drives that put them up by 11 minutes in time of possession.  Aaron Rodgers was terrific, they ran the ball when they had too but the receivers were the stars of the game, making great catches with only a few drops.  The defense did get an interception but just played average.  But average is all they need to play when the offense is clicking.

Hopefully they can recreate this model for the last 5 games and sneak into the playoffs where anything can happen.  Back home this coming weekend against the Texans and it is already predicted to be about 34 degrees at game time.

Until next week, be well

David

Game 8 Cheezy Fries Colts @ Packers

Game 8

Cheezy Fries

Colts @ Packers

Pregame

The Pack is back at home for 1 game before heading out on the road for 3 games.  It's important to win this one since they won't get back to Lambeau till December and the Colts and playing pretty awful right now.  Andrew has a horrific offensive line right now that has given up 31 sacks in the just the 1st half of the season.  They can score points but the defense is not very good.  If the Pack play like they did in Atlanta, they should win by 2 touchdowns.

The Pack will get back Quinten Rollins, Randall Cobb, and Ty Montgomery which should help.  Corey Linsley will also be back starting at center but replacing JC Tretter due to injury who had done a great job up to this point.  Having two great starting centers on the roster is a great problem to have.

Recipe

Cheezy Fries

by Debra Byczek

Ingredients:

Russet potatoes

Tomatoes

Red onion

Green onion 

"Bacon" Bits(see Mrs. Plant's link for recipe)

Quick Cashew Queso (see Mrs. Plant's link for recipe)

Steps:

Slice the Russet potatoes lengthwise and place them on a baking sheet that has been covered with a silicone slip mat or a piece of parchment paper.  Sprinkle with black pepper and garlic powder.  Bake in the oven at 450 degrees for about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes.

Once the potatoes are done arrange them on your plate and generously top with the Quick Cashew Queso.  Sprinkle your favorite toppings on.  We used "Bacon" bits, tomatoes, red onion, and green onion tops.  You can garnish them with your favorite toppings.

"Bacon" Bits

(TVP, Liquid Smoke, Salt, Water)

Russet Potatoes sprinkled with black pepper and garlic powder

Quick Cashew Queso Ingredients

(Roasted Red Bell Pepper, Cashews, Nutritional Yeast, Miso, Lemon Juice, Black Pepper, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Cumin, Cayenne Pepper, Salt, Almond Milk)

Yummo!!

Health Tip

Want more great delicious plant-based recipes?  Check out our friend Amy Johnson's site Mrs. Plant in Texas.  On her site you can find hundreds of oil free, low fat, whole food plant based recipes.  

Amy was sedentary and overweight with Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, etc. After watching the movie Forks Over Knives in 2012, her family went plant based overnight.  After 3 months, she was off the medications she was taking 3 times a day, reversed her diabetes, lowered her cholesterol, and started to lose weight.  Now she has lost over 50 lbs and even ran her first 5K at 51! (more about Mrs. Plant)

Amy also has an Education tab on her website that is full of blogs, videos, and audio with cooking, health, and lifestyle tips.

Game Result

Packers lose 31-26!

Well, there's not much to say about this one other than they totally blew it!  For all the good plays they made, they gave up more bad ones. 

Especially memorable bad play included:

• Giving up a 99 yd touchdown on the opening kickoff
• Only scoring 3 points on the 1st 2 drives
• After finally getting an interception they missed a FG
• Scoring only 3 points in the 2nd & 3rd qtr
• Inability if the defense to make a stop on 3rd down on the Colt's last drive

They looked like they actually were going to make a comeback but the defense couldn't make a stand when they needed to.  The defense also should have been able to sack Luck way more than 2 times.

Off to Tennessee next week for the start of their 3 game road trip.

Be well,

David

Game 2: Packers @ Vikings Ultimate Nachos

Game 2:  Packers @ Vikings 

Ultimate Nachos

Pregame News

This is Minnesota's home opener at the new $1.13 Billion US Bank Stadium.  It's notable feature is the partially clear roof(instead of a retractable roof) and it's opening doors on either end.  To the Packer's disadvantage, the angle of the angle of the roof slants towards their sideline making the crowd noise louder on that side of the field.

Sam Shields will not play due to the concussion(his 5th of his career) suffered in the Jacksonville game last week. I am very concerned for his future health and would not be surprised if he retired after this season.  Quinten Rollins and LeDarius Gunter will need to step up to take place.  Neither had a great game last week.  Also, rookie receiver Trevor Davis should be active for his 1st NFL game.

Game Recap

1st Qtr

I have to hand it to Minnesota, the stadium appears to be pretty awesome.  Some scares include Clay Matthews limping off the field(appears to be okay) and two fumbles by Rodgers and Adams that were thankfully recovered.  On the plus side Daniels sacked Bradford, Montgomery blocked a punt, and Peterson was held to 1 yard.  Adams draws an interferance call resulting in short TD pass from Rodger to Nelson.  7-0 Packers

2nd Qtr

Burnett gives up an 8yd TD pass.  Bradford's left hand appears really swollen and gets it checked out in the locker room.  Diggs gets a 42yd pass to set up a Walsh 46yd field goal. 10-7 Vikings

3rd Qtr

A Matthew's sack ends the Vikings's 1st drive near midfield.  Packers stall on a missed 4th & 1 on the Vikings 8.  Peterson and Hyde both go out within a minute of each other with ankle injuries.  Diggs 25 yd TD pass.  17-7 Vikings

4th Qtr

Rodgers sacked to open the qtr but completes 39yd pass to Jordy to the Minnesota 4 and the runs in 10yds for a TD.  Tretter gets a 15yd penalty after the play for defending a late hit on Rodgers which the refs don't call.  Rodger fumbles on their next drive on the Minnesota 39.  Packers hold the Vikings with a sack on 3rd & 11.  Packers start on their 9, Rodgers picked by Waynes with 1:50 to go.  Vikes get an interference call on 3rd & 6 to seal the game.  

Conclusion

Vikings win 17-14.  Sam Bradford looked like a Pro Bowl QB in his first start after looking horrible in the 1st qtr, totally outplayed Aaron Rodgers.  Packers failed to make the big plays they needed on offense.  Demarious Randall was burned repeatedly by Stefon Diggs.

Game 2 Recipe

Ultimate Nachos by Debra Byczek

Whether you are a Nacho Purist (straight up queso and peppers) or a Nacho Extremist (throw whatever you can find on top) this week's recipe is for you!

1. Grab a bag a minimally processed corn tortillas.  We like to use the brand El Milagro.  Cut the tortillas into fourths and lightly spray them with water.  Next, shake on whatever spices you desire.  I used chili powder.  Throw them in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake them about 20-25 minutes.  They should come out crispy and crunchy.  Now you've got your first layer.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. It's Queso time!  There are a lot of great non -dairy recipes out there, but our favorite comes from our good friend Mrs. Plant.  This queso is not only easy, but also full of great healthy ingredients.  The base is cashews, nutritional yeast, and almond milk.  We've attached the link so you can check out this as well as other great recipes from Mrs. Plant.
    
3. Get out your cutting board because it's time to chop up your garnishes.  We chose to cut up:  jalapenos, red onion, green onions, cilantro, lettuce, tomatoes, and avocados.  Feel free to add as much or as little as you like.
   
4. "Meat" layer.  I used a bag of Beyond Beef pea protein crumbles, a can of organic pinto beans, and a package of Trader Joe's taco seasoning.  Dump all of these in a skillet with a little water and heat until warmed through.
5. Now the fun begins!  It's time for everyone to jump in and build their own plate of nachos.  I'm a Nacho Extremist so here's a picture of mine.  This makes a great, healthy football watching snack.  Enjoy!
   
   

Health/Food Tips of the Week

Healthier Food Substitutions

Eating healthier can be as easy as substituting ingredients in the dishes that you love.  These Nachos use the following healthier choices:

Beyond Meat Beefy Crumble



This is a great transition or replacement for ground beef!  No cholesterol, saturated fat, or GMO's.   This or any of their other products are pretty easier to find now. Use their store locator to find a location near you. If you sign up for their newsletter you can get $1 off coupons occasionally.  The average price is usually around $4.50.


El Milagro Corn Tortillas

These Corn Tortillas are found in the frozen section at Central Market grocery stores grocery stores(owned by HEB).  The ingredients are just non-gmo stone ground corn, water, and lime. You can't get any more minimally processed than this.  No oil, no salt, and nothing artificial. If you aren't lucky enough to find this brand, try to find some with similar ingredients.







Quick Cashew Queso

This is great substitution for Velveeta or other cheese sauces. It uses raw cashews as the main ingredient instead of cow's milk or milk by-products.  Raw cashew are best.  Unprocessed, plain raw cashews.  By avoiding the roasting process, added oils, salts, etc will be avoided and the maximum amount of nutrients preserved. Health Benefits of Cashews

If you use Velveeta have you ever looked at the ingredients or nutritional profile?
Here's a good synopsis about it:  http://www.organicauthority.com/what%27s-in-velveeta  

Spread the Word

We appreciate your feedback to help improve this blog as we are very new to this.  Inform us if there are any recipes you want us make as well. 

Please share these recipes and books with your family and friends.  Our main goal is to get every person healthier and then have them share as well.

Next week is the home opener at Lambeau Field against Detroit!


Be well,

David Byczek