Junk Food Nation, it’s kind of a weird weekend in sports because Christmas Eve is finally here!  When I was younger, Christmas took FOREVER to arrive because I was anticipating presents.  As I got older, the Christmas feeling spread out a little more because there was constant holiday food eating and binge drinking parties that occurred.  But now? Now I have a job and I worked all the way up to Christmas…an the holiday just snuck up on me!  “Oh it’s the weekend…oh wait it’s also the birth of Christ??? But I haven’t anything to wear!”

Because Christmas, December 25, is on a Sunday this year, and because the NBA’s big ticket games always happen on Christmas, the NFL got bumped back to Saturday – today.  (Booooo – NFL trumps NBA.  You tell the NBA to shove it.)  Nevertheless, I get it.  Typically in a regular season, the NBA would float in the background of the NFL schedule, playing games on TBS, TNT, and ESPN.  The first nationally televised network games happen on Christmas Day every year (this year on ABC). These are the big money maker games, with millions in advertising.  And after that bogus lockout the NBA just had, this sham of a professional sports league NEEDED to make sure it still had its big money maker games.  I wouldn’t be surprised if the NBA had some kickback deal with the NFL was paying the NFL to move the football games to Saturday.

Still, what results in a pleasant oddity – football all day long on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to me!  My  Week 16 picks after the jump. Today’s junk food: Limited Edition Lindt Holiday Spice Milk Chocolate Truffles!

Limited Edition Lindt Holiday Spice Truffles, I have a lot riding on you.  Holiday spice is a bold flavor to claim during the holiday season. You know if you’re not JUST RIGHT, I’m going to assail you. After some just so-so experiences with the Beary Sweet Truffles and Godiva’s Apple Caramel Truffles, I need a chocolate ball to truly sing this Christmas weekend.

Lindt, I like where you’re going with this – nice muted color to the bag that could represent cocoa, cinnamon, eggnog, nutmeg, etc.  Snowflakes and holiday greenery stencils to decorate the bag.  Big buildup here, Lindt.

What is the predominant seasonal holiday flavor?  Looking over my posts for the last two months since Halloween, I’ve reviewed 8 mint related snacks, 3 apple related foods, and 5 cinnamon/gingerbread spice related goodies.  Mint wins, I guess – which I think is bull, because even though I love mint, I like gingerbread more.  Step up your game, junk food companies!  Where’s the Gingerbread Doritos when you need them?

Heh heh, you said balls.  Why wouldn’t you say “Serving Size = 3 truffles?” Lindt? Why?

GAH!  WHO IS THIS GUY??? Jeez Louise, that CANNOT be how the creamy center gets into a Lindt Truffle.  Someone waving a whisk/scepter over a gigantic truffle? So creepy.

And Lindt, your descriptions make me feel dirty. Taking me to where my chocolate dreams come true? Lemme tell you something – you don’t WANNA know where those dreams take me, Lindt.  Just back away.

They look like jingle bells!  Yes, I know what jingle bells look like.  They look like this. Shut up.

Also, as soon as I opened the bag of truffles, a huge smell of cinnamon and nutmeg came wafting out.  VERY exciting.

I popped one of these Limited Edition Lindt Holiday Spice Truffles into my mouth, and as described by Lindt, my chocolate dreams DID come true!

The smell – the unwrapped truffle radiated cinnamon and nutmeg flavor as if I was putting my nose right to a bottle containing those spices.  It’s the type of smell that brings back memories.

The texture – like most good quality truffles, a nice rich shell on the outside and an amazingly creamy center.

The taste – superb. Just superb. The spices burst on my tongue immediately, and I could taste the cinnamon and nutmeg very strongly.  And it didn’t overpower – it mixed well with the chocolate and for a second tasted like a nice cup of cocoa that has these spices drizzled on the top.  Then as the chocolate melted, the taste of the spice gave way to the rich sweetness of the chocolate within.  The after taste was of cocoa and nutmeg, and lingered gleefully.  This is, by far, the best truffle combo I’d tasted in a long time.  By far.

Lindt, happy holidays to you – you have a winner here.

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And back to what you’ve been waiting for, WEEK 16 NFL PICKS!

Junk Food Nation, last week, due to a number of upsets (Green Bay losing to Kansas City?  Damn you, Kyle Orton), I went a “miserable” 9-7. Boo. That puts me at 52-26 in the last 5 weeks – I’m averaging 10.4 correct predictions vs. 5.2 wrong predictions – exactly double. Not a bad run.  Let’s keep it rolling into Week 16!

HOU @ INDY: The entire country had Houston winning this one.  As did I, for the record (HOUSTON). And then the Colts go winning it in the final moments?  Indy, what the eff are you doing?? I know you are worried about the Luck vs. Manning controversy – but don’t just go AVOIDING IT by winning too many games!  Dude.  Dude.  Dude.

But even more, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, Houston?? At one point with all the tie breakers you were the #1 seed in the AFC. Now helmed by UNC’s TJ Yates, you can’t complete a passing play longer than 20 yards? Houston we have a problem, and it’s called being an awful football team.  We won’t be seeing you come Super Bowl time.

OAK @ KC: CHIEFS.  Eff it, they beat the Packers, they can certainly beat the Raiders, right? Right?

JAX @ TENN: I’m picking TENNESSEE, only because they are at home.  Otherwise, these are two putrid teams.

MIA @ NE: PATRIOTS need to win this one to full on clinch home field throughout the playoffs.  I can’t believe that the Pats and their 32nd ranked pass defense are the odds on favorite to win the AFC spot in the Super Bowl.  The other contenders – Denver? Sorry, Tebow. Houston, nope. Pitt? Not without Big Ben. Ravens? I thought so but they showed weakness vs. the Chargers.  NYJ? They have to get INTO the playoffs first. And Cincy? I’m not a believer.

ARZ @ CINCY: Well, I’m a believer enough to know that the BENGALS take down the Cardinals. Kevin Kolb, I hope you’re renting.

DENVER @ BUFFALO: Just….just try to win the final home game of the season, BILLS…even though you’re blacked out…because you have 20000 unsold tickets to the game…sigh. Tebow…let’s just ignore you for one week, shall we?

STL @ PITT: I don’t WANT to pick PITT, with Ben Rothwhatever out, but I have to.  STEELERS – because the Rams ARE that bad.  Charlie Batch, you’re the man…for this week.

NYG @ NYJ: A home game for both of them, guffaw guffaw.  I’m picking the JETS here in a must win game because even though the Giants dictate their own playoff destiny, I have confidence that Eli and Coughlin will screw it up somehow.  I mean, last week’s loss to the Skins? Not pretty, GMen.

MINN @ WAS: You know, I think the SKINS take this, despite All Day Adrian Peterson playing, because with Matt Barkley returning to USC, the gods will conspire to make the Skins win just enough to not land Robert Griffin the III in next spring’s draft.

TB @ CAROLINA: Cam Newton vs. an awful team. Cam always wins.

CLE @ BAL: The Ravens got embarrassed last week against Philip Rivers, and they are gonna take it out on the Colt McCoy – Seneca Wallace Browns.  Ouch.  Sorry, Peyton Hillis.  This horrible season is going to have a horrible ending.  RAVENS.

SD @ DET: Is SD in the playoff hunt, really??? The answer…sort of.  Norv Turner inspires no confidence.  LIONS.

PHI @ DAL: I’m telling you, the Dream Team is BACK! Well, at least I think PHILLY will beat Dallas on the road. Philly needs a lot of weird things to happen to get into the playoffs (PHI needs to beat DAL, NYJ beats NYG, and then NYG beats DAL, PHI beats Washington), but I think it could happen.  Hell, it’s what I’m picking for this week.  If Philly gets in – they could play HUGE spoiler. Beware.

SF @ SEA: Seattle is a hard place to throw the football, which is why Frank Gore will run all over the Seahawks.  NINERS.

CHI @ GB: GB will avenge the affront from last week. Plus the Bears are awful. GB just needs one more win to clinch homefield throughout the playoffs, so I foresee them destroying the Bears and then sitting everyone of any worth for Week 17.  Matt Flynn, everyone!

ATL @ NO: NO is going to be pushing hard to win if they want to get that #2 seed away from San Fran. SAINTS take this, but mark my words – come playoff time, Atlanta is not the team you want to be facing.  They are completely under the radar, no one if talking about them, and they are one of the only teams where EVERYONE is healthy.  Yikes.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas Eve!  Happy Football Saturday!

Any thoughts? Tell me in the comments below or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page.

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy