Junk Food Nation, Merry Christmas. I hope you and yours are enjoying a wonderful Christmas morning.

You know, I haven’t written too many rants about Christmas this holiday season – besides the rants of random holiday candy – and that wasn’t planned or intentional.  I guess I just hadn’t thought of too many topics I felt like blogging about.  But since Christmas is now here, I do have one question for everyone out there – when do YOU open presents? (Sorry non-Christmas celebrating people – this is gonna be a Xmas focused post).

When I was younger (and I can’t remember vividly) I THINK the gift-opening time always varied.  And really, the choices are limited:

1) Opening gifts the night of Christmas Eve. This is for people who want nothing to do on Christmas morning. You just wanna wake up to a mess of wrapping paper and say, “….anyone wanna go see a movie?”

2) Opening one gift Christmas Eve, and the rest Christmas morning. This is for parents who need to placate their screaming children who are hopped up on Pepsi and cookies and will not stop yammering about presents. HERE TAKE ONE GIFT AND OPEN IT, you little terror!  Now go to bed!

3) Wait until midnight when it’s “technically” Christmas, and open presents then.  I remembering doing this a bunch when I was a kid.  This is for parents who are too tired to fight children who are trying to be lawyers when they are 12 years old. “Well, mom, TECHNICALLY it IS Christmas now!” Yeah, and technically you’re a nerd. Like I said, I pulled this stunt often.

4) Wait until Christmas morning. The traditional gift-opening time, if you can pull it off. Works on little kids who still believe in Santa. Doesn’t work on kids who are over the whole Santa thing, and who are asking, “So wait, are we waiting til Christmas morning to open presents out of conformity??”

And so I ask…what did YOU do this year?

As for me, I waited until Christmas Day to give you MY gift – my 2011-2012 NBA Season Predictions!  Check ’em out after the jump.  Today’s junk food: Limited Edition Godiva Chocolatier Gems Peppermint Truffles!

I know, I know, it’s another back-to-back truffle post, but I couldn’t help it when I saw these Limited Edition Godiva Chocolatier Gems Peppermint Truffles.  I knew chocolatiers made their owns versions of Peppermint Bark, but when I saw these candy cane TRUFFLES?  I had to have one.  I mean, for goodness sake – Godiva made the BAG look sort of like a candy cane.  I HAD TO TRY THEM.

According to Wiki, Lady Godiva was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants. So…yeah.  Then chocolate was named after her.  Makes sense (not at all).

I do appreciate the overall color scheme/motif of this packaging though.  If you’re gonna do a holiday treat, go all out with the red.

Limited Edition Godiva Chocolatier Gems Peppermint Truffles look like deviled eggs filled with chewed bubblegum, if we are to believe this photo.  “Creamy candy cane filling” is a bizarre concept, too…essentially, mint paste?  Can I brush my teeth with it?

Limited Edition Godiva Chocolatier Gems Peppermint Truffles come 4 pieces to a serving. This is more chocolate for less calories when comparing them to yesterday’s Lindt Truffles. Advantage: Godiva.

The Peppermint Truffles, in their wrappers, look like little peppermint candies!  (Why are you not as excited as I am about this fact?)

As soon as you opened the bag, there was a very strong smell of mint in the air.

The white chocolate truffle looks almost too good to eat, and was a perfectly formed sphere of pearl.  Aesthetically, very pretty.  As for the taste…

Mmmmmmm….very nice.  As you can see above, the innards of the truffle were both pink and white.  The flavor of this truffle was definitely PEPPERMINT.  Unlike the Holiday Spice Truffles, which were chocolate accented by spice, this truffle was definitely created to highlight the peppermint flavor.

When you first bite in, you (strangely) get the flavor of mint chocolate chip ice cream – you get this chocolate peppermint taste that is washed with creaminess due to the white chocolate.  Then, as you chew and taste, the peppermint flavor grows and really shines through as the filling starts to spread over your tongue…very refreshing!  And then, all of a sudden, the sugary sweet creaminess of the white chocolate comes back and rounds out the flavor as the shell of the truffle gets chewed up.  The lingering aftertaste is of a milky mint flavor.

There was no cop out in flavor – these Limited Edition Godiva Chocolatier Gems Peppermint Truffles weren’t just chocolate with a hint of mint. These truffles showcased peppermint flavor – there was no confusion that this was a PEPPERMINT truffle.  Outstanding.

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And now…. your NBA SEASON PICKS!

ATLANTIC DIVISION CHAMPS: NEW YORK.  Boston is just too old, and with Jeff Green out, that “one more year” they were trying to squeeze out isn’t going to happen. Carmelo is looking to be the league’s leading scorer, and the Knicks should be only better in his year 2. Runner up: Philly. Doug Collins has this team taking the next step.

CENTRAL DIVISION CHAMPS: CHICAGO. The Bulls were one piece away from beating the Heat last year, I’m convinced of it – and Rip Hamilton is going to be that piece. Runner up: Who knows?  Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee?  Puke.  I’ll go with Indiana just because of Tyler Hansborough’s stupid face.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION CHAMPS: MIAMI. Let’s face it, Lebron is on a mission. I used all of my Miami hate last season – this year, Miami is just going to be scary.  I can see Shane Battier being a huge addition for his defensive presence. Runner up: Can’t it be my Wizards?  No, it can’t.  Atlanta has good all around game.  Better shot selection by Josh Smith would help.

THE OTHER TWO RANDOM EAST PLAYOFF TEAMS: Orlando and …oh eff it, Washington.  COME ON WIZARDS!  (Tempted to take Boston, but I see them really sucking this year.)

WESTERN DIVISION CHAMPS: DALLAS. They’re all 100 years old, and they lost many key pieces (Barea, Chandler) but adding Odom is a good thing, and no one else really improved. Runner up: Memphis, if Zach Randolph can keep it up.

NORTHWEST DIVISION CHAMPS: OK CITY. The hot pick of EVERYONE to win the West WILL win this division with no problems.  Kevin Durant is amazing, and another year of Russell Westbrook and James Harden will solidfy this team into a juggernaut.  Runner up: You know what? I’m taking Denver.  Ty Lawson is legit, and Danilo Gallinari is a surprising baller.

PACIFIC DIVISION CHAMPS: CLIPPERS. Chris Paul is on a mission MORE than Lebron is!  He and Blake Griffin will destroy people this year, I guarantee it.  Lob City, indeed.  Runner up: The Lakers.  Yeah, they’ve lost a step – but it’s still the Lakers, and they still have Gasol and Kobe.

RANDOM OTHER TWO WEST PLAYOFF TEAMS: Golden State (Stephen Curry is a machine, and that whole offense just puts up points), and Minnesota gets in off Ricky Rubio’s Jason-Kidd-like play, mark it.  Sorry San Antonio.  Too old.

EAST CHAMPIONSHIP: Miami over Chicago.  I want Chicago to win, but I can see Miami learning from last season’s mistakes and just closing down games.

WEST CHAMPIONSHIP: OK City over the Clippers.  OK almost lost last year because Memphis out muscled them, and then Dallas just flat outplayed them – did all the little things better.  I think Chris Paul as a floor general is just as smart and can make the Clippers amazing, but I just don’t think they have the scoring power that OK City has.  When in doubt, go with the best player – Kevin Durant.

NBA FINALS: Miami vs. OK City.  This is just going to be a physical, athleticism race.  And when that occurs, Miami always wins.  I really think, despite HATING THEM, that Miami wins it all this year.  Sigh.

Here’s to an (appropriately) shortened NBA Season!

Merry Christmas, happy 3rd to last day of Hanukkah, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

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

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy