Review: Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips, Happy New Year! (RESOLUTION RECAP) & NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks
“Hey. HEY. Where the hell have you been, Junk Food Guy?? What is this, a holiday for you? Some vacation or something?”
Awh, I’ve missed you too, Junk Food Nation. HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope everyone had a safe holiday and is back at work like me today…yeah. I’ve never seen the DC Metro so empty. Are you back at work today? Let me know in the comments.
RESOLUTIONS! RESOLUTIONS! SCORECARD:
Since I started this blog waaaay back on June 24, 2011, I’ve discussed many New Year’s resolutions. Let’s go back and see how I graded out:
2011: I vowed NEVER AGAIN to write an email with the subject line “Hi” or “Hey.” And I haven’t since! Woot. I give myself an A+ for this one.
2012: It became my personal mission to UNSUBSCRIBE from very possible email list I was on. This past year I managed to successfully unsubscribe from both Livingsocial and Groupon, which was like trying to kill a hydra by slicing off one of its heads. BUT I DID IT. Still, however, I have a good amount of email spam coming in. But progress is happening! B+.
2013: I got rid of ALL RECEIPTS. Bills – online. Statement – online. Paystubs – online. I still have this habit of checking receipts against my online statement, which I maintain in my OCD-head is a good thing because I’ve caught two mistakes. VALIDATION. But yeah – this was a big change in 2013. A-.
2014: My goal was a single digit email inbox. Current Gmail inbox state: 91. SHIT. Total fail…not to mention work inbox: 328. OUCH. That didn’t go well. F-.
Anyways, I need a good one for 2015. I need suggestions. What are YOUR resolutions? Maybe I’ll steal one.Tell me in the comments below.
PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS?!
It’s a good time to be a sports fan, and, in particular, a football fan. Yesterday featured an enjoyable game between Oregon and FSU, featuring Jimbo Fisher telling Jameis Winston to calm the eff down and an amazing backwards fumble, and an Ohio State-Alabama game with one of the best catches I’ve ever seen. And then this weekend is the wildcard playoffs?? I’m giggling with joy. Let’s get to some picks (the BQB weighs in as well!):
Cardinals @ PANTHERS (-6.5): WOW. This one is a doozy. A Cardinal team, on the road, starting their third string QB versus the 7-8-1 Panthers? Yeah, I know Cam Newton blew out the Falcons on the road. THE FALCONS STINK. The Cardinals defense does NOT stink. I honestly have no idea WHAT to expect. Will Ryan Lindley put on his best Tom Brady impression? Will Cam Newton put the team on his back and rush for 200 yards? Can anyone even name the starting running back for Arizona right now? This is a game where I’ll be learning about the teams as I watch. My prediction: Bedlam. Somehow the Cardinals cover +6.5. I think the Cards win the game too. I do not know how this will occur.
BQB: I’m taking Arizona + 6.5. Carolina is 4-0 in the past 4 games but they haven’t beaten anyone. Arians is the better coach, and 6.5 is a lot for a sub-.500 team to be giving.
Ravens @ STEELERS (-3.5): I don’t care if Le’Veon Bell doesn’t play this game – Pittsburgh’s is second in the league in passing yards, Baltimore has defended the pass horribly, and Antonio Brown will not be denied. Pittsburgh is everyone’s trendy non-top seed pick to win it all, and I agree. Pitt’s pass D isn’t wonderful either, however, and all Joe Flacco does is win, right? My prediction: STEELERS will win the game, but the Ravens keep it close enough to cover – Ravens +3.5. Since the game is in Pittsburgh, it’s basically a toss-up game.
BQB: Baltimore + 3.5. Really went back and forth on this one but Bell is likely out and Ngata back. Also, advanced metrics love Baltimore; according to them they’re a favorite on a neutral field.
Bengals @ COLTS (-3.5): Andrew Luck is amazing, right? He was awesome in that 2014 playoff game when he took over and WILLED the Colts to victory, right? Well, that was then, and this is now. Getting TY Hilton back will help, but outside of that Luck-to-Hilton connection, I have zippy faith in the other offensive pieces they have. Yeah, they have big TEs, so what? Of course, the Bengals haven’t inspired either, and Andy Dalton is a turnover machine in the playoffs. I think they can take advantage of the Colts horrible D, though. My prediction: Because the Bengals have a WAAAY better run game, they control the clock and not only cover the +3.5, but win the game too.
BQB: Bengals +3.5. Talk about looking decidedly mediocre- how about those Colts? That potent offense is only averaging 17 ppg the past 4 weeks. And Cincy has been impressive – take away the turnovers, and they beat Pittsburgh last Sunday.
Lions @ COWBOYS (-7): Let me tell you a story about how I had Matt Stafford in my fantasy league. He wasn’t wonderful this year, due to injuries and what not, but I stuck with him. Analysts said he would be money in fantasy football playoffs, since he had three weak opponents in Weeks 14-16. How;d he do? Averaged 236 yards and 1.3 TDs a game. NOT GOOD ENOUGH MATT. So yes, I’m picking the COWBOYS to win and cover out of spite. Plus, they have this guy named Demarco Murray.
BQB: Cowboys -6.5. As much as it pains me to take 3 favorites out of four, Matthew Stafford is 0-16 on the road against winning teams for his career. The Lions were 2-6 against the spread on the road this year (although the Cowboys were only 3-5 at home). This line opened at 7.5; at less than a touchdown, I really like Dallas.
Enjoy the games this weekend, everyone! Tell me your picks in the comments below.
TODAY’S JUNK FOOD: Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips!!
Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips: The Money Shot
Tyrrell’s is a UK-based potato chip company whose chips I reviewed a couple times on this blog before. They are a solid company that I wish had greater distribution here in the US. Recently, they sent me a bag of their Merry Crisp-Mas Chips – Red and White Potato Chips with lots of sea salt. It was a wonderful holiday gift to receive, let me tell you!
Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips
These Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips are a limited edition for the holidays, and “are made from small batches of the highly prized, Lady Claire and Highland Burgundy potatoes.” Fancy potatoes! Wait, the Tyrrell’s website says these are made from “red Highland Burgundy and white Lady Rosetta potatoes.” Hmmm…is it Lady Claire or Lady Rosetta, UK? I don’t want to be unfaithful.
Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips: SO RED
Tyrrell’s Merry Crisp-Mas Chips, needless to say, were delicious. I mean, they are thick cut, expertly fried, covered in tasty salt potato chips. Really really good, with a nice balance of potato and salt flavor. The white potatoes were your more standard potato chips – light and crisp, with nice potato flavor like a kettle chip. Tasted like good oil, if that makes sense.
The red potato chips crunched differently – they seemed heartier and a tad less “crispy,” more crunchy. A tad less “potato” flavor, these were still pretty tasty. Gave a nice contrast with the white potato chips.
Together? I mean, just lip smacking good. It’s been a while, with all the crap I eat for this blog, since I’ve had a nice plain bag of salty potato chips. I should do this more often. Excellent job, Tyrrell’s. Merry Crisp-mas to you too!
PURCHASED AT: Sent to me!
COST: 2.19 EURO – or, like, $2.65
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 - 15 Comments
I simply have resolved to stop trying to make silly promises that I’ll never keep! I used to jokingly resolve to gain weight…now that I’m back into athletics, that doesn’t seem as funny anymore.
“Packed in a protective atmosphere.” Huh?
Something about the picture and the “deep and crisp and even” tagline…I dunno about those guys at Tyrell’s…
SF > GB, NO > PHI, IND > KC, SD > CIN
Wait…what?
Nice (hopefully) way to start off 2015 since the frosting filled combos and chocolate strawberry pop-tarts are out…now to track them down…to the junk food aisle!
Join the club, back at work too!
My resolution: to not make anymore resolutions. Kept that going for all these years! Seems like the only people who make such a big deal of resolutions is gyms scamming for memberships & those nutritionist “experts”.
Hey America – here’s a resolution for YOU: Stop making stupid, no-talent useless people rich & famous!
@MP: SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH then America won’t make ME rich & famous!
@JFG – Aww. You provide a useful service of information about a wide range of food products. It’s not like they let us open the bag in the store to try them out!
I tried this year to make goals… not resolutions. To hard to fix the leaky faucet that is my life, instead i’ll try to increase my output! On the docket for 2015: send some flowers to my mom for no reason, try baking croissants, and get Lasik. And now: try these chips.
Its going to be a good year!
@Kate: I like the resolve to bake croissants. I got a new waffle maker this year, and I’m determined to make so many waffles my stomach bursts
My resolution: haven’t thought yet!
Have Arizona covering and winning, picked it 20-16, but that pick’s already looking wrong.
I have Pitt winning based on Baltimore’s pass defense and Cincy winning thanks to Indy’s run defense. But that was before Green was officially ruled out so I decided to give Indy the win, and the Bengals the cover.
Detroit’s defense will throw haymakers at Romo all day, The Lions are insanely good up the middle with Suh, Levy and Quin, and unless you’re the Patiots or the packers, you’re not scoring more than 17 on Detroit, and Green Bay’s offense only managed 21. Dallas is not NE or GB, Lions take the game 24-13.
Good call on the Detroit game.
Bet they would sell in the USA. They’re made in sunflower oil, which makes tasty chips. Other tasty potato chip oils are peanut, safflower, and corn but they’re getting hard to find. Mikesells used to pride itself on using just peanut oil and their chips were great, but a few years ago they went to an uncertain blend (X and/or Y and/or…) and they no longer tasted good. Lays used to have one with corn oil but likewise succumbed to the uncertain blend downgrade. The only chips I can find in my local with good oils (sunflower and/or safflower) is the house brand, so I buy that. I avoid plain potato chips with canola oil or soybean oil especially, not worth the money. They put canola oil in everything these days because people assume it’s healthy, but it’s really just a very untasty oil yuck yuck ptooie that was renamed from the less marketable rapeseed oil. Probably doesn’t matter for flavored chips, but the differences between oils is really obvious for the plain chips.
@Jwoolman – good called on the sunflower oil! Never thought of that – but yeah, the oil WAS tasty here. I’ll be on the look out for more chips using those oils. Thanks for the tip!
At first, I thought that said Merry Crips-Mas. Which was confusing given that they’re using red potatoes.
Your Resolution: Junk Food Grantland!
Tyrrells are fantastic but their crisps sometimes are a bit too salty. I think they’re handmade but I’m not too sure.