Dallas Cowboys, on a Tuesday... everything is better on a Tuesday ~ The Rangers have a new GM ~ Making food is fun

Dallas Cowboys

Tuesday, December 8th @ 7:05 PM CST

Dallas Cowboys vs. Baltimore Ravens (home team is second)

Soooo, I was a little wrong.

The Cowboys beat the Vikings and lost to the Washington Football Team. I mean, who thought that Zeke would finally have a great game, that Tony Pollard would fumble, not Zeke, and that Dalton would come back from a concussion and covid-19 like a gunslinger.

The Vikings game was fun to watch, but then the rollercoaster began again with a depressing game on Thanksgiving Day and the loss to the Washington Football Team. Don't worry, my uncle called us and had to get his bragging rights in... not that either of us are proud of our teams, really. 

Cowboys Golf Club ~ from a golf tournament I got to play in a few weeks ago

I am fine with 2020. Most people loath this year, but I believe many great things have come from 2020. We are learning a lot about ourselves and where we stand on issues to help us move forward. 

What I'm not cool with is 20 years of mediocrity from the wealthiest football team in the NFL, $5.7 billion, to be exact.

We look to sports for many things: action, competition, teamwork, impossible outcomes, aka: the possibility of seeing something that has never happened before!! We all want to be a part of something great and sports invites us into those moments, even as fans. 

What we don't look to sports for are: stress, frustration, glass half empty, or the desire to yell at a tv screen where nobody can hear you. I've gotten much better over the years and thank goodness I don't gamble. I have very little riding on these games, just the expectation to see extremely highly paid athletes perform better than a high or college school football team and bragging rights.

One of my favorite quotes this year is from Mike Leach, head coach of Mississippi State. He said, "We played LSU because New England, Green Bay and the Chiefs had somebody else scheduled, so we played these guys." They certainly would have a chance against the Cowboys.

Moving on...

DALLAS vs. BALTIOMRE

Does anyone miss Dez Bryant? 

Well, get your popcorn ready!!! He's coming to town!! 

(actually, we're going to his town, but that's not how the song goes)

He was picked up by the Baltimore Ravens in October, this year. He hasn't made a huge impact on the games he's played in so far, four receptions for 28 yards in three games played, but that doesn't mean they won't use him differently against the Cowboys. 

He played seven seasons with the Cowboys and is only 32 years old. Crazy because I feel like I've heard about him my whole life! To put into context, the oldest WR (wide receiver) in the league is Larry Fitzgerald, 37 years old. Pretty remarkable because people still pick up Larry in their fantasy leagues. Not sure anyone has Dez this year, but knowing this guy is all heart, they should put him in this Tuesday!

Lamar Jackson doesn't "need" his passing game, we know he can run all over us, but they will use whatever they can to get the lead early and keep it. The Ravens are 6-5 (wins-losses) and are ranked 3rd in the AFC North. They NEED this game to stay alive in the playoff picture. 

I believe the Cowboys are out of the playoff picture, since the New York Giants beat Seattle this past Sunday. (I mean, what???? Since when does Seattle lose to the Giants???) Not like we wanted to make the playoffs anyway, we're looking at 2021 draft picks! 

What is wrong with the Cowboys...

Our Defense is ranked 17th in the NFL. This should not make anyone feel good about going up against Lamar Jackson, Dez or anyone else on the Ravens team. Their Defense is better against the pass than the run, so that frees up some space for Zeke and Pollard to do damage, if they can HOLD ONTO THE BALL! 

But guys, we need our defense to put pressure on Jackson and instead of giving up a couple of picks a game, we need to be the ones doing the intercepting!! 

Dalton has to stay sharp. They will rush him and I'm not sure our O-line can handle it with Offensive Lineman Zach Martin and Cameron Erving out. Martin is out for a few weeks with an injured calf and Erving had a knee sprain. Not good.

We have quite a few defensive players that are out this week as well. 

As it is with every week, we'll just have to see how it plays out. 

I hope to see an exciting game and we can always hope for a victory. Why not?

And for those who miss Dak, I believe he's healing nicely. He showed up at practice the other day and it seems he was able to walk without his crutches. He's also still ranked 27th in passing yards in the NFL. We're 12 weeks in and he only played four and a half games this season. Pretty cool. Can't wait until next year! 

from ESPN

#CowboysNation
#Dallas Cowboys

Texas Rangers

The Rangers have a new GM. Yes, Jon Daniels has moved into President of Baseball Operations, Nolan Ryan's old role. I assume this was to be expected. 

The new GM, Chris Young, started his baseball career as a pitcher with the Rangers in 2004 and grew up in Dallas, TX. He went to Highland Park High School, just like Clayton Kershaw, only nine years apart. I guess you could say Young "paved the way" for Kershaw, along with many others.  

He has been working as the SVP for MLB and decided to return home to Dallas and work for his home team.

Why this is a good thing? Well, since Nolan left, we haven't had a baseball player running things. No offense to JD, it's just nice to have a guy who played the game helping manage the game. Another reason many of us wish Jerry Jones would hire a real GM for the Cowboys. No one should be the President/Owner and GM.

All that is to say, I hope Chris has big plans for our team in 2021. We've been told it will be another year of "re-building," no fan wants to hear that. Go big or go home! Our guys aren't getting any younger and we need to do something with the pitching we got last year.

I'm ready to get back to the post-season and see a few fly-overs in our new stadium!

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game." ~ Babe Ruth

#TexasRangers
#ChrisYoung
#MLB

#GoBigorGoHome

Making Food is Fun

Many of us have spent more time at home in the past few months than ever before. I must say, it is nice to make my own food and eat healthier, but I know that has not been the case for everyone. 

If in any way you or your family have been impacted financially or even lost your job, please know my hope is that you will get an even better job and that all of your needs will be met above and beyond what you have asked for. You are not alone. 

As for budget friendly food ideas, I wanted to share a few. At different times throughout this season, we've all had to make choices and become more frugal with out spending, so it only seemed right to share a few of the creations I've come up with. 

Pasta Sauce: 

Yes, I know tomatoes have lectins in them and Dr. Grundy is anti-lectin. I avoid them most of the time, but every now and then, I eat a small amount of brown-rice pasta and want to make my own pasta sauce. Is that a crime?? ha! (No, we can't talk about how salsa is also made from tomatoes - life without salsa isn't living). 

1 can of tomato sauce (57 cents at Trader Joes)
olive oil

basil leaves

oregano

black pepper

pink salt

crushed red pepper

minced garlic

Throw this all into a blender, vitamix, bullet, etc. and add ingredients to your liking. I'm not a fan of measuring because that's boring. I suggest you start with a small amount of each ingredient and then add as you go. If you have fresh plants, basil and oregano, that's the best, but dried will work too. 

This may not be cheaper than a jar, but it's about the same price and is fresh and fun!

I already shared my oatmeal concoction in another post, see here. Now this one is very budget friendly! 

I also recommend making hard boiled eggs. If you need protein, it's very easy to eat an egg white and be done with it. 

Veggie Mix:

Do you like veggies? If not, this is a great way to get them into your diet.

Buy all of the veggies you know you need to eat. 

Butternut squash

Asparagus

Beets

onions

celery

mushrooms

etc.

Dice them really small and put them in a bowl for storage. 

Pour a small amount into a pan with avocado oil and sauté them. I add fresh spinach and minced garlic for good measure. I also add seasoning and fresh rosemary, if you have it on hand. 

Once you've cooked it down, you can eat it as is or if you have meat or a protein available. A lot of times I'll make chicken, shred it and have it to use in various dishes. 

If you're a sauce girl, like me, but you don't want all of the sugar that comes with them, just add mustard to this dish. Warning: if you don't like mustard, don't add mustard. And if you like cheese, well be my guest! Every dish is better with cheese, I just try not to have it all of the time. I think goat cheese would go nicely with this dish. 

Hunt and Gather Bowl: 

This is my re-creation of the bowl I get at HG Supply in Dallas. 

burger patty

sweet potato hash

spinach

minced garlic

avocado

egg

jalapenos

What? That's some crazy ingredients, but it's so easy to make if you prep it and have it a few days in a row. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers, but this one works. 

Buy a few sweet potatoes and shred them in a food processor. Put them in a container and use a fresh handful each day. 

I also make four burger patties from one pound of meat and save them in a container for each day. 

Prep: Sauté the sweet potatoes in olive oil, avocado oil or butter, once they've cooked a bit, add the garlic and the spinach. In a separate pan, cook and egg to your liking. And at the same time cook the burger. I use my grill, but you can use a pan to cook a burger too. The sweet potatoes take the longest to cook, so time everything else to that and you're good to go. 

Display... it's all about the aesthetics... you want to put the sweet potato hash on the bottom of the plate, then the burger, then the egg and slices of avocado. Once again, you can add mustard, unless you don't like mustard. Clearly I have no other suggestions for people who do not like mustard. Ha! 

Remember, even if you don't have a lot of money, you can have fun with food and make a few meals out of a few ingredients! 

Also, presentation is everything!! I buy butter lettuce at Costco for $4 and use them as taco shells for homemade tuna salad or ground turkey taco meat. It's a fun way to look like you're eating tacos, but it's just cute little lettuce shells.

Enjoy! 

#hugsomeone

#cookingshow

#nevermeasure

#justgowithit

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~smile~