Chick-fil-A is giving me free food for a good cause

it's a text

Yesterday, I told you about how to get half-price cheeseburgers and extra value from your extra value meal.

Today, I bring you this.

My local Chick-fil-A is giving people the opportunity to help those less fortunate this holiday season by offering a free sandwich in exchange for a canned good or non-perishable food item. That's the definition of a win-win. You can even do it two days in a row starting today and continuing tomorrow. That is clutch.

So if you're in Evansville, Indiana today, stop by the Chick-fil-A in Eastland Mall and bring some canned goods to get a free sandwich. If you're not in Evansville, take a canned good to your local Chick-fil-A just in case. Even if they aren't giving you a free sandwich, you can still eat lunch there and have a side of canned peas too. There's nothing to lose in that situation.

You know you want one

Half-price cheesburgers? Ways to fill your belly without emptying your wallet this week

Do it.

A lot of time and money will be spent this week preparing turkeys, hams, casseroles, and pies. If you are dreading spending all that money or are already tired of cooking and preparing dishes, you are in luck. You can get your fill of lunch or dinner or both a couple times this week while getting the most bang for your buck.

This just seems like fate. We were just discussing the merits of Sonic's cheeseburgers the other day. We uniformly decided that it is certainly one of the most underrated burgers in the country. Do you agree or disagree? You agree.

Turkey Day Roundtable, hashtag #Thanksgiving. America.

What in the hell kind of food and sports blog would this be if we didn't talk about Thanksgiving? It's one of the quintessential holidays that combines food and sports, specifically turkey and football. It doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

Thanksgiving is an American staple. It is America. Nevermind the backstory with the Pilgrims and the Indians and who did what and where. It is a celebration of freedom and utilizing that freedom to its fullest by filling our stomachs to the fullest.

With that in mind, @jwmillion (JM) and myself @weltmoney (JW) have decided to give you a little taste (pun intended) of our thoughts on Thanksgiving. We held a little roundtable and have saved a place at the table for you. Enjoy.

1) Describe your dream turkey.
JM: There is no doubt my dream fowl is deep-fried. Injected with a generous amount of garlic butter and delicately rubbed with my special mix of spices and herbs. I like it fried to the point I get a crunch from the skin but everything else melts in my mouth.

JW: My dream turkey is fulfilling its ultimate purpose, after living a long, meaningful life. It is a deep-fried, cajun turkey surrounded by all of its friends at the Thanksgiving table. It is both firm, but moist and occasionally it is blanketed in a delicious gravy.

Enjoying a little home cooking with pork chops

Everyone enjoys a little home cooking whether that means going over to Grandma's house after church or getting a few friendly calls from an official on your home court.

While I do love a quick, easy fast food meal, I do enjoy "cooking" every once in a while as well. I don't want to mislead anyone though. I'm no gourmet chef, but I know how to follow a recipe as they say. That doesn't guarantee that the meal will turn out like it is supposed to, but I try.

First off, you have to set yourself up for success. When I look for a recipe, I try only to use the simplest, yet most delicious ones. I'm talking the least amount of mixing and stirring and work on my end, while producing a feast worthy of a king, or at least a fat kid like me.

I believe that I have found the ultimate recipe for such a dream, or rather my wife found it on like a million different Pinterest things. This recipe involves a crockpot, pork chops (which I absolutely love), cream of chicken, and dry ranch seasoning. I'm not claiming this to be the most delicious meal ever created, but I've made this about three or four times so far and it's every bit of fantastic. It is a solid go-to whenever my family is looking an easy meal and we don't want fast food.

Here's how the process has evolved since I began preparing this meal:

McRib: Succulent or Scandalous?

What if I told you a sandwich with all the right ingredients to succeed was not what it seemed on the inside?

Along with Monopoly at McDonald's, the return of the McRib has established a storied tradition at the Golden Arch's. As social media's popularity gained, so too did the McRib. There is even a McRib watch on Twitter (@McRibWatch) for it's loyal followers to keep track of sitings and gloat about how good it is. The McRib was living the high life; fame, fortune, perfectly coated in BBQ sauce...until one Tuesday, November morning in 2013...

The McRib made it's way back into the media spot light this week, but it was not because of yet another triumphant return to McDonald's lineup. With a revealing photo surfacing of a frozen, undressed patty, it seems as though the McRib has fallen into the grease trap of social media along with Brett Farve, Tiger Woods and Lamar Odom.



Questions have been swirling around all week about the photo's authenticity. And if it truly is a bunless McRib for all the world to see, what does that mean for the McRib image? Will people start questioning the authenticity of the McRib? Who knows, but like any modern day scandal it doesn't matter whether it's good publicity or bad publicity - it got people passionately talking about the McRib, which is a win for McDonald's in my book.

College basketball is back and I am hungry

That's me...hungry for basketball...

The return of college basketball is a joyous time to me. It is without a doubt my favorite sport to watch and watch I did last night. Shame on you if you missed the action.

The Champion's Classic, which started last night at 7:30 et and capped off ESPN's marathon of college hoops, was one of the greatest regular season events I have ever witnessed in basketball, or any sport for that matter. It pitted four of the five top-ranked teams in the country against each other as #1 Kentucky faced #2 Michigan State and #4 Duke played #5 Kansas. Neither game disappointed as MSU and KU each prevailed in their respective games.

Also on hand was a veritable buffet of basketball talent and I do love a good buffet. There was never a shortage of exciting play. It was like walking into Golden Corral on a Sunday morning where I could keep going back and back for more. It was tremendous.

The top three freshman coming into this year played last night on the same court in Andrew Wiggins (KU), Jabari Parker (Duke), and Julius Randle (UK). In the end they did not disappoint. They all had their struggles, but they all also took turns taking over their games at some point in time.

Wendy's Pretzel Pub Chicken Sandwich Review: Do the chicken dance

Are you looking at my bun?

It's become quite the fad to put sandwiches on pretzel buns. I actually enjoy it. Wendy's has jumped on the bandwagon as well. They've actually got a couple of pretzel bun sandwiches, one with a burger and one with chicken. I decided to choose the Pretzel Pub Chicken Sandwich, since I also got chili with this particular meal.

The official Wendys.com picture and description:
"A lightly breaded chicken breast topped with natural muenster cheese, honey mustard and a warm cheddar sauce all atop a soft pretzel bun."

Starting with the looks of this sandwich, it's actually pretty good-looking compared to most sandwiches you receive from a fast food joint. The bun is a little more smashed than the official picture, but it's not that bad. It's all pretzel-y on top and all the fixings are stacked fairly neatly between the top and bottom bun. We're off to a good start.

Kansas State Women's Baconball Season Opener

You mostly hear about unusual sports promotions throughout minor league baseball, but Kansas State University has one-upped the farm systems with a promotion for their women's basketball season opener against Tennessee State on Friday.

In an article I read on KansasCity.com, 300 pounds of bacon will be handed out to the first 1,000 students who attend. Those lucky students will each receive six slices of bacon as they enter the arena, which should easily be devoured by the time they find their seats.

Odd? Maybe. Productive? Only time will tell...but when was the last time you added bacon to something and regretted it?

Win or lose, Kansas State has given their fans something to squeal about.

McDouble shifts to the McBubble

Say it ain't so

#MarchFatness has witnessed its first controversy. McDouble which had once been considered a virtual lock to make the field has now slipped right down onto the bubble.

With the news that McDonald's is changing the makeup of their former "Dollar Menu" also comes the news that the McDouble will no longer be just $1.00. Where I live it has risen to $1.19, though I have seen some news stories which listed it as high as $1.69.

Whether you like McDonald's or not, there's not denying that the McDouble was perhaps the most clutch performer among value menu items. It was essentially a decent DOUBLE cheeseburger for just a dollar. That's tough to beat. Alas, the economy has struck again and the value of the McDouble decreases just as the money used to buy it.

McDonald's Mighty Wings Review: I believe I can fly

McDonald’s has wings? How did you not know this? Haven’t you seen one of the many commercials with Super Bowl Quarterbacks Joe Flacco and ColinKaepernick? Maybe the thought of wings from McDonald’s was so off-putting that you blocked them from your mind. Well open your mind back up because these wings are liable to surprise you.

I must admit that I brushed off wings from McDonald’s as something I would probably never get, but then again I’m always hungry and always willing. I’m glad that I chose to try them.

Let me preface this review by saying that you must temper your expectations. If you go into this expecting to taste a chicken wing that will match up with your favorite wings from your favorite wing place, then you’re not giving them a fair chance. At the same time, you don’t have to lower your expectations all the way to the floor either because these wings can actually hold their own.

Man hit in face with hot dog is suing Royals. Don't blame the hot dog.

It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a...wiener?

Baseball teams may have to amend their disclaimer advising fans to be on the look out for foul balls or bats that could fly into the stands. Apparently flying food has become an issue as well.

In a story I recently saw on SI.com, a man is currently in a legal battle with Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals after being hit in the face with a hot dog thrown by the team's mascot back in 2009. John Coomer is that man and according the story he was blasted in the eye with "a 4-ounce, foil-wrapped wiener" which required him to have two surgeries to repair damage done to his eye. He should really be thanking his lucky stars that the hot dog was not fired from one of those t-shirt cannons.

Hardee's: Modern Day Dynasty?

The word "dynasty" is often used to describe the likes of the 1950's New York Yankees, 1960's Boston Celtics, 1970's UCLA Men's Basketball, 1980's Los Angeles Lakers and 1990's Chicago Bulls...but is there a modern day dynasty?

There was the Trinity College Men's Squash team who lost their 13-year, 252 match winning streak in 2012 but let's be honest, that record is almost as exciting as the vegetable. Some people argue the University of Alabama football program is the most recent dynasty with winning three of the last four BCS National Championships. If they run the table and become champions again this year they will have all but solidified their spot on the above mentioned list (and rightfully so), but before the crown is handed to the Crimson Tide I ask if we are fully exploring all possibilites...

Kentucky's James Young scores ridiculous no-look basket...for the other team

James Young did this last night. I just thought you should know. Apparently UK is going to be so good they are spotting the other team points.