Small Potatoes

1.  Remember when I used to do Small Potatoes posts all the time?  Me too.

Lil Bub - meet Big Bob.

2.  I can't wait until my next freelancing paycheck comes in the mail - I'm going to treat myself to at least three days of this.  I might even go crazy and up it to four or five days!

3.  Have you met Lil Bub yet?  If you haven't, you better familiarize.  Kitty's about to take over the world.

4.  So…I'm working on getting my real estate license.  Hence the lack of posts.  And the sudden obsession with metes-and-bounds.

5.  I ordered this because I read this.  Then I promptly remembered that my lower back is similar to a 78-year-old's, and I immediately regretted my purchase.  I shall try it nonetheless; I mean, what do I have to lose?  Oh - all feeling in the lower half of my body as well as the remaining scraps of mobility to which I have so desperately cleaved?  Gotcha.

But just barely.

6.  I just looked up the verb "cleave" in the online dictionary, because it doesn't make sense to me that a word that in one case means "to sever" can in another instance mean to "cling" or "stick fast to".  No
wonder so many people have trouble learning English.

7.  Speaking of which, I have had to whip out my Spanish skills several times at work over the past few weeks.  This has served to remind me of just how much Spanish I have forgotten due to lack of use.  I've pitched the idea of my boss sending me to a Mexican resort for a few weeks to brush up, but so far he hasn't emailed me back.  I'm not conteniendo mi respiracion.

8.  Come bien.

Point of Beginning

I haven't slept tonight.  At all.  It's currently 4:24 a.m., which I believe qualifies as "this morning" as opposed to "tonight," especially considering Sous Chef's alarm is set to go off in six minutes.

I had an extra cup of coffee at work today (oops, yesterday).  This is the reason why I found myself sitting at my computer at 3:00 a.m., working on freelance assignments instead of cuddled next to My Three Favorite Mammals.

While browsing online, I found out that our County Executive, Ken Ulman, issued the "Ulman 1000" earlier this month, to encourage 1000 county residents to join CPS-3, a major cancer prevention study.  Basically, participants give a little blood at the beginning, and commit to filling out a survey every couple of years for the next two or three decades of their lives - all in the name of research.

I happily signed up, and since it's not like I'm sleeping any time soon, I decided to go ahead and complete the initial 45-minute survey.

One of the first series of questions was:

1. What is your highest weight ever?
2. What is your current weight?
3. What weight were you at age 18?

I instantly knew the answer to the first and last questions; I was at my highest weight when I was 18.  When I started college, I joined the crew team and immediately lost 30 pounds, and for nearly 15 years I have prided myself on being able to say, "I weigh less than I did in high school."

And then I stepped on the scale.

My pride is officially gone.  My last scrap of denial - thinking that at least I wasn't as heavy as I was in high school - has vanished.

The number on the scale was the same.  Exactly the same.  The same number I read on the scale when I was 18 and weighed myself in my freshman dorm room, before the first crew practice.

The same number.  That number.

I'm taking a course in real estate, and just yesterday I learned about metes-and-bounds.  It's a way of surveying a piece of land - figuring out whose land is whose.  It always starts at what is defined as the "Point of Beginning".  From there, it can take any number of twists and turns, over boulders and brooks, curving and swerving wherever the boundaries of the land take it.  But it always ends back at the original Point of Beginning.  That's how you know the property is completely encompassed.

I accidentally encompassed myself.

I know I will bounce back; I will come up with a plan, I will take steps, I will move forward.  It won't always seem this bleak.

But this is what's gnawing at me; this is the thought that won't let me go: This is the very thing I've been afraid of; of ending up exactly where I started, all those years ago, all those meal plans and workouts and goals and mistakes and triumphs ago.  As if it has all been for absolutely nothing.

That's how it feels right now.  I'll let you know when it feels better.

Xitomate Grand Opening

Sometimes a girl just needs a margarita.

Unless that girl is me, in which case she avoids tequila at all costs because about seven years ago, after imbibing a few margaritas, she woke up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, the victim of a terrifying hallucination which convinced her that the Devil was in her room and that the boyfriend
slumbering beside her was going to turn into a werewolf and eat her.

Mango-habanero infused tequila

Now that's a buzzkill.

Lucky for me, Xitomate, while specializing in tequila (including several house-infused varieties), has plenty of other yummy beverages on hand.  When I arrived for their Grand Opening / ribbon-cutting ceremony, I started with the white sangria - refreshing and light, with hints of vanilla and peach.

Xitomate gets its name from the Aztec word for "tomato" - this pretty much exemplifies the tone of the restaurant: earthy yet vibrant, traditional yet innovative.  A fresh take on traditional favorites.

Owner Julio Soto is also the owner of Lily's Mexican Market (where they make their tortillas and tortilla chips fresh daily) and Azul 17.  His latest restaurant venture, Xitomate aims to bring the full experience of Mexican cuisine and culture into a cozy, family-friendly atmosphere.  This goal is apparent when you see the modern, brightly-colored decor, grounded by the traditional Mexican touches like earthenware-tiled mosaic tabletops and fresh guacamole served in a heavy stone molcajete.

While sipping my sangria, I gazed across the room and spied a woman carrying a spool of oversized blue ribbon and a pair of scissors that looked like they were made to fit the Jolly Green Giant.  I correctly deduced that she was the Ribbon Cutting Lady.

Sangria makes me smart, you see.

The owners, management, and staff all came out for the photo op and to say a few words about the opening, and then we were back inside to try out the food being passed around.  So fancy.  So fun.

I absolutely loved the pork flautas.  In my experience, the filling in flautas tends to be rather dry.  The pork flautas at Xitomate proved to be the complete opposite - they were crispy and salty on the outside, moist and flavorful on the inside.  They were so good, when Sous Chef met me there later to have an actual meal, we ordered a full portion.

Hye Lim Skittles!!

Perhaps my favorite aspect of the evening was getting to know Hye Lim, the bartender.  I tell you, if someone is passionate about something, no matter what it is, it shows.  For Hye Lim, that thing is bartending.  Girl knows her stuff.  When I told her I like my drinks "Girly and strong," she didn't even blink before she was rapidly crafting me a fizzy and fruity combination of flavored vodka, juice, and soda.  She called it the "Hye Lim Skittles", and I Hye-ly recommend it.  I had two.

Hye Lim also knows her stuff about tequila - so much so that she actually got me to try some.  I am happy to report that I slept peacefully that evening, and all of my dreams were sans fallen angels and hairy man-beasts.

In fact, the only thing I'm dreaming about these days is more Xitomate.

Lucha Libre masks and figurines are just a few of the unique touches to the decor at Xitomate

hocofood@@@

A Delicious Hour

If there is one place around here that truly transports me, it's Historic Ellicott City on a sunny Spring day.  Sous Chef and I were excited to go to the Second Sunday Market, an artisan/farmer's/crafts market held every - you're so smart - second Sunday of the month from April  - December.

We parked at 10:17.  We left at 11:33.  In that seventy-six minute time frame, we managed to complete
a foodie marathon:

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1. Fellow food blogger sightings.  My friend Kristin is the blogger behind The Peppered Press, and loves anything local, fresh, and fun.  I met her a while back through HerMind and had a very strong feeling I'd run in to her at Second Sunday - seems like just her cup of tea.  My premonition was correct - I found her relaxing in the courtyard with her lovely husband and family.
   
2. Coffee at Little French Market.  Sous Chef and I both opted for the Nutty Buddy - espresso, hazelnut, and steamed milk.  Totally worth cramming yourself into their tiny shop to get a cup.
   
3. Artisan bread from River House Pizza Company.  Among their samples today was portabello mushroom focaccia, which served to further my statement that I've never met a fungus I didn't

   

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   like.  We settled on the pizza loaf, which contains mozzarella cheese and marinara.  Oh my gracious - it's like eating cold pizza the morning after a party, minus the hangover and clean-up duty.
   
4. Sweet treats from Rare Opportunity Farm.  Ah, my sweet tooth - she and I are finally starting to get along.  A little indulgence here and there, and she and I are both perfectly content.  Today's treats came in the form of a chocolate chip cookie and apricot almond scone.  Ruth, the proprietor, is just as sweet as her delectable creations.
   
5. An obligatory stop at Randy and Steve's.  The deli is open!  The deli is open!  As soon as

   

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   they released their menu on their Facebook page, I made a mental note to stop in and try one of their sandwiches.  I chose the Secret Garden (veggie freshness between two slices of wholesome bread) and the Sous Chef indulged in the Tuscany (toasty, meaty goodness).  I am also proud to say that I am officially the first person to purchase one of the individually-sized gelatos that R&S now offers.  Pistachio.  Mmm.

Refreshment, relaxation, regeneration.  All just a few minutes away.

Eat well.  #hocofood  hocofood@@@

Stuff

My posts may be more sporadic for the next few months, as I devote my energies to some other areas of my life.

Don't worry - I'll be back in full force as soon as these things are taken care of.

I love you all and will miss you dearly.  I hope you check in every now and then - I am sure there will be things that will be just so good that I'll have to write about them.

See you soon!