Hungry Times Two

(Five big ol' brownie points to the person who first identifies the musical theatre reference in this blog post title.) Exciting news for the HTT team -- we're headed to New York City! We've decided to forgo the scrimp and save method and treat ourselves to a weekend next month, exploring all that the Big Apple and the Five Boroughs have to offer.

National Bohemian beer is back on tap after 15 years! We've lived here almost one year now and much like PBR has a hip/shtick/cool factor across the country, National Bohemian beer , or "Natty Boh," is experiencing a resurgence around here. And as well it should be, given that it was originally brewed in Baltimore's Brewers Hill neighborhood. The original brewery complex is now a mixed-use development of self-storage, housing and nearby shops/restaurants.

I just had a moment. After retrieving my leftover brown rice and veggie stir fry from the microwave, and tossing out the empty shells of edamame I just snacked on, something occurred to me as I grabbed my reusable bamboo silverware . I am eating so freakin' crunchy right now.

Confession time: I'm having a love affair. It just can't be denied any longer. Sorry, Scott. Oatmeal is usually my breakfast of choice but sometimes I want immediate gratification in the mornings, thus I have turned to you, my sweet:

Ever the fan of a playful pun, I came up with several on our 45-minute car ride this past Saturday to Deale, Md., which is pretty much in the middle of Backwater, Nowhere. What's the big Deale? I can Deale with that. I hope we're getting a fair Deale. Deale or No Deale? You get the picture. Luckily, bad puns were the only poor thing we endured during our trek out to Skipper's Pier Restaurant & Dock Bar.

Sometimes, when Scott leaves dirty dishes in the sink, or I forget to sweep the bathroom where my hair tends to shed, the HTT partnership undergoes a little difficulty. You know, we bitch each other out for a moment. And then go back to being the cheery lovebirds we're meant to be. One reason we're so compatible? We both love pig. Exhibit A: Scott picking through Tennessee-raised pork Exhibit B: Me sporting my fine new Piggy Wiggly t-shirt It's the little things in life that can bring people together...or it's the big, fat, tasty hogs, too. They're not so little. Hope everyone has a wonderful, peaceful MLK Jr. holiday .

Never mind that we're 13 days into this grand new year of 2011 and that I do not really like rabbits at all (so I don't know what's up with my image selection, above) - I'm tossing out my ideas for food-related aspirations in 2011.

Winter fail: only two mere inches of snow fell on us here in MD. So much for a much-needed snow day! Many of you dear readers have, in fact, tucked yourselves in, cozily at home this week for a day or two of snow break - lucky you! If you're looking for some fuel to stay warm and well-fed, we've got two recipes for some tasty chili.

Here I sit, typing on this wee blog, with my back to my grandmother's china cabinet (which was originally a pantry for my great-grandmother's pump house , where all the men would go to have a drink 'cause my great-grand didn't allow liquor in her home, thank you very much). Peering into the glass door of the cabinet, I see nine jars of Christmas Morning Marmalade, which I rechristened "Pucker Up Marmalade" after Scott and I spent nearly two hours peeling, slicing, and seeding an ungodly amount of citrus fruit right before Christmas.

We're not dead yet, to borrow from mighty Monty Python. Just kind of sick, tired, and overwhelmed to get back into the swing of things post-holidays. Anyone else feel like a total slug getting back to work after ringing in the New Year? So. damn. painful. Well, I'll stop my griping and promise you this: we turned it OUT this holiday season, taking lots of photos and making and eating our share of tasty holiday yum- yums . And by that I mean we stuffed our face with: - Shrimp & Grits (made by Sir Scott, coming soon to a blog near you!) - Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust (made by yours truly madly deeply...I rocked it - post coming soon.) - Southern goodies like pimento cheese (pronounced " puh - menna " if you can get your Southern drawl going) and boiled peanuts - A new thing I credit my mother dear for showing me: Pickled Okra! Holy cow, they are good with cocktails. Or just eating them straight out of the jar at 2am , barefoot, as you try your hardest not to ...