Feeding a Baby

Around the 4-month mark is when you can start introducing solid food to a baby.  It's as nerve-racking as it sounds.  What do you feed a baby?  I can split these fries with him?  No, not exactly.

We started off with the traditional rice cereal.  We kept that recipe going until I thought perhaps he was getting too tired of the same old things; formula and rice cereal.

My mom, who watches Noah while I'm at work, started feeding him foods she made.  She made our food growing up so I wasn't too shocked to see her making his foods.  It started off with potatoes, squash and carrots and gradually moved to adding bananas (his favorite), blueberries, strawberries and apples.

I didn't initially start off parenthood with the intent of making my son's meals.  (Well, aside from breastfeeding.)  In all honesty, it was something I hadn't thought too much about.  However, watching my mom make his meals and realizing that Noah had yet to eat some of the jars of Gerber food found in our pantry, that someone had gifted to us, made me stop and think long and hard about it.  What did I want to feed my son?  What would be in his best interests?  How about my own?  A happy, healthy baby is the ultimate goal of any parent so what can I do to achieve that?  My mom, a woman ahead of her time, made most of our meals.  What she didn't make was pizza only because she didn't know how.  She's a Mexican first.  My father's side is Italian and even still, we don't know enough to make our own pizza.  Also, I can honestly say that I have yet to eat a Happy Meal from McDonald's.  My mom never went out and got them for us instead telling us, "Oh, you want a Happy Meal? I'll make it for you."  And suddenly, here I am, making my son's food and I am still alive.  Why didn't I put more thought into this before I decided to have a baby?  Why did I think it was going to be hard?  Why would it have mattered if it was going to be hard?  It's my son's health and well-being.  What the what?

I spent this weekend making my son chicken, squash, pears, plums, peaches and apples.  All of them pureed of course and, according to the BNC, all of them yummy.  I surprised myself very much this weekend not only with the fact that I was able to carve out time to do this, as well as pre-make some dinners for the week four ourselves, but also about how calm I was about it.  I didn't know I had it in me to be a mother who makes her son's meals.  I am that person now and while I was a little ashamed that I didn't put too much thought into this before and after my life as a parent, I'm glad that I snapped to it and did something about it.  My son, who just turned 6 months old, is happy and healthy and just got all good marks from his pediatrician.  And, at the risk of jinxing it, he has yet to get sick.  Keeping him clean must help but there has to be some truth about your immunities being found in breastmilk.  Turns out, there was a payoff to all those times I got sick as a child; they went to my son instead.  Yay!

Look at this face.  How could it not have been worth it?

Breakfast

One of the hardest things, so far, about the pregnancy is feeding myself.  My diet is so strict, moreso now than ever.  I feel as if food has become the enemy.  I eye everything suspiciously, eat it cautiously and wait the results of what my meter will tell me 2 hours later.  

Right now, breakfast is my stress.  My usual PB&J sandwich is no more, at least for a while because, according to the books my doctors have me reading, consuming peanut butter may lead to The Astronaut having asthma problems.  Say what?!  And just like that, my go-to breakfast is no more.  I like a good egg sandwich but, by the time I eat it at the office, it's cold.  Cereal and milk raise my blood glucose to really bad levels.  So, here I am, trying to research some better, quicker but still yummy breakfast options for my morning work days.  I know the yummy and healthy answer is out there.  I just have to find it.

Ice Cream Treats

It's Product Review Friday! 

Let's start with Blue Bunny's Sweet Freedom No Sugar Added cones in snack size.  Right off the bat,  you will notice how tiny they are.  They were roughly the size of the BNC's thumb.  Despite that, it was the perfect little size that satisfied the craving for a sweet treat.  It didn't taste like a diet snack and it wasn't overly sweet either.  It even comes with a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure.  You can either throw your head back and slide the loose peanuts from the bag into your hungry mouth or you can pick up the peanuts with the top of your already bitten off cone and then take a bite out of it. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart .

Next up, Skinny Cow Cookies 'n Cream Truffle bars.  The bar itself was more than plenty to satisfy that craving.  The taste, while not completely coming off as cookies 'n cream, was subtle and creamy.  I did get a bit of a toothache from the cold but I chalk that up to not having enough tooth real estate and thus dipping into gum territory.  Go figure. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart but perhaps in other flavors.

 

Lastly, Skinny Cow Ice Cream Cone.  The taste of these was a bit overwhelming.  It was so rich and slightly overpowering on the tongue.  However, if you keep at it you'll learn to appreciate the decadent fudge on soft chocolate ice cream.  Drink a glass of water, you'll be okay.  My only other non-issue was how hard it was to get the wrapper off the cone.  I kept thinking my Hulk Strength was going to crush the cone and I would be left without the joy of an ice cream cone. 

The final verdict:  Put it in the cart.  Put 2 in the cart.

 

The BNC and I are having a good time trying out various treats that are easy on me.  We're preferential to the snack size Blue Bunny cones because it's a perfect little snack.  You run such a high risk of overdoing it with a half gallon of ice cream and trying to figure how many scoops you should get and how generous those precious scoops should be.  The portion control of the above ice cream treats appeals to us a great deal and, as long Blue Bunny and Skinny Cow keep churning them out, then I'll keep trying them out.

Let Us

The BNC, without having to, partakes in my sugar-free diet.  He eats, and drinks, reduced sugar, low fat, high fiber, whole grain, zero calorie, low sodium stuff with me.  It's one of the many reasons I love him.  His support means the world and makes what I have to do so much easier.  And while I don't enjoy all the good stuff I'm supposed to eat, I don't stop him from enjoying what he likes. 

So, on Sunday (and Monday) we I made lettuce wraps.  I used my new purple Slap Chop on some onions and tomatoes and cooked them down alongside some ground chuck. 

The mixture was seasoned with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some tomato paste.

As a side dish, I made rice with orzo.  (Is that rice pilaf?)  Whichever, it was yums and both the rice and orzo were perfectly cooked. 

I toasted and cooked them together and out it came; perfect.

I didn't eat any lettuce but, from the looks and sounds of it, they looked and tasted awesome.

It's certainly a dish that will be put into heavy rotation especially with summer looming and the desire to crank up that oven grows less and less.

ps....excuse the shadows, the weird lighting and the less than stellar photos.  I'm still trying to find my angles as well as work the laptop I recently received.  Thank you, come again.

Top of the Muffin to You!

I'm a huge Seinfeld fan.  Huge.  Insane.  Not only do I possess the box set, with the accompanying coffee table book detailing every episode, but I also own the Scene-It Seinfeld game.  I know.  There are so many good episodes that whenever I try to name my Top 10 I end up leaving out several other good ones.  I should just rank each episode, all 9 years of it. 

Some great ideas have come out of Seinfeld such as the bro, the yada-yada, the urban sombrero and the muffin top (not the too tight pants which makes meat cones).  The top of the muffin is the best and Elaine knows, we know it and now, Mr. Lippman knows it. 

Mr. Lippman steals Elaine's idea and opens up a shop, Top of the Muffin to You! which starts out not doing too well.  See, Mr. Lippman was only baking the tops and not the entire muffin.  As Elaine rightfully explains, the entire muffin has to be baked in order for the top to be yums.  There has to have been a stump.  That sentiment is what had me weary when I found these while out on an excursion. 



I need snacks, good snacks, to fend off the low sugar hunger monster and, while these looked a little promising, they were just okay.  As with most sugar-free items, the muffin tops were a little dry, then again, the stumps weren't formerly attached so that may have been the reason.  The overall taste was subtle despite being chocolate flavor which I actually enjoy.  Then again, I am the person who LOVES the dark chocolate miniatures out of the bag.  Despite all that though, the Vitatops were full of healthy stuffs and it's what I need right now.  Turns out, while my A1C has held steady at 6.4, my vitamin D has taken a nose dive.  So, let's add another pill to my Walgreens profile. 

FYI, if you intend on trying the Vitatops, be warned that it contains 9g of fiber.  We all know what fiber does, right?

Breakfast

This are the major players for my Sunday breakfast now.  (Bacon, eggs and sausage were off getting prepped.)

Quaker oatmeal pancake mix - they're a bit chunky but it's oatmeal and I'm not a fan of oatmeal but, who can argue with 4g of fiber?

Mrs. Butterworth's sugar-free syrup - When I was a kid, we used to make our mom get us this.  She always wanted to get the cheaper syrup but she never caved that is, until I walked in on her pouring cheap syrup into Mrs. Butterworth's glass container.  I never did find out how long my mom had been doing this.  It broke my heart but, at this age, it makes me chuckle at how devious my mom was.  This particular sugar-free (SF) syrup is fantastic and, like many SF products, it tastes sweeter than the original.

Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup - This is one of those SF products that is milder than it's sugar-laden cousin.  It's still good and a great companion to the oatmeal pancakes.

Tropicana 50 apple juice - Apple juice is my drank.  It's absolutely divine when it's super cold.  Unfortunately, it has so much sugar, even in its natural form.  Imagine my surprise when Tropicana 50 started making APPLE JUICE.  The 50 stands for 50 less sugar and calories.  Just wonderful as was my blood glucose after breakfast. 

Evil Pancakes

Since we gave up going to House of Pies for breakfast on Sunday mornings, I've had to check the brain for making breakfast.  While out shopping, I found Quaker Oatmeal pancakes and since I'm a label reader, I had to snatch them up after reading the 4g of fiber per serving.  Not bad, not bad at all.  Mrs. Butterworth's, not pictured, in sugar-free form was perfect as well as the Hersey's sugar-free chocolate syrup, not pictured.

 

This comal, or griddle, in cast iron form, has been in my family for years.  I "stole" it from my mom when I finally moved out years ago.  Apparently, my mom received it as a wedding gift.  It will be 40 years old in November.

Darth and Stormtrooper helping with the flipping. 

That's right, evil is where it's at.  I found these are Target for $0.74. 

The pancakes came out a little thin but all in all, i'm very happy with the oatmeal pancakes and its sugar-free topping.  My apologies for nomming it all up before I took a photo of the final product. 



Smashburger

What can I say?  The burger is still amazing.  The fries, known as Smashfries that have rosemary and sea salt seasoning, were a little eh, but it's really all about the burger.  Isn't it always about the burger?  Though I recently went, without the BNC, the burger has remained the same; succulent, juicy, orgasmicy, and overall yummy. 



Troop loves it.  It's a small price to pay for me having lost his gun. 

Lent

After last year's, too high potassium readings from some blood work done on Good Friday, I'm not participating in the No-Meat Fridays thing.  Also, I'm not giving up a certain food, etc.  Instead, I will focus on my baseball catching skills, still under construction, mind  you, as well as my awesome kite flying skills.  Skills, I gots 'em, yo.  In other words, I will hit up the park as much I can, a park only 3 blocks from my home.  The park where I flew kites when I was a wee little one. 

The only thing the BNC and I are giving up is going to our beloved House of Pies for our Sunday breakfast.  Instead we will save that money to either give to charity or purchase something for us.  It will be a little hard since they know us there but it's Lent.  However, you know what will be hard?  Cooking.  The BNC will be fasting while I won't so what to make for dinner will be a little tricky.  I will try to fast when I can but I have a date with the Lab soon with a visit to the endo 2 weeks after.  I'm afraid that what happened last year will happen again if I do abstain for the whole meat thing on Fridays, including the 3 days before Easter, the toughest time of all.  So, I'm prepared to make some potato patties, eggplant lasagna, lentils with shallots, green beans with tomatoes and that stuff the BNC loves while I sneak in some protein on the side at dinner time. 

By and by, I made chicken fried chicken yesterday because I hit a roadblock on what to make with chicken breasts.  I had Panko but no egg and had to settle for whole wheat flour.  It tasted good but it was still a fail.


Yup, the flour, without the egg as a binder, didn't really stay on.  A yummy failure nonetheless.

Albondigas

The weather continues to be erratic here.  Cold and windy one day, and then, today, muggy and foggy with the promise of falling temperatures (again) this afternoon.  Monday evening, with the cold still hanging in the air, I decided to make some albondigas, meatball soup, to warm our bellies and our toes.

I like to keep my meatballs simple.  Back in the day, I would put a few pinches of rice, maybe some cut up potatoes, into the mixture but simple really is best.  Salt, pepper and 1 egg, maybe some bread crumbs if they're on hand.  After a little mixing, not too much, I form small little meatballs and let them hang out while I warm up my dutchie on the left hand side.  A little olive oil and, in small batches, sear them a bit.  (I don't thoroughly cook them.)  Also, they aren't perfectly round and really, who cares?

You have to make these in batches otherwise they will fall apart during the flipping process as well as being boiled rather than getting a nice brown color.  No bueno.

After they're all done, pour in some diced shallots until slightly translucent.  A little tomato paste and chicken/beef broth, or water, to remove all the bottom Klingons.  Bring to a boil and, if you didn't use broth, like me, put in a couple of tablespoons of your Knorr, bouillon base, a Mexican staple.  A little time and let it boil for a minute before adding your noodles.  I have ceased using rice because I still get called out on the childhood incident when I poured more than a couple of cups of rice and made porridge with meatballs.  Thanks, mom.  Anyhow, noodles is best. 

I like Oaxaca cheese so a few little cubes go in along with a little lemon.  Throw in some toasted up tortillas to help scoop up some of this deliciousness as Roseanne, Season 1 on Netflix plays and you're good to go. 

Papa Geno's

Papa Geno's was chosen for dinner last night after having to run some unexpected errands that would have left me making our dinner too late.  It was a good choice. 

Papa Geno's is a philly cheesesteak joint that is supposed to be a Philadelphia transplant.  I say supposed because I don't know if they are or aren't.  All I know is that in Philly they use Cheez Whiz on their cheesesteaks and this place is doing it.  I'm not down with that kind of cheese.  Let me make a side note comment for a moment.  My momma didn't really feed us junk food.  I guess you could say that she was way ahead of the curve.  For example, as a 34-year old, I have never had a Happy Meal.  My mom doesn't like it when people feed their kids nothing but sugar or fatty stuff.  Sure, we went to Pizza Hut a lot but I guess we went to a) feed our Italian ancestry and b) my mom doesn't know how to make pizzas.  She always preferred to make our meals no matter how long it took.  Cheez Whiz was one of those items she didn't feed us.  So, rather than get the original Papa Geno's cheesesteak, I got a regular one with white melty cheese (the name escapes me right now).   Dudes, it was good.  The meat was wonderfully cooked and the cheese was awesomely melted and clinging to the meat and bread for dear life.  I didn't go, "ZOMG, this is SOOO good!" when I bit into it because it was just good.  It was good use of bread, meat and cheese and it came together great but it was nothing spectacular.  However, I would go again.  Maybe even try the other items on the menu.  The BNC on the other hand, whose childhood meals consisted of coming out of a box, and with a toy, tried the original with the Cheez Whiz.  He liked it. 

I know I should be taking photos of the food but oy, I don't want to be that person, sitting at the table, whipping out her camera, etc.  I'm sure they wouldn't mind but, what if they do?  Sometimes I can pull it off but then I am forced to share a crappy photo of something I can't even make out. 

In closing, Ralph Macchio is going to be on Dancing with the Stars.  This may finally be the reason I need to watch it. 

Funk

I'm in a funk in every way possible.  My cooking is uninspired and while it tastes good, I find it boring.  Roasted chicken with mashed potatoes, while moist, crunchy and fluffy, was just what it was, roasted chicken with mashed potatoes.  (It doesn't help that even the photo looks boring.)



Ths pork chops, roasted new potatoes and some couscous was ok.  A few minutes after starting the sear on my chops, I remembered why I don't do it as often.  It's essentially a fried chop, one that is not only unhealthy but also a stinky nuisance.  Granted, pork chops smell yummy but I really hate how the smell permeates everything.  Also, I don't like waking up at 2a and getting hungry because my bedsheets, once full of that awesome Downey scent, smell like pork chops.  Which, brings me to the other areas of my current state of funkdom.  I am not sleeping very well.  I toss and toss, wake up at all hours and have odd dreams.  I ceased taking Lunesta about a month ago because, I don't know, a strong dependency was about to occur and that would have been no bueno despite my strong, hard love for prescription drugs.  I'm also having some aches and pains that make me feel closer to 40 than I am willing to admit to right now.  Fuck, 40.  That's a milestone.  A really big adult milestone.  If (cause I can get really morbid) and when I hit 40, will I have to retire my Harry Potter calendars?  Remove my Little Mermaid pillowcase?  Will my love for Harry still be around at 40 or will a new boy wizard slither (not Slytherin, not Slytherin) his/her way into my inner 12-year old?  Dilemmas. 

Back to my funk, shit, it's really bothering me.  Maybe it's the move and still trying to find my groove there, trying to make our furniture work, getting the kitchen organized in a way that is most efficient for me, researching and researching cat trees, wall shelves, a TV stand and now a MFing car.  Maybe it's the stupid weather.  I'm sorry Snow/Icepocalypse.  Come back, even if for a day.  This damn, what I have deemed as Zombie Weather, which involves morning  fog, lots of humidity and overcast skies, sucks big, hairy balls.  For realsies.

I'd much prefer George Clinton than this.  Blah.

The List

Being on vacation is the perfect time to shop and eat out while the rest of the world works.  Thank goodness for us, we have The List. 

One of the places we tried was Gatlin's BBQ.  I had previously read many great reviews from the Houston Press and was excited about finding a great BBQ place after my original go-to place started to dwindle in quality.  Dudes, Gatlin's was amazing.  We tried the juicy and smokey brisket, the yummy pulled pork and while the homemade sausage wasn't my favorite (purely a textural issue) it was still an amazing feat.  The BNC was impressed by all of our meats.  Our sides included the dirty rice, which was spicy and filling and could have been a meal all on its own while the macaroni and cheese was nothing spectacular with its overcooked macaroni noodle.  The potato salad, enjoyed by the BNC so according to him, was ok.  Overall, it's a winner and we look forward to sampling the much raved about ribs, the rest of the meats and, most importantly, the sandwiches.  Mmmm, mmmm!

When I was making The List, I left some open slots in case we managed to stumble upon a place that was worthy of including to The List.  I'm glad I did because we found Jonathan's The Rub.  After working hard in our friend's yard, as mentioned in my previous post, it was an absolutely amazing reward.  Sure, it was too much and it was quite a heavy meal for it being lunch but it was everything you shouldn't be eating every day.  Just look at it.

Chicken fried chicken with Jonathan's fries topped with bacon-infused gravy and a side of mashed potatoes.  The chicken was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside as it should be.  The fries?  Yum.  The gravy?  Yums!  Mashed potatoes?  Whoa, very rich and heavy but good nevertheless.  I completely  intend on going back to Jonathan's but this time I am splitting the entree with the BNC.  I caught sight of other entrees leaving the chef's station and the portions were huge.  Personally, I can't see myself eating all of that food.  I'll gladly split it though.  Despite the big portions, Jonathan's The Rub still serves good food.  I'm looking forward to trying out other items on the menu and perhaps, making it a frequent haunt.

Emails

I'm supposed to be sifting through emails, saving, printing, filing, catching up, etc. but eh, if those emails waited this long, they can wait a little longer.  I've been on vacation since Friday, February 11.  Yay for me.  However, it wasn't all rainbows and cupcakes.  We were in the midst of moving and, while it only took 2 days to move all of our stuff over, unpacking and organizing and settling in while battling a nasty cold is not the ideal vacation.  But, at least I wasn't at work, not going to the doctor and dying a slow death.  Shit got done.  We're settled and the cats have settled in nicely.  Proof, check it.

A few scenes from my time away in a completely non-cohesive manner.

Helping a friend with his yard work.  Talk about embracing the Mexican roots.  I didn't know I had it in me.  I'm going to print up some business cards soon. 

My reward for the yard work was chicken fried chicken topped with fries and bacon infused gravy with a side of decadent mashed potatoes.  I couldn't finish the whole thing, which brings me to a small side note.  Dude, can we start using smaller portions?  This was a ridiculous amount of food and, while it was good, (definitely not something I would eat on a regular basis) wowza.  And, we're back.

Troop, sans gun, at House of Pies.

We moved back into the hood both the BNC and I grew up in.  We're extremely happy about our decision and are relishing in visiting the park 3 blocks away.  Since I was denied being a part of the little league, I am living my dream of learning how to properly catch a ball.  Verdict?  I suck at it.  My index finger and part of my palm are bruised but it's not stopping me.  Even B has offered to help me since he's a softball fanatic.  (That is downtown Houston in the background.)

It was incredibly windy and cloudy Sunday evening when these shots were taken.  There is a bit of a hill in the background where we used to fly our kites as kids.  I can't wait to do it again. 

Meat lasagna with Darth.  Yea.

Ugh, 71 emails still inbox.  Wish me luck.

Benihana

I have been to other hibachi joints before but not the nationally known Benihana's.  As with all others on The List, I wanted to find out for myself what the whole hoopla was about.  Turns out, not much.  The food was okay, it wasn't something to ah over and over at.  The company was much, much better.  I believe it's because of the company that I'm being so easy on them.  Would I go again?  Maybe but it would depend on the company. 

Side note, I got a lot of flack for not liking Romano's Pizza.  All I can say is, I've eaten a lot of pizza in my lifetime, and I know what I like and what I don't like.  Romano's I don't like, Brother's Pizza I adore. 

Romano's Pizza, Etc.

Friday night we finally decided to start tackling The List.  There are 24 places listed and, if we average 2 a month, we'll be good for the year (not including any last minute additions). 

I was in the mood for pizza, and since we had a couple of errands to run, we opted for Romano's, which was in the general area.  B worked here over 10 years ago, after he quit working at the movie theater next door where the BNC and I saw many movies for free.  Romano's is also the place where B met his current girlfriend, a lovely girl that is soooo totally in.  I had only eaten at this place once before and never bothered to return so this year, since it's the Year of Try It, it was placed on The List.  Dudes, I really, really, really wanted to love this place.  It would have made me happy to find a pizza place that was closer and thus more easily accessible than my beloved Brother's.  However, it's not going to happen.  We ordered a regular pepperoni pizza because, if they can't make a basic then why bother.  It was so bland that the first words out of our mouths were, "It ain't Brother's."  I was so disappointed.  The pizza was just a small notch above pizza from the mall.  But, my disappointment doesn't go far since, afterall, this is the whole point of this; to try (and retry) new places.  The pizza may have failed but our mission hasn't.

There are a couple of more pizza places on The List but, after talking to B about them, I have learned that Pink's Pizza is bad.  I'll most likely end up going anyhow for researching sake because it's a permanent notecard.  It's the law and I am no lawbreaker.

Galtin's BBQ, which recently got a great review in the Houston Press, will be the next place to tackle.  Wish us luck.

In other food news, Troop, Chapa and I went to Wings-n-More Sunday afternoon as a precursor to the NFC and AFC Championship games.  As usual, a great time was had.

That is, until I lost Troop's gun at the BNC's show Sunday night.  Yea, I suck.  Troop gonna have to learn MMA. 

Troop and I

Having Spider-Man has been pretty awesome BUT, it's no fun to play with him while he's on his invisible motorcycle.  So, I did what any normal person would do, I bought a toy; A Storm Trooper whom I call, Troop. 

I was really looking for Han, Chewy or Darth, but they were gone.  I'm not too fond of Luke and Leia so no.  Troop though, being part of the Empire and pure evil, was the logical choice.  (I root for the underdog, ok?)  And now, our adventures begin.  First up, Smashburger.

Troop and I, along with Chapa, headed out to Smashburger, a location on The List to find out for ourselves whether it was still the best burger I ever ate.  The burger was juicy, seasoned very well, cooked to perfection (medium) and oh man, there aren't enough words to describe how awesome it was.  For realsies, I cannot wait to go back and eat another one.  The fries went down to ok after being ranked yum a few years ago.  But, who cares when you have that burger, the one I forgot to take a picture of because it was delicious.

You so silly, Troop.  This isn't Return of the Jedi.



Sundays typically are House of Pies days for us, and Troop was happy to join in.  So far, we're having a good time and no waitstaff have given me the you crazy eye from playing with Troop as we wait for our food. 

Bitty Girl, on the other hand, isn't too frazzled by another evil entity in house.  Not while it's time to clean the fur, that is.  Will they join forces or will a war break out?  Stay tuned.

Snack Time

Nothing will ever come close to milk and cookie time in kindergarten; THAT will always be the bestest snack time ever.  However, Nature Valley's Nut Clusters is the bomb!  They're perfect when it's around 2p and the Ghost of Robert Goulet shows up. 

They hold me over until dinner time and aren't too harsh on my blood glucose.  By and by, I had a physical done while I was on vacation (cause getting blood taken is my ideal vacation destination).  The results came back and all they could find was low vitamin D but no STDs.  Ha!  I should mention that I didn't go in with that intention but my doctor offered and, because I love to do things for shits and giggles, I said ok.  I would have had some words with the BNC if anything came back.  :)

Cliff's Notes

Here is more info on the places on my list. 

100% Taquito 

It's a taco place and apparently it's one 100% of the time.  That means it's all the time.  C'mon, man, you can't go wrong with that.

Benihana

A hibachi joint that I am very much looking forward to. 

Chacho's

It's a Mexican restaurant that is mostly known for their yummy tacos and you know how much I love tacos.

Chiloso's Taco House

I'm picking up on a trend right now, are you? 

Feast

I've tried several times in the past to hit this place up but have always had a few roadblocks stop me from proceeding.  Rest assured that I will come here and enjoy the British food since rumor has it that it may close down since no one is going.  It has consistently been on the Best of Houston lists so it's a priority.

Gatlin's BBQ

Yelp has this BBQ place listed with 5 stars (from 17 reviews) and well, we're in Texas so BBQ places have to be on The List.

Genghis Grill

You design the food and someone else cooks it for you?  Wait, what?  Ok.  It's a chain though but still, it's on.

Gorditas Aquascalientes

Gorditas!  I love me a good gordita.  A gordita is just some masa shaped into a semi-thin disc, imagine a thick, slightly smaller corn tortilla, that is either fried in oil or cooked on cast iron.  Once cooked, an opening can be sliced and beans and cheese stuffed inside (my favorite filling).  Mmm...  Aparently this place makes them that doesn't involve me whining to my mom, or grandma, about making me some because theirs is ALWAYS better. 

Gourmet India

I haven't been here in a while and I miss it.  I miss the yummy Indian food with its naan and paneer and basmati rice.  Hopefully the service is still good.

Hugo's

I have heard many great things about Hugo's and its Mexican menu, mostly how it's incredibly traditional and worth it .  I've also heard glowing things about its brunch buffet.  This will require me wrangling up my posse of hungry Mexicans who want to do brunch like the folks over at How I Met Your Mother.

Jus' Mac

Just macaroni and cheese?  Shit, where do I sign up, son?

Mai's

Mai's Vietnamese Restaurant has been closed for a while but it's on the list because it is scheduled to reopen soon and rather than wait for another fire to take it down again, and perhaps run the risk of the owners opting to not reopen, I must go and visit this Houston nightlife staple.

Miyako

I had my Bachelorette Dinner here, a little over 6 years ago, and never went back.  The food wasn't bad but I just never got around to going back and really tasting and enjoying the food without holding up crotchless panties in the air for all my girls to see.  Well, 2011 is here and so is the reason for The List.

Mongolian Hot Pot

You get to assemble your own food?!  In a hot pot?!  Like soup?!  Sweet.  These guys and Genghis Grill are on to something.

Pizzitola's BBQ

Another BBQ place but I have read so many reviews, including one from a renowned Houston food critic, driven by so many times, that to not visit would be a fail of my list.

Pink's Pizza

Finally, a pizza place on The List.  This place now occupies where a Pizza Hut used to sit so it's nice to see those ovens put to use.  I grew up in this neighborhood, my old high school is just a few blocks over, so I am hoping it doesn't suck because you know how much I love pizza. 

Rainbow Lodge

Typically known for its seafood, something I am not too fond of unless it's Lent and I have to, you know, for soul saving purposes, but Rainbow Lodge is known for doing seafood very well and I'll give anything a whirl, or two.  Besides, there are other items on the menu and if it's not Lent Season, then I may sample those. 

Romano's Pizza

Oh, Romano's Flying Pizza is the right name.  You would think I would have remembered this since B worked here many, many, many moons ago.  As a matter of fact, he met his girlfriend here.  I haven't returned since he made me pick up his last paycheck for him about 10 years ago, (still waiting for my Best Sister trophy) but I will triumphantly return, without Sister Duties, and scarf it down. 

Russo's NY Pizzeria

Russo's is a pizza chain but one that does its pizza and marinara very well. It's been a while and I am eager to try them once more.

Smashburger

Ah, Smashburger, another one that I have neglected for far too long.  The burger still stands as the best I have ever had but I'm scared, Monkey Shines terrified, that it may have dropped as Title Holder.  A visit will help to decide if its cuisine still reigns supreme.

Taconazo

Many of my peeps tell me that this place has the best tacos in the city and that is saying a lot especially when it's located in a predominately Mexican neighborhood.  Sooooooo....

Taco Tote

Most Sundays, the BNC and I wake up, wipe the eye crispies from our eyes, and head out to House of Pies where they know us as Charlie 2, the BNC's real name and how many people are in our party.  Taco Tote is next door and this past Sunday, I admit, it smelled heavenly.  I have resisted visiting this place merely for spite.  About a year and a half ago, I lent my BFF my vehicle, for Mexican wedding purposes, and she lent me her mom's.  (I have a Sequoia, do the math.)  As I was pulling out of my parking spot at HOP, Mr. and Mrs. Douche started to pull out of Taco Tote.  I honked and honked because obviously they were stupid and didn't notice me and BAM, they hit my BFF's mom's car.  They were so douchey about it, waiting for HPD to show up and refusing to exchange info with us much less talk to us.  Their request went unanswered until the BNC called them himself where they immediately showed up.  (I should mention that the BNC's dad is a retired HPD veteran of 35 years. Yea.)  Anyhow, our insurances ruled in my favor so take that, Douches.  Back to Taco Tote, I know it wasn't their fault but, the smell on Sunday was enough for me to put them on The List.  It better be good.

Texas Cafeteria

Much like my beloved Barbecue Inn, I've driven by this place so many times over the years and never once walked in.  Wait no more because it's about to get stuffed in my belly.  It seems to be your basic American diner food but it must be doing something right for it to have remained in the same spot, much like the aforementioned, as it watch me grow up from afar.  Word.

Zelko Bistro

Cap'n Crunch crusted chicken?  For realsies?  Shit, it's on.  This place is new to the area and it has opened to much fanfare and good word of mouth, the best kind of advertisement.  I have dreamt of this place and that chicken, as has the old ball-n-chain, and to say that we aren't eager would make us liars. 

And that's The List.  I'm sure some will be added as the year progresses but it won't be done without want.  Many are central to where we live in Houston, with Pink's Pizza, Zelko Bistro being in The Heights, the neighborhood where both the BNC and I grew up, went to school, still have our parents living in, and hope to ultimately live out our golden years in.  Trust me when I say that no place in Houston compares to The Heights area.  It's the oldest part of the city and suddenly, one of the most expensive to move into.  But, boy, it does have delicious food, places that have withstood the test of time.  I'm looking forward to 2011 like I have never done with any other year.  It's full of such uncertainty but promise, if that makes any sense.  It's going to be a good year and I am going to sop it all up with a biscuit.  Yum. 

And, because I have it on the brain..

"Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, but thy eternal summer shall not fade." Phat! Did you write that?
Duh, it's, like, a famous quote.
From where?
Cliff's Notes.

I'm Ready

Ha!  And, I left blanks at the bottom for those last minute, we're-dumb-and-didn't-think-of-it-last-minute add-ins.