Stuggy's

Ian got home from work early yesterday (I *love* when that happens!).  I quickly had him sign off on some medical papers that I had to get in the mail.  Then I chased down our mailman who had already passed by so I could get everything out.

As I was walking back to our steps, I took a deep breath (hey, don't judge, doing anything quickly gets me out of breath these days).  I smelled someone's charcoal grill cooking what had to be hot dogs.  Suddenly, I knew exactly what I wanted for dinner.  So we looked up hot dog joints on the internet, and found one in Fells Point.

We headed to Stuggy's to try it.  It's new and has only been there for a month or so.  I ordered an all beef hot dog with mustard and ketchup, a side of fries, a pickle, and it came with a soda.  I rarely eat that badly, especially as I'm making sure to get good, healthy food in my system for baby girl's growth.  But there's something about the smell of hot dogs cooking on a charcoal grill that gets to me.  I really love the idea of this place.  All of their sodas are old fashioned (think creme soda, birch beer, black raspberry).  They have ice cream floats.  They have old fashioned candy.  And the hot dog menu is really extensive.  You can get dozens of toppings. 

We got our food home and dug in.  The hot dog was kind of tough, but had really good flavor.  I'm thinking if you get the smaller hot dog that it wouldn't be tough.  The fries were delicious.  I'd definitely go back if I was craving a hot dog, especially since the place is so cute.  But I'd try the smaller hot dogs next time to see if it's a little more tender.

Check it out - they stay open late so I'm sure they have a very good late night crowd of drunkies.

Restaurant: Langermann's

Sunday after we met with our doula, I suggested we take advantage of the day and go to brunch.  It was absolutely beautiful out, and besides, in a month we won't have the luxury of going to brunch on a whim.

We first tried to go to our standby favorite brunch spot in the square.  But a sign on the door said it was closed for the day.

We got back into the car and started heading to Fell's looking for a place to get some good brunch when we passed by a new restaurant that has been getting some good reviews.  We turned in and checked it out.

Langermann's has a cute atmosphere and the food was pretty great.  My pregnancy restrictions for food made the selection a little tough for me - but ultimately they were able to accomodate my pickiness.  Ian had a complimentary mimosa with his meal (which had me SO jealous by the way).  We both ordered the Eggs Yucatan which consisted of chorizo sausage on top of an English muffin with an egg on top and hollandaise sauce.  I got my egg cooked all the way through while Ian enjoyed the poached egg.  It was absolutely delicious and not something I'd normally have.

I'll certainly want to check it out again - especially when I'm no longer knocked up so that I, too, can enjoy a complimentary mimosa :)

Restaurant Review: Tortilleria Sinaloa

We were looking for a yummy place to eat, that was also inexpensive.  I thought I wanted mexican food - so I did a quick search and found this place.

It was delicious.  Very plain mexican tacos that taste fantastic.  And the chips - crispy and light all at the same time (you can definitely taste that they're homemade!).  We'll definitely be frequenting it again.

We got 2 carnitas tacos, 2 pollo tacos, a couple of sides of guacamole, a bag of tortilla chips, and 2 drinks for $20.  Not bad for a Friday night dinner!

I can't wait to take baby girl to get ice

I've mentioned my love for the ice stand at the end of our street more than a couple times on here.  I finally took a picture to show you just how cute it is.  It's located at the end of our street, at the edge of a church parking lot.  Directly next to it is some car shop.  It's incredibly old but the ice is amazing there.  One of the things I've loved about the summers in our neighborhood is that Ian and I will walk down the street after dinner, get some ice, walk back eating it, and then go to our 2nd story deck and sit and eat while Tessa lays on the deck next to us.

I have been anxiously awaiting the opening of the stand for the season.  Last night on my way home from my night class, Ian said he had a surprise for me.  I am looking for parking in front of our house and much to my surprise see people at the end of the street standing and walking with ice in their hands.  I called Ian before I could even get out of my car and said to hurry up and come outside so we can go get ice - the ICE STAND IS OPEN.  He insisted on me coming in to drop off my stuff first.

Wouldn't you know, he had already gone and gotten my ice for me when he got home and saw that it was open.  I was a very content lady as I sat and ate my delicious ice!

Baby girl will be much too young to experience the ice stand when she arrives in July, but I can't wait to take her there next summer.

Oh and for any Baltimorians out there, Icy Delights is having free ice day all day Saturday - stop by!

Oh Monday, I Wasn't Quite Ready for You

We had an incredibly busy weekend in which I did not get much work done...oops.  But sometimes, you just need a break, right?  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Since it's Lent season, Ian and I have not been eating meat on Fridays.  Instead, I've been stopping by Whole Foods during the day to pick out some fresh fish and veggies, and we've been having Friday Fish nights.  I have to say, these meals are so freaking quick, easy, fresh, and absolutely delicious that we might have to continue this tradition after Lent is over.

We watched Kung Fu Panda and it was super cute.  There's something nice about watching kids movies - it's innocent and sweet and relaxing.  Saturday morning Ian got up early and did our grocery shopping while I stayed home, slept and did some stuff in the house.  I love that man for doing sweet things like leaving me home to relax. 

We met up with a couple friends and their adorable 1.5 year old daughter for brunch.  I've noticed that since we've been pregnant, it's not only me who is mesmerized by children around me.  Normally, if we are near a child in a restaurant, store, or church, I cannot pay attention to anything else.  Now, Ian's doing the same thing, and it makes me swoon to see his face light up just to try to make a little kid smile.  He is going to be an amazing dad.  The couple's daughter was hilarious and Ian and I could barely pay attention to the adult conversation - we were both so distracted by her cuteness.  We talked lots of baby talk especially now that we found out they are expecting baby #2.  It's so helpful to talk to people who have just been through this - they have such amazing information to share!

Afterwards, we came home and relaxed and soon got ready for dinner at The Dogwood.  The restaurant prides itself on being sustainable American cuisine - organic whenever possible, and local fresh ingredients as much as possible.  The atmosphere, although in a basement, is warm and inviting.  The restaurant is located in quaint Hampden.  And the food - it was delightful.  I shared the lobster ravioli, and then got the colossal caesar salad with roasted chicken on top.  The caesar salad uses a vegan dressing which is the only reason I could have it.  Ian had the rockfish for his main course and he loved it.  All of the food was delicious!  We definitely will be going back soon.

Sunday, we woke up early and went to church.  Then we made homemade buttermilk blueberry pancakes (my fave).  Afterwards, we did lots of baby products research.  Then, our day got ridiculously busy with errands: Costco, Bed Bath & Beyond, then back to Costco.  The mattress topper we (this is not the correct term, but I have no idea what it's called.  it goes in between the mattress cover and sheets!) have now was not providing any comfort and needed to be replaced.  We picked up the few things we needed at Costco and found a replacement there, but Ian was hesitant to get it.  For some reason, the second we step foot in Costco, Ian goes into panic mode about money.  It's not like we buy things outrageous there.  On our list yesterday was: toilet paper, paper towels, zyrtec, contact lens solution, chicken, pork tenderloin, lightbulbs, clorox wipes, laundry detergent, dish washer detergent.  Nothing too crazy on there.  We really do stick to our list when we got there - but it still ends up being at least a $200 trip. 

So anyways - he debates and debates whether we should get it.  It was on sale at costco for $140.  We decide to not buy it, and check out the options at Bed Bath and Beyond since we had to go there anyways.  At Bed Bath and Beyond, the same quality one was anywhere from $200-350.  That certainly wasn't happening.  So after we bought the few things we needed at BBB, we went back to Costco to pick up the mattress thingie.

All of this is to tell you that we slept on it last night, and it's so comfortable!  It is a memory foam thing and makes you melt into the bed.  I didn't sleep wonderfully last night - but I think it has more to do with it being new so my body just has to adjust to it.

I finished off the weekend by making homemade chicken curry.  I woke up this morning and our house still has the aromatic smell of indian spices.  Can't wait for leftovers today!

In baby news, she is moving a lot these days.  But no matter how often I feel her move, I still am surprised by it every time.  And I'm still in the habit of squealing and announcing to Ian that she's moving.  But as soon as he puts his hand on my belly, she stops.  Stubborn little girl - just like her mama.

Miguel's Cocina y Cantina

I've had so much to write about this week that I never discussed what we did over the weekend.  We tried out a new restaurant in Locust Point.  We had a reservation but still waited over 50 minutes for a table.  I was hungry and desperately needed food.  I finally unleashed my pregnancy hormones on them and miraculously we were seated immediately afterwards.  The poor hostess - it totally wasn't her fault - it was her stinking manager's fault because he wasn't letting her seat anyone else.  Obviously, this place needs to work some stuff out.  I asked to speak to the manager and the hostess checked and said he didn't have time.  That's when I lost it.  It's not like I could stand with a drink to give me something to do while we waited - I had to just sit there, annoyed, and hungry.  Our server was great and recommended I try a sangria soda which is non-alcoholic.  It was YUMMY!  I definitely will try that drink again at mexican restaurants.  The food is more authentic mexican and we found it to be okay.  I wasn't in love with it, but I think it may have had more to do with what we ordered than the food itself.  So, I'd give this place a C+ at this point.  We'll probably wait another couple months while they get themselves organized before we try it again. 

Oh, and we sat a few tables away from Baltimore's new mayor (who also had to wait, but even longer than we did).  Ian thought this was huge news and proceeded to mention it over and over again throughout the meal. Dork.

And - it snowed - YAY!

We took little miss Tessa out and she played for about 1/2 hour before she got cold and wanted to walk back home.  Here she is looking super adorable - she rests her head on the couch and looks up at Ian when she wants to come up on the couch.  She must be invited before she can come up.

Restaurant Review: Indigma

I love indian food.  I really had never tried it before Ian came into my life.  He loves spicy food, and me being the non-spicy food kind of girl, I was skeptical.  But he assured me I'd like it.  We got takeout once, and I was sold.  I don't love super spicy food - I can handle japanese spicy, and some thai spicy, but I dislike mexican spicy or chinese spicy.  I think it's the difference in that the former two categories are spices, while mexican and chinese spicy are normally made with peppers.

Anyways, in both places we've lived - first in Rockville and now in Baltimore - we've had a standby Indian restaurant for takeout nights.

In Baltimore, our standby carryout is Akbar in Mt. Vernon, and whenever we try a new place, I normally end up slightly disappointed.  After hearing a few people talk about Indigma, we decided to try it this week.

I became friends with the woman on the phone who helped me order.  She was super nice.  I hadn't told Ian about talking with her so when he came home, he asked "Did you have a long conversation with the woman on the phone?"  I asked why.  Apparently she was super nice and asked him to sit and have a drink while he waited for the food - and even threw in some dessert for free.

We unpacked the food and I was slightly disappointed - the portions are tiny in comparison to what we're used to.  Mostly, they need to pack more rice for you.  Part of the reason we love indian food is that we normally have leftovers.  We have some sauces leftover - but no rice!  We got chicken tikka masala - and it was amazingly good.  I think I might even like it slightly better than our standby.

We also got samosas - they were okay.  Our second entree was chicken mazadar - which I didn't enjoy as much as I did the tikka masala.  Overall, we'd definitely eat from here again - I will just be sure to order more rice next time!  And I would've been happy if the prices had been less than our standby place (since we aren't getting as much food), but the price is just about the same.

Now, we'll have two standbys!

Bagby's Pizza

*Today leads me to thinking about this exact day a few years ago.  I wrote about it last year, and I'll remember that cute face much of today. 

As we drove home from our day's festivities on Saturday night, we passed by a new pizza place.  We decided to check it out so we quickly parked and headed over there.  It was their first weekend open, and I was really impressed.  It's super cute inside, and seems like a great place to split a bottle of wine in comfortable clothes, and eat a quick bite.  I created my own pizza with ricotta, onions and olives, and Ian ordered the meat pizza.  All of it cost us about $25.  The crusts are thin and crispy and the toppings are fresh and tasty.  We definitely will be heading back there.

Quick Recap

I will write a more thorough post soon - but here's a quick recap as to what's going on.  I am STILL sick (thanks, Ian) but think I've finally taken a turn for the better as of today.  All I did all weekend was really sleep, lay on the couch, and sleep some more. OH - and we went to dinner with Ian's parents for his birthday (they were out of town closer to his birthday).  We went to B&O American Brasserie, which is a restaurant in Hotel Monaco, new to Baltimore.  Dinner there was amazing - all 4 of us loved our meals.  We'll definitely head back there. And if you go there, get the short ribs - A-MAZING.

And today, we are eating dinner and reminiscing about two years ago.  I took the LSAT and that night, 2 years ago, Ian asked me a question that changed our future - he proposed!  How was your weekend?

Birthday Celebration

Ian's birthday was on Sunday, his last birthday in his 20's! So we spent most of the weekend relaxing (per his request), watching football, and eating. Friday I made penne vodka, that was quite spectacular! It was time consuming, but made plenty to provide leftovers for the week. I would make it just as is!

I took Ian to Woodberry Kitchen, in Hampden on Saturday night. I had heard amazing things about this restaurant, which is known for being more ecofriendly by using local grown food, organic foods, and even local or organic wines. The restaurant itself has a very cutesy atmosphere, feels trendy, with tables just a tad too close together for my liking. The food was incredibly fresh tasting. I started with 3 different cold seafood bites (tuna, scallop ceviche, and shrimp cocktail). It was very good. Ian started with a homemade flatbread that they cook in their wood fire grill. It was AMAZING! We would totally go back and just get a couple of those and a glasses of wine for dinner. For our main courses, I had the big-eyed tuna which was cooked perfectly, while Ian had the pork tenderloin, which was equally good. We then split a fruit shortcake dessert, that was amazingly sweet and light. We will definitely head back there but will have to plan since it's a little more on the pricey side for our one-salary home.

Sunday, we headed to church, then grabbed a bite to eat before we planted ourselves on the couch to watch football. I wore my Skins jersey while Ian wore his Ravens jersey. I was addicted to the games because of my fantasy football team. Two of my top players totally failed me over the weekend, but I'm hopeful for a better football weekend coming up!

It's up to you, New York, New York!

We decided to go to visit my brother and SIL for the 4th of July weekend, which also happened to be my brother's birthday. He lives in Hoboken right on the Hudson river and as luck would have it, it was the 400th anniversary of Henry Hudson's travels along the Hudson River so the fireworks took place in front of my brother's apartment building on the water.

One of my favorite things about going to the NY/NJ area is trying lots of amazing restaurants! We went to Cucharamama, a south american tapas restaurant and had the most amazing tamales I've ever tasted. Not that I'm a tamales expert - but it was freaking delish! The weather was perfect while we were there, so we spent a lot of time walking down the main street browsing shops, eating Rita's and catching up. Since Ian has a major sweet tooth, we also checked out Crumbs, which is known for cupcakes! We tried some while we were there and even brought some home - so good! We tried oreo, grasshopper, caramel apple and peanut butter cup.
Then came the fireworks. Ian and I had never seen fireworks together, and I have to say, it was worth the wait. These fireworks were the best I've ever seen! We set up shop on the balcony and took lots of pictures. Here are pictures from our visit:

Why, Hello There

Blog world? Are you there? Well, life in clinic has kind of kept me quite busy and I just haven't had time to say hola!

So here's a quick update. I got my case assignments yesterday and am very happy with the selection of my clients. I am dealing with some business/tax related matters, several family/health related matters, and some criminal matters. Overall, I'm getting a fantastic overview of several areas that are of my interest.

Our weekend was filled with fun times. Friday, Kim and I went to a Zumba class which was super fun. It's essentially a latin/dirty dancing class at my gym. The instructor could probably scratch her butt and make it look beautiful. And even having danced my whole life, I felt very uncoordinated and spazzy. But it was a great workout that had me sweating bullets (not that it's that hard to do that - I have a sweating problem). After the class, the four of us headed out to dinner at The Wine Market. Ian and I had been wanting to check it out and were very pleased overall. The food was great, and the sangria wasn't so bad either!

Sunday we played golf with Stacy and Jon which always makes me happy. There was a lot of sun, cussing and beer - perfect morning for us! Hopefully we can do this more often this summer with those two!

And the highlight of our weekend - we finalized our wedding anniversary plans! I think I'm going to keep it a secret until after the fact. But I can say, I am SO FREAKING EXCITED!

Whacky Wednesday

Life got a little busy the past few days. I don't even know if I told you about this process at school to get on one of the 5 law journals? Well, to get onto one of the journals, you have to petition. It's basically writing a huge paper based on about 400 pages of cases and history and research that they give you, that you then turn in and only 40% of the people who turn it in will get onto one of the journals (which is a very prestigious honor, a great experience - each of the journals are publications that come out throughout the year - and each journal has a different topic). So that was due yesterday and I had a major meltdown on Monday thinking I couldn't do it - I had procrastinated too much! But I worked through it and turned it in yesterday. So happy that is over!

To celebrate, I came home and opened a bottle of wine, drank quite a bit with indian takeout, and watched Twilight (since you already know my obsession with the book - which by the way, the movie can't live up to how good the book was). I also am ordering the next 2 books that I haven't read - can't wait to curl up on the couch with a glass of wine and read through them.

So this past weekend we went to Meli to celebrate Ian's mom's birthday. It is affiliated with 2 other restaurants which we happen to love (Mezze and Kalis Court), so we were excited to try it out. I was not that happy with it - it was just kind of, eh. I started with the carpaccio appetizer which I admit, was very good and would totally get again. I then got striped bass over lettuce with tomatoes and some type of potato - the fish was supposed to be grilled but clearly was fried or pan seared, and the fish came out kind of room temperature. The rest of the group got mussels, clams, lamb shank, lobster mac and cheese. Everyone had the same impression - it was just okay. But I did try the baklava and it was delicious! And this place has such potential - it's a great atmosphere! Hopefully since it's new, it'll just get better from here.

Oh - and we tried this new yogurt place called Mr.Yogato in Fells. SO yummy. Ian hated it - but that's because it's true yogurt - not ice cream. It's tangy - almost like greek yogurt - and frozen. I added fruit to it and it was delicious! And even better, it's fat free. It was hot outside when we went - what a perfect way to spend the afternoon - by the water with frozen yogurt in warm weather. Love it! I think we'll be visiting this place again if the weather is nice this weekend - I want to enjoy this no school, no work thing as much as possible!

I Didn't Have Time

This weekend felt truly amazing. I had time to surprise Ian with a romantic dinner on Friday - I pulled out the candles, made brownies from scratch, and made braised shortribs (not using a recipe!!) for dinner. I even did the dishes! Ah, the things that bring me joy now that I have time on my hands.

Saturday was jam-packed but we had a blast. We started off by losing our last kickball game then went to a bbq with those folks. Then, we headed to a law school bbq and ate some more there. Then, the 1st bbq was still going on so we headed back there for some more fun and games. After all of that, we had to quickly change and get ready to go out with both families to celebrate with them at The Brewers Art. We finally made it home at 11:30 and were asleep before we could even say good-night to eachother.

Then we spent mother's day with both moms - brunch then games at our house afterwards.

So I spent the weekend doing a lot of fun things! I know awhile back I let you in on my little anxiety issues. I was surprised throughout my first year of law school that I didn't have a whole lot of anxiety issues - I wasn't short of breath or feeling out of control. Since being finished as of last Tuesday, my anxiety has come up full force. I am somewhat confused by it, as it hits me about midday and for no apparent reason, especially considering that I do not feel particularly stressed about anything! But I think it comes down to the fact that during school, I simply did not have the time for my body to be stressed, or to even accept that I might be facing anxiety. So now that I have the time, I feel like my body is bringing up all of that anxiety that had been bottled up inside of me for the year. So I guess it's just giving me even more of an excuse to enjoy my days - I have to continue to do relaxing things to help, like workout, take walks, take baths, read, watch movies, etc. And all in all, that ain't so bad!

After brunch and games with our moms, Ian and I took Tessa for a long walk at a park nearby. It was absolutely beautiful and I was able to snag this photo before Tessa began venturing into the water!

Iggies Pizza

UPDATE - I forgot to mention how amazingly inexpensive Iggies is - great quality food for less money!

Since it's lent season for any Catholics out there - we don't eat meat on Fridays (just during the weeks of lent). Typically, we resort to eating sushi since we can have fish. But Friday we just were up for something different. I'd read good things about this restaurant - but didn't prepare me for how much I'd truly like it.

Iggies Pizza is in Mount Vernon. It's BYOB (great way to save money!) which I love. It's so low-key and relaxed. The hostess will take your things and put them at a table for you while you wait in line to order. Then you go sit at your table and wait for your number to be called. It sounds a lot like Panera, or something similar - but there's something more upscale than that about it. And the pizza - amazing. Ian got the margherita, I got one with ricotta and arugula with lemon oil on it (my mouth is watering thinking about it). We split a caesar salad that was good as well. And then you finish off the meal with gelato. Truly delicious!

If you're in the Baltimore area, definitely check Iggies out!

The Helmand

I am so sad spring break is over! It was amazing to not have classes everyday. In an effort to have one last fun night before classes started back, we went to dinner Saturday night with a couple of my law school friends. We went to an Afghan restaurant that we'd heard good things about. I was a little nervous to try it - not knowing if it would be too spicy for my taste, and as I have a very sensitive stomach, I was nervous.

We were pleasantly surprised by the more upscale atmosphere and cute bar to wait at. The Helmand offered a wide range of flavors and I was super impressed. Ian got a lamb dish - and the lamb was so tender he didn't need to use a knife. I got chicken kabob that had amazing flavor. Service was good and it was packed! We had a 40 minute wait. So if you're in the Mt. Vernon area and want a yummy drink with spectacular food - check it out!

Groundhog Day

Since I've been back in school, it seems as if our weekends all blur together. We rarely have big events planned, simply because I spend most of the weekend reading. They go a little something like this: Friday afternoon before Ian gets home from work I fumble around for awhile and then get a couple hours of work done. Friday nights we normally get carryout or eat our somewhere. Saturdays I sleep in until about 9, lazily get out of bed at 9:15ish, eat some breakfast, then start reading. I take a break midway through the day to talk to Ian, run and errand or just lay around. Then read for another few hours and then take a shower and get takeout or go out to dinner. Occasionally we meet up with friends for dinner one of the nights. Sunday morning, same wakeup time as Saturday, then I start reading for the entire day. Monday - starts the week all over again.

As much as I love spending time with Ian - I'm feeling very much like we repeat the same weekend over and over again. We need to mix things up! Saturday we decided to call up a couple of my law school friends to go out to dinner. Getting a reservation for the 4 of us proved to be quite difficult considering it's restaurant week here in Baltimore. But finally, we managed to get a table at Edo Sushi in the Harbor. We tend to stay away from the Harbor as it's overpriced and touristy. It's been about a year since we've eaten there and holy crap, the prices are beyond outrageous. We ended up getting the restaurant week menu because otherwise we would've spent a whole lot of money. One of the rolls I used to get there, which is absolutely delicious, was $18.95 for 8 pieces?!!?!! No wonder why it's never super crowded in there. It's a beautiful spot on the water, and they have some great sushi - but we certainly won't be heading back there anytime soon! But we had a great time meeting up with people - that part, we'll do again.

So we're brainstorming for ideas to spice up our weekends a bit. What do you do on the weekends? Give us some ideas!

Fill in the Blanks

So I realize that I haven't quite mentioned anything that happened while I stopped blogging. Honestly, it's a huge blur. But, there are some highlights:

• I turned 26 surrounded by lots of friends and loved ones. We had a party here at our house and had a blast! But holy moly did we have a lot of leftover desserts - I was sending goody bags home with everyone.
• I did a charity bikathon at a wonderful gym. My law school has a program that sends students to New Orleans and other areas closeby that area to help out the local public defense offices for a week over winter break. I had been really interested in going but couldn't make the decision. Instead, they held a 3 hour spinning class where I raised 1 dollar for every minute I was there. I was sore for days afterwards too!
• I joined the BEAUTIFUL gym where the bikathon was held! MAC Wellness. I had really been interested in joining a gym, and then I saw it and was convinced I wanted to join it. But the prices are outrageous! So I worked some negotiating skills and walked away when they gave me too high of a price. Within a week I got a call and they lowered the price per month, plus cut out about 75% of the enrollment fee. SCORE! Oh and if you're interested in joining me there, I can bring friends! Or if you want to be referred there and decide to join, use my name - it'll save you some money (and me too).
• I've gained a lot more weight. As in, since August or so, I've gained about 15-17 pounds. This one is not a highlight! It's incredibly frustrating. People - I am eating so healthy day in and day out, am managing to work out a few days a week. What is the deal?! This is what I ate yesterday: Breakfast - bowl of Kashi lean crunch cereal, 2 cups of coffee (no sugar - only 1 equal), Lunch - Salad with tomatoes and a couple chunks of feta with a vinegar dressing, side of 1 cup of carrots, Snack - protein bar, Snack - 1 slice of raisin toast, Dinner - steamed salmon (1/2 tsp of olive oil, salt pepper, basil, lemon) over salad. I did have dessert - 1/2 cup light vanilla ice cream. Anything sound crazy in there? Well that's about right for what I've been eating, but for dinner we normally switch it up a bit. I have bought a couple new pairs of pants because literally I've outgrown everything! All of this is also why doctors are searching for some answers.
• We picked out our wedding photos for our album. We are now just waiting to get the layout from our photographer!

I am sure I will come up with some other things to tell you. But really, my life has been overtaken by lots of school work. Exams came and went in a flash, although they were overwhelming at the time. We've gone out to some new and some of our favorite restaurants in the area like Cinghiale, Akbar, Regi's, Jack's Bistro, and probably many more I'm forgetting. Oh and I got a bike for Christmas. I don't feel comfortable enough riding it very far, but we've gone up to the park a few times and I'm loving it. It's been a pretty good few months!

New Restaurants

First - Thank you so much for the kind words over the last couple posts! It has helped to know that I'm not the only crazy one about pets!

In an effort to not make all of my posts debbie-downers, I'll move onto something something unrelated to school! Since moving to Baltimore, we've taken the opportunity to try out some new (to us) restaurants. Coming from the Rockville/Bethesda area, we now are realizing just how spoiled we were in terms of our restaurant selection. We think we've figured out that because the cost of living in Montgomery County is extremely high, mediocre restaurants can't survive. Our usual Friday nights there consisted of driving 5 minutes to Bethesda, parking, walking in a restaurant that sounds good. If the wait was long, we could go to another one of our faves down the street and get in there. There were tons of options all in the general vicinity. We miss that!!

Here are a few we've tried in Baltimore:

• Birches Restaurant: Unfortunately, we will not be returning to this restaurant. The menu had some very odd combos and the things we did order were not good. The caesar salad was basically caesar soup because of the amount of dressing on it. My lobster risotto came out cold. And I understand sometimes food isn't done at the same time - but risotta typically stays warm for a long time. Ian's food was poor as well. I wouldn't be so concerned, but it was overpriced! Not happy!
• Ra Sushi: This place had a fun, hip, trendy atmosphere. The food was very good, a little pricey. I think we'll certainly go back here.
• Obrycki's Crab House: We hadn't eaten crabs in about two years. As a celebration for me being finished my first paper, we went here for crabs. They were yummy! And the steamed shrimp were great too. Wish it was on the water though - but otherwise good!
• Three: We had tried going here a couple times and there was always a long wait. We finally got to try it out. Once again - this place left us wanting more. There was very little on the menu (the menu is ridiculously small - only 4 entrees are offered) and what we did get was just okay. Ian said he'd go back for appetizers, but I would not go back here.
• Saute: This is a fairly new restaurant. The atmosphere was fun and the food was good! It was a bit pricey, but the food was worth it I think. Would certainly go back!
• Akbar: We had been looking for a good Indian carry-out restaurant and think we finally found one. Although it's not quite as close in proximity to our house, we think it's worth it. The sauces were flavorful and rich - absolutely delicious. We'll be going back soon probably!

Hmm - I can tell it's been a little while since I've written about recent restaurant trips. I might even be forgetting one! Although we've hit a few mediocre (or even a couple less than mediocre) restaurants, we are excited to be exploring new neighborhoods, meeting new people and eating at new restaurants. It's all about the ride I guess!

I Think I Peed Myself

I mentioned yesterday that we went out to celebrate being finished with our first drafts on Friday night. We went to Mezze and omigosh - YOU HAVE TO GO. We had some amazing food. Zucchini fritters, meatballs, hummus, spinach pies, chicken kabobs, baba gounoush, lamb chops, and more. There were 4 of us and it was the perfect number of people to order a ton of things and split them. This restaurant is all mediterranean tapas...a.k.a. de-lish!



Saturday was friends and family day at the law school. I dragged Ian and my mom to it. The program puts the friends and family in a classroom, has a professor come in and put them through a mock class (there wasn't anything really mock about this - it was literally identical to our classes). They were required to read a case ahead of time, and it just so happened that my amazing contracts professor was the professor for this exercise. He put the pressure on, and treated the friends and family as students - all about socratic method. Luckily for Ian and my mom, neither were called on. But Ian did say it was super intense. All in all, I think he really had a new appreciation for what we go through for 3-4 hours per day. He only had to go through it for 45 minutes!


I also have made it a point to continue with hot yoga. I went on Friday and Sunday. Ian actually accompanied me on Sunday. He went into it thinking, what really can be so difficult about it. Well, we left the studio and he said he felt like he'd just run in an entire soccer game - he was exhausted, completely soaked through with sweat, and already sore. I then told him that now he can't comment when I come home from hot yoga - and just accept that it looks like I peed my pants - it's just the way the sweat runs on my capri spandex - I can't help it!