Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Mama's Little Dumpling

One of my earliest childhood memories goes something like this...

It was almost noon. We were in a little house in Taiwan. Mama Piggy was watching some soap opera. I think I was three. Brother and I were playing when Mama Piggy asked Brother if he'd like some dumplings for lunch. He said yes since dumplings were his favorite, and Mama Piggy went off to the kitchen.

What about me? She didn't ask ME what I wanted for lunch...me pouty...

Mama Piggy returned with a bowl of steaming hot dumplings and told us to sit at the table. She set the bowl in front of Brother and finally asks me if I wanted some. Still pouty, I nodded. Mama Piggy walked to the kitchen and came back with a plate of four dumplings. I ran from the table.

Maybe it was cuz we were exposed to those terrible soap operas, but now not only did I feel like Mama Piggy favored Brother, I thought she had also poisoned my dumplings! Why else would she fetch separate dumplings from the kitchen instead of just taking some of Brother's and giving them to me? What other reason would there be? Yes, I was that paranoid at the age of three...

But the truth is, she knew I was three, didn't eat much and was a picky eater.

After much coaxing, I returned to the table and wolfed down every last one of those supposedly poison-laced dumplings.

Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

A Year of DillyDallying

I think I get the award for DillyDallyer of the Year. What did I accomplish this year? Sadly, if I'm honest with myself, nothing of importance is the answer. sigh

Still renting
Still - STILL! - have student loans
Still spending my money foolishly...therefore the above
My To Read list has gone unread
Haven't learned to stop eating when I'm full
Secret invention to take over save the world hasn't come to fruition
Tens of hundreds of exciting restaurants remain unvisited
Lost 50% of my portfolio's value... heavy sigh
Haven't opened a shelter for abandoned children/pets
No new stamps in my passport
Still see the same stomach rolls and back fat I resolved to lose

But...
The stomach rolls are ever so slightly smaller
The back fat a little less, um, fatty...
Tasted great food with like-minded foodies
Learned to be more careful of who I can trust and who I can't
Still have my job - thank the Sweet Baby Jesus!
Met more interesting and sexy people ;)
Many fun Vegas trips, and more already planned for '09
Adopted two kittens from the humane society
Gotten closer to Mama Piggy
Still generally healthy despite my binge & purge diet cycle

The year wasn't so bad, really. I shouldn't complain. It coulda been worse & I'm grateful it hasn't been. At least I have the wherewithall to reflect (if only just for a few minutes) and I can resolve to make the impossible happen. No, I don't mean taking over the world. I mean I can fill 2009 with more great food all the while becoming a thinner piggy. Hey, shut up...I can dream.

Monday, December 22, 2008

Piggy Confessions 2

The yummy treats from Costco have caused me to tumble off the wagon again. This time it's the French chocolate truffles. Costco only brings these out around October so yeah, I got a Costco sized pack of these chocolate truffles in October. A Costco sized pack means two 2 pound 3.3 ounce boxes. Each box has two foil bags of yummy chocolate truffles.

The Nutritional Facts state that each serving size is about 5 pieces, and each container (each foil bag) contains about 24 servings. So let me do the math for you...I purchased 480 pieces of fat & sugar. But have you tasted this melt in your mouth chocolate delight?

I promised myself that I'd be good, but I had 2 servings in one day. I think my blood chocolate level was almost lethal that day.

Me, Myself and I decided an intervention was necessary. The next day when I went to see Mama Piggy, I gave her the rest of the truffles. Mama Piggy doesn't like chocolate so I wasn't putting her at risk. She loves to give those chocolate truffles to her bowling team. So it all worked out.

I'm sober now.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

My Next Five Pounds of Weight Gain

What the what?!?! A Korean taco truck?

The concept is at first equally novel, titillating and improbable. Then after your first bite of the short rib taco, you instantly realize the idea is brilliant and wonder how many pounds you'll gain stuffing your face with this new found favorite food.

About 30 of us had the privilege of a private tasting, $10 for one of everything on the menu! Oh my sweet baby Jesus thems is good tacos! I had one of every flavor: short rib, spicy pork, chicken & tofu. Then on my second round I had the short rib burrito and the kimchi quesadilla.

If you plan on being a pig like me, I suggest starting with the tofu taco. Although the sauce makes the tofu tasty, it will be bland after you've had the meat tacos. So after the tofu, go for the chicken, then the spicy pork, then the short rib. They're all good, but I could have eaten five or 10 more of the short rib tacos.

The short rib burrito was good, the meat was still the same juicy quality, but for me there was too much in the burrito competing for a spot on my taste buds. I prefer the simplicity of the taco where the short rib flavor is the star.

The kimchi quesadilla sounded as strange as Korean taco truck, but was very good. Just mildly spicy and it blended with the cheese beautifully.

To see a good review & pictures, click here.

To see their site, click here.

To stalk them, click here.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Chubby Chased 6

Some time in October, Poker Princess and I were in Vegas again. It was fantastic. Our suite was comped, the limo pick up from the airport was comped, practically all our meals were comped, and I brought belated birthday cupcakes for Poker Princess. It's good to receive the VIP treatment. =)

Once again Poker Princess and I found ourselves at the poker table. Incidentally, the new Poker Lounge at Hard Rock ain't too shabby. Anyway, after I lost my $100 buy in, I sat with Poker Princess since she was winning and I figured I could learn.

Long before I lost my money I noticed Chubby Chaser across the table. Someone at the table commented that Chubby Chaser was a dead ringer for Brett Favre. No, I didn't know what Favre looked like until I did a search later in the room, but yeah, he was a dead ringer.

So...Chubby Chaser was actually a cutie and he had a good sense of humor. We started a conversation around food, what else? Poker Princess and I were trying to see if we could make it before the new steak restaurant closed for the night.

After a while Chubby Chaser went to cash out. He returned to the table, leaned over and whispered something in my ear. Naughty Blonde once called me a brazen hussy and that I am, but even this brazen hussy has some standards. Chubby Chaser was wearing a wedding ring. sigh

Good thing I could run to the open arms of the cupcakes in our room...