Blood, Sweat, and Tears

I logged on this morning, and realized "It's Wednesday, and I wanted to post today!" then dug through my in-process posts and found this. I wrote it on May 7th, the day after H's birthday and birthday weekend. I edited it a little bit, to tone down the WW-heavy points and such discussion, but kept it essentially the same as it cam out that day. It tells an important story.

H's birthday weekend was just amazing, from a friends and family perspective.

A joyfully embarassed H at Brasserie Beck. We sang to him. All 12 of us.

From a #healthyme and Weight Watchers perspective, both H and I tracked up Saturday's points reluctantly, but were both still on point. Deeeeeeep into our "extra points," but on point.

So I jumped on the scale this morning, curious. Out of a scientific sort of curiosity. "I was so excessive this weekend, I wonder if it'll show up in the scale numbers. I bet it does."

And what I saw - just a little bit up from Thursday's WI - showed me that sound, scientifically based hypothesis was right.

So I got dressed, kissed The Beans and H, and drove to work. I got my ham & cheese croissant and coffee (I can still stay on point for the day when I do it, but I need to break the habit), and drove to work with the knowledge that I have a training session tomorrow (I earn extra points), yoga Wednesday morning (more extras), and that I'm already jonesing the fruits and veggies I didn't eat this weekend (or do the best strawberry cupcakes in the world count? They're made with fresh strawberries?).

Then I saw the numbers from the scale again in my mind's eye.

162.7

Last Thursday's weigh-in (before H's birthday weekend): 163.1

I'd seen the .7, perhaps, and just flipped the numbers in my mind.

I cried. On the WW Online community, there's been a lot written recently about how the plan works, and how we need to trust it. I've believed pretty much from Day 1.

So I cried.

I cried because H was so happy this weekend. Part of what made his weekend was "my hot wife." When I asked him his favorite part of the weekend (3 days of surprises, family, friends, food, drinks, and joy), he said, "having my hot wife walk around in her dress."

I had to ask him "what was your favorite part of the weekend that wasn't about me? Because if you can't come up with something, I did it wrong." He had an answer, and it's important in another forum.

But really, I'm on an exhausted high this morning (see mention of ham & cheese croissant above), and just need a vacation. The weekend was perfect for all sorts of reasons. So perfect that my crazily active little boy fell asleep in my lap yesterday. Which he hasn't done in, oh, about a year and a half.

And, in large part, I have WW to thank. Happy Birthday, my love.

[End of May 7th post. Now, here's today, May 23]

Fast forward to yesterday. If you saw my tweets and Instagram posts, you know.

The gym scale (I peeked, 2 days before my official WW weigh in) says I’m at the same number I was 2 days before our wedding on June 16, 2006 (or is it 17? Seriously. Neither H nor I can remember.)

And because of that number, I decided to try on my wedding dress last night.

I got home to pretty much cheers of jubilation, “Mama! Mama! Mama!” and asked our nanny to hang out for a few minutes, and didn’t tell her why.

I slipped into the dress.

I swear it went on more easily than it did 6 years ago.

She almost cried. (Have I mentioned how amazing she is?)

And then I made her take pictures.

 Someone said it's adoration. It might be "Mama's crazy." #happymama

Dancing with my beans to Beastie Boys 6 years after marrying their Papa in the same dress? Priceless #healthyme #shoutingfromtherooftops

Needless to say, I couldn’t stop smiling. I posted a picture to my personal facebook account, I sent one to H over email, telling him “Hurry home!” He sent back a note saying that he’s wearing a suit he bought in 2000, when he was living in Germany.

It works.

I indulged myself and The Beans with episodes of Imagination Movers and Little Einsteins while they ate dinner and I a snack. And then I pulled out the wedding pictures.

The picture (dancing at our wedding) that reminds me #happymama

I “let” them stay up to look at pictures. “Mama laffing!” “Papa laffing!” “Dra-pop!” “Dra-mom!” they exclaimed. We had a lot of fun at our rehearsal. A lot. We looked through all the pictures of our rehearsal and the ceremony. I saved the “party pictures” for tonight.

I was in a marvelous mood last night. Happy to the point of tears. Getting back into that dress triggered all sorts of things: joy, love for my family, memories, and reminders of why H and I married in the first place.

Dress is back on, i'm online, waiting for H and the Masala Art #oldmemories #newmemories

It’s a solid reminder, my stylish friends, of why clothes really are connected to meaning in our life.

Oh yeah, and I’m wearin’ a bathing suit this weekend down tha shore. And I’ll look better than I did on our first honeymoon down tha shore with my mother-in-law and her girlfriends.

Dine in Style: Easter Dinner No. 2 (of 3) at Mussel Bar Revel

To folks on twitter and facebook, it's no secret that H and I are huge Chef Wiedmaier fans. Huge. It all started when we ended up at Marcel's nearly 8 years ago (we know it was that long ago because Captain Jonathan - hands-down the best waiter we've ever had - checked the system when we returned and he recognized us) to celebrate H's birthday. From that lovely meal to other special occasions (and a few other "just happened to be in the neighborhood" nights), we know that when we want to have an incredible meal and not think about a thing (I will literally let Jonathan pick for me, and recommend you do the same), we go to Marcel's.

So naturally, when The Other Restaurants started opening up (oddly, I think more of young DC knows Chef Wiedmaier now through these places), we were all over that like...well, it's late...and my simile capabilities are gone. We haven't yet made it to Brabo or Brasserie Beck - shame on us - but we've become enamored of Mussel Bar over in Bethesda. Same honest, earnest service, same care in the food, but all in a more casual environment. With beer and mussels.

Confession: Until my the skillet with Mussels Wild Shroom, Pancetta, Parmesan, and Truffle Cream showed up  in front of me on our first visit, I'd never had a mussel. Ever. In fact, until the last few years, I barely touched seafood. Mussels were one of my last fontiers. I figured, "It's got bacon, cream, cheese, and truffle. And wild mushrooms. Even if I don't like the mussels, I'll like the rest."

Yeah.

I'm a mussel fan.

Chef Weidmaier, you had me at Mussel. Fresh as an untouched ocean (yes, they still exist), clean and fresh in contrast to the sinful creamy bacony goodness, I was sold.

I am sold. So much so when H goes there on a "business dinner" without me and calls to tell me he's having our new favorite (recommended by Polly Wiedmaier herself, they're her favorite), the Thai Green Curry mussels, I'm hurt. I'm sad. And I'm ticked that mussels don't do well in takeout.

But on to the real deal for discussion. Clearly, those of you in the DC area should get thee to Mussel Bar. And those of you outside of DC? Give me a buzz when you come to town, and I'll take you. Happily. It should continue, then, that when I got wind in the middle of last winter that the Chef is opening an Atlantic City, NJ outpost at the new Revel resort, I did a Big Huge Happy Dance. Because, you know, we love Jersey, and AC is just up the pike from our place down the shore.

We could hardly wait. Wait. And Wait. Is it April yet?

Finally. The website is up, the facebook page is up. Photos go up, and Revel starts to send promotional emails. We run into Polly on our last visit to Mussel Bar here, and she tells us about the glory that is about to be Mussel Bar Revel.

Yes, I'm talking it up. Because this is how excited we were. Very, very excited.

So after a big Easter Dinner I cooked down the shore, what do we do? We plan on escaping to Revel for the evening. We thanked H's mom profusely for the chance to flee.

Up the turnpike, down the strip.

Van Halen's "Jump" came on the radio when we turned onto Atlantic Avenue.

And then we pulled up under the big moon - the lunar ball, really - hanging above Revel. Stunning from the start. The entry drive is like driving into a sleek, current spaceship. No Star Trek here, people (though the athletic orange valet shirts do harken to the deck of the Starship Enterprise).

I'll spare you the description of the resort itself, save to say it's gorgeous. Plain. Old. Gorgeous.

We weave through the casino to find Mussel Bar Revel. Pretty hostesses greet us and walk us to our table. Pleasantly busy for Easter night still in soft opening. Concert videos - Eagles, I think played, and, well, a motorcycle hung above the bar. I'm assuming it's still hanging.

Cutting to the chase, on to the food.

We saw no reason to order anything other than our favorite, the Thai Green Curry Mussels. And the kale sauteed with fennel seed. And the Kennett Square Mushrooms.

This Kennett Square girl, raised in the Mushroom Capital of the World, where there is, honest-to-goodness a Mushroom Festival with a Mushroom Queen, was super excited. No, I never entered the pageant.

Oh. The beer, you ask? Well, I went with the house "special," an ale brewed just for Chef Wiedmaier,  by Brouwerij de Musketiers, Belgium, Antigoon. I'm a beer lover. 100%. And this, my beer-loving friends, is one of the Best Beers I Ever Had. Full, rich, complex flavors - yes, I'm describing a beer. Gorgeous. It also has a really cool name and legend: the name was inspired by, Druon Antigoon, a mythical giant who lived in Antwerp. Guardian of a bridge on the river Scheldt, Antigoon exacted a toll from those crossing the river. For those who refused, he severed one of their hands and threw it into the river. Antigoon was eventually slain by a young Roman soldier named Brabo, who cut off the giant's own hand and flung it into the river. A statue of Brabo currently stands comemerating his heroism in Antwerp.

Yes I just spent a whole paragraph on a beer. H wanted Schneider Weisse. It was on the menu, and our waiter nicely checked (not everything was in yet). H was excited that they had it. Apparently it's rare. H, though, isn't convinced it was the Schneider Weisse he knows. But it was tasty and he had a second beer he can't remember - a Belgian ale - that he enjoyed.

So the food.

It's not exactly the same as Bethesda.

And that, my mussel-loving or mussel-soon-to-be-loving friends, is a good things. The Thai curry in AC? There's crunchy sprinkling of roasted peanuts, along with a much stronger basil presence (which I happen to love) than in Bethesda. It also had more kick - a clean but full heat we both welcomed. This is not to say that the green curry inside the beltway isn't as good, but rather they're distinctly different dishes, which we both appreciated. I might not be a restaurant expert, but I'd say that it's a smart chef who takes the chance to change things in a new market.

The frites were good, as always, and served with a trio of mayonnaise that had even this mayo-detesting lady dipping: chipotle, dijon, and a tartar-sauce-like version that had a lovely, clean tang. My hometown mushroom fricassee? Yum. Just yum. Woodsy goodness. The only little downer was that our kale was overseasoned - too much salt, and I, the fennel fanatic, would've liked more, well, fennel.

We even splurged, points-wise (yes I tracked every bit), on dessert. H had a fresh, warm, raspberry souffle. Just the smell of it was ridiculous. I had ice cream. Per our waiter's recommendation, I went for the speculaas ice cream. Uh huh. 2 scoops of that, and one of lemon. Eyes rolled back, people. Spicy cookie + citrus? Perfect.

The staff was honest and earnest, just like "at home," and both H and I were thoroughly impressed that there were no hiccups on day 4. With this crew, on opening night? Well,...

Thanks, Mussel Bar Revel facebook page and Mrs. Wiedmaier, for the pictures!

Dine in Style: Annapolis Haunt Worth the Trip

Thank you, Grandpop and Granny.

You made this report possible.

A little off topic, but I just have to share a fabulous place discovered this weekend.

The Bean went down to bed Saturday night, then the grownups ate dinner, then DC Celine & H went out for a little Grownup Time.

After a first attempt at a drink at Metropolitan (we should've known, when we called information to get the exact address and all they could find was "Jerry's Seafood at the Metropolitan"), we moved on. It was unfortunate. Very cool space, Miami/South Beach vibe, laid back music, and...pleather menus with gold-type lettering. Totally out of whack.

As it turns out, the original Metropolitan,* which was a modern American restaurant with dishes like Moroccan-spiced monkfish and crab-ricotta ravioli, is no more. Apparently Annapolitans weren't ready for its pricey menu. To quote the bartender, "Let me jump out of my BMW, grab a steak, and the cheapest Bud Light I can." It was bought out by Jerry's Seafood, and renamed "Jerry's Seafood at the Metropolitan." Hence the crab bomb on the menu.

But West Street has so much more to offer.

For example, The Purple Tooth.

Fan-tas-tic wine bar.

The real deal.

Unpredictable choices, quality beers for those non-wine drinkers, 3- and 5-cheese plates (with the option of charcuterie), olives, and truffles. That's it. Simple, unadorned, and absoutely worth the trip to Annapolis. With a couple of friends, you could easily while away an evening over cheese and wine...the way it's supposed to be.

H and I shared the 3-cheese plate with a Dutch-parmesean-like hard cheese, a vegetable-ashed goat, and an English stilton. Mmmmm. Honey, freshest bread, salted, oiled almonds (I couldn't keep my hands off them), and dates finshed out the plate. It all went beautifully with my Hoepler Pinot Blanc and H's tawny port. And the truffles just finished it off...

We had the chance to talk with one of the owners - they're both working the room along with their staff - she's in love with Austrian wines, which wins my heart (I spent a year there as an exchange student, learning to love the Gruener Veltliner and Blaufraenkisch). They have a smart place...we spent the evening trying to figure out how to do the same thing in DC.

In a word - go.

*Don't be fooled by the menu on the website - the old site is still up.