Anniversary Shrimp Dinner & Welcome Home Chix Soup 9.20.09

Scott surprised me with 2 doz red roses & a mushy, yummy card for our 17th anniversary.

I had spent the nite at our apt the nite before, and Scott was out at the Ranch sitting Tex, he surprised me with these flowers when he came home that morning.  I LOVE roses...and most other flowers. 

Our Anniversary is 9.20 and we were spending our last night housesitting for the Mc's at the Ranch.  It was a perfect place to celebrate...like being at our own private resort.  Scott had been eyeing the large shrimp at Costco...so we kept it simple. Jumbo shrimp, garlic bread (also Costco) and chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting.  It was so delicious and so simple...a perfect meal.

We shared one lb of shrimp, which Scott peeled, deveined and seasoned with a little s&p, tossed in a blend of evoo & butter, placed on a piece of foil and put on the grill.  We ate them with melted butter & hot, crusty, buttery, garlicky sourdough bread.  Ohhh, they were so good, it was like eating tender lobster.  The cake is the same one I make all the time, so its already on here (a few times:)

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Frosting

"Welcome Home" Chix Soup

We wanted our friends to have a nice welcome home...so I made Chix soup for them to have when they got home...just had to warm it up and dinners ready.  It's healthy, yet hearty...we added a little garlic bread  and 1/2 of our choc. cake...Yum!  I considered what would be a good meal for this...but everything else seemed either too much work for them, or too heavy...and since they'd just eaten their way across Europe and needed something light and comforting, this soup was perfect.  I've posted this before, but basically, you shred the meat from one whole store rotissierie chix...never am sure how to spell that...I sautee what ever vegies I feel like, usually carrots, celery and onion in a little butter/oil...I used lots of vegies here, then add 1 can peeled tomatoes, if they're not already diced, I hack em up a little, then chix stock (not sure how much, 4 C maybe?, see the recipe I posted about it previously), simmer till vegies are tender, then stir in chix and serve with soup noodles...which were cooked separately & tossed with butter.  Season w s&p as you cook, then check seasoning at the end.

shredded meat from 1 whole rotissiere chix

YUMMY!

Welcome Home!

This was what was waiting when they opened the fridge

so fun!

We left a box of Milk Duds on their pillow, just like is pictured here, when Sammy left one on our bed when we stayed over...they had just put fresh sheets on our bed and Sammy felt a "chocolate on the pillow" was the finishing touch it needed...he improvised!  Love it and love these precious friends.

Their sweet Tex even dressed up to welcome them home:)