Birthday Cake & Steak...a little smoke..& a vat of meatballs & marinara 10.10.09&10.17.09

Tonight is Scott's 45th birthday.  It's almost 10pm and he's in the other room enjoying football.  He's had a day full of football...a great way to spend a birthday for a football lover such as him....and Texas beat OU, which is always good. 

Last week on my birthday we spent the day together, just as we did today.  It was great to have our birthday's on the weekend, (Thank You God:)  and could easily spend the day together and avoid too much work.  He worked a little this morning, while I did Cake Baking planning...and then came home to watch football, then a run together to Costco for flowers and birthday groceries!  FUN!  Then back home for more football....food...wine...and a movie The Proposal...and CAKE!  Now more football...and the weather today was ideal...cool air, blue skies with white fluffy clouds...just heavenly.

We had steak both nights, filet last week and ribeyes tonight...both topped with blue cheese and served with mushrooms and garlic bread...Costco Rocks!  I now am in possession (sp?) of Chef John's famous Cognac Cream sauce...but didn't get around to getting the Cognac yet...although I was day dreaming about it. We honestly didn't really want to do any real cooking today either...and tho' its not hard to make, as we are good students and John taught us well...but...we were just lazy...a great perk to bday celebrating...RELAXING!  (baking is different...sometimes...its sort of like an edible art project) Sweet friends came last week for my bday dinner and endured our frantic kitchen drama when the grill wouldn't work and we smoked out the entire apt searing steaks in the cast iron skillet.  I nearly had a melt down...but the food was delicious, and the friends patient and kind.  They brought us delicious wine and "Catch Phrase", so we played a few rounds...I love game nites with friends...and I love our sweet friends, the Griggs. 

Isn't it just so cute!

Last week the cake was a little bit of a disaster too...but ended up tasting good...but nowhere near as good as tonights!  Strawberry upon request...with chocolate chip cream cheese frosting, and dark chocolate cream cheese filling (left from last weeks cake)...and I topped it with hand dipped chocolate covered strawberries.  It was so pretty! And only a little bit crooked :)  Unlike last weeks leaning, squatty tower of pisa.  (yellow butter cake, with chocolate chip studded dark chocolate cream cheese frosting...topped with toffee crumbs.  It was ugly, but tasted good...even better the next day...even if I did almost burn it to a crisp when I suggested the temp Scott bake it at...he was making it...and I was bored so I "took over"...big mistake, I should have left him alone and it would have turned out much better)  I redeemed myself this week. 

the cake in progress...

I had lots of fun baking it...I wouldn't let him look until I was done...the chocolate dipped berries and chocolate filling were a surprise!  I was so proud of myself...I kept baiting him for compliments...shameless! 

We both had great birthday's...I think I enjoyed his even more than my own, if only because the pressure was off...and I could just relax and focus on him...maybe next year I'll pretend it's someone else's bday on mine and I'll relax a little.

Scott bought me flowers today...I got flowers on my birthday and his!  Very fun...and they are so beautiful.  I give my mom flowers on my birthday every year, so I understand why he'd enjoy giving them on his.  I am very blessed to celebrate with and for him...he's my "Captain Love", as his silly Valentine's shirt says...and I love him so.  Happy Birthday Baby...

Ribeyes topped with crumbled blue cheese...we didn't make time to get Cognac for Johns' famous sauce this year...oh, well guess I'll just have to make steak again...next week?

baby bella's...so good!

Mikey's famous Meatballs in Marinara

my sweet brother, Mikey made dinner for Scott & I and he and Amanda hosted a family dinner for us in between our bdays...he made a huge pot of mozzerella stuffed meatballs in marinara over speghetti, fresh corn on the cob, garlic bread and cheesecake with strawberry sauce and fresh berries for dessert.  It was sooooo good, and we were so full!  We have eaten very well this birthday season...now its time to go take a nice long walk.