Hubby's 29th Birthday Dinner

Hubby turned 29 on Saturday....I feel so bad for him.  I've managed to celebrate my 25th birthday three times so far, yet he keeps moving on up in age.

Deciding what to do for his birthday in means of gifting and celebratory dinner has been a constant battle ever since I've known him.  He never knows where he wants to go to eat and never can name anything he wants to get.

I can't imagine living in such a world.

I can rattle off ten different restaurants I've been wanting to try and create a four-page list of things I want at a moment's notice all while my birthday is still months away.   

Hubby is a special case, I suppose.  Even more so because this year after I had already prepared myself to have to make all his choices for him, he decided to be extremely decisive.  He told me affirmatively that he wanted to go clothes shopping for his birthday present from me.

Such words make a wife's heart jump for joy.

1. Because that meant I didn't need to stress over what gift to get him.

2. Because he wanted to go clothes shopping.

3. Because, brilliant genius that I am, I recognized that if he was going clothes shopping, that meant I was going clothes shopping.

The birthday boy donning his new facial hair, a look that made him fit in quite well with the Gordon's frozen fish guy.

But this post is not about the uncontrolled shopping that hubby and I both did.  It is about the food we ate in the midst of trying to hit every single store we wanted to go to within a five-hour time period.

Hubby made this experience rather interesting for me because he picked to go shopping at the Tanger Outlets in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  His birthday fell on Saturday, a day I have commitments that keep me at home until 1:30 pm.  This meant we didn't reach Rehoboth until 4:00 in the afternoon.

My prior experience of outlet shopping dictates that it occurs in the early morning and lasts until late at night.  How was this trip going to turn out successful with out shopping starting at 4:00?

But again, this post is about the food we ate.  I'll just tell you that the shopping, in the end, turned out to be a success.  I know this to be true because I bought just about as much as hubby did.  I felt bad for a minute, then when I realized he didn't care, I was at complete inner peace.

While Hubby had been gracious enough to pick out the location where he wanted to go shopping, he was not as helpful in picking our place to dine.  After I narrowed the search for him, he chose Big Fish Grill.

I love places that don't take reservations, don't you?  Their website warned that they did not take reservations and that on Memorial Day weekend they suggested getting there early.  Considering we had only reached Rehoboth at 4:00 pm, we planned to shop until at least 5:30.

5:30 quickly turned into 6:00, then 6:15, and we ended up at the restaurant around 6:30.  The parking lot was packed and I began having a mini panic attack that we would find ourselves waiting all night to eat dinner rather than finishing up our shopping.

We were quoted 45 minutes to an hour wait, which all things considered, wasn't too bad.  Hubby came up with the brilliant idea that if the wait was long we would head back to the outlets (which were five minutes down the road) and keep shopping.  We figured there wasn't a chance that the packed restaurant would under quote the time, especially on Memorial Day weekend, so we headed back shopping.

While standing in the checkout line at Nike, Hubby received a text from the restaurant telling us that our table was ready.  (Can I just take this moment to say that I'm loving that restaurants are starting to use texting instead of those buzzy things to let you know your table is ready?  It's brilliant.  Simply brilliant).

I shouted curses at the restaurant for being so time efficient, rushed to pay for a pair of sneakers for Hubby, then we flew into our car to zoom down the road hoping to still be able to claim our table.

Fortunately, the restaurant didn't cling too tightly to their printed two minute warning for coming in when notified that your table is ready.

This made me wonder if they also didn't cling as tightly to the "no reservations" warning.

This is something I will not think about at this moment.

What seemed when we first entered to be a tiny fish restaurant turned out to be a very large one as we were escorted to the left side which held even more seating.  The restaurant was decked ceiling to ceiling and wall to wall with fish which I needed Hubby to explain to me that they were not real fish because real fish would not be so flawless.

I had assumed that, I just wanted to be sure.

Hubby ordered the Maryland Crab soup because he thought for a second we were in Maryland.

I'm not sure what that detail has to do with anything, I just thought I'd share.

He wasn't too impressed.  Then we had and appetizer of hand breaded tilapia fingers.  Hubby found them to be much better as he defined the soup as tasting as it "could have come from the can" but the tilapia fingers he said clearly had a breading that was created in house.

Although the tilapia was good, at this point I was a little worried.  Did I pick a stinker?  How could I have done that?  And on his birthday?

Then our entrees came and the angels in heaven danced for joy.

Yes, it was that good.

When it comes to picking my meal, I do not tend to be daring, at all.  I want to be daring, but I will typically go with a safe choice because I don't want to be disappointed with my meal.  It will ruin my entire night.  It's really that important.

Yet tonight I left my fate up to the waitress.  Something I also do not tend to do.  I knew I wanted scallops, so I gave her the option of their hand breaded fried scallops (an item that had a little blue fish symbol indicating that it was a popular item there) and a special of the day: scallops, shrimp, and lobster with asparagus in a tomato cream sauce.

She chose the latter.

While I feared what was to come, the instant I sunk my teeth into the soft scallops I knew she had made a good choice.  I've always said that scallops are the filet minon of the sea.  These were the type of scallops that made me make such a claim.  I'm not usually a shrimp gal, and I typically go for crab over lobster but even those aspects of this dish were superb.  The cream sauce blended all the flavors together beautifully and made me want to give our waitress an I-love-you-so-much hug.  Yet I refrained.

Now, Hubby's meal.

I have to say, I was jealous.  Hubby's meal was my very first choice, yet I avoided it because I order a similar meal in Cape May at Oyster Bay.  Their meal is filet minon topped with jumbo lump crab and it makes me reconsider my thoughts about not really wanting to ever live at the shore.

Don't judge a book by it's cover.  I know this is not the classiest picture, and I deeply apologize.  I had already dug into my meal when I realized, duh, I needed to take some pictures.  Neither of our dishes were really picturesque at that point, yet Hubby had done less damage to his.

Let's start with the cream colored peaks to the right of the broccoli.  Hubby gave me a bite of this and in the first instant I seriously thought he had just given me a scoop of the lobster sauce that is adorning most of the plate.  As I let it sink in, I realized the creaminess I was tasting was the most delicious mashed potatoes I have ever eaten in my entire life.  They were beyond creamy, with a slightly peppery flavor.  In that moment I was ready to send my plate back and ask for just a bowl of the mashers.  Then I looked back at my scallops and decided I was really okay.

Hubby's meal doesn't end there.  His filet minon was topped with lobster which was absolutely divine, but the true winner was the steak itself.  It was so moist I'm pretty sure a butter knife would have sliced through.

The food being outstanding would have been enough, but the other point I must mention is the price.  We ended up paying $76 (not including tip) for our entire meal.  All things considered (soup, appetizer, seafood pasta, steak and seafood entree, and drinks) that price is fantastic.

After dinner, we still had an hour left to finish up our shopping.  We then drove around searching for ice cream and wound up at Gelato Gal.  Despite the confusing smell of smoked salmon (which we learned was another one of their delicacies) and the older hipsters who were in front of us in line, we left delighted by their award winning Chocolate Zen flavor of gelato.

Somehow that wasn't enough.  I had been mesmorized by the Candy Kitchen as we passed it coming in.  We simply had to stop in on our way home.

We chose our chocoalte sparingly.  M&M bark, a chocolate covered oreo, milk chocolate champagne truffles, and tirimisu truffles filled our bag and were quickly emptied from our bag as we drove home.

Diet Book Recipes Can Be Tasty

Recipe: Chile-Peppered Steak

Source: The Abs Diet Book/Cookbook

Time: 45 minutes

Ease: 2

Taste: 7

Leftover Value: 7

Down the Drain or Keep in the Strainer: Keep it in the Strainer!

In college, Hubby became obsessed with working out, staying fit, and something called the Abs Diet.  Then we got married and he slowly, unconsciously drifted away from it.  Five years later we both found ourselves heavier than when we first met, and a little disappointed with ourselves.

After a little effort taken, Hubby recently lost 30+ pounds and I lost 13.  More on that later over at Go Somewhere That's Green.

Hubby really started to buckle down on his working out and eating healthier due to a little game called "The Biggest Loser" that his work was playing.  Perhaps you've heard of it?

Again, more on that later.

Hubby's updated life choice vicariously involved me.  My role was to help out by making dinners that were a little more losing weight friendly.

I do not love this, but I do recognize its importance in connection with the want to lose weight.

I went back to the Abs Diet book that Hubby had bought for me when he had started his Abs Diet kick in college.  (Yes, he bought a book for himself and the women's version for me, isn't he adorably sweet?)

In the book, they have a chapter devoted to the Abs Diet meal plan which includes a slew of recipes.  Some are for the birds (Italian meatballs made with only saltines and onions? Bleh!!) while others, like today's recipe, were shockingly satisfying.

The recipe is uncomplicated, yet savory.  Calling for a handful of veggies: including broccoli, carrots, jalapeno, and cayenne peppers, olive oil, lean sirloin steak, and Hunan stir-fry sauce the time saving factor added with the healthiness factor makes this recipe one that is certainly for my favorites file.

*Note: I don't actually have a favorites file.  I wish I did.  That would be super organized of me.

The steps are as basic as throw some rice on, chop up your veggies, slice the meat, then toss it all in the frying pan.

I did make a few substitutions only because I could not find cayenne peppers at the supermarket and Hunan stir-fry sauce is still a mystery to me.

*Note: Substitutions make my head spin.  Whenever I make a recipe for the first time, I stick to it religiously.  If I don't, I'm convinced it will turn out horribly.

*Note to the note: Thanks for listening to my issues.

Instead of the fresh cayenne peppers, I sprinkled in a pinch of cayenne pepper spice.  I substituted the Hunan stir-fry sauce with General Tso's stir-fry sauce.  My reasoning was they both have "stir-fry sauce" in their names so it would work.  I'm sure I'll later find out that they are exactly the same thing which in any case  just proves my reasoning to be solid.

The white rice* helped to balance the tiny bite that the chile-peppered steak had.  As a documented wimp to anything overly spicy, I avoided the jalapeno peppers and just let them become a garnish for my plate.

*Note: Yes, this healthy recipe called for brown rice to be served instead of white.

*Note to the note: I like white rice.  It tastes better.  Brown rice tastes like dirt.

Glad that's settled.

 

Office Pranks and Mini Trifles

My husband is the closest thing to Jim Halpert that I know.

In case you don't know Jim, he's a character from the show "The Office".  Jim plays harmless office pranks on his coworker, Dwight Schrute.  A few of my favorites have included when Jim tricked Dwight as to what day of the week it truly was, when he hid his cell phone in the ceiling tiles, and when he put his stapler in a jello mold.

Hubby's Dwight Schrute is his coworker Drew.  Because I'd like to keep my relationship with hubby the way it currently is, I think I am legally bound to not go into details on the things he has done in office fun to Drew. 

However, I will say that he may or may not have moved Drew's car from the office parking lot to the gym parking lot across the street.

But again, he may or may not have done that, I'm not at liberty to honestly say.

Occasionally, an office prank can get foiled against the plotter.

What a sad day that is.

Drew is a co-member of the two person party planning committee at the office.  Each month they plan a celebration with desserts to commemorate the birthdays of that month.  May, being hubby's birthday month, caused hubby to stress to Drew that he wanted to pick the dessert item since in years past he had been overlooked.

He told Drew he wanted trifles for the dessert.  "Trifles?" asked Drew.  "Where am I gonna get trifles?"

"Not my problem, just do it," said Lance.  "Oh, and I want them to be mini," he added.

Drew, knowing that I make a delicious chocolate trifle, then suggested that I make them.  

This led to Drew approaching me on Wednesday to ask me if I could make trifles for the following Monday.  Monday, as in five days later Monday.  Trifles, as in mini trifles.  Enough for 70 people.

Not exactly what hubby's secret plan had been.  

The secret plan was to cause Drew to have to search the earth high and low for a bakery, supermarket, restaurant, or roadside stand that makes trifles.

And while I don't really mind making desserts, in the end, it was hubby who truly suffered.  First, by partaking in ingredient shopping Friday night with Drew and me.  Then by being forced to participate in five hours of trifle making Saturday evening.

It was quite the event, but lets look at where it all began:

The Chocolate Trifle

Deliciously decadent, first made for my dad on his birthday.

Which was soon followed by the creation of:

The Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

Sugary sweet, made first for my soon-to-be sister-in-law's birthday.

The mini trifles had a somewhat less romantic beginning and it looks like this:

As I was gathering the necessary supplies, I had a mixture of panic and excitement for making one of my favorite desserts for so many people.

Panic because, oh-my-goodness, I was making dessert for 70 people.
Excitement because, oh-my-goodness, I was making dessert for 70 people.

It would've been one thing if this dessert was something like cookies or cake.

But trifles?

There is a true art to compiling them.

Three batches of brownies,

and two yellow cakes later and I was ready to start the long process of building the perfect mini trifle factory in my kitchen.

I'm going to be honest.  It was a rather chaotic time that I'm sure will come back to haunt me in my sleep.  Because of this, I lost my sanity and usual drive to snap pictures along every step of the way.

You're lucky I was able to capture this moment:

The chocolate trifles were done first and moved pretty smoothly.  Drew came over and helped me put the cups together while hubby wrapped them in plastic wrap and found room for them in the fridge.

He also did a few dishes.

But then again, so did I.

The craziness pictured above came from the strawberry (and blueberry!) trifles.  Drew found that process to be a bit too creative and after putting together a few cups, he decided it was best if he just watched.

Five hours from go time, my refrigerator was stockpiled with mini trifles for an army.

Chocolate trifles,

and strawberry shortcake trifles, oh my!

Note: Please don't point out that I didn't have a third thing mentioned here as in, "Lions (1) and tigers (2) and bears (3), oh my!"  Sometimes one forces something that doesn't work to work.  As I just did.

Please forgive me.

When it was coming down to the end and I still had a monster load of yellow cake, but no mousse left, I got creative and used a little of the chocolate mousse that I had extra of and created a whole new beast of a trifle.

The Strawberry Shortcake with Chocolate Mousse Trifle....With Blue Berries, too!

Hubby was sweet enough to snap a few pictures in the morning when he loaded them up to take in to work.

I was especially thrilled to find the following pictures texted to me later in the day:

It's amazing how creative hubby can be when he puts his mind to it.

The mini trifles were a complete hit in the office.  I received appreciation in the form of phone calls, emails sent to hubby, sonnets written in my name, proposals, and first born children named for me.

That's what trifles can do to you.

They're that good.