Journal: January 22, 2012

I found myself in the kitchen as the day started.  Lots to get ready.  Have to make the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Naan.  While watching a cooking show on The Food Network recently, I saw one of the chefs use a microplane to mince ginger.  Awesome idea, since mincing is one of the things I hate doing the most.  It worked like a charm. 

I finally figured out my issue with using yeast, as well.  What I think is 115 degrees and what is really 115 - way off.  It's amazing what happens when you get the temperature right.  Since this post is already photo heavy and I'm not even sure if blogger will accept videos - you can head over to smugmug to watch a riveting video of yeast doing what it's supposed to do.  LOL.

Stew and I made a trip to Target.  I need new canisters for rice and pasta in the cabinets.  Unfortunately, Target didn't have any.  They did have some nice fruit baskets and some plastic mixing bowls (needed them since the soot never came off of mine no matter the amount of scrubbing).  We also got a KitchenAid pot that has a straining lid - it was on clearance.  Awesome deal.

Phill, Christina and GEP arrived around 3 - I was in full on cook mode by then, but I had a little helper.  Here's the little evil man helping make the naan.

 And his final product.

The rest of the naan is finished:

 And here's the Chicken Tikka Masala:

 The meal was delicious.  I think this is the best naan I've ever made.  The chicken tikka masala - still a little hot for me even though I quartered the amount of jalapeno and halved the amount of cumin.  I don't know - next time, I will try deleting the jalapeno completely.  I love the taste, but don't want to burn my tongue off in the process.  Thank goodness for rice and naan - cools down those taste buds.

Birthday boy 1:

Here's the cake.  Phill and Christina had the idea of doing a fire and ice theme since you know, Steve is cool as ice and Stew is on fire.  LOL.  Poor Stew - never going to live this one down. 

But as you can see from this picture, he doesn't much mind the jokes.  He's "heating" his hands over the fire.  Phill's expression of disbelief matchings mine.  LOL.

Birthday Boy 2 - this was the least goofy picture I could find of him...

 Here he is opening his presents - new laptop.  I think he gets one every year.  This was supposed to be his Christmas present, but since we're not celebrating Christmas until February,  (the reason why we picked February has to do with something my mom did when we were kids) - I wanted him to have it before school started - so he got it for his birthday.  I'll have to find him a different Christmas present.

Then it was time for the ridiculousness of Phill and GEP outside of the sliding glass doors - why do I clean them again?  Like father, like son, I'm telling you.  They're both nutso.

GEP and Stew ended the night playing the Wii, which I think they will probably do a lot tomorrow as well since GEP is spending the night.

All in all, I think the day was a success.  Everyone had fun.  The Ravens lost.  Can't ask for a better day than that.