The Musician's Musings

...scuse me...

I had a wonderful birthday celebration. After a day yesterday with just me and Pookie, today was awash with people and fun and OH MY GOD FOOD!

Really, I wasn't thinking of having any major bruhaha or anything, I just wanted friends over. But what I got was more than just friends over. My lovely, wonderful, and talented wife cooked her ass off- she made fried chicken (in the oven), this roast that had a beautimus marinade out on the grill (dude, it had cumin, it *had* to be yummy), Hungarian rice (it involves bacon grease. no more needs be said.)(ok, I lied, green pepper and onion too), homemade bread, and chocolate cake. Now, when I say chocolate cake, y'all may think "Oh, how nice, many people love chocolate cake." No. This chocolate cake, double chocolate to be exact, was a two-layer covered with a combination of strawberries, vanilla, almond?, and thickener, all blended with a hand-mixer, and poured over each layer. The icing was really a ganache that Jenn got from Alton Brown's recipe that begins with 2 sticks of butter, dark chocolate, and heavy cream. Since the strawberry concoction turned a bit of the cake into pudding practically, it was the ganache that quite literally held the cake together. And it was ... was... oh, it was horrible. Yah. That's it. Horrible. You surely didn't miss anything. Nope. Not a thing.

This year's celebration was especially cool because of folx like aengus1385 and others from up Butler way, and their kids. They got along swimmingly with Pookie, who obviously had a blast. J. brought fantastic beer- Dogfish Head's Indian Brown Ale. Day-um, but this was yummy; it was dark, nutty, and smooth. I thoroughly approved. Oh, he brought homemade mead too, which was equally yummy and enjoyed by many. I got to share my Brooklyn Chocolate Stout, which many liked, so it was nice to see the beer flow. It happens so rarely at our house.

blackpaladin brought games (duh) and he introduced Dominion to our Butler friends, while I was in a round of Ticket To Ride. I gave two Cut Once CDs away to said Butler friends, who I think may have been surprised to know I was in a band. The laughs were many, the food was plentiful, I even got a couple of cards and gifties (thank you again), and I wouldn't've changed a thing. I know some were not able to make it, but the circumstances were completely understandable. So after all was packed up, I'm full, happy, and my sweetie outdid herself and cleaned the kitchen and dishes and prepared my lunch for tomorrow!!! Saint this woman, please.

It's a shame that I have to get up to go to work tomorrow, but this was a damn fine night. My friends rock, and my wife rocks even harder. Sweetie, you're the best. Thank you.

I am friggin egg-ZAW-sted. I've been running up and down steps most of the morning cleaning up (which amounted to a lot of 'take shit upstairs!!' heh), and squatting a lot getting the charcoal going on the smoker, which smoked our 11 lb. turkey. That, plus still being sick, and then eating a goodly amount = zzzZZZzzzzZz....

The day was nice. The weather was great, Pookie took a nap, was thrilled to see her Nanny and aunts, and all the food was splendiferous. I am still relieved when I get charcoal to light and work right. I must really be insecure on a strange level.

So, back to the food- smoked turkey, mashed taters, green bean casserole (white trash special), a cranberry/gorganzola savory tart, stuffing from my MIL, and traditional heat 'em up rolls and canned cranberry sauce. And then there was dessert- pecumpkin pie (a pecan pie baked with pumpkin pie filling underneath it), which was outSTANDING, and a really yummy chocolate pie that my MIL made. Not bought, but made, which impressed her daughters a lot. And there was much humor in this, because she buys most food pre-made, but boy-howdy, this pie was faboo. And with coffee- divine. So, it's an effort not to collapse in this chair before sending this off, but I will persevere. And if nothing else, the pain I have swallowing will keep me awake.

There was a lot of effort into what was really a nice, low-key evening, but it was all worth it. I hope everyone is satisfyingly stuffed, and may none of you have to go out into the harshness tomorrow morning.