A Little Slice of Heaven...

Tomorrow night is our birthday. My husband and I have the same birthday, only I am very quick to point out that he is two whole years older. That is 730 days for anyone who has a calculator nearby or who speaks math (which I most certainly do not).

So tomorrow night we're having a small gathering of friends at the house, Saturday is our family birthday party, Sunday is Superbowl. And for a football obsessed husband that's kind of a big day. Having a birthday so close to the Super-fantastic-Bowl means that every couple of years I have the joy, no, the ultimate rapture of having to share my birthday with a football. Aren't I just the luckiest?? Really..

But thank goodness, this year is not one of those years.

So since tonight was the night that I get to celebrate my (okay, our... it's a little bit of a fight around here about who's birthday it is) birthday, I stopped off on the way home from work and picked up a bottle of champagne (which my my mind is only known as cham=pag=ne. Classy is how I roll) and came home to my darling husband and children.

And started cooking.

Man, do I love a good meal. Not sure how I'm going to become a size two in time for a work trip to Miami (because I'm convinced they don't let you leave the airport in Miami unless you're a size 2 ;) ) with the way that I cook. But I just can't help myself. I love to cook.

Tonight it was a cheap "gourmet" meal that knocked our socks off.


Roasted Garlic Scallop Campanelle Alfredo

I started with some garlic cloves I had in the fridge and put them on a cutting board and smashed them with a can. Not just get out some aggression, but because that is the easiest, fastest way to get that amazing garlic clove out of it's shell.

Then I sauteed said heavenly garlic up in some (light) margarine.

Once it was making me want to find a loaf of bread and just start dipping, I restrained myself and instead tossed in the defrosted scallops. Stirring them around in that glorious garlic and melted butter mixture so they were fully coated.

While the scallops cooked, I started boiling the water and then tossed in the pasta. I love funky pasta, it's the New Yorker in me I can't help it, and when I saw Campanelle pasta on sale for $1.50 yesterday I obviously grabbed some.

After the Garlic coated Bay Scallops were ready, I threw some low-fat Alfredo sauce in on low heat. I threw in some basil, oregano and garlic salt. And let's not forget the frozen chopped spinach. Bless my beating heart. I swoon at spinach. I was a little nervous about throwing that in with while frozen, lest it become a little watery... but it was perfection.

I stock up on bread at Walmart whenever I'm there since it might be the most amazing bread ever for $1.50 a loaf.It freezes beautifully and defrosts in just a minute without tasting like it was ever frozen. I cut that up, threw some butter, garlic, oregano and basil on it and tossed it in the oven. After a couple of minutes, I added some mozzarella cheese. Aaaand since I already had it out and was standing over the oven with it, I threw some into my sauce. Just for good measure... Not because I'm addicted to cheese.

Voila.

The most amazing dinner for ridiculously cheap. Put on some opera while you cook, a glass of red wine (preferably a Cab Merlot mix) in your hand and it's perfection.

And Happy Birthday to us.