A Good Meal for the Newlyweds

We are getting to meet our friend Saomony's husband for the first time tonight.  They got married in Taiwan in April.
I was debating on what to make, and I told HH it came to me in a vision.  He asked what vision was this, "I said how all visions come, Google Reader."

Chef in Training's Mexican Manicotti

The husbands (HH and Saomony's husband) both loved this dish.  I was particularly happy that Saomony's husband liked it, because he has lived in Texas for many years, and they have some great Tex-Mex food.  HH asked for it to be put in the husband's favorites when the new blog design comes out.

Garlickly Broccolini (Rachel Ray)

Eat at Home's Strawberry Chocolate Chip Cake with Strawberry Icing 
(I've had my eye on this for a longer period of time, but needed to go a bigger grocery store to get "instant strawberry creme pudding mix.")

Note:  This is the SECOND dessert I made.  The first one was a complete train wreck.  :(  We got home on Saturday from Mayo, and we have a few of those pesky gnats around.  When the cake came out, I didn't want the gnats to bother it, so I put a lid over the cake.  The condensation over the next hour made the middle of the cake gross.  I tried to see if I could bake out the moisture, but couldn't.  I sent HH high tailing it to the store to get the ingredients for a do-over.

My copy of The Professional Chef waiting for me when I got back home....swoon!

HH Random Picture