It looks like it's going to be a beautiful day today. The forecast says it'll be up to 23C this afternoon. Yesterday Tammy planted a whole bunch of flowers in the pots that hang off the balcony on the front of the apartment. They look great now, but they'll look even better once they start growing a little.

We barbecued again yesterday evening. I made a very nice chicken marinade, quite simple actually and left the chicken to soak in it for about 30 minutes or so. It turned out amazing! Almost half of the chicken was eaten before it got a chance to be put in the salad.

Xander's super simple chicken marinade
Ingredients
Half a cup of sweet soy sauce
4 cloves of freshly pressed garlic
Half a cup of sweet chilly sauce
Tea spoon of Laos [en](ground Galanga root)
Tea spoon of Boemboe Sate [en] (mix of different kinds of Sate spices)
Double chicken breast

Preparation:
Take the chicken breast and put them on the cutting board with the smooth side up. Using a very sharp knife, slice into the chicken in a cross-hatch pattern, making sure not to cut right through the breasts.
Mix up the garlic, spices, sweet chilly sauce and soy sauce in a bowl large enough to contain the chicken. Add the chicken and leave in a cool place for as long as you like, but no less than 30 minutes.
Once this is done, put the chicken in one of those fold-over-meat-holding things and place it on the barbecue. Using a brush, baste the chicken regularly with the left-over marinade, this will ensure that the chicken stays very soft and moist and very flavourful. After about 20 minutes or so, the chicken should be done, be sure to check there are no pink bits left inside.

Apart from the chicken salad, we also had two very nice steaks which I marinated in a sweet chilly and barbecue sauce mix. I love barbecuing!

Today we're going into town to see if we can pick out Tammy's birthday present. Next Sunday she'll be 30. I can't trade her in anymore since I lost the receipt a year ago. I tried to return her, but her parents wouldn't hear of it. They were more than glad to be rid of her, especially her dad. I guess I got her at a bargain; a pig, a cow and two chickens (long story) and you get what you pay for.

May is a really celebratory month. It's Tammy's birthday, our anniversary (five whopping years this year!) and Mother's Day. I am sure there is a conspiracy in there somewhere. For our anniversary we'll be going to see the Cirque du Soleil when they come to Rotterdam in June. We got really good seats, in the front section of the ring, I can't wait to see them.

And don't forget: Labour day, Remembrance day, Liberation day, my wedding day and about ten birthday's including my mother's.

Oh and ascention day....

PS. Happy thirtiest Tammy... It sound worse than it feels ... believe me...