crack and cheese

my man's birthday is this week and he's asked me to make him dinner. actually, he asked me to make him mac & cheese. now, being a child of a barely middle-class suburban upbringing, i've never had mac & cheese that didn't come from a box. in my mind, kraft mac & cheese really is the cheesiest. having a chunk of that bright orange powder that didn't dissolve all the way in the butter and milk mixture was like a treat to me. if the pasta was in any shape other than elbow, i think i'd consider that gourmet.

so, in honor of a birthday wish, i have pinged two of my work colleagues that i know cook a lot at home. they both gave me great suggestions, but i fear i am way over my head on this one. we'll see, i guess. all i know is that when i asked my colleague what broiling entailed, he gave me a look of pity, only intensifying the feeling of despair growing inside me about this dinner.
i must also say that the nerves accompanying this meal come from experience.... experience trying to cook for others. i vividly remember the time i tried to make stuffed chicken parmesan, but had never used fresh garlic before, so cut up 9 cloves of it for like 4 chicken breasts. the chicken was definitely not lacking flavor, that's for sure! although, i think that was the first time i've ever found garlic to be spicy and sort of burn my mouth. :)

i'll let you know how dinner turns out.