nashville revisited (and bobby flay is an egomaniac)

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So, I was wrong. One of the counselor’s at work (a fellow foodie) corrected me. Bobby Flay actually won the throwdown at the Loveless Cafe.

While we’re on the subject, though, (for those of you who watch Throwdown) can I just say how obnoxious I think the premise of this whole show is? It is totally obnoxious.

“Hi, I’m Bobby Flay and I’m going to come to your establishment and make a similar product and show that in just a week I can do it better than you can, even though you’ve been doing it for years.”

What a punk!

The only redeeming quality the program has is that you get to see these super cool places that are famous for whatever it is they make…which is how I knew about the Loveless Cafe.

another installment of "the gospel of friendship"…according to me

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This post is sponsored by my recent reflection on just how much I am missing/going to miss my Utah friends since, by the end of the summer, they will have all left me for cities east of the Rockies.

Once upon a time, people would have classified me as “nice”. I was actually kind of a pushover. I remember many times doing whatever I could to make people like me. In fact, that lasted right through high school. I had so many insecurities all the time. My main concern was my social life and how to get people to like me. This is probably also why I never dated…but that’s an entire post of its own.

Sad, but true. And even though I had a great group of friends in high school, I never quite felt like I fit in. I was always trying way too hard. In fact, I would venture to say the same for most of my college life. I found the friends I wanted and tried to make myself one of them. The ironic thing is, I think had I just figured out who I was and been myself, I probably would have had the same friends, it just would have been a lot easier.

And the I grew up (about three years ago…some of us mature at a slower rate than others).

It’s not that I don’t care what people think about me anymore. I do. Or, I should say, I care about what the people I care about think. Did you follow that? But it’s not about whether they like me as much as it is whether I’m a good person.

One of my favorite things about who I am today is that I am okay with people not liking me…as long as it’s based in reality. Not everyone is going to like me. And I am not going to like everyone. And do you know something? There’s nothing wrong with that.

Yes, I’m sometimes too honest with people, but I don’t intend to be mean. So, if someone wants a friend who is going to always say exactly what he or she wants to hear, I’m not your girl. I’m not going to rip a hole in you on a daily basis, but if I think you are being immature and you ask for my opinion (ask being the operative word) I’m going to give it to you…okay, and sometimes when you don’t ask. The same thing goes if I think you are being irrational, rude, mean, caddy, selfish, stubborn, or obnoxious. And I expect the same thing from my friends. I am also going to tell you when I think you are being too hard on yourself, you are doing a great job, you look great (I don’t generally say the opposite of this one, but I don’t lie, either), or I admire something you’ve done. And you will always know that I am being sincere. And I’m not going to agree with you just because we’re friends.

What I’ve discovered is that my friends are kind of self-selecting. Those of us who appreciate “hard truth” and can handle disagreements that don’t resolve (not arguments, but literally having differing opinions) tend to find each other and we can stick together because there is a certain level of trust and understanding. One of my favorite things is when a friend tells me something that I know is hard for them because they know it will hurt me, but they do it anyway because they know that it will help me (this is very different than saying something hurtful that is totally unnecessary). If you can’t be honest with your friends, what’s the point?

Now to my point…if you are always living in fear that you are being left out or that this person doesn’t like you as much as she likes this person, you are wasting a lot of time and energy (and are probably being treated like a doormat). Just figure out who you are and be genuine and you will find the right friends for you. I don’t think everyone should be or needs to be like me, but I know that my close friends will be like me (to an extent…although I’m glad not everyone is quite as blunt as I am).

And if you feel like you are having to make too much effort (some effort is always necessary in friendship) to get someone to like you, you probably are and they probably won’t, so let it go. It’s much easier to figure out who you are and find friends that fit, than it is to find friends and try to make you fit.

Lastly, I’ve discovered (yes, because no one else has ever written about this before) that generally, the people you like also like you. And the ones you don’t like, generally don’t like you either. Weird, I know. So why is it so hard for people to be okay with that?

southern cookin’

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This is totally delayed, but better late than never, as the cliche goes.
This fabulous cafe was featured on the Food Network in a Bobby Flay Throwdown (Bobby lost). He takes on “the biscuit lady”, who we actually saw in the cafe. Seriously, I never thought I’d like okra, but it’s amazing what a little batter and some deep frying will do. The biscuits were absolutely amazing. Seriously. If I could marry a biscuit…

Thankfully, Megan was willing to share with me, so I was able to try lots of different delicious goodness. It’s probably a good thing I’m not moving to Nashville. I mean, you haven’t tasted barbecue until you’ve tasted southern barbecue. Absolutely sinful.

dear you…inspired by a wedding

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Dear Brechard (yes, we’ve decided that’s how you will be referred to from now on…like Brangelina, only more fun to say),

Congratulations! It was so fun to see you both looking so happy and smitten today. And I’m glad to know at least I’ll have two friends left in Happy Valley next year. Oh, and when you read the “wedding fortunes” (i.e. advice), all the spiritual stuff ISN’T mine. My advice would be the stuff you’d be embarrassed to read in front of other people. Just trying to keep it real, you know. Oh, and the stuff that kind of makes fun of Richard is probably (definitely) mine, too. And the stuff that’s honest about marriage (you know, not idealized), that would be Jen’s.

You both looked absolutely amazing. Oh, and the reception was beautiful, too.

Sending my good thoughts your way,

Chloe

Dear Jen and Somebody,

It was so great to have you here. I really wish you would move back to P-town. I love that when you visit, it is like no time has passed at all. We fall right back into rhythm with conversations that move a mile a minute and laughter that doesn’t stop. I’m so glad that you guys could come visit. I promise I’ll make it out to Kansas one of these days.And thanks for an excuse to have raclette, again. I’m so glad you liked it!

Love,

The girl who’s so glad she sat next to Jen in American Heritage almost 13 years ago

Dear people who showed up late to the ceremony,

Seriously? What part of “please arrive 30 minutes early” did you not understand? When you arrive in the room after the bride and groom, that’s a bad sign. And when you’re family, it’s even worse. If you didn’t know how I felt about punctuality, you should. I think being late is incredibly selfish and disrespectful. But at a wedding, it’s just unacceptable.

Love,

The girl who is late on occasion, but only when it’s fashionable (i.e. never to a wedding), or when she’s called (I’m not perfect…or so I’m told)

Dear “Cuddlebugs”,

Gross. I mean, we were at someone else’s wedding, not yours. And they weren’t being gross like you. Was it absolutely necessary for you to drape your arms all over each other? To press your faces into one another’s ears anytime you wanted to whisper anything? To suck face during the ceremony? To sit on laps? To kiss in someone else’s wedding photos?

You are disgusting and I am sad and embarrassed for you and your children. May I never see you again. Or any of your kind.

Sincerely (yes, I sincerely mean that you are gross),

The girl who was trying to stab you with her eyes

Dear Utah weather,

WTH? I’m sick of you. Sick. Of. You. Today started out all nice, and then the wind began. I left AZ. I should not have to put up with dust storms here. And it made for rough photo conditions. Thankfully, Sarah, Jen, Somebody, and I still managed a great photo shoot. Oh, and the wedding shots went okay as well. But…you could have helped out a little. Seriously.


With fire in my eyes for you,

Chloe

Dear friends who ran yesterday morning while I was at Brechard’s wedding,

I’m sad I couldn’t join you running the Salt Lake Marathon and/or Half, but I was thinking about you; partly because I couldn’t get to the wedding as easily because my exit was close, but mainly because I’m so proud of all of you, but especially Hannah, who was running her first half (welcome to the club). Way to go! And, truth be told, with my cold and lack of training, I might have died. Literally. So it was probably better that I was at a wedding.

With much admiration and love,

Chloe

lemon truffle pie

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The lemon truffle pie is the one on the right…the other one is delicious, too. I’ll post the recipe and pictures soon.

I made this today for Katie’s baby shower (and again tonight for a work thing manana) and people asked me to post the recipe. It was originally posted here, but I found it here. I first made it for Easter. Since then, I have made it two more times and learned a few things. I have included some tips in italics.

Ingredients

  • 9″ pie crust, baked and cooled (normally, I’d bake my own, but it was nice that I didn’t have to)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch (this was originally 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. flour, but it just didn’t set up for me)
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
  • 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

*Before you get started here is my suggestion, get the egg yolks, lemon juice, white chocolate, and cream cheese ready in SEPARATE bowls. Once you start cooking stuff, it moves pretty fast and you don’t have time to be squeezing lemons, etc.


Beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Combine sugar, cornstarch (and, if following original, flour) in a heavy saucepan. Using a wire whisk, stir in water until smooth. Cook this mixture over medium heat until boiling, stirring constantly.

Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir about 1/4 cup of cooked mixture into egg yolks and blend. (This is called tempering). Return egg yolk mixture to saucepan and cook 2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter (in case you were wondering, the butter is what gives the filling a gloss of sorts) and lemon juice.

Transfer 1/2 cup of the cooked lemon filling to a small bowl with the white chocolate chips. Set rest of lemon filling aside. Microwave the chip mixture on low 1-2 minutes (1 minute is plenty) or until chips are melted, stirring until smooth. Beat cream cheese and add white chocolate chip-lemon filling mixture. Mix until smooth.


Spread over cooled crust (it is highly possible that you will have too much of the cream cheese mixture…don’t worry, it makes the best fruit dip you have every tasted). Spoon lemon mixture over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate 4 hours to set.