Do these jeans make me look fat????

 Ladies (guys)….you know that question, you know that feeling.  It is loaded isn’t it?  When asked by a friend, you feel trapped, when asked by a spouse…well gentlemen; you just know there is trouble no matter how you answer! 

Well I am going to share that I had a little of that feeling as the Kitchens Bounty was a guest vendor displaying our wares at the CVI event in Milan Ohio this past weekend.  It was a thrill to meet the many guest chefs and the “Food Network Personalities” that were in attendance.  Actually, with the wonderful impressive guests that were our neighboring exhibitors, I did feel a little like the “Beverly Hillbillies”!  Okay, hands down …. They all had bigger, better, more deluxe “grills” than we did.  It was a showdown and our “Target Grills” were not even in the competition….but we knew that heat is heat, and great food is great food…so we were still in this thing!

But the moment that caused me to pause, was when our exhibit was visited by  Madison Cowan, a seasoned pro from the series “Chopped” , and the first ever “Chopped Grand Champion”, and someone I happened to really admire. This gentleman is used to cooking under extreme pressure.  As Madison stepped up to our exhibit he shared with me, that he was a straight shooter (my term), he couldn’t lie.  If he liked our food, he would let us know….but if it wasn’t good, he would let us know that too.
He just wasn’t going to lie about it…he just doesn’t do that. GULP…
With a smile, and all the confidence that my Target hot plate could inspire….I invited him to sample the “Seared Salmon with Pineapple (seasoned with our own Amazing Rub)”….he accepted and I waited for the tasting, the thinking, …..the pondering.  When he finally looked me in the eye and announced “it is phenomenal”, I could breathe.   Wow, that’s cool.  No worries, Good answer!
Now about these jeans????  No never mind, let’s just stick with the food! and the food was looking good!

My Food Cart has 4 really great wheels!

My Food Cart has 4 really great wheels!

Many moons ago I had a mid-life crisis!  As my 40^th Birthday approached, I found myself in the middle of the “Mommy Car Pool” orbit.  I decided I had to liberate myself, release the inner woman (still very hip in my own mind). I decided that I had to have a Convertible Sports Car!  I had to have it...be it old, new, shiny or pale; my summer of 1996 had to include my hair flying in the wind, driving along the shores of Lake Erie in a convertible.  And, as I am a determined and passionate (okay obstinate) woman, I did bring home the “dream car”!  It wasn’t brand new…but it fit the bill.  It was a beauty, a Jewel Blue Mustang GT Convertible.  I tend to love things deeply and have a very hard time letting go.  So, I share with your today, my long ago mid-life crisis…is now my summer-fun, traveling Food Cart!  It may be a little shabbier, a lot older…but man, ain’t  it still so cool!  As my GrandKids Owen, Connor and Ava say “Memere, don’t you just love the car with no roof?!...Yes kiddos, I do!”

I will be packing up my wares, all ready for my debut at the VEGGIE U 10th ANNUAL FOOD & WINE CELEBRATION http://veggieufoodandwine.com/ …straight dab in the middle of my Third Chapter Crisis…. Doing what I love, passionate about the culinary world and on fire to share the delicious vibe.
Ain’t it cool?....See you up the road my friends!!

Blog Lite....An Unusual Hero!

An unusual hero….on a hot sunny day

Let me take you on a summers day ride.  I was driving along in my now “infamous 96 Mustang”, top down radio playing the 60’s and I witnessed a site that had my brakes pumping.  I witnessed a marvelous, incredible jaw dropping site.  I saw a beautiful woman sitting on her front porch with her arm buried in a large bag of Lays Potato Chips!  Now, I will repeat, she was not on her back deck, there she was in the open, brazen as all get out…simply enjoying.  Honest to goodness, I swear it is true.  Can we be real here?  Chips are delicious…they are salty, crunchy, tasty, yummy…and in this day and age, they are almost “illegal”.  I don’t know why fun delicious things are now looked on with horror…but this woman has my vote.

It was hot outside, her cool drink was misting over…and she was brazenly enjoying one of life’s simple pleasures.  Yahoooooo!!

It has been a hot week here in Ohio, but that hasn’t stopped us from working the test kitchens and building the business.  As we pushed each day up the mountain (yes, even a delicious business can be hard and frustrating)…I thought of my new hero.   I think I will drive by for another sighting…just for the fun of it!  Look for a ridiculous recipe to include “potato chips”…we may make them ourselves, but regardless…I am inspired!