Isn’t it ironic how some of the tastiest combinations in food (and life) defy logic? Take The Man Of Few Words and me…
We were catapulted together. Coaxed. Coerced.
Yup… we met on a blind date.
More than likely we passed each other at the post office with a polite “hello” or collided carts at the market with an apologetic “sorry,” but other than chance encounter, we remained clueless that a date would be fodder for future marital bliss.
And a blind date? Noooo waaaay!!!
Leave it to a friend to bend cosmic forces with his sales pitch…
“Ya gotta meet my neighbor!” he’d exclaim to me every day at work, unbeknownst to TMOFW.
“Ya gotta meet the gal I work with!” he’d declare to TMOFW every weekend, unbeknownst to me.
Frankly I didn’t want any part of it — nor did my husband-to-be ;) — but resistance was futile. After months of rejecting well meaning, matchmaking banter, we finally agreed to be “introduced,” if only to get our friend to please stop.
Fast forward to a late-night meal at the Happy Chef…
TMOFW and I met at the appointed hour to dine with our friend and his wife when we received a phone call (at the last minute, of course…) saying they couldn’t join us. Something about a babysitter not showing up? Oh well, stuff happens. We were on our own.
It occurred to me then that I could bail, but I was hungry and my date seemed nice enough.
Quiet, but nice. :)
After plowing through an Everything Omelette, hashbrowns, toast, orange juice, and coffee, I eyed the stack of pancakes resting idly on TMOFW’s plate. (Refer to hungry above…)
Setting aside pride, I casually asked, “Are you gonna eat those?”
A grin spread across his face like a summer sunrise, warmer and brighter by the second.
“Have at it,” he casually replied.
Between bites, we talked — or rather, I talked and he listened — and before we knew it, it was 5:00 a.m.
Thirteen years later, we can’t thank our friend enough!
Stuffed Dates
(Filling inspired by Sing For Your Supper. Thanks, Amy!)
8 to 10 Medjool dates
1/4 c. Feta cheese
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk
2 strips of bacon, fried crisp & crumbled
1/4 c. finely chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Slice dates lengthwise without cutting through; remove pits.
In a small bowl, combine Feta cheese with enough milk to form a thick paste. Stir in crumbled bacon and pecans.
Stuff dates with 1 to 2 teaspoons of the cheese mixture each.
Place in a baking dish; heat for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!
Wanna know what the clincher was?
My “blind date” followed up with a five page letter the next day…
and y’all know how I feel about writing. :)
Enjoying unlikely combinations and date night,
~ Kimby
I was so excited to hear about your “how we met” story! There are many blind dates that may not work, but we cannot ignore there are tons of successful ones. That’s what I’ve been telling my brother in law… LOL. Your food styling looks very nice, and delicious dates!
Nami, I don’t share a lot of stuff about TMOFW out of respect for his privacy, but this was a story that was meant to be told — with his smile of approval! Regarding my food styling, THANK YOU. Yours is always so lovely and uncluttered — mine leans toward “art.” ;)
That’s one of the most delightful “how we met” stories I’ve ever heard. What a perfect happy ending.
Thanks, Shary! The best part is “living” the happy ending. :)
Wow, certainly sounds romantic! Funny how fate & destiny plays a part in our lives.
Dates somehow remind me of my days in the Middle East; they left a rather deep impression in me. Once my friends & I saw real nice toppings on the dates from afar & wanted to take a closer look to see if they’re raisins, but when we approached, the toppings disappeared! Can u guess what happened?
Was it a mirage?! Shirley, you’ve got me curious!
Sometimes just the right words set the tone and reveal the heart of a person’s soul…your question (You gonna eat those?)…his answer ‘Have at it’…the point at which the universe collided, and each of you knew that was the right person…yes, 13 years later, you’re probably still asking the same question, and Mr MOFW’s response perfect! Love the stuffed dates…just so very Middle Eastern complete w/that great necklace I think I see…you’ve captured my heart, girl! xo
Ally, the universe is still colliding and I’ve been known to finish a leftover bite or two since then… :) Thanks for your wonderful assessment of “the way we were.” xo
Awwwwwwww! LYSLS! :)
Love you, too, Big Sis! Thanks for the beautiful mini-casserole dish — I had fun playing with my food in it! :) xo
How sweet Kim! Glad you shared that story. You two are blessed to have one another. Not to mention those dates look fabulous!
Tamika, I agree with you — we’re blessed to have each other. Somehow I suspect there was a bigger Plan orchestrating our meeting. ;)
These look divine! And the story is just as sweet. Thank you, Kim. You started my day with a smile.
Thank you, Sue Ann! Turns out, TMOFW surprises me with chocolate now & then, too — life is good. xo
I love love love hearing about how people met! So glad the blind date worked out for you! I have never had luck with them…I might be the problem ;) Oh well! Thank you for the recipe and for sharing about you and TMOFW!
Isabelle, now you know the rest of the story… :) One blind date was enough for me in this lifetime, though — too nerve wracking, ha!
Now isn”t that a love(ly) story at its best! Yay for blind and stuffed dates :)
Thanks, whilehewasout! Three cheers for the love(ly) things in life. :) (I like how you put that!)
Hehe :)
I just want to gush my friend, this is what makes me believe in date :)
Love your dish today too gourmet!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Uru, I never would have believed it until it happened in “real life.” Some things are just meant to be. Thanks for gushing! ;)
Wow, your story is too sweet! I loved this date recipe, never experimented with dates (or blind dates…LOL!). I loved this picture. Beautiful!
Purabi, I’m smiling about your “experimenting” comment. :) I love dates — plain, in breads, desserts, etc. — but I’d never stuffed them before and this sounded like a good combo. Glad you enjoyed the photos, too. Thank you!
That is the best “how we met” story! I just loved every bit of it. I’m so glad your neighbor is such an excellent salesman-lol. And you will laugh, but I actually googled “tmofw” before I figured it out for myself. DUH! You call him The Man of Few Words every blog post so I should have figured it out faster. lol The dates sound almost as good as your first date! :)
Veronica, you brought up a good point. With all the acronyms out there, I didn’t think to clarify The Man Of Few Words (TMOFW) at the beginning of my post. Glad to hear it all worked out in the end — for you and me! ;)
I loved the photos you had in this post. Especially the second one, with all of the angles. The silver ware on top of the jewelry is what really pulled it off!
Thank you! It’s fun trying to come up with “accessories” for my food photos. Pleased you noticed!