I’ve never been much of a cook. Sure, I can throw a meal together in short order, enough to get bellies full. I’ve lost count of how many meals I’ve made for my kids when they were young. And bbq? HA! FIRE! That’s what guys do. I can do fire. But find a recipe and actually make it? Nope. Not my thing. In fact, just the thought of that kinda makes me cringe. Never quite understood why people enjoyed doing that. You get to stand there and take orders from a piece of paper written by someone you’ve never met, or it doesn’t turn out. Great. So when I volunteered to go “LIVE” on Facebook with “Michelle” in the Chicken Crick Lounge, I kind of surprised myself. But, it seemed simple enough and I thought it would be fun.

Michelle is pretty much a Master cook. She’s always posting different things she’s created online. Most of which, I just look at in bewilderment as to how what she’s made is even possible to do with food. Seriously. It’s the equivalent to knowing how to build a three story house, only with food, following an architects blueprints. Total Greek.

Truthfully, I didn’t think she’d accept my offer. Figured she’d politely decline. I mean…..I’m me. I’d totally get it. I wouldn’t want ME to go live to cook food. ANY food, let alone something that required a recipe to make. But she was all dialed in. Started hitting my inbox with questions and ideas. Stuff I really knew nothing about. Then it hit me…..

WHAT HAVE I DONE?!

Kinda began to panic a bit. She didn’t decline. She accepted. This IS real. (Bloody Hell.)

So I’m like, no worries, I got this. I can do this! This is just heating food. How hard could it be? She tells me what to do and I do it. My mind swirled with positive thoughts of affirmation; minus the mirror. Which was probably good, because the look on my face while I was thinking these thoughts would have told my mind, “I’m not buying it”.

A few days passed and I forgot about it. Then the day of the event arrived, and suddenly all the emotional panic I had, when she accepted, came back. I had to get the list of ingredients, go to the market, find the stuff, buy the stuff, then get everything I’d think I’d need to actually make the stuff. Come home, clean my kitchen and make a set up to hold my phone to do the video. I had to make a trip to Bend earlier that day, so let’s just say, I was motivated by time.

The market was a maze. Literally. I honestly don’t know how anyone finds anything in that place. I mean, normally I know what I’m getting and I just walk in an get it. But this time, there would be no “just getting”. I had a list of ingredients. A list, created by someone else, who doesn’t know me, and doesn’t speak the same way I do. So some of what it was telling me I needed made absolutely no sense to me. It was absurd. If the people who make those things would just call an onion an onion, I truly believe there would be less people so interested in drinking alcohol. Which, by the time I was finished getting everything I needed, is exactly what I needed.

Hard part was done. I get home, do a quick clean of the kitchen, then go to set up the place for my phone to video. Again, I’m thinking this isn’t going to be a problem. Ugh! It was ridiculously stupid of a problem. She had told me that it needed to be positioned to show the counter; but also had to include me. So, I tried taping my car mount on the side of one of the cabinet doors. Nope! Then I tried the hood of the oven with a wood clamp. Nope! The wood clamp ended up springing loose and flipping across the kitchen; leaving the car mount on the range top, and my phone on the floor. Ultimately, I ended up bringing in my 12″ aluminum ladder and clamping a pole to it, just so I could tape the car mount to it and have it high enough to capture what we needed in the video. It was probably the most redneck video set up the baby Jesus has ever seen.

With everything finally set up, it was time to wait. Twenty minutes until we’d start. I wasn’t even nervous. I had just spent two hours in a mild panic getting everything prepared; so in my mind, I had accomplished something and I could relax. So, I’m kicking back, browsing FB, not a care in the world. Then I see the clock.

Oh yes, this is going to be a train wreck. I can feel it. I walk into the kitchen, set my phone up, and there is Michelle, LIVE, waiting for me. NOW I’m nervous. I honestly contemplated not pushing that button. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done LIVE’s before, sure. I have to get up in front of people for my job. Do it all the time. But I typically know what the heck I’m doing and what I’m talking about in those cases. This…..this was different. I was going LIVE, in front of a bunch of people, doing something I’ve never done before and know nothing about. Not cool. So not cool. No way to fake confidence on this one.

I’d attempt to explain the video….but I think it would be better for you to simply witness the carnage on your own:

Oops! We lost connection! So we had to start another one. Which was good, cause I thought I might have to wing it.

See! That wasn’t so bad. Kinda….that was a lot of hot sauce. Turned out great though.

• 

• 

They actually tasted pretty good too!

So that was my experience going LIVE with the Chicken Crick Lounge. I DID have fun and Michelle was graciously patient with me. Which I definitely appreciated. If you get a chance, log into your FB and “Like” her page. I’m sure she’d appreciate it, and you’ll get some great tips on cooking some really good food. Michelle is always posting the epic food creations she makes.

You can find the Chicken Crick Lounge Here:

https://www.facebook.com/ChickenCrick/

Special thanks to Laura Michelle for humoring me in my thoughtless offer. I have a new respect for people who actually choose to do this on a routine basis.

Copyright©2019 Jacob C. Larson All Rights Reserved