I Made Him Beef Stew & Then I Got Dumped Via Text Message

I feel confident in the kitchen. I feel at ease and I feel sure that I can produce something worthy of sharing with others--like the beef stew recipe I will share below. Other activities, however, create a tightness in my chest and a welling up of anxiety that makes me want to run for the the hills. Like conversation lessons with my Spanish tutor or going on a first date. But I am brave. So I do these things because I know that they will open doors for me professionally and personally.

I was dating this guy I met on Match.com. Yes, I'm on Match.com. Are you done judging? Moving on. So after a couple dates, I decided to make him Ina Garten's Beef Stew because he was from Ohio and I thought he'd like that kind of thing. I made it with filet instead of stew meat. Over the top I know. For some reason, I thought this guy was worth the $20/pound filet and the 2008 bottle of Cabernet that went into it. He ate two bowls of it, naturally. It was so damn good. Food is the way to every man's heart, right?

Fast forward 2 weeks- things are going well and he is planning on coming to meet your family the second weekend in December. It's Sunday and you are getting ready to meet him at a restaurant for a date and your wearing this awesome pair of jeans you just bought that hug your ass perfectly. Your phone buzzes and you're sure it's him letting you know he is on his way because he has never cancelled on you before and is incredibly reliable. You swipe open your text messages and you read "I don't think my life and work schedule are going to be conducive to a constructive dating life." And then this deep feeling of blankness washes over you.

Okay, I'm sick of writing in 2nd person like a mediocre Goosebumps novel. This happened to me people.

So, I'm sitting on my bed dumbfounded and all I can say back is... "I agree. Good luck with everything!" Wow. All the meditation I do really has paid off. Was it that simple? Did I not even care to know why I was dumped so abruptly?

I've been pondering this for the last few days. And the fact is, there could be a million reasons why he gave me the "please be seated" text. But in reality do any of them really matter? Do I really want an explanation from someone who doesn't even have the decency to tell me in person? Do I really want to show that I even give a damn? No, no, no. Then I remembered the wise words of the barefoot contessa, herself, "Never let 'em see you sweat." And I thought, yes, yes, yes.

Cooking is a sure thing. I know a bottle of good wine and filet is going to take beef stew to the next level. Dating, however, is a different story. The lines are blurred and taking your relationship to the next level is never guaranteed. I will make this beef stew again, but next time I will make sure it's for someone who really deserves it.

Click on the link below for the complete recipe:

Parker's Beef Stew


Enjoy!