In our little community, the pregnancy support center was having a chili cook-off to help raise funds. Our church was participating, and the members of our Sunday school class specifically asked my husband to bring some chili. My husband is a cook (and a darn good one!), and everyone knows that, which is why they asked him. We spent a good deal of money on fresh ingredients, meat, and spices. My husband then spent several hours browning meat, chopping ingredients, and cooking the chili to make it just right. We don't mind the cost since it is going to a good cause, and my husband was looking forward to having it judged against the others. We got to the center, and tents were set up, with several of the different churches in town having their own tables. My husband brought his (extremely large) pot of chili, and the guy who was running the table for our church put it on the ground, and told him that he would put it up when the others were gone. That was irritating enough, since it meant that my husbands chili would not get judged, but we were willing to let it go. We can understand if the table is too full, and it would still get used in the manner it was intended. So, we hung out for a while, our kids were having fun playing with the other kids and so on. Well, about 30 minutes into the event, I notice the guy running our churches table telling a patron that he was the one who cooked most of the chili there. That kind of explained why my husbands got put to the side, while this guy had at least 3 different pots on the table. ANYWAYS, so a little bit later, I notice him starting to remove the lid of my husbands chili, and I was thinking, "Ok, great, so his is going to get out there." NOPE! He dipped a cup into my husbands chili a few times and added it to his own! This is SUCH an insult to my husband, who spent so much time making it just right, using spices that most people wouldn't and doing his best to make it special, just for it to get incorporated in a chili that was made differently, using different ingredients, (and not necessarily fresh, like ours), and for it to be added to the guy who was claiming it as his own. My husband was really insulted, and frankly, I am too, on his behalf. Here's the other thing. My husband is being deployed next week for a month. We could have spent the time he spent cooking as a family, doing an activity or something. Anyway, if you have actually spent the time to read this far, I am sorry for the rant, I am just angry right now. :evil:
This is why my husband never takes me in public. I cannot and would not have held my tongue. That was WRONG and this man should be ASHAMED of himself. The best food is always prepared with love and I am sure many people would have adored your DHs chili. Please enjoy him while hes here and may he have a safe deployment and quick return.
personally I'd send an E-mail to the guy explaining just what you said.......... tell him right out what you saw...... and end it with the part about your husband being deployed. ...... let him know that he shouldn't ask your husband to do the chlii cook off next year.... that if he wants all the credit he can cook and spend his money on the event..... let him know how hurt your family is. ........... in the end it will let the guy know you know...... and perhaps......... teach him a little lesson about humility.
OH and your husband can offer the church his recipe (for a church flyer or what ever) since HIS chili went with out being judged at the chili cook off. .......... you can always hold back any family secret ingrecients.....
As much as I might like to think about confronting this guy, I just don't have it in me (and neither does my husband). We are not the confronting type, more the go on the internet and complain about it where it won't cause drama type.
That was extremely rude of that person. Good on you being able to hold your tongue. God will handle it in His own way and time. Enjoy you time with your husband.
That is just rotten... some people.... I hope you and your DH enjoy his time left before deployment, though, and that he returns home safe and sound!
