I've said it before and I'll say it now: if the Internet was a class I would get straight. A's. I'm really good at social media, which actually saddens my heart. I want to be good at SOCIAL. no media. SOCIAL. I guess it's a double edged sword because you kind of have to be proficient in social media nowadays. For me it's my forte. I tend to be the most genuine via text. But the good thing is I write exactly how I speak so there is no disconnect. I think that's the secret. Don't have an Internet alter ego. Be who you are all the time forevers.
But I digress.
If you've never heard of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams you don't even make SENSE. Jeni's ice cream is a whole other LEVEL of ice cream. It's made not with eggs but with cream cheese and corn starch and the result is the creamiest, richest, cold confection you've ever tasted. I tried it once and never turned back. I remember it being the hot awesome thing and she would SHIP it to you packaged in dry ice. It was science made trendy. I hopped on board with her cookbook and immediately made like 4 of her ice creams and just... Fell in LOVE. I also found out how much I love science. It's in my genes. I almost made a trek to Ohio to meet her. Seriously I had a place picked out on Air B'n'B.
In comes Instagram. I stan for Instagram. I am somehow able to mingle with gods and men alike through the wonder that is that app. I've made many an Internet friend through there solely by adding a funny/relatable comment on someone's post. CUE JENI. She posted a picture not even about the opening of her newest Chicago store but I asked if I should come to the new opening. I didn't go to the Southport opening and regretted it as I really wanted to meet her. She responded "YES! Please come I'll be there!" And I was like, "I guess I'm going then..." And that was that. Then a couple days later she commented again asking me to shoot her an email. I did, and allowed myself a gentle gush of fandom in the email. She responded with an invitation to the preview party the day before the grand opening. Like there was a list. With my name on it. That not everyone could get into. NOT TO BRAG OR ANYTHING BUT DANG. Woo! *fans self*
I braved the special hell that is downtown Chicago driving and made my way there. I was the first one there and I was late. Wut?? But I was greeted at the door by Jeni. Cue brain loss, lack of speech and smiling so hard my eyes look like they didn't exist. She won a James Beard Award for pete's sake! JAMES BEARD. Did I mention all the ice cream was free?? Like ALL of it? Including the floats?? Oh okay. It was free.
Side note: GET THE LEMON BUTTERMILK FROZEN YOGURT. THERE ARE SHORTBREAD COOKIES IN IT. LIFE CHANGER.
So I had a lot of ice cream, a root beer float and a champagne float (Riesling poached pear ice cream in champagne. Fancy af). She signed my (her?) cookbook, too! I also brought a spoon for her to sign. Any awesome cooking person I have them sign a kitchen spoon and I collect them. Cool right? Be my friend still? Okay. At the end of the night i mustered enough courage to ask for a picture, which really means I stood in the corner and stared at her until she came over to ME and I asked for a picture. I wanted to buy one of her cool mugs (BECAUSE MUGS) and she just... GAVE ME A MUG. And when I resisted she was like, "Who's gonna stop me?!" Ugh. CLASSIC Jeni. It was cool mingling with her Columbus crew and all the new scoopers were so sweet.
Gosh I love Internet adventures. Now if it could only lead me to meet Beyoncé I will have reached true enlightenment.