Since tomorrow is the ‘day of love’ (yes, it’s a Hallmark holiday, marketing ploy yadda yadda – I agree, but stick with me here) I wanted to give a shout out to my main squeeze and unpaid Employee of the Month, the Market Made Man…it’s about to get mildly sappy. In a world of dating apps and e-soulmates, the mm man and I met nine years ago the old-fashioned way. We saw each other at a coffee shop and shared the paper. On our first date I made him a Moroccan dinner and since then he’s stuck around – quite possibly for the food, but I also like to think I’m kind, have good hair, and am sometimes witty. There are obviously a million things I love about this guy but here are some reasons you should fall in love with him as well:

• He can grow anything. Seriously – he dreams of becoming a farmer. Our small garden, which produces some of the summertime mm ingredients, is 100% tended to by him. I can’t keep anything alive…except our children.
• He loves his smoker! All of the peppers, onions etc. that go into some of our sauces are roasted for hours by him.
• He’s really great at pouring soup into jars. And he’s willing to do it a lot.
• He watches the little peanuts while I head to the kitchen for very long cook days. I come home to a house that barely looks like it survived a tornado but those kids have the absolute best time with their dad. He is the “fun” parent. I’m totally the mean one.
• He taste-tests every single thing that has been on every single menu…multiple times. He gives brutally honest opinions. We’ve almost separated over some meals, but nothing makes it to you without his approval.
• He’s supported this whole thing. Encouraging me to leave a full-time, very secure, government job to put food in jars ha. He gushes with pride talking about Market Made and believes in me much more than I believe in myself.

He’s just the greatest and I’m lucky. And after that massive PDA I better be getting a sweet gift tomorrow!