This is So COOL!

So I have some exciting news!

I was chosen as a finalist in the Dole Salad writing contest!  Bah!  I have no idea how many people submitted entries, but I am going to pretend it was 1,000 or more so I feel good about myself.

It's funny, Nick and I love to watch cooking shows on the food network, and we saw a commercial about the contest with Clinton Kelly and I thought to myself, hmm, that could be fun.  Of course, I was thinking there would be a bunch of varying prizes, from cash to travel.  So I thought even if I won us like $500, that would be fabulous.  I checked out the website and saw that the deadline for submissions was that very day.  Reading through the rules, I saw that I needed to write a 350 word submission about what salad means to me.  No problem, I love salad.  Except I haven't eaten it in over 7 years.  Hmmm, problem?  Nah, they said part of their judging criteria would be based on the emotional pull an entry had.

So I wrote up this lovely essay about if I were magically cured what things would I put in my salad.  I went on and on about avocados and tomatoes and catalina dressing.  And then I copied and pasted it into the submission box.  Not even the whole first paragraph made it.  I looked more closely, and at the bottom of the screen saw 350 characters.  Awh, man!  Not words!  Characters!  How was I going to write something fabulous in 350 characters??  I clicked on their little link to check out some examples.  One chick had written a love letter, and another a family recipe that reminded her of grandma.

Well, I thought, I can be way more creative than that.  I'll write a poem!  But I decided to write it in the submission box, so I knew exactly how much space I had.  Ten minutes later, I had typed out a little poem about missing salad.  Then, I hit enter.

I told Nick all about it when he got home and let him read it.  He told me it was amazing, like, he didn't think I could write like that.  Then he clarified he meant that in a good way.  Haha, it was sweet.  He said he thought I had a good chance of winning, but I thought he was just being nice.

Then, on Monday, I got a call from a weird number.  Hello?  May I speak to Sara Davis?  This is she.  Hi Sara, this is Erin from the Dole Salad contest, I just wanted to let you know you have been chosen as a finalist.  WHAT?!!

And here is the awesome part.  There are 12 finalists, and 6 end up winning the grand prize based on public voting on facebook.  The prize?  An all expense paid trip to Napa Valley California for a 3 day culinary learning experience and a meet and greet with Clinton Kelly.  Not to mention you get to stay in a nice hotel.  I called Nick to tell him right away, and he was like, I told you it was that good!!!!

So we're both pretty excited.  I mean, even if I don't win, it's still amazing to have been chosen as a finalist!  Its kind of validating for me, like, hey, I can write after all.  And if we do win, it will be like the honey moon we never had and we will both learn better knife skills.  I mean, how cool is that??

So!  Here is the deal.  From November 20th to December 11 people can vote for their favorite entry.  They can vote once a day while judging is open for three different entries.  But, if you love me, you can just vote for mine, hehe.

Here is where you can vote starting this coming Tuesday:
https://www.facebook.com/DOLESaladGuide?fref=ts

And the nice thing, you don't have to be a member of facebook to vote, so spread the word!  Help me and Nick finally go on our honeymoon!