When You Drive 3 Hours for a Sandwich
"But your best friend is still your best friend. Even from half a world away. Distance can’t sever that connection. Best friends are the kind of people who can survive anything. And when best friends see each other again, after being separated by more miles than you can bear, you pick up right where you left off. After all that’s what best friends do.” (Unknown)
Do you have a friend like that? I hope so. I’ve been incredibly blessed in my life to have some amazing friends that have been a huge part of my life for decades now. Decades. That sounds crazy to me but it’s true—we met when we were 14 and now we’re in our mid-thirties, raising babies and juggling lives in various corners of our country. There’s nothing like the high school friend, where you spend all day at school together and then head home immediately making plans for who will be at youth group, who is going to the football game or where you’ll go afterward for cheese-fries and milkshakes. You think friendship can’t get any deeper but then you graduate and head to separate states for college and all of a sudden you’re forced to navigate each other forming new friendships, having new college experiences without you. One of my very closest friends from high school headed to the Portland area for school and I headed to Seattle. During our four years of college we took turns visiting one another at our respective schools a few times a year—meeting each other’s friends, seeing one another’s new lives, and I love that we were able to do that.
After we graduated we each remained in our respective cities, 3 hours apart. One day Jenn asked me if I’d want to find a halfway point and meet for dinner. When you have a chance to see your best friend you don’t even blink at the idea of a 3 hour round trip drive just to share a meal. The problem with the halfway point between Seattle and Portland is that it’s a small town called Centralia, WA—a town that doesn’t offer much in the way of cool spots to hang out. We used google maps to agree on a Starbucks off the freeway—exit 82 off of I-5—and picked a day. The only place for food right around where we met was a Safeway grocery store that shared a parking lot with our Starbucks. We headed to Safeway and realized they made our favorite sandwiches year round—a turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and cream cheese. Sandwiches in tow we headed back to Starbucks, ordered drinks and settled into the two comfy chairs in the place and proceeded to eat, sip our coffee and talk pretty much until the employees started mopping the floor around us. We hugged goodbye and each headed to our respective on-ramps of I-5—her going south and myself heading north.
We proceeded to meet at that Starbucks numerous times over the next two years, each time stopping first at Safeway to order our sandwiches. We learned Starbucks is freezing and started showing up with cozy blankets in addition to our sandwiches, literally camping out for hours to catch up on life before heading back to I-5 at the end of the day (I’m sure the employees loved us taking up their comfy chairs for 6 hours, only ordering one coffee each). But those Starbucks dates that required a 90 minute drive each direction taught me a lesson I’ve never forgotten. Friendship takes intentionality. When you love someone there is no distance that is too inconvenient to drive just to see them. When you love someone it doesn’t matter where you go to reconnect, how fancy the location is or how nice the meal is. All that matters is that you both show up. Deli sandwiches wrapped in white paper from the grocery store balanced on our laps were more than enough. What mattered is that by showing up we said to one another “you are worth it. You are someone I’ll drive 3 hours just to see for an afternoon at a random coffee shop every 6 weeks or so.” The turkey, cranberry and cream cheese deliciousness was just a bonus treat.
Since I’m assuming most of you can figure out how to make a turkey sandwich, I’m not sure I need to give you that official recipe. Instead I want to share one of my very favorites that this same wonderful friend introduced me to years after our Starbucks dates ended. She sent me a recipe one day she had discovered and her family adored. So I tried it. And it’s incredible. So I made it for friends in LA and they were hooked—their 4 year old requesting it weekly for dinner. Everyone I’ve made this for has requested a copy before leaving our table. Jenn has taught me more over our 20 year friendship than I would ever be able to put into words, including how to make this chicken dish. Try it, I promise it’s a crowd pleaser!
Chipotle Chicken Kebobs with an Avocado Lime Sauce
For the Chicken:
2 limes, Juice of
1/2 cup vegetable, or canola oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
3/4 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and minced
2 lbs. chicken breasts and/or thighs, cut into 1½-2 inch pieces
Minced fresh cilantro, for serving
For the Avocado Cream Sauce:
1 avocado, split and pitted
1/2 cup low-fat greek yogurt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lime, Juice of
Salt and pepper, to taste
In a medium bowl or a baking dish/pie plate, combine the lime juice, oil, spices, garlic, brown sugar, and chipotle. Whisk together to combine. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and mix well to ensure that they are all coated and mostly submerged. Cover, refrigerate, and let marinate for 30-60 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a grill to medium-high and oil the grates. When the chicken is done marinating, thread the pieces onto skewers for grilling. (If using wooden skewers, be sure to soak them first to prevent charring/burning.) Dispose of the excess marinade. Place the kabobs on the grill and let cook, turning once or twice, until all sides are slightly browned and the internal temperature registers 160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove to a plate and let rest 5-10 minutes. Sprinkle with minced fresh cilantro, if desired.
To make the sauce, combine the avocado, yogurt, garlic and lime juice in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the kabobs for dipping.
