Sunday, August 23, 2009

Forbidden Fruit

How trite it is, to say "forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest". But like most trite sayings, platitudes and cliches it became that way for a reason. There is a deep and inherent truth to it.

Sometimes there is a literal truth to it.

Several decades ago my handsome hubby went a little heavier on the peach schnapps than perhaps he ought to have. The inevitable result of that little overindulgence lead to an aversion to all things peach related that persists to this day. He doesn't even like the color peach, so acute and complete is his distaste.

This aversion has lead to a ban on peaches in our home. Of course the girls and I love peaches. Of course we do; they are forbidden fruit. So we sneak them when we can, eating them outside - which is just glorious, because we can let the juice drip straight off of our chins onto the ground, or at other people's houses, or positively gorging on them if he happens to not be home for a day or two during peach season. (This is not a good idea, by the way. I really do not recommend trying this. Really.)

Now I know there are two camps on liver and onions. I have never met a person who is neutral. Liver and onions has lovers and haters. I'm in the love camp. I know exactly why, too. My mom was in the love camp and my dad was in the hate camp. When I was growing up, once a year he would go out of town without us for a golf tournament. Mom went into serious decadence mode. And for Mom, the ultimate decadence was ice cream for breakfast and liver and onions for dinner. That is how it was presented to my sister and I. (She's firmly in the 'love' camp, too, in case there was any doubt.) Liver and onions was a treat of the same caliper as ice cream for breakfast.

So back to peaches - the liver and onions of my own adult household.

This weekend we were traveling to my parents house for just one day. It is about a four and a half hour drive. My daughter wanted a peach for the road. I told her she couldn't eat one in the car with her daddy, but that I was completely certain that my parents would have some for us when we got to their house.

Regular peaches and those awesome little three bite donut peaches - nom nom nom.

Of course they did. My mother yelled at my father for having them on the counter where Tom was in danger of actually seeing them. (My mother yells at my dad a lot. He's sort of immune to it. Maybe if he'd let her eat liver and onions more than once a year...) Tom assured them that the mere sight of a peach decades after the incident would not provoke a replay of the pie-eating contest in 'Stand by Me', but it didn't diminish the reprimands. (I did notice, however, that he didn't spend a lot of time in close proximity with that counter. Better safe than sorry.)

So I had a peach. Maybe two. My girls devoured - I'm not sure - more than a mere couple, I think.

Peaches sort of send me into Bubba Blue mode. (I originally wrote Bubba Gump because I couldn't remember Bubba's last name and had to look it up, but frankly I think Bubba Gump is more recognizable than Bubba Blue so I'm gonna leave it here for you. You're very welcome, don't mention it.) : I like peaches. I like peach pie and peach cobbler and peach preserves. I like peaches in my cereal and on my ice cream (whether it's for breakfast or dessert). I like peach smoothies and peach yogurt; peach tarts and peach danish. I would wear peach body lotion if it didn't attract bees and repel my husband.

If they were not forbidden, would I have the same response? (Maybe. I could write a similar ode to cherries and I'm allowed to have as many of those as I like.)

But back to peaches.

It's human nature to want what we can't have, isn't it? Which brings me to beer. Doesn't it always come back to beer, eventually?


Are these the best beers in the world? Why no, as a matter of fact, they are not. But neither are available where we live, so when we get the chance to have one, we savor it. And we anticipate it. It's like ice cream for breakfast. We seek it out and will inevitably choose it over other - inarguably better - options.

Because we can't get it all the time or even most of the time.

Nor can we get these:


A simple, humble snack cake? Or a rare and coveted butterscotch treat? Depends on where you live, I guess.


Depends on whether or not they're forbidden.

45 comments:

Melissa B. said...

When I was in college, the "forbidden fruit" was Coors. At that time, many, many decades ago, Coors was only available in Texas and Colorado. I was from Texas and went to school in Missouri. On trips back home, I always picked up several cases of the forbidden fruit. Sold it for $1 a can. Illegal? Hell, yeah. But that's how it goes with forbidden fruit, oui?

Alex the Girl said...

Forbidden? I think just about everything good, precious, and delicious has made it to my forbidden list! In keeping with cliche', this post is a peach of a post. I enjoyed it tremendously. It's been a while since I've had the time to grace your doorstep, and I'm awful glad I was able to today.

Great post, Tammy.

Claudya Martinez said...

Nope, I would not recommend eating too many peaches.

Linda said...

I'm absolutely on the "hate" side of the list for Liver and Onions, beer too!

But...it would definitely be a whole different ball game for the krimpets however!

Simon Butler said...

I’m pretty ambivalent about peaches, but love liver and onions.

Your story reminds me of the time when, one year in particular, my mother grew a lot of strawberries in the garden. But she and my dad went for a fortnight’s holiday just at peak time, and I was picking them by the bucketful. My grandmother and I had to eat several plates of them a day. I’ve never been able to look at a strawberry in quite the same way since.

the girl with the pink teacup said...

I have an aversion to rum for similar graphic reasons to Tom's aversion to peaches. Luckily, peaches are far more delicious than rum. I'd be a bit heartbroken if that were the other way around. Although I'm afraid that, should I ever be asked to join a pirate crew, I won't fit in with all the cool kids.

Rum aside, though: why is it that things taste SO much better when we're not supposed to eat them? (The eternal question asked by any woman who's attempted to give up chocolate...)

The Dapper Darling said...

those tastycakes look yummmmmmy! Im gonna have to seek those out!

Elizabeth D. said...

So true! And wow, I'm sorry you can't get Tastycakes where you live, those are some fine treats!

Sandy said...

What a coincidence, I just had a peach on my cereal!

I can eat liver and onions, about 3 bites if it's fresh out of the pan. Once it starts to cool....yuck!

As for beer, nope, don't do it. Never drank a beer in my life! Honest! When I was about 4 we were camping and I accidentally sprayed bug spray in my mouth. I was flapping my hands around and the only thing close by was my father's beer which he handed to me to wash the bug spray out. I took a drink and decided right then and there that I liked bug spray better than beer! Nearly 50 years later (oh dear god!) I'm still of the same opinion!

Great post, as always. :-)

M.E. Greene said...

First off, you totally crack me up! What a funny blog, I love it! I understand the "frustrated suburbanite" issue. I live that life regularly and yes, it bites! On the topic of liver and onions--gross. As Jim Carrey said on The Grinch, "Hate, hate, hate...loathe entirely!" Hee hee. Plus I'm vegan, so I'm sure that clouds my judgment just a bit. ;) I happened to find you from the SITS site and just thought I'd swing by and say hello. I'm a knitter, too! You can see what I write about here: http://permissiontounwind.blogspot.com or here http://frenchpicnic.blogspot.com

Have a super day and a great week! I'll be back to visit again soon.

Mandy said...

Your Bubba Blue Gump love for peaches is like my love for Pumpkins in October and November. I can't get enough of that stuff - Ocktoberfest beer, Pumpkin ale, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie. So I feel ya - just about a different fruit. I love how you said it always comes back to beer, b/c it ALWAYS does! Hahaha! I found you from a comment you left on SITS! Just wanted to say hello. Where in Ohio do you live? I lived near Dayton, Ohio for about three years but now I'm smothering in heat back down in the south again. I hope you'll stop by and visit me if you get a chance. I enjoyed your blog!

Mama-Face said...

Haha. I hate peaches. The odor, the texture, the taste. I thought I was the only one. Fresh, canned, they make me gag.

I can't even cut one for my boy. I have to pass that duty on to someone else. If no one else is home, he doesn't get one.

I was born with this aversion; no drinking story for me. I will take one of those tastee cakes...unless they're peach flavored...

Macey said...

I was okay until I saw the Tastykakes!!!!!!!!!! AHHHH!
We don't have those around here at all. In fact: the only reason I know about em is from reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and I.WANT.EM.
I really need to try those donut peaches. Donut?? Awesome. Peaches?? Yum. Gotta be good.
My MIL has an aversion to Clam Chowder because she got the stomach flu right after and barfed it for a couple hours. She can't even smell it. It's funny. I wish I could get a Clam Chowder smelling candle or something and sent it to her...hahahahhahaaaa! Okay, now I'm just being mean.

Pam said...

I think you are right about regional foods. When we lived in AZ and would visit RI (home) every summer I had my list of "must go" restaurants and foods I just had to have when I was home. Now that I live back here in RI, I hardly ever eat those things. And now when I visit AZ, it's the same thing. I can't wait to visit those restaurants and eat that delicious treat. You always want what you can't have.

Katie Lane said...

I'm thinking really hard... Don't think I have any forbidden fruits in my life. How sad is that. Lovely post Tammy :)

Joanna Jenkins said...

Growing up, my mother craved liver and onions whenever she was pregnant, and she was pregnant a lot-- I do NOT like liver and onions anymore than your hubby like peaches.

But peaches-- I love a good peach!

Great post!
xo

Housewife Savant said...

You hit so many "Me Too" buttons I should actually COME OVER so we could talk...
Was it the Fuzzy Navel? I overdid them. I loathe all things artifically peach- flavored and/or scented.
But I still love peaches. We were thrilled to learn they grow here (not in No. Wisconin obviously), and we often buy a flat of them to GORGE UPON while we're floating in the lake. Juice running.

Liver and onions - LOVE. It was the same for my mom and I; we ate it when the men weren't around.

I long for (but can't get):
real cheese curds,
dark chocolate covered angel food candy,
pickled mushrooms,
dark chocolate covered orange peels,
good sulce,
fresh peas, raw, by the bucketful.

BONNIE K said...

I loved liver and onions as a kid, but I haven't had them in about 30 years, and I think they no longer appeal to me. The more I think about any kind of meat, the less it appeals to me. I should probably be a vegetarian, but I'd miss burgers and chicken and stuff!

The Grown-Up Child said...

OMG! Forbidden foods are always better than regular old foods. My husband thinks it's totally gross that I like to eat Peeps (you know, those little sugar covered marshmallow chicks). I can't wait until Easter each year just to buy myself a package and eat them all before he can notice! It always makes me feel like a little kid. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh, a peach ban! Hilarious! Stand By Me...hahaha!

Carma Sez said...

I also have a bit of a peach paranoia. It basically comes down to the pieces of pit that inevitably work themselves into whatever peach concoction I am eating. Biting into a piece of pit pretty much ruins it for me.

I'm betting those Tasty Kakes would not have any pits - they are much more my "speed"

AiringMyLaundry said...

Okay, now I want a TastyKake. I love those things!

Anonymous said...

One of my sons can't eat chocolate, so he saves it for his birthday,where he eats and then has severe stomach pains. I wasn't allowed to eat chocolate as and child and I LOVE chocolate--I didn't have the stomach pains!

The Redhead Riter said...

Cute post, but the part where you said, "my mom yells at my dad a lot" just cracked me up for some reason. LOL I'm still laughing.

JennyMac said...

I love that your hub overindulged on Peach Schnapps!

And those little bitty peaches are so cute. Here in GA, peaches reign as you can imagine. YUM.

Tasty cake? I admit to having never heard of it!

Liz Mays said...

Now that is a look of utter joy. I don't even have to ask if you enjoyed that cake.

Why are forbidden treats almost always caloric based? It's just not fair.

dkWells said...

A Peach of a blog! Hate Liver and Onions. I use to be the same way as your husband about Cherry's after going to the St. Louis Zoo when I was 8 years old. I watched a Baboon with a BIG red ass pick his feces out and eat it. Soon I found myself face to face with Cherry Cobbler at a road side diner. All I could think about was that damn Baboon! But, taste finally ruled over waste about 20 years later!

Sir Hook of Warrick, KMSA

Anonymous said...

I saw your post on Linda's blog. You have a darling blog. I am looking forward to following you.

Kathy B! said...

Those donut peaches are the best!!!

And I'd like the 411 on the event that caused the peach aversion. The full story. Gory details and all. There has to be some funny stuff in there... :)

Badass Geek said...

Ever since my first experience drinking alcohol, which included a double shot of peach schnapps, I have not liked peaches.

Hit 40 said...

Where do the parental units live? Mine are in the Akron area. I would guess yours are in Northern Ohio somewhere?? We are almost all from Akron or Cleveland. Just no freaking jobs up North anymore.

I have never tried liver and onions. Served a lot of it at Wally Waffles :-)

Gibby said...

Ahh, regional foods. One reason I like going back to Ohio? Chick-Fil-A. Can you believe there is no Chick-Fil-A in the Chicago area?? I eat so much when I do go back that the rest of my family wants to vomit, just like Tom and the peaches.

MaryRC said...

personally i dont do hairy fruit, ick. but gimme nectarines baby, bald peaches for me. now i like men with bald bodies and hairy heads, which is why i married my nectarine of a man. he couldnt grow a mustache if he tried. he does have a full head of hair. okay tmi

xoxo Im back!!

Mel said...

love love love liver and bacon and onions and mash ALL TOGETHER. hmmmm. except, the rest of my family the man and 3 sprogs HATE IT!

Fun post to read¬

Mel said...

love love love liver and bacon and onions and mash ALL TOGETHER. hmmmm. except, the rest of my family the man and 3 sprogs HATE IT!

Fun post to read¬

MOO said...

I am DEFINITELY a peach girl. My Mom has a great recipe for peach pie. You should try it! BTW, I passed along some bling to you today. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and keeping me enthusiastic about my photography!

thatgirlblogs said...

ohhhh my husband is obsessed with pluots (plum/apricot). I wonder if they were forbidden when he was young. seems the only explanation.

following you...

JaelCustomDesigns said...

* Popping in from SITS

Great post, makes you think! :-)

I think it's human nature to want things you can't or shouldn't have.

I know that I love carrot cake but, I'm allergic to carrots. I have this wish that one day I'll miraculously be cured and can eat it again but, I still play with fire at times and after I've broken out in hives and I look like a bee stung me reality sets in. Stay away from the carrot cake!

There are several other fruits and veggies I'm allergic to that I actually love, I didn't even know I was allergic until a few trips to the ER because your throat starts to close and you have a real bad allergic reaction. Makes you stay away... Ugh!

But, ask me if I still crave those particular things and the answer is YES! :-(

JaelCustomDesigns said...

BTW: I forgot to mention!

Never had liver & onions! And, peach is on the list of fruits I'm allergic to. It truly sucks for me!

Debbie said...

You are so correct! But, I certainly cannot imagine never allowing anything peach into my house. I so love peaches.

Unknown said...

I LOVE peaches. And I LOVE peach pie. Life without peach pie would be awful. I can do without the liver and onions though. Yucky!

Anonymous said...

Peaches...mmmm....and you are so right, as soon as it is forbidden it's so much more delicious.

Vivienne @ the V Spot said...

Thank goodness my bad experience was with Seagrams (7&7s) and I only have an aversion to 7-Up. I couldn't imagine not being able to have peaches.

I am in the Hate Liver & Onions camp. However, I am a big fan of ice cream for breakfast.

I love your posts. I love your stories. I love your writing style.

Love!

Kathy B! said...

And there it is. I've come full circle.

Phew.

Tristan said...

I use to like peaches a lot..but then I had an allergic reaction to peaches one day. It wasn't bad, just tingling in the throat, mouth and nose; no swelling or anything serious. So now i realize how many different things peaches taste good with and i miss them again...i can't even have a taste and my nose tingles with the smell. :(