Taste and See

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Kristine loves to cook and she loves using old family recipes. Two years ago, she made some old fashioned no-bake fruitcake for Thanksgiving that everyone raved about. We knew it was going to be good because she had made some before so we told her to be sure and keep it as a Thanksgiving tradition. However, last year's batch was nothing like any we had before. It wasn’t just not as good, it was terrible and we will never let her live it down.  (BTW, she approved of this blog being written. She has a good sense of humor and she knows it was terrible too, lol.) 

We had all gathered at Mt Nebo for Thanksgiving last year. She came in carrying several foil pans of individually wrapped no-bake fruitcakes, straight from Mamaw Thomas' recipe. We could hardly wait to sink our teeth into the gooey goodness. However, the moment we pulled the foil back to take a peak at the long awaited treat we knew something was off. It was the first time we had ever seen any with an opaque sheen on the top. Amy decided to try it anyway, but a few moments later, she said... Julie, taste that fruitcake. I knew that wasn't a good sign, but being the good sister that I am, I followed suit. I'm not sure I can quite describe the initial taste but whatever it was, the aftertaste was worse. Amy and I didn't want to hurt her feelings so we discreetly told a few people to avoid the fruitcake. It was about that time that my brutally honest son looked in one of the pans and wanted to know why the cakes looked like candles. I believe the statement was... "It looks like you could stick a wick in it." Kristine herself then admitted that she didn't think something turned out right with that year's batch. 

Recently, we were discussing plans for this Thanksgiving when we told Kristine she had a chance to redeem herself. It was at that moment that we all found out what the problem was.  She said she had been reading the recipe card of her great-grandmother when she saw a word that she thought she knew the meaning of. The word was... Oleo.  For those of you that are younger than middle age, I will let you in on a secret. It does not mean... Lard or Crisco.  The mystery was solved!  We now knew what the problem was with the taste and why it left a ChapStick like feel on our lips. 

I'm happy to announce that this year's fruitcake was an absolute hit. It tasted just like Mamaw Thomas'. Something my Daddy always looked forward to each year. He would even hide the box in the fridge because he didn't like to share. Daddy would have been proud. 

I thought about how that one ingredient had made all the difference. Although the recipe was followed in every other way, one misunderstanding caused the whole batch to be bad. The graham crackers, marshmallows, pecans, and fruit were ruined by the "Oleo". If we aren't careful, we can do the same thing in our personal lives. It only takes one major mess up to ruin our reputation and most of all... our witness.  

Although I know I have made many mistakes in the past and will surely make more in the future, I pray that overall my life is still a sweet reflection of Christ's love and the sacrifice He made for me. Even through my shortcomings, He is good all the time. 

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him! -Psalm 34:8

Psalm 34 (Taste and See) - Shane & Shane


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