Confession: I used to hate fruitcake

Day 78 of 1000

Kelly tries to resist Dave’s fruitcake

We went to a Wednesday night bible study with a guy named Dave D. when we lived in Albany, Oregon in the town of Jefferson.  Shortly after Thanksgiving the first year we were there, Dave gave us an aluminum foil wrapped block and told it was his secret recipe fruitcake.  Up until that point, I had not been reticent about expressing my utter disdain for what I thought was a pseudo-food.  Much to my chagrin my impressionable young daughter told Dave, “I hate fruitcake!” and then looked at me for approval.  That was 8-9 years ago and Dave still reminds her of that statement everytime he gets the chance.

We set the aluminum covered block on the console between Lorena and I in our minivan on the way home from the bible study.  I knew that I would feel bad if I did not at least try the stuff, so I could lie to Dave about how good it was when I saw him the following week.  I was STUNNED.  It is not only the best fruitcake I have ever eaten, it is arguably the best cake and maybe even the best dessert I have ever eaten.  The fruitcake was gone by the time we got home.

I LOVE that stuff.  Last year was the third year in a row that we had to live without any of Dave’s fruitcake.  Lorena could not stand it anymore, so she begged Pat (Dave’s wife) to have mercy on us and send the recipe.  The problem is that it is Dave’s SECRET recipe.  He worked for years to refine and improve his recipe.  We were quite saddened when we realized that we were out of luck and suffered through another year without Dave’s fruitcake.  It was a hard year.

Yesterday, however, that all changed.  I got an excited call from Lorena when she got home from her workout at the YMCA.  She had received a care package from Oregon with two (count them–TWO) fruitcakes.  We are wildly grateful!  We have decide to nibble on one over the next couple of days and save the other for Thanksgiving dinner.  It was as good, maybe even better, than we remembered.  If you ever, ever, ever get offered a fruitcake from a guy named Dave in the mid-Willamette Valley, accept it and be very, very thankful.  It doesn’t get any better than that.

Thanks Dave.  We are very grateful and we LOVE your fruitcake.  We will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to remain on your list.

Update: Kelly just messaged me to say that she was traumatized by the event and STILL feels guilty for having said that and cringes everytime she thinks about, but it was worth it as long as the fruitcakes keep coming.