Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Guest Guilty Pleasure by Rachel Firasek - Take That Cookie and Die



Today's Guilty Pleasure post is hosted by author Rachel Firasek. I was first introduced to Rachel Firasek when I was asked to review her other book Piper's Fury. Review here. Since I've followed along with Rachel on Twitter and I am happy to have her take over my blog today. Please give a warm welcome to Rachel Firasek. 



Take That Cookie and Die 

Growing up in my neighborhood meant there weren't many extras. The 80's recession left many of us depending on each other and Mom and Dad with two too many mouths to feed. Nope, this isn't going to be sappy--promise. 

At age seven, there weren't many jobs that I could do, but we had a sweet landlord who had an orchard. My parents were too proud to let him bring us a gift when he collected rent, so he put us to work for a quarter each. Sounds like child labor, right? 

He'd give us these cool pecan tools and my five year old brother and I would spend hours collecting pecans in his orchard. (We played a lot, too.) When Mr. Landlord finished chatting with the tenants, he'd give us each a quarter and pat us on the head for a job well done. Score! Money! Time to eat!

We took our bounty and walked the three houses down to the corner store. Our cash bought us a small pack of cookies and a soda pop. I'll never forget spreading those cookies on the kitchen table, our two small cups filled to the brim with the sweet soda and a big smile on our faces. Now, because of our rather poor background. My brother was a terrible theif of food. He'd take any extra sweet, hide, and eat it where no one could find him. (Promise, we weren't really starving.) 

So, my guilty pleasure is eating the last bite. I know that sounds nuts, but I used to let him have that last little morsel or cookie/cake/chip/etc... And now that I'm an adult and make plenty to keep everyone from going without, I've developed this phobia of someone taking the last bite. It's a sign of how crazy I really am, I know. 


You'll never be able to picture the look on my sweet hubby's face when I morphed into Raetroll and nearly bit off one of his fingers when he tried to snatch the last Santa cookie on our first Christmas together. "Take that cookie and die." To this day, he warns the children to always leave me the last bite. ")


How about you? How do you feel about that last delicious bite? Can you let it go or does your family & friends fear for their fingers like mine? 


Rachel Firasek grew up in the South, and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairy tales, before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today, you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad Eighties dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows…



15 comments:

Unknown said...

Awesome post Rachel and thank you for being a guest on my blog today. You are the last guest for 2011!

I totally understand what you mean about that last bite! I'm with ya sista.

Thank you for sharing a great childhood memory. Our coins sure could go far then eh? I remember getting $2 from my next door neighbour when I helped clean their house and I swear I thought I was rich!

Christine Ashworth said...

When I was oh, about 13, my dad would give me a whole dollar every Saturday. And every Saturday after ballet class, I'd walk up to my local Drug Mart, pick up a Harlequin Romance (73cents) and a box of Jr. Mints, which came close to taking all of my dollar. I'd hoard the change, and every now and then would buy TWO harlequins, lol...

I'm big on the last Jr. Mint. Not so big on the last bite...great story, Rachel!

~ Babs ~ said...

Rachel I know how you feel. I have to have the last bite and the last word :). Love the story and stopping by with sisterly siren love.

Lisa Kessler said...

Ha! Cute story!!! :)

I don't have any problem giving up the last bite, but I do have a hard time passing on dessert... (Hence my bodacious back side! LOL)

Hope you had a great Christmas Rachel!

Lisa :)

BOOKWORM NATTIE said...

LOL Great post Rach, I too feel the last bite is the most important bite of them all, I get a bit mad when Paul steals the last bit of my cookie or donuts lol he knows now not do touch but will sometimes just to get me going.

Nattie :)

*yadkny* said...

Hi Rachel!
I think I can somewhat relate. When I was growing up we didn't have a lot of money either and my parents always made it known during meals that wasting food was never a good thing. To this day it has always been important to me that when I dish up I eat everything on my plate. Even now when I go to buffets I never put more than what I can eat because it's a waste. I'll share, but everything on the plate has to be eaten before I can leave.

Shelley Munro said...

I had to admit that I'm not good at sharing when it comes to delicious good. Anyone can knick my Brussels sprouts but leave my biscuits and chocolates alone!

Cute story, Rachel. Best wishes for a happy & safe 2012

Lisa (Lisa's World of Books) said...

I was very lucky that I did not have to worry about this as a kid but now as an adult I have had times like this. When I was a kid I would save my little bit of money for books.

Lisa

Rachel Firasek said...

Michelle, thank you for having me. I'm very honored to be the last guest! :) Yes, the dollar did go quite a bit further, lol. But, sometimes I wouldn't trade those hard times for the world. They definitely helped shape my character.

Christine, thank you for sharing. I think it's really cool that you spent your allowance on HQN. :)

Babs, with all the boys at your house, I don't know how you get the last word, but kudos woman! :) You rock!

Lisa, this is probably my problem too. Can I blame my overeating on child poverty? It's a good one for me. Thanks for coming by!!! BBS---Bodacious Backside Sisters!

Nat, I knew I loved you! :) You get it. Tickle Paul for me.

Yadira, yeag, we never had waste either. If you didn't like something, you didn't ask for it. :)

Shelley, my brother becomes down right feral about snacks. I totally understand! :)

Lisa, I'm very glad that my trying times happened in the order that they did. I feel for you girl. You know I heart you! :)

lindalou said...

I have to agree with Lisa... I can give up the last bite... but I have a really hard time passing up dessert! Great post, Rachel! Love your books! (AND Lisa's too!)
LindaLou

Misa said...

Raetroll.... so funny, Rachel!

Nina Croft said...

Great post Rachel, and I can definitely relate. I come from a big family (5 of us) and I was almost the littlest - you had to fight for your share!

Louisa Bacio said...

I'm an only child, and didn't have to worry about that "last bite" all that much. Now as a mom of two, I'm always surprised to be asked, "Is there more?" before the first plate is finished! I've learned that no matter how much I make, I always don't give a full helping the first time ... so that there's always "more."

Clarissa Yip said...

What a cute post! I usually have a very bad sweet tooth, but I know not to fight with you over the last cookie! lol

Unknown said...

I usually try to get back to all of my posts, but somehow you all snuck up on me. Thanks for coming by!!! :)