Wednesday, August 12, 2009

There is Hope for this GRITS

Have y'all seen that acronym? GRITS? It stands for Girls Raised in the South. And I am proudly a GRITS. That sounds funny but you can't really say I'm a GRIT because then it would just be Girl Raised in the.... See? It's not grammatically correct, but this time I'm okay with it.

Having rambled on about that, let me say that during my adult life I have almost felt like an impostor in my own country. Now, don't get me wrong...I can talk the talk with the best of them, and I do lurve pinto beans and corn bread (and turnip greens and corn bread? Oh. My....love that, too!). I even like grits (the real thing this time) on occasion. But there was one Southern staple that I just didn't like. Couldn't make myself like, no matter how I tried.

Tomatoes.

(insert collective gasp from all other "good" Southerners out there)

I know, I know. Just call me Ouiser Boudreaux. But trust me; I have tried to like them, and have even made it to where I can eat them if they are cooked in something; I even like chunky tomatoes in my spaghetti and chili. But if you get a tomato near my hamburger or club sandwich, heaven help you. I don't even like to take them off the sandwiches because tomato slime always lingers. I thought I was destined to be the Southern girl with the dirty secret. (Okay, it's not so secret...there are plenty of servers in restaurants who have faced my "displeasure" at having a tomato tarnish my good food)

Then, Momma came to stay with us for a couple of weeks. She had been craving a BLT for a month, and nothing the hospital had could even compare. So, we planned our menu around having bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches one night. Sound Man got it all prepared, even cutting the tomatoes really, really thin. I think he was being optimistic that I might actually try one.

Well, lo and behold, I actually wanted to try one. So, I put mayonnaise on my bread, layered lots of lettuce and bacon, and gingerly placed a thinly sliced tomato on my sandwich. And took a bite.

You know what? I. LIKED. IT. No, I mean, I reeeeeeeally liked it!

This was taken after I had eaten half the sandwich and realized I HAD to blog about this astonishing revelation!

I ate this second half, then ate another half of one. I couldn't believe it, and neither could my husband or mother. They didn't give me too hard a time, for fear of jinxing the whole thing.

Now, just 'cause I've fallen for the culinary delight of a good BLT doesn't mean I'm going to stop ordering my Mexican pizza at Taco Bell "with NO tomatoes, PLEASE!" Or I'm going to go totally crazy and start eating tomato sandwiches (bread, mayo, tomato, a little sprinkling of salt) like my husband does when his dad gives him some fresh tomatoes from his garden.

But I've made progress. There is hope for me yet.

13 comments:

CarlynB said...

There's nothing like a good MLT - mutton, lettuce and tomato sandwich.

Sorry - this post just gave me a "Princess Bride" flashback.

Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions said...

As a Yankee, Heathahlee, I was shocked to read you didn't like tomatoes! : ) I can't blame you though, my hubby is the same way {he won't eat pickles either because of that middle gel-stuff}. Glad to hear you did eat that BLT, tomato and all, though. It's just not the same without the tomato! I could eat a tomato sandwich - just tomatoes and mayo - Mmmm. BLT's have always been a favorite too. That was my standard order when we would go to the diner for dinner {on toasted seedless rye}. I have to stop reading food posts before lunch. . .

Unknown said...

Thank you! I have never eaten tomatoes! And my hubby thinks I'm so weird because I complain about the tomato leaving "stuff" behind and it taints the burger. You are way braver than I though. Don't know if I could eat a BLT!

CarlynB said...

Sometimes I feel like I must turn in my GRITS badge because I don't like grits - except I did like those cheese grits our lovely cousin prepared for us.

I never remember noticing your dislike of tomatoes when we were growing up.

Do you remember Daddy making us eat scrambled eggs with wheat germ sprinkled over them?

Love you,

Sister

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I love and miss home grown tomatoes so much.

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Dawn said...

geez- i didn't know you had to like tomoatoes to be a southern girl! good for you for trying! there are still some things i will never try ever again! i bet it was the way your hubby sliced them!

Darlene said...

Hahahaha you are so funny!! I like tomatoes in moderation. Not too much of them. I definitely think it was the way your dear hubby sliced them!!!!!

Teri Lynne Underwood said...

What? You didn't like tomatoes? Girl, thank God you finally saw the light!! LOL Great post!

Sarah Mae said...

More hope for you then for me...tomatoes (slimy creatures), blech!

Oh wait, I'm from the north, I don't have to like them.

Whew.

BTW, my new button (with a code - yay) is up on my new blog under flair - thanks for askin'! :)

Made In The South said...

You are so funny...that picture is making me hungry, I might have to call up Susie to come and ride to the SONIC, they have really good BLT's

Kat said...

I should have fixed BLT's for lunch yesterday...

Susie Q said...

Hey, this GRITS despises okra in any shape, form or fashion...works well as hubby hates them too and our kids have never had them. :D

Susie Q said...

But it is ALL still Coke ;D