My Latest Addiction

Nutella spread thinly on crackers. Oh yeah. It's real real real real good.

What makes this addiction blog worthy is HOW my introduction to the velvety loveliness that is Nutella came about.

It's all my in laws fault. We like to blame our in laws for everything, don't we. But really, in this case, it's so totally true.

It all started because this year we celebrate Pastor and Mrs. McCoy's 25th year pastoring our church. During one month's festivities, we asked church members to bring some of the McCoy's favorite things to form a gift basket. My father in law has a long lost of favorite foods so thinking of items to include that would thrill his heart was easy. My mother in law however, is harder to buy for in general.

I thought we would still have something special just for her in the basket because I have this very vivid, detailed memory of my mother in law standing in her kitchen telling me about how wonderful Nutella was and how much she loved it. I can picture where in the kitchen she was standing and can see her facial expressions as she waxed eloquent in rapturous adoration of Nutella.

So as we prepared this huge gift basket I made sure to tell anyone who cared to listen to me (and I'm sure some that didn't care to!) that Mrs. McCoy loves Nutella. And so I was quite pleased that the finished basket held a massive tub of Nutella. I could just imagine Mrs. McCoy's delight, knowing that this treat was included with her specifically in mind.

However... that's not the way things went down!

When opening up the basket loaded with fruit, nuts, gift certificate and of course, Nutella, my father in law, said "Oh? N-ut-ella? What's this?" And I waited for Mrs. McCoy to say "Oh that's my all time favorite food ever! Hand it here!" But that's not what I heard. Silence. So I, in the goodness of my little heart, decided to fill him on the fact that his wife absolutely loved the stuff. "She does?? I never seen her eat it!" Then my dear mother in law herself confirmed that she'd never had it before.

"WHAT?!!" By now my husband, father in law and mother in law are looking at like I am a green alien. It's a look I've earned on numerous occasions so it's not enough to stop me from enlightening them all. I went into the details of my memory of my mother in law proclaiming her love for Nutella. Apparently, this was not a memory but a fictional vision. Not a single McCoy as far back as Ireland has ever had Nutella. But my ever gracious mother law busts open the jar right there and give it a try. She assures me that she likes it and we laugh at my not so reliable memory.

And so that massive jar of Nutella sits in their cupboard. And as is our custom, I always rummage through my mother in laws cupboards looking for sustenance when I'm hanging out there waiting for Seth (one car = a bit of time spent waiting on one another). I'm not really sure if my in-laws mind our mooching off their food but it's become a way of life for us. It started when we were starving newlyweds and until they file a restraining order, we have no plans to stop.

Thus began my addiction to Nutella. It's escalated to the point that I actually own a jar of it myself in my own home. Not that this means I won't be eating my in laws, of course. Let's not be ridiculous.