Cherry Delight

“What kind of cake should I make for you birthday?” I asked Stephen on his 20^th birthday. “Chocolate? Strawberry? The kind with sprinkles inside?”

“You know I hate chocolate cake, mom,” Stephen gave me a dirty look. “What I'd really like is a Cherry Cheesecake. And could you make an extra one for me to take to school? A bunch of us eat lunch together over at the Institute.”

“How many people eat with you?” I asked willingly. “Will one cheesecake be enough, or should I make two?”

“You'd better make two,” Stephen agreed quickly. “And thanks, mom.”

I was happy to make him a treat. He wasn't really talking about a cheesecake, but a dessert my grandmother used to make called cherry delight. We all loved it, and it was simple and easy to make.

I ran to the store that afternoon to pick up three packages of cream cheese, some cool whip and cherry pie filling. I knew I had enough graham crackers on the shelf for the crust. A few weeks earlier I'd gone through our 72 hour Survival Kits, replacing the perishable foods inside with new items. I had taken out two packages of graham crackers and put them on the shelf for the kids to eat since they were only a year old.

That evening I made the desserts so they would be ready early in the morning when Stephen left for his classes at our local Community College. I made three, so there would be one left over for his birthday dinner.

My phone rang a little after noon, and when I answered it Stephen almost yelled in my ear. “Mom! Are you trying to poison us?”

“What's the matter,” I asked in surprise.

“The cheesecakes, mom! What did you put in them? One of the teachers is in the bathroom right now throwing up because she ate it!”

“What do you mean?” I asked, completely flabbergasted. “What's wrong with the cheesecake?”

“I don't know,” Stephen exclaimed angrily, “but there's something really nasty in them, and it's making everyone sick!”

“Well, don't eat any more,” I told him helplessly. “I don't know what's wrong with them, but I'll try to find out.”

After hanging up the phone I went to my refrigerator and took out the last cheesecake. It looked fine. What on earth could have happened to the two he took to school? Could they have gone sour or something? I'd told Stephen to take them straight to the Institute building and put them in the refrigerator before he went to his classes.

Carefully, I took a spoon and dished up a small portion of cheesecake. I sure couldn't see anything wrong with the desert. Putting the spoon into my mouth I started to savor the smooth, sweet filling, then I began to gag!

“Yuck!” I spit the mouthful out into the sink. What on earth?

My mouth tasted like..............what? Quickly I filled my mouth with water and spit it in the sink, but the taste was still there. It was awful! I took another swig of water and swished it around and around, until the taste finally started to fade.

“I've got it!” I finally realized. “Soap! That cheesecake tastes just like Irish Spring soap smells!” But why? I thought and thought, but couldn't figure out how soap got into my Cherry Delight, until my granddaughter, Tais, came into the kitchen. It was grandma day, and I was babysitting her and my other grandchildren.

“I'm hungry, grandma,” Tais told me sadly. “Can I have something to eat?” They'd had lunch a little while earlier, but I was a good grandma and liked to spoil my grand kids, so I walked over to the shelves to find something for Tais.

“How about a graham cracker?” I suggested, picking up what was left of the crackers I'd used to make the crust for the dessert. Then I smelled it. Irish Spring soap! What in the world? Cautiously I nibbled the end of a cracker. Yuck! Spitting and gagging, I knew I'd found the reason my cheesecake tasted like poison.

“I stored the crackers in zip-lock freezer bags,” I explained later that afternoon as I told my story to anyone who would listen. “I thought that would keep them fresh. But I put them in the same container as the soap, and I guess it was so strong the smell permeated right through the crackers. I'll never do that again!”

And I didn't. Don't you do it, either. I did make Stephen three new Cherry Delights, and his teachers and friends forgave me the next day when they ate the real dessert, but none of them have ever forgotten the disastrous birthday treats I sent him with on his 20^th birthday.

PS  If you'd like the recipe, it's really easy.

First, crush a package of FRESH graham crackers and mix with 1 cube of melted butter.  Pour into a 9x13 cake pan and push down with a fork to make the crust.

Then cream 1 package of cream cheese with 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.  Fold in a small container of cool whip, then spread in pan over the crust.

Top with 2 cans of cherry pie filling, pop into your refrigerater for a couple of hours to set, and enjoy!