Wanting What I Can't Have

One of people's favorite pregnancy symptom topics is cravings. There's the infamous pickles and ice cream or, in my mom's case, raisin bran, when she normally didn't like raisins.

So far, I've avoided the really strange cravings (maybe those come later, I don't know), but I have been craving pretty much everything preggers aren't supposed to eat. It seems to prove that theory that you always immediately want what you're told you can't have.

For the most part, I've been able to find substitutes. Instead of deli meat (listeria), I eat tofurkey, which surprisingly tastes almost exactly like turkey breast, and I was already used to thanks to my hippie vegetarian ways. I found an eggless cookie dough recipe on Pinterest (all that time pinning finally paid off!) and was able to cure a wicked craving for sushi by getting veggie sushi with no fish.

Then came the cherry coke craving.  This one was weird because I rarely drink soda, but I saw my sister drinking it on vacation and immediately wanted it. It looked delicious, but there was no way around the caffeine. I was like a recovering drug addict. I stared at her as she sipped it, remembering the flavor, knowing I couldn't have it, and it only made me want it more.

That memory has been haunting me for a  month.

I searched the grocery store but coke doesn't make caffeine free cherry coke. So, I had the idea to buy caffeine free coke and mix in grenadine or whatever cherry syrup I could find. But my search came up short, as these items were no where to be found at my usual grocery store.

Next I tried the liquor store, knowing that grenadine is commonly used in mixed drinks. No luck.

As I continued to grow more desperate, I stopped at another grocery store in town. At first, I didn't see it, but hiding among the other mixers was that magical bottle of grenadine. I squealed with delight and I think JD was slightly embarrassed to be seen with me.  We grabbed some caffeine free coke and came home so I could finally mix what I'd been so desperately wanting.

It was everything I dreamed it could be.  I actually think I'll go have some right now...