Pork and Beans

One day this past week Leavon walked into my office and asked me what I would like to eat for lunch. Then she went about listing several options that she could fix-- pork steak, boiled shrimp, cabbage and corn bread, or potato soup. After listening to her "offerings", I shook my head and replied, "Oh, I don't know exactly what I would like to eat, but none of your suggestions "turn me on" right now." Then, as quickly as I had said I didn't know I wanted to eat, a sensation appeared to walk across my taste buds and migrated straight to that part of the brain which controls speech. "I know... how about you eating boiled shrimp, one of your favorites, and I will eat a can of pork and beans, one of my favorites." "A can of pork and beans?" she asked. "Yes, that is what I want... a can of pork and beans with some saltine crackers... and you don't even have to warm them up before serving." And so it was, on this particular day I opened a 15 oz can of Van Camp's Pork and Beans and ate the entire contents... right out of the can... and un-warmed. (Nutritional Facts: Serving Size: 1/2 cup, Servings per Container: 3.5, Amount per Serving: Calories: 110, Fat Cal.: 10. Throw in a half dozen saltine crackers and a cup of 2% milk and my entire meal was less than 1,000 calories.)

I readily admit that some of the "things" I like to eat are not found anywhere among the basic four food groups. In fact, a couple of the "things" I have always liked to eat, e. g. Vienna Sausage and Potted Meat, are more akin to what you would find in the dog and cat food section of your supermarket. My fondness for these foods goes back to my earlier years when I learned to "eat on the go" while working on construction jobs and a summer in the South Louisiana oilfields. A can could easily be "popped open" and the contents eaten directly out of the can... or in the case of pork and beans, they could be poured into a hollowed out loaf of French bread and eaten as a "Po-Boy" sandwich. Also, during my Army days one of my favorite foods was the prize of the C-Rations-- Beans and Franks. Many times it got to the point where my buddies were practically fighting over this military version of Pork and Beans.

I feel quite sure, if the truth be known, that I am not the only one with some unusual eating habits. And, as for as my fondness for Pork and Beans goes, I, also, see that I am not alone. On the can label is this statement by Van Camp's... "Satisfying Families Since 1861"... and that's good enough for me.