Elvis in the Sky With a Fools Gold Loaf

Nothing riles people up more than to have a personal shrine or holy site altered or desecrated.  One just needs to look in the newspaper to see almost daily reports of houses of worship or revered symbols being destroyed.  One example that recently hit close to home is the report that Graceland would be removing Elvis' two personal airplanes from its campus.  The airplanes: the Lisa Marie, described as a flying limousine with a bedroom and gold plated bathroom fixtures and the Hound Dog II, a smaller jet also used by the King are both on display and require a separate ticket purchase to tour them.  Neither of the planes are currently owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises but are privately owned and displayed under a revenue sharing agreement.  Plans have been mentioned to build a new hotel on or near the site but the time frame for the planes removal hasn't been stated.

As I said before, when you begin to alter what many feel is a shrine, people will get riled up and no one gets more worked up like an Elvis fan.  Things apparently have gotten so heated with the complaints from fans that Priscilla Presley herself has taken to her Facebook page to ask everyone to "please calm down".  I have to admit I didn't personally shell out the additional ticket price to go through the planes.  Frankly, I didn't think my constitution could hold up enough to view both Graceland and his planes on the same day.

Personally, m favorite story about Elvis had to do with his jet.  I had heard it years ago, but only recently did the online search to verify the details.  It is classic late life Elvis.

The Legend of Elvis and the Fool's Gold Loaf

In 1976, Elvis was entertaining friends at Graceland when the conversation turned to food.  His guests, who were from Colorado, mentioned to The King a particular sandwich that was available at only one restaurant in Denver that he should try sometime.  When his guests described the sandwich, Elvis immediately decided he wanted one right then and there.  He then ordered his jet, the Lisa Marie, to be prepared for an immediate flight to Denver.  After the two hour flight, the plane was met by the owners of the Denver restaurant that offered the sandwich and reportedly 22 of the sandwiches were delivered to the Lisa Marie.  Elvis and his friends then commenced to eat the sandwiches and then flew back to Memphis without ever leaving the plane in Colorado.  I have read where the sandwiches cost $50 each in 1976 and the whole trip that evening to Denver cost Elvis about $16,000 in total, but who knows where those figures came from.  While having 22 sandwiches delivered to a plane flown on a whim across the country is a good story, the real "meat" of the legend is what the sandwiches actually were.

Here is the recipe for the Fool's Gold Loaf:

- One loaf of French Bread sliced lengthwise
- Two tablespoons melted Margarine
- One jar of smooth Peanut Butter
- One jar of Jelly (Elvis supposedly preferred Blueberry)
- One pound of cooked bacon

Take the sliced loaf and bath it on all sides with melted margarine
Bake the bread till golden brown on all sides
Spread one jar of peanut butter on one slice of bread
Spread one jar of jelly on other slice of bread
Place cooked bacon on sandwich, place slices together and serve.
(Some sources claim that the sandwich was then deep fried, but I don't think even the King would do that)

Photo from Elvisblog.com  (I'm not about to try and make one of these at home for a photo)

Now, here is the kicker.  The legend claims that about seven people flew to Denver that night including the pilot and co-pilot.  So...that's 22 sandwiches for 7 diners.  I don't know how many Elvis enjoyed personally, but I am sure he held his own in the eating melee that must have ensued.  Some folks say this is just a legend and that Elvis was a Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich man through and through.  To me, The King deserves a sandwich fit for a king and the Fool's Gold Loaf at an estimated 8000 calories each has Elvis written all over it.

He was dead just over a year after his Fool's Gold Adventure.