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ysabetwordsmithThis poem is spillover from the November 7, 2023 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by prompts from curiosity, chanter1944, and readera. It also fills the "Little / Big" square in my 11-1-23 card for the Drabble Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Dr. Infanta and Broken Angels threads of the Polychrome Heroics series. It is the third in a triptych, after "Bring Another into the Light" and "Something Infinitely Healing."
"The Little Things Are the Big Things"
[Evening of Thursday, September 1, 2016]
By the time they made it home,
the sun was sliding down the sky
toward dusk, and everyone
was starting to get hungry.
Cas was carrying Alicia,
who had worn herself out at
the park, and Alford Battaglia
was trailing along behind them.
Just opening the front door let out
a flood of mouth-watering aromas.
"Ah, the smell of a home-cooked meal,"
Alford said wistfully. "It's been a long time."
They stepped inside to find the house
quite full of people eagerly anticipating
the meal that should be almost done.
Cas quickly made introductions,
then handed Alicia to Nanette.
"See if you can get her cleaned up
enough for supper," he said. "We
wound up doing some digging."
"You can use the common bathroom
upstairs if you want," said Boss Blaster.
"Oh, thank you," Nanette said. "I don't
suppose you have any clean pants or
shoes that might fit Alicia? I think
her tops are all right, but the rest ..."
Yeah, Alicia had gotten down on
her knees and now the gray jeans
were about half brown on the front,
and her shoes left crumbs of mud.
"Hali and I will check the share boxes,"
Edie said, balancing the toddler on her hip.
They got Alicia's sizes from Nanette and
headed downstairs to look for those.
"Can I help with anything here?"
Alford offered. "I'm not one
to sit by while others work."
"Help me and Pug move
furniture," said Boss Blaster.
"We need more chairs and
probably folding tables too."
Cas finally made his way
into the kitchen and asked
for a status report from
the team of people there.
"The meatloaves are out
of the oven and resting on
the counter there," said Kato.
"Spiced apple cider is already
cooling in the refrigerator."
"Good, get me something I can
use to separate the drippings
to make gravy," said Cas.
"Rolls are done and in
the warming baskets.
I made herb butter too,"
said Vybra. "I've also
mashed the potatoes."
Kato brought a separator
for the meatloaf juices, and
then Cas started unmolding
the meatloaves so that he
could empty the foil pans.
"That Cobb salad platter
and what's left of the Waldorf
are on the table," said Bobbie.
"What should I do with the bag
of frozen peas and carrots?"
"Heat them up with butter
and garlic," Cas said as he
worked. "Here's the recipe."
Alicia squeezed herself into
the crowded kitchen as he was
starting to make the gravy,
fortunately now cleaner.
"Can I help?" she piped.
"You look really busy here."
Cas would never turn away
a volunteer. He firmly believed
that doing that to small children
made them unwilling to help later.
Looking around for inspiration,
he spotted the bowl with a blob
of homemade herb butter.
"Do you know how to make
butter curls?" he asked Alicia.
"Yeah, you drag a knife over it
and put them in a bowl for
a fancy meal," she said.
"It also saves time when
you have lots of people
eating together," Cas said.
"Kato, please help her find
a bowl and a butter knife."
"Better make it several bowls,
we'll be spread out," Kato said,
rummaging in the cabinets.
Cas whisked in a splash
of Worcestershire Sauce,
a dash of onion powder
and garlic powder, and
finally the rubbed sage.
He sampled the gravy,
then added a bit of thyme.
"Boss told me that you'd
need this?" Alford said,
wheeling in a kitchen cart.
"That's for the cheesecake bar,"
Cas said. "Bobbie, what did
you get in the way of toppings?"
"Banana curd and a carton
of blueberries," said Bobbie.
"I left those on the counter."
She pointed with an elbow,
still stirring peas and carrots.
"Cheesecakes aren't thawed yet."
"They'll finish by the time we're all
done eating," said Cas. "Vybra, you
and Alford set up the cheesecake bar.
Pick out whatever other toppings you
want to use from that cabinet there.
Chocolate sauce, caramel sauce,
and whipped cream are in the fridge."
They quickly pulled out those items,
then added honey-roasted peanut butter,
Nutella, butterscotch chips, and granola.
Edie came back and put Hali down. "I
brought apple butter and blackberry jam."
Alicia finished with her butter curls and
joined them to bring out toffee bits
and a jar of candied mixed nuts.
"Well, you're a good little helper,
aren't you?" Alford said, grinning.
"The small things of life are
often so much larger than
the great things," Alicia mused.
"The trivial pleasures like cooking,
your home, little poems, solitary walks,
funny things you've seen and overheard --
that's what you will remember for all time.
In the end, the little things are the big things."
"Truer words were never spoken," said Alford.
"Those are the things I've missed the most."
Cas hugged Alicia with one arm and Hali
with the other. "You're so wise," he said.
"Nah," said Alicia. "I'm just old."
"But never too old for cheesecake,"
Cas said. "Okay, the gravy is done.
Bobbie, how are the peas and carrots?"
"Done, someone get me serving bowls
for these," she called over her shoulder.
"Got some right here," Kato said, holding
them out. "I've got serving spoons too."
"Vybra, park the cheesecake cart out of
the way," Cas said, pointing. "Alicia and
Alford, take the butter and rolls. Edie,
grab the pitcher of spiced apple cider.
I've got the gravy, and the meatloaves
are already on the table with the salads."
So much of the meal had already been
prepared in advance that it had only
taken a few minutes to finish the rest.
Cas ushered everyone to the dining room,
where the wooden table had been augmented
by folding tables and extra chairs. Furthermore,
the end tables from the living room had been
pressed into service to hold serving platters
so the tables would have room for eating.
Alford stared at the food. "Are you
feeding an army here?" he asked.
"Pretty much," said Boss Blaster.
"Some of us burn a lot of fuel."
"Ah yeah, I remember what it's
like working that hard," said Alford.
He wasn't a soup, as far as Cas knew,
but he was a veteran, and soldiers
certainly did a hard day's work.
They all found places, with
Boss Blaster at one end of
the wooden table, Alford
on his left, then Alicia,
Nanette, and Lorry.
Cas sat to the right of
Boss Blaster, Hali next
to Cas and then Edie
on Hali's other side.
Other folks filled in
beyond them and then
everyone started reaching
for the various platters of food.
Someone had put out honey bears
as well as butter for the dinner rolls.
It was a good thing they had put out
several, because Alicia promptly
grabbed one of them to pour
honey directly into her mouth.
Boss Blaster saw her doing it
and immediately did the same.
"Stop that before you choke,"
Nanette scolded. "You put
the honey on the bread."
Cas immediately foresaw
where that would go and
yelped, "No! They'll just
get it all over themselves."
He picked up a roll, quickly
hollowed it out as if to stuff it
with the usual chicken salad,
and loaded it with honey.
Then he handed it to Alicia.
"Eat that from the top down
and it shouldn't get sticky."
"You seem to know a lot
about honey," Nanette said,
giving him an impressed look.
"It's a favorite food, and have
you ever tried to get honey
out of feathers?" Cas said.
Of course, Hali was wanting
a honey-loaded roll, and even
his boss was making puppy eyes,
so Cas set up more to pass around
and saved the last for himself too.
After that, he loaded Hali's plate
and cut up her slice of meatloaf,
then finally served himself.
He checked Alicia's plate.
She had a whole meatloaf
and at least four potatoes
worth of mash, which she
was drowning in gravy.
"I'll get green things later,"
she told him. "Right now,
I need fuel and lots of it."
"I wasn't criticizing,"
Cas said mildly. "I just
wanted to make sure
that you had enough."
Her eyes crinkled
as she smiled. "See,
this is why I love you."
Cas couldn't blame her for
loading up. The meatloaf
and mashed potatoes
were mouth-watering.
He had only taken
a couple of slices for
himself, and was soon
eyeing the nearest platter,
trying to gauge whether
there was enough left
for him to take seconds.
Edie reached out and
dumped another slice
on his plate. "Eat it, I
heard what you did
at the park today."
Cas ate it. He loved
this meatloaf recipe.
He polished off the roll
full of honey and then
another one with butter,
washing them down with
the spiced apple cider.
He snagged some of
the peas and carrots too.
Someone had dished out
the last of the Waldorf salad
into little cups so that everyone
could have some if they wanted.
There was plenty of the Cobb salad,
at least until Lorry spotted it and
shoveled up a whole plate full.
Cas managed to get some
of that before it all ran out.
Soups tended to eat
like a swarm of locusts.
That was fine, though.
Cas just felt flattered that
everyone liked his cooking.
By then, people had eaten
enough to take the edge off.
They slowed down, and
conversations picked up.
"You should go see your park,"
Alicia said to Boss Blaster.
"We fixed it all up for you."
"Which one?" he said with
a grin. "I have several."
Alicia turned to Cas. "Um,
which one did we visit?"
"Shady Grove Park,"
said Cas. "Yeah, boss,
you should go take a look.
The baby trees are a lot taller,
and there are plenty of new beds
with native flowers and grasses.
Alford was planting the seeds."
"I'll make sure to drop by soon,"
said Boss Blaster. "The parks
are proving quite popular."
"It's because you let anyone
from the neighborhood come
and putter around in them,"
said Alford. "Where I live, I
don't have a yard, and the park
at Safe Harbor is fine for strolling
but it isn't somewhere that I can
pull weeds or plant things in."
Boss Blaster chuckled. "Well,
swing by my parks any time you
feel the urge to pull weeds or
plant things," he said. "I can
use all the volunteers I can get.
Or maybe you'd prefer a job?"
"I have a hard time holding onto
a job," Alford said, looking down.
"We're the Broken Angels," said Cas.
"That's really not a problem here."
"What holds you back, if you don't
mind sharing?" said Boss Blaster.
"That might help us work around it."
Alford waved a hand at his head.
"PTSD and a lot of old injuries,"
he said. "It comes and goes."
Cas saw Alicia look at Nanette
as they, apparently, carried on
a whole conversation with just
eyebrows and maybe telepathy.
They didn't say anything aloud,
though, so Cas left it alone.
"We can accommodate
those issues," said the boss.
"What about odd jobs? Then
you could drop by whenever
you feel up to it and just
ask what needs doing."
That made Alford smile.
"Yeah, I could manage that."
"We maked a leaf window,"
Hali chirped. "With crayons!"
"That sounds fun," said Cas,
looking to Edie for an explanation.
"We collected autumn leaves,
shaved down some old crayons
for color, and ironed them between
sheets of waxed paper," said Edie.
"They look like stained glass windows."
"I look forward to seeing your artwork,"
said Cas. "I'm sure it's beautiful."
They had a basement apartment,
though, so he wasn't sure where
he could display such a thing.
"We have plenty of windows
that could use some fall color,"
said Boss Blaster. "My office
has those two big windows."
"Each of the children made
several pieces," said Edie.
"There's plenty to go around."
"Yeah, I got some too," said Pug.
"I'm gonna hang them at home."
Cas smiled, enjoying the time
with his family as he listened
to the chatter that rambled
around the various tables.
When he saw that people
had finished eating, he
stood up and said, "Let's
put away leftovers and
set the dishes in the sink.
Then it's time for dessert."
The children squealed.
So did some of the adults.
With that many hands, it
didn't take long to clear
the tables and wipe them.
"All right, for dessert we have
mini cheesecakes with all of
the toppings," Cas said as
he wheeled out the cart.
"Line up and get started."
"High-burn appetites go
first," Boss Blaster said,
which was the usual rule.
Cas nudged Alford ahead
of him, with Hali just behind.
Alicia lined her plate with
miniature cheesecakes, then
proceeded to pile on some
of every topping available.
Boss Blaster and Lorry
looked at each other.
"Well, maybe not every
topping," Lorry said. "I
like the idea of lining
the plate, though."
"Yeah, me too,"
said Boss Blaster
as he did the same.
"This one is falling apart,"
Bobbie said, frowning at
one of the cheesecakes.
"Who cares?" Kato crowed.
He grabbed the halves and
stuffed them into his mouth.
"Yeah, this is amazing,"
said Pug. "Thanks, Cas,
you're a great cook. I
never get tired of this."
"You're welcome," Cas said.
"I like taking care of people."
He fixed a mini cheesecake
for Hali topped with honey and
whipped cream, then made
another one for himself.
He loved how the flavors
and textures slid over and
under each other like silk.
Even more satisfying than
dessert, though, was seeing
his little community grow.
They had started out with
one park and now they had
a whole bunch of them.
They kept adding people
by ones and twos, like Alford.
It didn't matter if some of
those people were just
a little bit broken.
Everyone could still
come together for work
and a delicious meal.
Hali licked her plate, then
fluttered over for a big hug.
Cas basked in the pleasure.
Alicia had been absolutely right.
The little things were the big things.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
curiosity, chanter1944, and readera. It also fills the "Little / Big" square in my 11-1-23 card for the Drabble Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by a pool with fuzzyred. It belongs to the Dr. Infanta and Broken Angels threads of the Polychrome Heroics series. It is the third in a triptych, after "Bring Another into the Light" and "Something Infinitely Healing.""The Little Things Are the Big Things"
[Evening of Thursday, September 1, 2016]
By the time they made it home,
the sun was sliding down the sky
toward dusk, and everyone
was starting to get hungry.
Cas was carrying Alicia,
who had worn herself out at
the park, and Alford Battaglia
was trailing along behind them.
Just opening the front door let out
a flood of mouth-watering aromas.
"Ah, the smell of a home-cooked meal,"
Alford said wistfully. "It's been a long time."
They stepped inside to find the house
quite full of people eagerly anticipating
the meal that should be almost done.
Cas quickly made introductions,
then handed Alicia to Nanette.
"See if you can get her cleaned up
enough for supper," he said. "We
wound up doing some digging."
"You can use the common bathroom
upstairs if you want," said Boss Blaster.
"Oh, thank you," Nanette said. "I don't
suppose you have any clean pants or
shoes that might fit Alicia? I think
her tops are all right, but the rest ..."
Yeah, Alicia had gotten down on
her knees and now the gray jeans
were about half brown on the front,
and her shoes left crumbs of mud.
"Hali and I will check the share boxes,"
Edie said, balancing the toddler on her hip.
They got Alicia's sizes from Nanette and
headed downstairs to look for those.
"Can I help with anything here?"
Alford offered. "I'm not one
to sit by while others work."
"Help me and Pug move
furniture," said Boss Blaster.
"We need more chairs and
probably folding tables too."
Cas finally made his way
into the kitchen and asked
for a status report from
the team of people there.
"The meatloaves are out
of the oven and resting on
the counter there," said Kato.
"Spiced apple cider is already
cooling in the refrigerator."
"Good, get me something I can
use to separate the drippings
to make gravy," said Cas.
"Rolls are done and in
the warming baskets.
I made herb butter too,"
said Vybra. "I've also
mashed the potatoes."
Kato brought a separator
for the meatloaf juices, and
then Cas started unmolding
the meatloaves so that he
could empty the foil pans.
"That Cobb salad platter
and what's left of the Waldorf
are on the table," said Bobbie.
"What should I do with the bag
of frozen peas and carrots?"
"Heat them up with butter
and garlic," Cas said as he
worked. "Here's the recipe."
Alicia squeezed herself into
the crowded kitchen as he was
starting to make the gravy,
fortunately now cleaner.
"Can I help?" she piped.
"You look really busy here."
Cas would never turn away
a volunteer. He firmly believed
that doing that to small children
made them unwilling to help later.
Looking around for inspiration,
he spotted the bowl with a blob
of homemade herb butter.
"Do you know how to make
butter curls?" he asked Alicia.
"Yeah, you drag a knife over it
and put them in a bowl for
a fancy meal," she said.
"It also saves time when
you have lots of people
eating together," Cas said.
"Kato, please help her find
a bowl and a butter knife."
"Better make it several bowls,
we'll be spread out," Kato said,
rummaging in the cabinets.
Cas whisked in a splash
of Worcestershire Sauce,
a dash of onion powder
and garlic powder, and
finally the rubbed sage.
He sampled the gravy,
then added a bit of thyme.
"Boss told me that you'd
need this?" Alford said,
wheeling in a kitchen cart.
"That's for the cheesecake bar,"
Cas said. "Bobbie, what did
you get in the way of toppings?"
"Banana curd and a carton
of blueberries," said Bobbie.
"I left those on the counter."
She pointed with an elbow,
still stirring peas and carrots.
"Cheesecakes aren't thawed yet."
"They'll finish by the time we're all
done eating," said Cas. "Vybra, you
and Alford set up the cheesecake bar.
Pick out whatever other toppings you
want to use from that cabinet there.
Chocolate sauce, caramel sauce,
and whipped cream are in the fridge."
They quickly pulled out those items,
then added honey-roasted peanut butter,
Nutella, butterscotch chips, and granola.
Edie came back and put Hali down. "I
brought apple butter and blackberry jam."
Alicia finished with her butter curls and
joined them to bring out toffee bits
and a jar of candied mixed nuts.
"Well, you're a good little helper,
aren't you?" Alford said, grinning.
"The small things of life are
often so much larger than
the great things," Alicia mused.
"The trivial pleasures like cooking,
your home, little poems, solitary walks,
funny things you've seen and overheard --
that's what you will remember for all time.
In the end, the little things are the big things."
"Truer words were never spoken," said Alford.
"Those are the things I've missed the most."
Cas hugged Alicia with one arm and Hali
with the other. "You're so wise," he said.
"Nah," said Alicia. "I'm just old."
"But never too old for cheesecake,"
Cas said. "Okay, the gravy is done.
Bobbie, how are the peas and carrots?"
"Done, someone get me serving bowls
for these," she called over her shoulder.
"Got some right here," Kato said, holding
them out. "I've got serving spoons too."
"Vybra, park the cheesecake cart out of
the way," Cas said, pointing. "Alicia and
Alford, take the butter and rolls. Edie,
grab the pitcher of spiced apple cider.
I've got the gravy, and the meatloaves
are already on the table with the salads."
So much of the meal had already been
prepared in advance that it had only
taken a few minutes to finish the rest.
Cas ushered everyone to the dining room,
where the wooden table had been augmented
by folding tables and extra chairs. Furthermore,
the end tables from the living room had been
pressed into service to hold serving platters
so the tables would have room for eating.
Alford stared at the food. "Are you
feeding an army here?" he asked.
"Pretty much," said Boss Blaster.
"Some of us burn a lot of fuel."
"Ah yeah, I remember what it's
like working that hard," said Alford.
He wasn't a soup, as far as Cas knew,
but he was a veteran, and soldiers
certainly did a hard day's work.
They all found places, with
Boss Blaster at one end of
the wooden table, Alford
on his left, then Alicia,
Nanette, and Lorry.
Cas sat to the right of
Boss Blaster, Hali next
to Cas and then Edie
on Hali's other side.
Other folks filled in
beyond them and then
everyone started reaching
for the various platters of food.
Someone had put out honey bears
as well as butter for the dinner rolls.
It was a good thing they had put out
several, because Alicia promptly
grabbed one of them to pour
honey directly into her mouth.
Boss Blaster saw her doing it
and immediately did the same.
"Stop that before you choke,"
Nanette scolded. "You put
the honey on the bread."
Cas immediately foresaw
where that would go and
yelped, "No! They'll just
get it all over themselves."
He picked up a roll, quickly
hollowed it out as if to stuff it
with the usual chicken salad,
and loaded it with honey.
Then he handed it to Alicia.
"Eat that from the top down
and it shouldn't get sticky."
"You seem to know a lot
about honey," Nanette said,
giving him an impressed look.
"It's a favorite food, and have
you ever tried to get honey
out of feathers?" Cas said.
Of course, Hali was wanting
a honey-loaded roll, and even
his boss was making puppy eyes,
so Cas set up more to pass around
and saved the last for himself too.
After that, he loaded Hali's plate
and cut up her slice of meatloaf,
then finally served himself.
He checked Alicia's plate.
She had a whole meatloaf
and at least four potatoes
worth of mash, which she
was drowning in gravy.
"I'll get green things later,"
she told him. "Right now,
I need fuel and lots of it."
"I wasn't criticizing,"
Cas said mildly. "I just
wanted to make sure
that you had enough."
Her eyes crinkled
as she smiled. "See,
this is why I love you."
Cas couldn't blame her for
loading up. The meatloaf
and mashed potatoes
were mouth-watering.
He had only taken
a couple of slices for
himself, and was soon
eyeing the nearest platter,
trying to gauge whether
there was enough left
for him to take seconds.
Edie reached out and
dumped another slice
on his plate. "Eat it, I
heard what you did
at the park today."
Cas ate it. He loved
this meatloaf recipe.
He polished off the roll
full of honey and then
another one with butter,
washing them down with
the spiced apple cider.
He snagged some of
the peas and carrots too.
Someone had dished out
the last of the Waldorf salad
into little cups so that everyone
could have some if they wanted.
There was plenty of the Cobb salad,
at least until Lorry spotted it and
shoveled up a whole plate full.
Cas managed to get some
of that before it all ran out.
Soups tended to eat
like a swarm of locusts.
That was fine, though.
Cas just felt flattered that
everyone liked his cooking.
By then, people had eaten
enough to take the edge off.
They slowed down, and
conversations picked up.
"You should go see your park,"
Alicia said to Boss Blaster.
"We fixed it all up for you."
"Which one?" he said with
a grin. "I have several."
Alicia turned to Cas. "Um,
which one did we visit?"
"Shady Grove Park,"
said Cas. "Yeah, boss,
you should go take a look.
The baby trees are a lot taller,
and there are plenty of new beds
with native flowers and grasses.
Alford was planting the seeds."
"I'll make sure to drop by soon,"
said Boss Blaster. "The parks
are proving quite popular."
"It's because you let anyone
from the neighborhood come
and putter around in them,"
said Alford. "Where I live, I
don't have a yard, and the park
at Safe Harbor is fine for strolling
but it isn't somewhere that I can
pull weeds or plant things in."
Boss Blaster chuckled. "Well,
swing by my parks any time you
feel the urge to pull weeds or
plant things," he said. "I can
use all the volunteers I can get.
Or maybe you'd prefer a job?"
"I have a hard time holding onto
a job," Alford said, looking down.
"We're the Broken Angels," said Cas.
"That's really not a problem here."
"What holds you back, if you don't
mind sharing?" said Boss Blaster.
"That might help us work around it."
Alford waved a hand at his head.
"PTSD and a lot of old injuries,"
he said. "It comes and goes."
Cas saw Alicia look at Nanette
as they, apparently, carried on
a whole conversation with just
eyebrows and maybe telepathy.
They didn't say anything aloud,
though, so Cas left it alone.
"We can accommodate
those issues," said the boss.
"What about odd jobs? Then
you could drop by whenever
you feel up to it and just
ask what needs doing."
That made Alford smile.
"Yeah, I could manage that."
"We maked a leaf window,"
Hali chirped. "With crayons!"
"That sounds fun," said Cas,
looking to Edie for an explanation.
"We collected autumn leaves,
shaved down some old crayons
for color, and ironed them between
sheets of waxed paper," said Edie.
"They look like stained glass windows."
"I look forward to seeing your artwork,"
said Cas. "I'm sure it's beautiful."
They had a basement apartment,
though, so he wasn't sure where
he could display such a thing.
"We have plenty of windows
that could use some fall color,"
said Boss Blaster. "My office
has those two big windows."
"Each of the children made
several pieces," said Edie.
"There's plenty to go around."
"Yeah, I got some too," said Pug.
"I'm gonna hang them at home."
Cas smiled, enjoying the time
with his family as he listened
to the chatter that rambled
around the various tables.
When he saw that people
had finished eating, he
stood up and said, "Let's
put away leftovers and
set the dishes in the sink.
Then it's time for dessert."
The children squealed.
So did some of the adults.
With that many hands, it
didn't take long to clear
the tables and wipe them.
"All right, for dessert we have
mini cheesecakes with all of
the toppings," Cas said as
he wheeled out the cart.
"Line up and get started."
"High-burn appetites go
first," Boss Blaster said,
which was the usual rule.
Cas nudged Alford ahead
of him, with Hali just behind.
Alicia lined her plate with
miniature cheesecakes, then
proceeded to pile on some
of every topping available.
Boss Blaster and Lorry
looked at each other.
"Well, maybe not every
topping," Lorry said. "I
like the idea of lining
the plate, though."
"Yeah, me too,"
said Boss Blaster
as he did the same.
"This one is falling apart,"
Bobbie said, frowning at
one of the cheesecakes.
"Who cares?" Kato crowed.
He grabbed the halves and
stuffed them into his mouth.
"Yeah, this is amazing,"
said Pug. "Thanks, Cas,
you're a great cook. I
never get tired of this."
"You're welcome," Cas said.
"I like taking care of people."
He fixed a mini cheesecake
for Hali topped with honey and
whipped cream, then made
another one for himself.
He loved how the flavors
and textures slid over and
under each other like silk.
Even more satisfying than
dessert, though, was seeing
his little community grow.
They had started out with
one park and now they had
a whole bunch of them.
They kept adding people
by ones and twos, like Alford.
It didn't matter if some of
those people were just
a little bit broken.
Everyone could still
come together for work
and a delicious meal.
Hali licked her plate, then
fluttered over for a big hug.
Cas basked in the pleasure.
Alicia had been absolutely right.
The little things were the big things.
* * *
Notes:
This poem is long, so its notes appear elsewhere.
(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-15 05:37 pm (UTC)Yay!
Date: 2024-01-16 11:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2024-01-15 09:46 pm (UTC)And thinking of toppings for the cheesecake... I had some of the raspberry compote left from the the New Year's Eve pavlova. My husband brought home some vanilla ice cream - he's trying to gain weight - and I suggested putting the raspberries over the ice cream. The next time I put hot fudge on my ice cream and then drizzled rasperry sauce over the hot fudge. The combination was delicious. Maybe I'll do that with next year's Christmas cheesecake.
I'd really love to meet Alicia - the seven-hundred-year-old seven-year-old. As I slide towards Crone-hood I begin to think about all the things I've seen and learned over all these years.
Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-16 06:25 am (UTC)Yep.
>> Scavenging usable leftovers is usually a good idea. <<
Well, the Waldorf salad was left over. Much of the meal came from big batch frozen stuff, a couple of fresh purchases, with just a few things made from scratch.
>>And thinking of toppings for the cheesecake... I had some of the raspberry compote left from the the New Year's Eve pavlova.<<
That's brilliant.
>> My husband brought home some vanilla ice cream - he's trying to gain weight - and I suggested putting the raspberries over the ice cream. <<
You might find this helpful:
How to Maximize Calories & Nutrition
Current slang for high-calorie recipes among bodybuilders is "gainer" recipes, if you want to search for more.
>>The next time I put hot fudge on my ice cream and then drizzled rasperry sauce over the hot fudge. The combination was delicious. Maybe I'll do that with next year's Christmas cheesecake.<<
Good idea. Chocolate goes well with red fruits.
We've made a flourless chocolate torte topped with raspberry jam and then drizzled with melted chocolate. This recipe looks similar:
https://2cookinmamas.com/flourless-chocolate-torte/
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-16 08:23 am (UTC)Flourless cakes are really just eggy souffles that are allowed to bake until they collapse and develop a cake-like texture.
A pavlova is egg whites without the yolks (each egg yolk contains 10 grams of fat), and sugar because sugar is what makes egg whites beat up into nice fluffy meringue.
One of my favorite cakes is almost a custard - it contains six eggs and two sticks of butter, melted, and a whole lot of melted chocolate. My husband always likes this cake (it also has a bunch of raspberry jam and raspberry liqueur in it), but I've had to stop making it. It's so tasty that I'd eat enough of it to make myself thoroughly miserable with the undigested fats. That's why I tried making a pavlova last year for Valentine's Day. It turned out so tasty that I made the same pavlova for New Year's Eve - and I could eat as much as I wanted without having to worry about digestive disturbances. This cake is not flourless. I made it for my son to take to a "Wiccaning" party (equivalent to a christening). The new mother ate half of the cake (I don't blame her - it's called labor because it's a lot of hard work!, and everybody else ate the other half.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-16 10:08 am (UTC)No, we just thought it sounded really fucking good. And it was. Kind of like a giant chocolate truffle. We had to cut it in tiny thin slices because it was so decadent.
>> One of my favorite cakes is almost a custard - it contains six eggs and two sticks of butter, melted, and a whole lot of melted chocolate. <<
Fascinating.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2024-01-18 05:18 am (UTC)