Here are your prompts for today from
:Write about a painting
hiding openly
“If that’s how you really feel…”
The kind of character who holds grudges
SWING AWAY, FICTIONEERS!
Eric reached for the graham crackers as the marshmallow caught fire. Fumbling around the log where he sat with his left hand, he blew out the flame at the end of the stick he held in his right.
"Jamie!" he called. "Where's the chocolate?"
Jamie sat next to him, handing him a bar of dark chocolate, the 70% cacao gold foil reflecting the orange of the fire's embers. Eric turned it over in his hand and looked quizzically at Jamie. "What is this? Where's the Hershey’s I bought? You can't make s'mores without Hershey's chocolate bars!
Jamie laughed. "Eric, are you still six years old? Graham crackers and milk chocolate? Come on! Expand your palate!" She grinned as Eric made a face and stuck his tongue out at her.
Jamie rolled her eyes and pulled a Hershey bar from her pocket. "Fine," she said, "if that's how you feel about it. But I am going to adultify my snack." From her other pocket she pulled a small bakery bag. "Can you start a marshmallow for me?"
Eric looked aghast. He reached for the stick and topped it with a fresh marshmallow before placing it near the embers. It was just close enough to warm until the center melted before catching fire for the perfect charcoal crust. Jamie opened the bag and pulled out a croissant. Balancing it on her knee, she unwrapped the dark chocolate and broke off a perfect rectangle.
Astonished, but in jest, Eric cried out, "You aren't adultifying your snack; you're adulterating it. You are not going to make a s'more with dark chocolate and a croissant."
"Of course I am," retorted Jamie. "And even more than that, I am going to top it all with just a pinch of sea salt." She dangled a small bag of sea salt in front of Eric's face. The perfect adult version of a s'more is a day-old croissant, dark chocolate, a perfectly crusted marshmallow, and a pinch of sea salt. It pairs well with a merlot, but I didn't pack any wine this time."
Now it was Eric's turn to laugh. "Oh, Jamie. Do you think I neglected to remember your favorite wine?" He made his way to the camper and returned with an opened bottle of Rodney Strong Merlot and two solo cups. "Nothing but the finest."
"Ah, this is why I married you," Jamie grinned as she reached for the cup Eric held out for her. Eric picked up the stick as the marshmallow began to smoke.
"Hand me that abomination to tradition and I'll assemble it for you. Then I will make myself another REAL s'more, like a patriotic American." Eric rolled his eyes as he started to hand Jamie her croissant. "On second thought," he added, "Maybe I should try a bite. A tax for my labors."
Jamie shook her head as Eric sunk his teeth into the crisp shell of the croissant, through the airy layers and into the marshmallow melted chocolate in the middle. "Mmmmmm, mmm, mmmmm. That's…" Eric stopped talking to lick a drip of chocolatey marshmallowey goo from his lip.
Reaching for the rest of her dessert, Jamie laughed. "I told you so!" All Eric could do was bow to Jamie's exquisite palate. "I married a culinary genius," he said. "God bless America."
"I am going to adultify my snack" 😄
I'm so going to use this phrase. Loved it. Thanks Stephanie.