Post by Solana on Mar 17, 2021 17:44:08 GMT -5
No matter how many times the Shrine’s kitchen had been expanded over the years, it could still get crowded very easily. This was especially true during holidays.
Then again, Aryn thought, I wouldn’t have it any other way. ‘Heart’ and ‘hearth’ are only one letter apart for a reason. The kitchen is the real heart of any home.
Aryn smiled as her gaze swept over everyone working hard on St. Patrick’s Day. Kalia was busily frying up delicious meat pie fillings, while DarkKnight was teaching Aryn his own puff pastry recipe for the crusts.
Ambrienne and Magus were baking green shamrock-shaped cookies together. (If Aryn didn’t enjoy living so much, she would have tried giving Magus her ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron. There was only so far she could push him, and she figured she‘d used up her month‘s supply already.)
“Take it easy on the spices today, Kalia,” Aryn instructed as she mixed up the puff pastry dough.
“Not too much- you don’t want it getting tough,” DarkKnight cautioned her. Aryn nodded and slowed down her stirring.
Kalia stared up at her teacher in mock shock. “What? Auntie Aryn, are you feeling all right?” She reached over to rest a hand on Aryn’s forehead as if checking for a fever.
Aryn laughed and playfully swatted the hand away. “I know, I know, but we’re going with a more traditional recipe for the holiday.”
“When do we get to make the good ones?” Kalia asked.
Aryn’s heart beamed with pride at her student‘s good taste as she started rolling out the pastry. “Tomorrow. I’m making extra pastry for us.”
Eziban came in with a keg of Guinness, setting it next to the myriad of bottles of his work for the night‘s dinner. His eyes met those of his wife, hazel and brown exchanging silent messages of love. Aryn enjoyed the sight of his biceps flexing under the well-fitted dark green shirt he wore for the holiday. Eziban grinned knowingly, moving a bit more slowly than necessary…
“Aryn, stop! You rolled it too thin and now you tore it!” DarkKnight exclaimed, pointing to the hole in the middle of the pastry.
Aryn flushed as her husband laughed, the traitor. Kalia peeked over as well. “Auntie Aryn, you have to be careful with dough,” she said solemnly.
Aryn’s blush deepened at the reminder of something she had told her student many times over the years. “Keep teasing your teacher, kid, and you get dishes duty for today. Alone.”
Kalia yipped and went back to her work. Aryn managed to fix the dough and rolled it out a bit more carefully for the meat pies. Once they had enough, it was time to start filling and folding them to be ready for the oven.
Caesar came strolling in, one hand casually going towards a finished cookie. Ambrienne gave it a tap with her whisk. “Those are for Rune. The next ones are for the kids.”
Caesar looked down at her, his red eyes sad and filled with injured innocence. “Please? Just one? It won’t be… ack!”
Magus had hit him full-on with a death glare, making the young soul stealer fall silent. Ambrienne laughed. “That may work on your Auntie Solana, but not me. I have kids of my own, you know.”
Eziban poured him a shot of Guinness instead, which Caesar gratefully accepted.
“Where is your aunt, anyway?” Aryn asked in curiosity.
Caesar swallowed. “Watching Lord of the Dance in the living room. Why?”
Aryn groaned. “Not again.”
As if on cue…
CRASH!!!
“AHHHH!!!”
Aryn threw her spoon to Kalia and sprinted out of the kitchen, with Eziban, DarkKnight, and Caesar on her heels.
Solana had been watching Lord of the Dance and had learned nothing from her many attempts to try Irish dance. She was sprawled on the floor, trapped under a tipped over recliner. Her hands were up and glowing with blue light, holding a large globe of water in the air with some very panicked fish. One of her aquariums had a side of broken glass.
Solana looked up at Aryn guiltily. “A little help?”
Eziban waved a hand, grateful that the aquarium wall was made of glass and therefore subject to his earth powers. Once it was completely whole again, Solana carefully eased the water and fish back to their home. Aryn and Caesar righted the chair while DarkKnight offered Solana a hand up to get back on her feet. She thanked him and dashed over the aquarium to make sure the fish were okay.
“Solana, are you ever going to give up?” Aryn asked with a grin.
“No, I’ll figure this out! I’ve done harder footwork than this. I just have to practice, or watch it in slow-motion…” Solana trailed off, eyes going back to the screen.
“Why don’t I make you some green tea while you take a break, Auntie Solana?” Caesar suggested. “Cookies are coming, too.”
Solana brightened and followed her ‘nephew’ back to the kitchen. DarkKnight followed to check on Kalia and the meat pies.
Aryn smiled at her husband. “Told you she’d try again this year.”
Eziban grumbled and slapped a fistful of silver into Aryn’s waiting hand. “There’s still next year.”
“Uh-huh,” was all Aryn said in reply as they went back to check on the holiday treats.
Then again, Aryn thought, I wouldn’t have it any other way. ‘Heart’ and ‘hearth’ are only one letter apart for a reason. The kitchen is the real heart of any home.
Aryn smiled as her gaze swept over everyone working hard on St. Patrick’s Day. Kalia was busily frying up delicious meat pie fillings, while DarkKnight was teaching Aryn his own puff pastry recipe for the crusts.
Ambrienne and Magus were baking green shamrock-shaped cookies together. (If Aryn didn’t enjoy living so much, she would have tried giving Magus her ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron. There was only so far she could push him, and she figured she‘d used up her month‘s supply already.)
“Take it easy on the spices today, Kalia,” Aryn instructed as she mixed up the puff pastry dough.
“Not too much- you don’t want it getting tough,” DarkKnight cautioned her. Aryn nodded and slowed down her stirring.
Kalia stared up at her teacher in mock shock. “What? Auntie Aryn, are you feeling all right?” She reached over to rest a hand on Aryn’s forehead as if checking for a fever.
Aryn laughed and playfully swatted the hand away. “I know, I know, but we’re going with a more traditional recipe for the holiday.”
“When do we get to make the good ones?” Kalia asked.
Aryn’s heart beamed with pride at her student‘s good taste as she started rolling out the pastry. “Tomorrow. I’m making extra pastry for us.”
Eziban came in with a keg of Guinness, setting it next to the myriad of bottles of his work for the night‘s dinner. His eyes met those of his wife, hazel and brown exchanging silent messages of love. Aryn enjoyed the sight of his biceps flexing under the well-fitted dark green shirt he wore for the holiday. Eziban grinned knowingly, moving a bit more slowly than necessary…
“Aryn, stop! You rolled it too thin and now you tore it!” DarkKnight exclaimed, pointing to the hole in the middle of the pastry.
Aryn flushed as her husband laughed, the traitor. Kalia peeked over as well. “Auntie Aryn, you have to be careful with dough,” she said solemnly.
Aryn’s blush deepened at the reminder of something she had told her student many times over the years. “Keep teasing your teacher, kid, and you get dishes duty for today. Alone.”
Kalia yipped and went back to her work. Aryn managed to fix the dough and rolled it out a bit more carefully for the meat pies. Once they had enough, it was time to start filling and folding them to be ready for the oven.
Caesar came strolling in, one hand casually going towards a finished cookie. Ambrienne gave it a tap with her whisk. “Those are for Rune. The next ones are for the kids.”
Caesar looked down at her, his red eyes sad and filled with injured innocence. “Please? Just one? It won’t be… ack!”
Magus had hit him full-on with a death glare, making the young soul stealer fall silent. Ambrienne laughed. “That may work on your Auntie Solana, but not me. I have kids of my own, you know.”
Eziban poured him a shot of Guinness instead, which Caesar gratefully accepted.
“Where is your aunt, anyway?” Aryn asked in curiosity.
Caesar swallowed. “Watching Lord of the Dance in the living room. Why?”
Aryn groaned. “Not again.”
As if on cue…
CRASH!!!
“AHHHH!!!”
Aryn threw her spoon to Kalia and sprinted out of the kitchen, with Eziban, DarkKnight, and Caesar on her heels.
Solana had been watching Lord of the Dance and had learned nothing from her many attempts to try Irish dance. She was sprawled on the floor, trapped under a tipped over recliner. Her hands were up and glowing with blue light, holding a large globe of water in the air with some very panicked fish. One of her aquariums had a side of broken glass.
Solana looked up at Aryn guiltily. “A little help?”
Eziban waved a hand, grateful that the aquarium wall was made of glass and therefore subject to his earth powers. Once it was completely whole again, Solana carefully eased the water and fish back to their home. Aryn and Caesar righted the chair while DarkKnight offered Solana a hand up to get back on her feet. She thanked him and dashed over the aquarium to make sure the fish were okay.
“Solana, are you ever going to give up?” Aryn asked with a grin.
“No, I’ll figure this out! I’ve done harder footwork than this. I just have to practice, or watch it in slow-motion…” Solana trailed off, eyes going back to the screen.
“Why don’t I make you some green tea while you take a break, Auntie Solana?” Caesar suggested. “Cookies are coming, too.”
Solana brightened and followed her ‘nephew’ back to the kitchen. DarkKnight followed to check on Kalia and the meat pies.
Aryn smiled at her husband. “Told you she’d try again this year.”
Eziban grumbled and slapped a fistful of silver into Aryn’s waiting hand. “There’s still next year.”
“Uh-huh,” was all Aryn said in reply as they went back to check on the holiday treats.
Now I want to try making curry meat pies.