Grace, Miracles, and Chocolate by Marriott Cole

Author:Marriott Cole [Cole, Marriott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781462401871
Publisher: Inspiring Voices
Published: 2012-07-20T00:00:00+00:00

Marriott and her brother David “Rusty” Caldwell

30

Chocolate

I love chocolate. Chocolate covered cherries, chocolate cherry milk shakes, chocolate covered peanuts, chocolate ice cream, chocolate cake, German chocolate cake—you name it, I love it. Twelve-year-old Esther had invited two friends for a slumber party one night in Pennsylvania, and she and fourteen-year-old Dave thought it would be great fun to create a culinary masterpiece, for her friends’…er…uh…enjoyment.

“Mom, can we have the chocolate chips in the pantry to make some treats for our guests tonight?”

“Sure, Esther. That sounds yummy.”

I was imagining chocolate chip cookies, and knew that I’d be enjoying a nice treat later, but I didn’t hear the familiar sounds of the mixer or other baking accouterments. As a matter of fact, I didn’t hear anything at all in the kitchen.

“Dave? Esther? Where are you?”

They weren’t in the house. I glanced out the window to see them busying themselves with the laundry hanging on the clothes line.

Oh, how sweet. They’re taking the clothes down for me.

But I was wrong. The clothing remained on the line.

What could they be doing?

Shortly, Dave, Esther, and their helper Paul carried a small bucket full of June bugs into the kitchen. The June bugs were about the size of an M & M peanut and shone a metallic green. The bugs had an affinity for the hanging laundry, latching on to it with their little Velcro-like legs. They were easy pickings.

“What are you going to do with those June bugs?”

“We’re going to melt the chocolate and coat the bugs in it for Esther’s party,” enthused Dave.

Since I had done my fair share of practical jokes, I went along with it. This should be interesting, I thought. People in Africa eat bugs all the time, so eating June bugs certainly won’t hurt anybody.

Dave and Esther got busy. They filled a large pot with water, brought it to a boil, and cooked the June bugs for ten minutes.

After straining away the boiling water, they arranged the bugs on paper towels to dry. Once dried, they rolled the insects in the melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and laid each little morsel on waxed paper.

Dave and Esther waited in anticipation for her guests to arrive. “This oughta be good,” they agreed.

Charity came first.

“Hi Charity! You’re just in time for some chocolates that we made.”

“Oh, thank you.”

Feeling that something was up, due to the general hilarity within our family, Charity hesitantly took a little bite of chocolate from the edge. That’s when she noticed something unknown and white in the middle.

“Do you want another one, Charity?”

“No thanks, I think one was enough.”

Janelle arrived next.

“Would you like a pre-dinner appetizer?” I asked.

“Oh boy, would I!” chirped Janelle.

Wait a minute, Janelle thought. Something’s the matter. Mrs. Mitchell would never let us have candy right before dinner.

Her suspicions aroused, Janelle selected a chocolate and nibbled on a corner.

“Oh, I don’t care for that kind of chocolate. Just milk chocolate for me.”

Janelle spit it out, none the wiser.

Dave and Esther’s sister, Joanna, came home next.

“Hi, Joanna. Would you like a chocolate?” Dave asked.

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