A lot more magic in the kitchen

First, I have to thank Cakelaw from Laws of the Kitchen for giving me a second edition of this lovely award. Even though she's a jizillion miles away in Australia, I'd love to live by Cakelaw. She's always whipping up great cakes and baked treats for her co-workers, and is a lawyer to boot. I used to want to be a lawyer when I was younger, until I found out they wouldn't let me argue in the courtroom all the time. Then I decided to flit around and write stories.

You can be sure my Dad was thrilled with that decision.

I'd like to pass on the Butterfly Award 2.0 to these five lovely ladies:

1) Culinary Adventures of a New Wife
2) Heather
3) Emily
4) Emma
5) Jane

Thanks again, Cakelaw!

And now, without further ado, the next edition of Kitchen Magic...
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For the next two days, Bizzy found reasons to shoo her family out of the house. The second the door shut, Sprinkles began to bark instructions and lecture her on the art of cooking. The louder Sprinkles got, the more nervous Bizzy became and the more disasters that occurred. Sprinkles often sat on top of the fridge, smacking herself in the head with a wooden spoon as she wept with frustration. It was enough to make Bizzy stick her head in the oven.

Then things got worse.

Bizzy burned the turkey. She turned the stuffing into a watery paste and had more lumps in her mashed potatoes than a bad plastic surgery patient. She even burned the pie that Sprinkles had made the crust and filling on. All she had to do was stick it in the oven and she still ruined it.

After a particularly unsuccessful round involving marshmallows and sweet potatoes, Bizzy burst into tears. She sank to the ground and buried her head in her flour covered hands.

"What are you doing?" Sprinkles shrieked. Her normally perky face was lined with worry and her wings drooped and were splattered with gravy. "Your parents will be back in thirty minutes! We've got more to do!"

"Why don't you just face it?" Bizzy said, looking up at Sprinkles. "I'm terrible at this and I'll never do well. Just give it up."

Black smoke began to leak from the stove and the smoke alarm shrieked overhead.

"I can't do anything," Bizzy cried over the noise, banging her head backwards into the stove. "I couldn't even bake a pie you made for me. What's that say about me?" The beeping alarm overhead drove it's piercing cries into her ears as the smoke began to make her eyes water. The entire cabin was black and smelled like burned meat. Sprinkles cursed and threw up her arms, silencing the smoke alarm and clearing the air in a single second.

"Get that out, would you?" she asked tiredly, pointing to the oven. Bizzy stood and pulled the oven door open, staring a perfect golden loaf of bread. Her eyes filled with tears as she set it on the stovetop, staring down at its crisp crust. She could only have made bread like that if she bought it from a store. Sprinkes was exhausted and she could still create food that was better than a four star restaurant. Sniffing, she turned away and plopped into a kitchen chair. She heard a tiny sigh and looked over at Sprinkles. The fairy was pale, leaning against a cabinet and fanning herself.

"You know, I refuse to believe it," she murmured, pressing a hand to her white cheeks. "I refuse to believe you can't cook anything. Something is holding you back. You're just not trying or something."

"I am trying!" Bizzy exclaimed, her face and chest blazing red. "I've devoted my entire week to trying to learn how to cook! Do you know how I feel knowing that they all think I can cook, when I can' t even make toast?"

"But you should be able to," Sprinkles argued. "No one can be this bad. It's simply not possible."

"Maybe it is!" Bizzy shrieked, her voice tearing through Sprinkles' ears. "I'm terrible. I'm going to spend my life eating take-out and microwave dinners. Now just let me be miserable in peace!" She slammed her head onto the table, the wood surface cooling her warm cheeks. "Why can't you just do it for me?" she mumbled into the table surface.

"Because it's my job to make sure you succeed," Sprinkles replied sternly. "What kind of kitchen fairy would I be if I couldn't teach you how to cook?"

"A smart one," Bizzy muttered under her breath. "One that knew when to call it in and give it up."

"I can't do it myself, it's against kitchen fairy rules," Sprinkles snapped back. "You have no idea how hard it is to be a kitchen fairy. It's very rigorous."

Bizzy snorted rudely. "What, you have to frolic in flour or something?"

"It's a lot more than that," Sprinkles retorted. "One has to abide by the laws of Kitchen Magic, swear on the Oath of the Spoon, dance in the Crystals of the Enchanted Ice Box..." Her eyes gleamed and she leaped off the counter. "That's it! What day is it?"

"Wednesday," Bizzy groaned, grounding her forehead into the table. "The day before the end of my life as I know it."

"What time is it?" Sprinkles demanded, bouncing up and down on the oven burners.

"Almost six in the evening," Bizzy moaned, clutching her watch in agony. "Just hours until my demise."

"Perfect." Sprinkes' smile stretched to her ears. "Get up and open the oven door," she said, digging in her pockets frantically. "Hurry!"

Bewildered, Bizzy stood up and pulled the empty oven door open. "What now?" she asked. With a gleeful whoop, Sprinkles dumped a bottle of pink sugar over Bizzy's head.

"What the"-- Bizzy cried, trying to shake the brush the sugar from her face.

"Baking and broiling,
Braising and basting,
Stewing and stirring,
It takes only a pinch,
maybe a cup or a pint,
With a dream and a taste,
Food fairies delight!"

Something blue flashed and Bizzy felt the world go dark. When she opened her eyes, her breath caught in her throat.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Sprinkles shouted, spinning on a cupcake floating by. "You're in the world of kitchen fairies!"

To be continued....

Stay tuned, Invisible Friends! Tomorrow we have a preview from the Christmas Book of Stories that will be released shortly (by me!), a new edition of Twirl, a look into the life of a Christmas ornament, more kitchen magic and Beef Burgundy. Prepare for a week of fun!