The Mystery in the Kitchen

Before you learn who is behind Bizzy's mysterious kitchen makeover, I have to thank Michelle at Chocolate and Marmalade Tea for the butterfly award.



For those of ya'll who don't Michelle, she's an old fashioned queen of whimsy and delight in this big modern world. She's got the cutest cottage this side of everywhere and is one of the sweetest, most open people I know. Go say hi. It'll make your day better just to visit her page.

The rules of this award are:

1. Pick ten people to pass this onto if you choose.

2. Contact them and let them know you have chosen them for this award.

3. Also, link back to the person who gave you the award.

The winners are:

1) My buddy K from Life of Southern College Girl. Because she's cute.
2) Linda from Just Another Day on the Prairie for her stunning photography skills
3) Cathy for continuing to try to please her picky kids. I know the feeling.
4) The Noble Pig, for being truly noble. And funny.
5) Candy from the Courageous Cook, because I am not courageous in the kitchen.
6) Lucy from Sweet and Savories, because of her new puppy baby and grandbaby.
7) Louise because I learn things over there.
8) Marie in honor of her new cookbook!
9) Ingrid for all her support and love of my writing.
10) And finally Stephanie of Live, Love and Eat, who took the time to teach me via e-mail how to do links. Without her, none of this would be possible!

And now, you'll finally learn who the stranger in Bizzy's kitchen is.......

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"It's happened," Bizzy murmured aloud to herself, her eyes glued to the creature--person---hallucination that was grinning manically at her from the counter. "I've cracked up. The stress of my job and cooking this dinner has made me batty. I'm nuttier than a fruitcake."

"I love fruitcake," the voice chirped. Bizzy gaped and nodded. "Of course you do," she murmured. "Of course you do."

Sitting on the counter, a small fairy the size of a large cup smiled up at her. Delicate wings the shade of gossamer fluttered as she put her hands on her minuscule hips. A cloud of caramel hair spun into a swirl with the tiniest curl at the top surrounded a tiny face filled with two eyes the color of fresh blueberries. Her frothy dress was the color of cotton candy and dotted with sprinkles and gum drops. Giggling, she leaped up on her small feet.

"You have to snap out of this," she chided Bizzy. "We have too much work to do for you to stand around and gawk at me all day. So ask your questions, fast. You have a lot to learn before we put on Thanksgiving dinner for your family."

Bizzy's jaw dropped and she blinked rapidly. "How did you know that?" she stuttered, looking around. Was this entire house filled with strange creatures?

The fairy smirked and pointed to the surface of the oven. Pulling a sugar cube out of her pocket, she crumpled it in her fingers and scattered it on the cook top. "Look," she commanded, crooking her finger as if reeling Bizzy in. Gulping, Bizzy stepped closer to the cook top. She saw herself tearing at her hair in the center of the kitchen.

""I can't do this," she saw herself mutter over the burners. "I've only got four days until Thanksgiving. I don't know how to cook, I don't have any food and I only have $100 to spend on this dinner."

"You never thanked me for the dishwasher," the fairy pointed out as Bizzy stumbled back, clutching her chest. The fairy sniffed and crossed her arms. "And you never said if you liked it. It takes a lot of work to redo a kitchen like this!"

"Thank you," Bizzy said automatically. She shook her head and narrowed her brown eyes at the fairy. "Wait a minute," she growled. "I never asked you to do anything!"

"I'm a kitchen fairy," the fairy explained as if Bizzy was daft. "That's what I do."

"A kitchen fairy?" Bizzy repeated, running a hand through her hair. "What's that?"

"Me!" the fairy bellowed, rattling the plates in the cabinets and the pots under the sink. "Have you never seen a kitchen fairy before or something?"

"No," Bizzy replied.

"Oh," the kitchen fairy said, her shoulders dropping a bit. "Sorry then. I'm Sprinkles."

"Sprinkles?" Bizzy repeated, trying to keep the corners of her mouth from twitching. "Is that your real name?"

"No," Sprinkles scowled, obviously offended. "It's a nickname. I don't know you enough to tell you my real name."

"Oh," Bizzy said, nodding. "So what do kitchen fairies do?"

"Anything," Sprinkles shrugged. "We cook, we create, we imagine. As long as you're in a kitchen with one of us, anything can happen."

"What happens if you leave the kitchen?" Bizzy asked.

"Nothing," Sprinkles said.

"Then why do you stay in the kitchen?" Bizzy asked.

"Because I wouldn't exist outside of it," Sprinkles said. "I meant nothing as in there would be nothing. I can't leave a kitchen. Once a kitchen fairy is mixed into being, they spend their life in the kitchen."

"I'm sorry," Bizzy said sincerely. That sounded like hell. She couldn't spend five minutes in a kitchen. She bit her lip and looked around. "So how are you going to help me throw Thanksgiving dinner in just a few days?"

The fairy grinned. Bizzy grew nervous. Very nervous.....

To be continued tomorrow!