All I can Make is Fudge Soup

 I want to make delicious fudge

But all I can make is fudge soup

I love fudge! 

Creamy chocolate peanut butter is my absolute favorite!  I have a recipe that makes it perfect. Not too sweet, not too chocolatey, just the ideal blending of flavors, and so smooth. Maybe you have the same one as I do, it is the recipe from the Hershey's cocoa can, then you add peanut butter with the regular butter.

I am almost 64 years old, so you know I have had this recipe for a very long time. Unfortunately, my success with it is not impressive.  I swear the recipe was created by the devil himself.  It is more touchy than a porcupine in a minefield.  If not for the few times I have created this masterpiece, I would have chucked it and gone on with life.  But, the victories are so delicious!  

Usually, I end up with chocolate peanut butter soup

It tastes ok but somehow a spoon of fudge just doesn't fulfill my cravings.  The cost of ingredients makes tossing it impossible so I have found ways to use this fail besides eating it by the spoonful. As an ice cream topping it is not bad and, if it's really soupy, adding oatmeal turns it into no-bake cookies.  Tasty but not what my tastebuds want.  

Chocolate peanut butter soup is not the only way this fudge defeats me.  I have over-cooked or over-stirred it and created something that resembles freshly turned dirt.

Picture credit: https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/

It is flaky and does not taste good, in my opinion.  I usually end up with soup, but when I create this mess, it does go to the trash.

In all my years of making fudge, my record stands at 4 successes and 100+ failures.  The jealousy in my eyes is evident when a friend boasts about how perfect theirs has turned out.

Do you have a favorite flavor of fudge?  

Can you share your recipe? 

If so, please know my green eyes are looking at you!

Written by Cindy J. Smith

Author of poetry and children's books

https://cindysvoices.blogspot.com/

Dr. Seuss by Cindy J. Smith

Seuss did not start out as a children's author

by Cindy J. Smith

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, was born March 2, 1904 in  Springfield, MA and died September 24, 1991 in La Jolla, CA. He never had children, stating often that he preferred to just entertain those of others.

Seuss did not start out as a children's author.  He wrote political cartoons and advertisements for several magazines.  His anti-Japanese cartoons helped to fuel the flames of distrust in Americans for their neighbors.  After the war, however, Seuss went to Japan and he realized the effect or WWII on everyone. His book, Horton Hears A Who, seems to represent his change of heart as Horton continuously repeats “A person’s a person, no matter how small.”

Dr. Seuss decided to try his hand at children's literature when he saw how rampant illiteracy was becoming.  He believed the boring nature of children's books was the main reason for the lack of desire to learn to read.

I was surprised to learn that Cat In The Hat was not his first children's book. His first was:  And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.  It had been rejected 27 times before he showed it to a former classmate who worked for Vangard Press. Knowing this talented man received rejection letters lessens the sting from those I receive.

He not only wrote his children's books, he illustrated them. He also did several animated works, both political and book related. He received many awards in his career including two Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal, the Pulitzer Prize and he has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame!

I found it interesting to learn that I, along with most people, have always mispronounced his name as is remarked by Alexander Laing who wrote: 
"You're wrong as the deuce
And you shouldn't rejoice
If you're calling him Seuss.
He pronounces it Soice"

One of his many well-known books, Green Eggs and Ham was written because of a bet with his publisher that he could not write a book using less than the 236 words he used in The Cat in the Hat.  He won the bet as the book only uses 50!

 

I know I read somewhere that his book, Fox In Socks, was written as a fun way to help children with speech impediments, however, I cannot find it referenced anywhere now.

Dr.Seuss is my lifelong favorite author. He is my inspiration. The way his books could evoke feelings of morality without forcing the issue amazed me. His style of writing led me to mine.  I write in the first person, to show people different viewpoints while never aiming my finger at anyone.  My desire being to enlighten people to become more caring, more humane.

POETRY

books2read.com/Voices-In-My-Head

books2read.com/They-Wont-Shut-Up

books2read.com/Quiet-Please

books2read.com/SilenceByCindyJSmith

books2read.com/Rhymes-Through-Time

books2read.com/Words-On-The-Wind

books2read.com/365

CHILDREN'S BOOK

books2read.com/Caesar-And-The-Bluebells

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Voices In My Head by Cindy J. Smith

Poetry from the Heart

by Cindy J. Smith

Voices In My Head is the first collection in my "Jasmine's Wish" series. My daughter, Jasmine, organized poems I had written over the years in an attempt to get me to publish.  After her death, and because of the encouragement of friends on Facebook, I added all the new poems I'd penned to her categories. The poems cover all aspects of life. Nature, time, feelings, politics are all fodder for my rhymes. I recommend this book to anyone seeking understanding as many viewpoints are examined.

A poem from the book

AURORA BOREALIS

In the land of the midnight sun

Before months of forever night

The fairies gather up their dust

To perform their astral delights

They fill the sky with light

Weaving their slender silken threads

Using only the palest hues

Of lavenders, yellows, and reds

Fairies fly on gossamer wings

Trailing their glowing webs behind

They dance together in a show

Making ever-changing designs

The Aurora Borealis

Fills Alaska’s sky at twilight

Fairies bringing sweet hope to all

With their gift of Northern Lights

Find Cindy on her:
Website:
http://carternovels.com/author-cindy-j-smith.html
Twitter:  @cindysvoices
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/CindysVoices/
GOODREADS:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6505989.Cindy_J_Smith
Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/cindyjsmith1/

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Peanut Butter Lesson by Cindy J. Smith

A short story

by Cindy J. Smith

This is a short story about something that happened when I was young. I am sharing it here because for some reason it will not get out of my head.

First, a little background. I attended a Catholic grade school in a small town. We took our lunch to school as there was no cafeteria there. I was young back when milkmen still delivered, and parents could pay to have milk available for lunch. Since there were 6 of us, we were not among those students. However, if a student who did receive milk missed school, their drink was given out to one of us who did not have any. Obviously, I learned to eat without the benefit of a beverage to wash it down.

Two more things before the story. We had bed times. These times were based solely on our age. At the time of this story, I was about 10 and my bedtime was 8:30. This meant I missed the end of lots of TV programs. The final piece of background is my parents both worked nights, my dad left at about 10PM.

THE PEANUT BUTTER LESSON
It was a Wednesday night and my favorite show was on TV. Unfortunately, it lasted until 9 and I had to be in bed at 8:30. Just once, I would like to see the end of the show!

Cheryl and Rae were arguing over who was going to make dad's lunch. Neither wanted to do it and their voices were escalating. I walked into the kitchen and they both turned. It was as if a light lit up as the same idea crossed both of their minds.

"Cindy," they both said, "how would you like to stay up until 9 tonight?"

What could I say? "Of course!!!" Then I remembered who I was talking too and immediately asked, "What must I do?"

Cheryl replied, "just make dad's lunch. It is only 2 peanut butter sandwiches and a thermos of coffee. We'll do the coffee."

"Sure!!! I'll make them right now."

Well, I proceeded to make two PERFECT Peanut Butter sandwiches. My mouth was watering just from looking at them. I carefully wrapped them and placed them tenderly in dad's lunch box. Glancing wistfully back at the box, I went to the living room to watch my program in full.
The next morning I awoke to awful banging. My dad was home and he seemed to be ticked, Suddenly, my name was bellowed by him. I came running downstairs.

"Did you make my lunch sandwiches yesterday?" he asked.

Unsure why he was asking, I answered "yes".

"Sit down right there," he said as he pointed to my place at the table. Then he opened his lunch box and sat one of the PERFECT peanut butter sandwiches before me. "I want you to sit there and don't move until that sandwich is gone!"

I was confused, I mean, here he is giving me a treat when I thought he was mad. But, never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I proceeded to enjoy the lovely sandwich. I glanced in the lunch box as I picked up the last half. I noticed that there was at least half of the other sandwich still in there. Hmm, I wondered. If I finish this, will he let me have that piece too?

As I finished the last bite, he came back into the dining room. "Well, do you have something to ask me?" he said.

I glanced at him then at the lunch box. I said, "I peeked in your box and saw the other sandwich, can I have it too?"

Oh my! I have never seen a face change so many ways so fast! When he found his voice, he asked, "Aren't you wanting a drink?" That is when I realized, my father did NOT EAT his lunch. Perhaps, my being told to eat it was NOT a treat but a punishment.

It turned out the lesson I was supposed to learn was there is such a thing as too much peanut butter on a sandwich. The lesson my father learned was this is not true for a child who loves peanut butter!

© Cindy J. Smith on AMAZON

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365: Poetry by Cindy J. Smith at #OurAuthorGang

Poems from the Heart

by Cindy J. Smith

 

AMAZON

 

This collection was created from my 2017 New Years Resolution. Seeing and hearing various remarks about the new year being "a clean slate" and that "each day is a new page in life write something fresh" inspired me to vow to write a poem everyday. I do write almost everyday so I challenged myself to collect the very first poem, no matter the topic, as the day's offering. No theme was involved, everything was fair game. I wanted to be able to look back and see if perspectives really do change daily. I offer everyone a ride on this poetic rollercoaster, where life changed at the speed of a turned page.

 



 HALF & HALF

Life is a struggle

A balancing act
Find "truths" by mixing
Some fiction with fact
To find happiness
Plod through woe and grief
Use sports and hobbies
For boredom relief
Our friendships keep
Enemies at bay
Work hard to succeed
But make time for play
Appreciate light
Because we know the black
Face sadness knowing
Smiles can bring joy back
Negatives reveal
Positives reward
Balancing the carrot
We all head towards

 



The readers said:

"It has everything love, sadness, sarcasm and humor...there really are so many emotions and I think she touches them all, meaning to or not! What a perfect collection of what is quite possibly her heart and soul. How special are we that she is so willing to share them. "  Kim Page

 

"I can open this book at any time and find new meanings to fit my own situations. This is what Smith does for me, she writes what I can't even express. She gets in my head, and I have made her a place there."  Marsha Thalleen

 

"Not only is 365 an engaging collection of creative art, it reads with the fascination of a diary. Each poem is a window into its day of creation, an intimate vantage point that sweeps you away into the author's world." EIEIOMommy

 

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