Showing posts with label fun story. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fun story. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2025

Start Your Week with a Smile

 Max has a noble mission

Everyone is bombarded and deals with serious issues; let’s start the week with a smile. Read a short story by Erika M Szabo

Carol casually walked on the sidewalk in her closed-gate community, her golden retriever, Max, trotting beside her. Max was a charming whirlwind of golden fur, exuding both elegance and boundless enthusiasm. His coat gleamed under the afternoon sun, a testament to his recent grooming. Around his neck, he wore a jaunty little bow tie on his leash collar, a splash of color against his soft, golden mane. Max seemed acutely aware of his dapper appearance, strutting with confidence that turned heads as they passed by.

As they strolled past a neighbor’s yard, Max abruptly halted, his eyes locking onto something he had never seen before: a garden gnome. This wasn’t just ordinary lawn decor to Max. No, to him, this was an enigmatic figure of intrigue and suspicion. The gnome, with its vibrant blue hat, bushy white beard, and mischievous eyes, seemed to take on a life of its own, casting a spell of curiosity and wariness over Max. The cool breeze rustled the leaves around them, but Max remained fixated, convinced that this whimsical statue was a menacing enemy, demanding his undivided attention.

With the resolute determination of a knight safeguarding the kingdom, Max took off like a bullet. Carol, clutching the leash with all her might, transformed into an impromptu water-skier, skimming frantically along the freshly moved lawn. Her voice rang out, a desperate cry that was a blend of “NOOO!” and “MAX!!” as he charged forward with unstoppable speed. In an athletic leap, he tackled the unsuspecting garden gnome and then perched himself triumphantly atop it, as though the inanimate object had conceded defeat in a grand battle.

The gnome lay on the ground, shattered into pieces that glistened under the sunlight like a mosaic of colorful shards. Max, the triumphant warrior, strutted away with a swagger in his step, tail held high like a victory flag. His bowtie, slightly askew from the spirited encounter, added a rakish charm to his appearance. As he paraded across the grass, he embodied the proud defender of lawns everywhere, basking in the glory of his latest conquest.

The familiar sight of the squat, cheerful gnome that graced the front yard for such a short time was now gone, replaced by a tall, vibrant pink flamingo. Its plastic form stood proudly amidst the garden, its neck elegantly curved and its beady eyes gazing out over the lawn. As for the neighbors, they remained divided, still deliberating whether this flamboyant newcomer was truly a step up from the charming, if slightly kitschy, figure it had replaced.

What would you put in your garden?

Gnome or Flamingo?


Erika M Szabo

https://authorerikamszabo.com

Erika loves to dance to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance, and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative and educational, and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.

Saturday, May 12, 2018

When a Teenager is Cooking #OurAuthorGang

When a teenager is cooking, it doesn't always turn out well

by Erika M Szabo

Crepes (palacsinta)


When I was a kid, my mother often made crepes (palacsinta in Hungarian) for dessert because it's easy to make and she could use any filling to make it a little different every time.
Sometimes she filled the crepes with cream cheese mixed with sugar and raisins, other times with chopped fruit, apricot or strawberry preserves, leftover pudding, or simply sprinkled them with cinnamon or cocoa powder and sugar. I've tried it with Nutella too, it's delish!
When I'm not in the mood for sweets, I leave the sugar and vanilla out of the batter and fill the crepes with sauteed vegetables and meat, fish, or cheese.

Before I give you the recipe, let me tell you a story

When I was a young teenager, I decided to make crepes when my parents weren't home. I've seen my mom make crepes hundreds of times, so I was sure I can cook them too. Everything went well, I mixed the batter, and the first few crepes turned out beautifully cooked until...

I got a little over-confident and instead of turning the crepes with the spatula, I decided to flip to turn them like my brother did. That didn't work so well. The first crepe I tried to flip landed on Snowball's back like a blanket.

The cat got spooked and ran out of the kitchen to the backyard, trying to shake off the clinging pastry. She couldn't because one side was still sticky, so she ran, and I ran after her.

The trouble started when the neighbors' cats got a whiff and started chasing Snowball through the garden and tearing bits of crepe off her back. Snowball had enough of running, she turned, and a fierce fight broke out with lots of posturing, hissing, and clawing.

  
Luckily, the fight ended quickly as soon as the crepe was gone. Snowball tried to save some dignity and chased after the cats. She was exhausted by the time she chased the neighbors' cats home and went inside to eat her well-deserved crepe filled with meat.

Just for fun, learn how to flip


Here is my mother's recipe

1 cup, all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup water or best seltzer water
3 Tbsp melted butter
¼ tsp Kosher salt (or ⅛ tsp table salt)
1 tbsp sugar (for sweet crepes only)
1 tsp vanilla extract (for sweet crepes only)

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, about 20 seconds. The batter should be fairly thin and pourable, but still creamy.

Let the batter rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat a 9- to 12-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, and add some butter or oil, or just spray it with some cooking spray. (I use peanut oil)

Let the pan get hot for about 30 seconds, then pour a small amount of crepe batter onto the center of the pan. About ¼ cup to ⅓ cup should be the right amount for most pans. Swirl the pan around so that the crepe batter coats the whole pan, right up to the edges.

Let the crepe cook for about 30 seconds.

Flip the crepe, let it cook for about 10 more seconds, and then let it cool on a plate.

Add the filling of your choice and either roll up the crepes or fold them, it's up to you.

Enjoy!

Next time, read about one of the characters from my upcoming books on the 22nd.

If you'd like to read my previous blog posts, click here to find a list at the end of the page:
https://asmallgangofauthors.blogspot.com/p/erika_5.html

If you're interested in epic fantasy and children's books for ages 2-17, visit my website to see my published and upcoming books: http://www.authorerikamszabo.com

COMMENTS

Erika M Szabo shared this via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
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Joe Bonadonna

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Great little story, Erika! And the crepes . . . they made my mouth water. I'm hungry!
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Mine too :) I'm going to make some for dessert, the batter is resting in the fridge. I have some leftover chocolate mousse (which is very unusual in my house) It will make a yummy filling
 
+Erika M Szabo - sounds divine! And chocolate mousse? I'd be in heaven!

Grace Au

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Poor Snowball! What a great story...and these crepes look so delicious. I wrote down the recipe! Thank you for sharing!
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She was a great cat, we had her for 19 years, and she was the mother of half the cats in the neighborhood. She was always under foot in the kitchen but after the shock of being covered by a half-cooked crepe, she was a bit more careful around me when I was cooking :)

Ruth de Jauregui via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Erika M. Szabo​ shared her mother's wonderful crepes recipe -- and a hilarious tale of her first excursion into the kitchen to make this delicious dish!
 
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Ruth de Jauregui

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Oh hahahaha! Erika, that is priceless! Did you parents ever figure out what happened with the cat? I love your story and the crepes look fabulous!
 
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Cindy Smith shared this via Google+

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Cindy Smith

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
thank's for the recipe and the touching story, perfect for  Mother's Day
 
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Joe Bonadonna via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today on A Small Gang of Authors, Erika M. Szabo​ tells us about the time, when she was a teenager, she made a valiant attempt to make crepes. As a bonus, she gives us her Mother's recipe for crepes, too!
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Toi Thomas via Google+

8 months ago  -  Shared publicly
 
Today, Erika M Szabo, shares the flips and flops of crepe making along with a lovely recipe.
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