"Now, my princess, we are ready."
Victoria looked around in interest. If Uncle Jethro saw the kitchen, he would have a "hissy", mommy would say. It seemed every place was piled, what were they ready for? An ninvasion. "Uncle Tony, messy."
"I know the kitchen looks a bit untidy but Uncle Jethro is helping Auntie Abby so it's the perfect time for us to start the holiday treats. To save time, I have gathered everything we need for each treat. Here is our first project. Uncle Tony's special marshmallows. We're going to make coffee ones for Uncle Jethro. We'll make some nice cherry ones and mint ones for in hot chocolate. And for you, my princess, some special fruit flavors in mini shapes. Would you like that?
Mini shapes just for her? Victoria didn't know what they were but if they were special and for her. Yup, she wanted them. "Are we going to do them now? I don't know how to make them. You'll have to show me."
In almost no time, trays of marshmallows were all over the table. Pale pink, green and beige squares waited to cure. Another tray had pastel colors. Uncle Tony had taken tiny metal things and he showed her the tree, snowflakes, mittens and other shapes. These were Victoria size he informed her and were her special treat. He had even let her taste a bit of the fluff from the mixer.
"Unka Tony… num… num…" The stickiness made it hard to talk but the fluff was so good. Even if it was orange and not really a Christmas color Uncle Tony said.
"Now I will stick these in the pantry to dry and then I can package them." Victoria watched her uncle bustle around the kitchen. She loved their "play dates" as her mommy and daddy called them. Uncle Tony was always doing something special. She made grabby hands for the bowl but Uncle Tony just laughed and dropped them into hot water in the sink. "Oh, no, my sweet. If I send you home with a sugar high, your mommy would not be happy."
"So let's see what's next. Ah… Grandpa Jackson's peanut butter pinwheels. When Grandpa Jackson was a little boy, his parents didn't have a lot of money. His momma would make these as a Christmas treat for him. We start with this."
Victoria stared at the small white object in Uncle Tony's hand. It looked familiar.
"This, my angel, is a boiled potato. It is the start of the candy. It was also something that Grandpa Jackson's family had plenty of for Christmas."
Victoria watched in awe as Uncle Tony smashed the potato. A vegetable that was candy. Uncle Tony knew everything.
"Next, we add this. Just a drop of vanilla. This gives it just a bit of flavor. Then we add this confectionary sugar until we have a dough we can roll out."
"Is it supposed to be that big?" Victoria looked from her uncle to the huge circle. "How did the potato get that big?"
"Now, we need the main ingredient. Peanut butter. This was also cheap enough that it could be used at Christmas. We spread it evenly and carefully."
Victoria inhaled the nutty smell. It smelled good and speaking of which she was getting a bit hungry. She considered interrupting Uncle Tony but decided she was a big girl and could wait till he finished with Grandpa's treats. So, she settled back in her carrier and watched as he rolled and sliced the dough. He carefully transferred the candy to pretty plates and covered them.
"I think it's about time you had a treat." Uncle Tony dusted his hands and smiled at her. "I asked mom if you could have something special today."
Victoria watched as Uncle Tony produced another piece of the candy vegetable. This time he smashed it with some butter and milk that she wished were in her bottle. Bringing the bowl to her end of the table, Uncle Tony sat down and lifted her into his lap. Carefully he tested the mix and then using a small spoon he placed a small bit in her mouth.
It was warm and so good. Eagerly Victoria opened her mouth. She liked this. A lot. Her uncle took such good care of her. After several bites, Victoria could feel her tummy getting full. As if he read her mind, Uncle Tony produced her bottle letting her finish filling her tummy with her special warm princess milk.
They were having such fun, but Victoria felt her eyes getting sleepy. She didn't want to sleep; she wanted to help Uncle Tony. "Close your eyes, my sweet angel. When you wake, we'll make more treats. Until then, you can dream of all the fun we'll have. Making cookies and cookie bars and special things for everyone we love…"
As she slept, Victoria bustled around the kitchen with her uncle. She was big enough to help stir. He even let her spread the peanut butter for Grandpa. And she got to lick the whole spoon of orange stuff. Num….
