Notes: Thanks to Mari and Sammy for the squeal-inducing feedback! You're the best, ladies.
Readers and REAL McRollers - Thank you for your amazing support! It is always appreciated.
Instead of a tissue warning, this one needs a napkin warning :-)
Hope you enjoy!
Baking Fun (A McRoll in the REAL World Story)
"Okay, we got all the ingredients from the list you sent," Catherine said as she, DJ, and Angie stood in the kitchen with newly arrived Kaitlyn. She grinned. "Including some extra strawberries in case the baking team gets hungry."
"Perfect," Kaitlyn said, smiling broadly.
"We' making cupcakes for DJ's school now?" Angie asked eagerly.
"For his school project, yes," Catherine replied.
"Yeah, my report on the Amazon river dolphins," DJ said.
"Da pink dolphins!" Angie exclaimed.
"Right," Kaitlyn said. "So I thought we'd make strawberry cupcakes with pink frosting." She looked at Catherine. "You checked to make sure no one in the group had any food allergies, right?"
Catherine nodded. "I did. Nothing to worry about."
Kaitlyn exhaled in relief. "Okay, then I guess we're ready to get started."
"I get on my stool!" Angie said, running over to the step stool set up by the island and climbing up.
Kaitlyn grinned. "That looks familiar."
"It does?" DJ asked, going over to the small step next to Angie that he used when helping cook or bake.
"I used to use that step stool when I was baking over here," Kaitlyn explained. She smiled at him. "You're a little taller than I was at your age so you just need a little step."
"Aprons?" Catherine offered, holding up a couple kid-sized aprons.
"Yes!" Angie said immediately. "Kaitlyn do mine."
Catherine smiled, handing the smaller of the aprons with small chef hats printed all over it to Kaitlyn who helped put it on Angie.
"DJ?" Catherine asked.
He nodded and she handed him his navy blue apron with red trim, helping him tie the strings when he asked.
Kaitlyn pulled on her own apron, pink with a large cupcake stitched on the front and her name underneath.
"Ohh, is that the new one Aaron and Mary and Joan sent for your birthday?" Catherine asked. She smiled when Kaitlyn nodded. "It's adorable."
"Thanks."
Catherine straightened. "Okay, do you have everything you need?"
Kaitlyn surveyed the island where Catherine had set out the bowls, cups, and spoons they'd likely need. "I think so."
"You know where everything is if you need something else. Just let me know if you can't find it."
Kaitlyn nodded. "Okay."
Catherine came around by Angie and leaned down to be at her eye level. "I want you to be a good listener for Kaitlyn, okay? Hey, look at me," she said when Angie looked toward the ingredients, bouncing excitedly. "Just like you are when you cook with me and Daddy, or Grandma and Grandma Ang, okay? Or … usually are. We don't need a repeat of the fruit smoothie incident, do we?"
"Dat was very very messy," Angie said matter-of-factly.
"Yes, it was," Catherine agreed as DJ fought a giggle. She glanced at Kaitlyn. "We learned a lot about blenders that day."
"Don't press all da buttons at dat same time," Angie told the teenager.
"Mm, especially not when the lid isn't on," Catherine said. She craned her neck to catch Angie's eye again. "So, be my good listener."
Angie nodded. "Okay."
Catherine kissed her head and stepped over to DJ to do the same. "Have fun, you three. I'll be in the living room if you need anything, though I may pop in a few times to take pictures."
"Okay, Mommy," DJ said.
Kaitlyn smiled. "Thanks, Aunt Catherine."
Once she had disappeared into the other room, both kids turned excitedly to face Kaitlyn. "What do we do first?" DJ asked.
"First, we make sure the oven is preheated." She walked over to the double oven and preheated both so they could bake two trays at once. "Then we start making the batter." She returned to the island and got a medium-sized bowl for the dry ingredients. "How about if DJ and I measure and Angie, you can help pour into the bowl."
Both nodded, eager to help. They got the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt combined without too much of a mess.
Angie frowned at the mix. "Dat's not pink," she said.
Kaitlyn grinned. "Well, the batter isn't going to pink, it'll be kinda yellowish, but then we'll put the strawberries in."
"And they're kinda pinkish red," DJ said, looking over at the bowl of freshly washed strawberries.
"Right, and after we bake them we'll put on the frosting and that is definitely pink," Kaitlyn said, pointing to the container.
"Yay!" Angie cheered, reaching for it.
"But that's the last step," Kaitlyn reminded her, wisely pushing the container out of the four-year-old's reach. "Right now let's whisk the butter and sugar together."
They used the stand mixer to combine the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract. Both Angie and DJ leaned over to see into the bowl as the machine worked.
"Kinda hypnotizing, isn't it?" Kaitlyn said, grinning at them.
DJ grinned back. "Yeah," he said as Angie nodded, her eyes still on the twirling whisk. She lifted a hand toward the bowl, but thought better of it and replanted her palm on the countertop to balance herself. "What's next?" DJ asked.
Kaitlyn held up an egg in each hand. "Who's ready to crack an egg?"
It was several minutes later when they actually got two eggs added to the bowl. They had to fish out several pieces of shell after DJ's attempt while Angie missed the bowl entirely and her egg ended up partially on the island and partially on her apron. Both had apologized, but Kaitlyn only smiled. "It's okay," she told them. "You should've seen how many messes I made as Egg Woman when I was little. But I kept practicing and I learned."
DJ nodded. "Like how I have to practice baseball and Angie practices gymnastics to get better."
Angie beamed. "Like gymnastics."
"Right," Kaitlyn agreed.
"Is it time for the strawberries?" DJ asked hopefully, looking at the tempting bowl of berries.
"Not quite yet," Kaitlyn said. "First we need to add sour cream and milk."
"Sour cream in cupcakes?" DJ asked, making a face.
Angie shook her head. "Sour cream is for tacos."
Kaitlyn grinned. "Sometimes it's for baking, too," she told them. "It's so the batter stays thick so the strawberries don't all sink to the bottom."
DJ's face brightened with a sudden thought. "So they can be like the Amazon river dolphins! They swim in all parts of the river." He motioned up and down and side to side with his hand.
"Dey swimming all over da river," Angie echoed, copying his movements.
Kaitlyn smiled. "That's a great way to think of it!"
They added sour cream and milk, then combined the wet and dry ingredients in the large bowl.
"Now is it time for strawberries?" DJ asked again.
"Yes, but I have to cut them up into smaller pieces first," Kaitlyn said. She grinned. "A whole strawberry would be too big in a cupcake."
DJ nodded, grinning as well. "Way too big," he agreed.
"Way way too big!" Angie added. She saw Kaitlyn pick up a knife. "Can I help you cut dem?"
"Um, maybe not," Kaitlyn said, glancing toward the doorway where Catherine was surreptitiously taking a few pictures. "But how about you and DJ can put the cupcake liners in the trays so they're ready for the batter once we add the strawberries."
"Yeah!" Angie agreed, always happy to have a job.
"We got gray ones 'cause the dolphins are gray before they turn pink," DJ said.
"Oh, cool," Kaitlyn said, picking up the package. "That's a great idea." She opened the package of cupcake liners and divided them among the two kids. "Now you pull them apart and put one in each of the spots in the trays." She set the two trays on the island between them.
DJ and Angie watched Kaitlyn do a couple and then set about copying her actions.
"One … two … free … four ..." Angie counted as she put hers in place.
"Okay, good job, keep going," Kaitlyn said, and moved to cut the strawberries into small pieces.
Once DJ and Angie had finished with the liners, they watched Kaitlyn cutting.
"Are we going to put all the strawberries in the cupcakes …?" DJ asked.
She looked up at them and grinned at their matching hopeful expressions. "Not all of them. Your mom said she bought extra so we could eat some. This should be enough for the cupcakes."
DJ tilted his head, studying the pieces. "They kinda look like the Amazon river dolphins," he said.
"And they'll be swimming in the batter just like the dolphins swim in the river," Kaitlyn said, smiling.
"Yeah!" DJ agreed.
"Okay, strawberry time," Kaitlyn said, setting the bowl with the remaining strawberries in between them. All three picked up a berry and took big bites.
"Mmm," Angie said, red juice running down her chin and fingers. "Dat's so yummy."
"These are going to make the cupcakes so good," DJ said, licking his finger after finishing another strawberry.
"Definitely," Kaitlyn agreed. After they had another strawberry a piece, Kaitlyn put the cut pieces into the mixing bowl and had both kids help her gently fold them into the batter.
"Dey're swimming in dere!" Angie said, pointing. She noticed Catherine in the doorway again. "Dose are da dolphins, Mommy."
"Yeah, they're swimming in the cupcakes," DJ said, grinning.
"How fun!" Catherine said, smiling in response.
"Now we put the batter in the trays and get them in the oven," Kaitlyn said. "I'll hold the bowl and you can help get the batter in with the spoon, DJ. And Angie, you can watch the tray and make sure none of the liners is full, okay?"
"Okay!" Angie agreed immediately.
Catherine smiled at Kaitlyn, mouthing, "Smart," to her.
They managed to fill both trays with minimal mess, and Angie announced none of the cupcakes were full so they could go in the ovens.
"Do you three want to play outside with Cammie while the cupcakes are baking?" Catherine suggested, noticing Angie in particular had a serious case of the wiggles. "I'll stay in here to watch the ovens."
"Yeah!" DJ said, pulling off his apron.
Angie took off toward the door. "Let's go!"
"Wait, wait, wait, baby girl," Catherine said. "Let me get that apron off you so I can throw it in the wash."
"We still need to practice cracking eggs," DJ told her.
Catherine fought a laugh. "I can see that."
Angie waited with barely suppressed energy for Catherine to untie her apron, and bolted for the deck as soon as it was over her head.
Catherine smiled at Kaitlyn who had taken off her own apron and hung it over the back of the chair. "Not only are you a natural baker, but you're a natural teacher in the kitchen."
"I've had a lot of great examples," she replied, smiling back. "Mom, you, Aaron, Grandma Ang, Nonna, Aunt Elizabeth, Esther and Kamekona …"
"True," Catherine agreed. "But you bring an enthusiasm and expertise all your own."
Kaitlyn flushed, smiling proudly. "Thanks."
"Go have some fun outside," Catherine told her. "I'll call you when they're done."
When Steve arrived home forty minutes later, it was to a very pink kitchen.
"Daddy!" DJ said. "Come see our cupcakes!"
"Dey're pink!" Angie added, waving her silicone spatula in the air.
He joined them at the island. "Very very pink," he said, imitating one of her new verbal habits. He grinned as he noticed the amount of frosting on her hands. "Did you even use that spatula, baby girl?"
She nodded seriously and proceeded to show him how she used the spatula over the top of one of the cupcakes and then used her hand to spread the frosting around the sides.
He glanced over at Catherine. "Those are the family cupcakes," she said with a wink.
"Me and Kaitlyn did these ones for my class," DJ said.
"They look great, buddy," Steve said, giving him a smile. "And with Kaitlyn the master baker in the kitchen, I bet they taste great, too."
"You're just in time to find out, Uncle Steve," Kaitlyn said.
He grinned. "I've always had impeccable timing."
Catherine snorted as he flashed her a knowing smile and went to wash his hands. When he returned, they all took a cupcake from the family tray and peeled off the liners.
"Strawberries in there?" Steve asked, examining the cupcake.
"Dose are dolphins, Daddy," Angie told him.
He quirked an eyebrow.
"The Amazon river dolphins," DJ said. "The strawberries are swimming in the cupcakes like the dolphins swim in the river."
"Oh, I see."
Angie pointed at him, eyes narrowed. "You pretend dey're dolphins."
He pressed his lips together, fighting a smile. "Okay, I will."
"Everyone ready?" Catherine said, helping Angie get the last of her liner off.
"One …" Kaitlyn said, bringing her cupcake to her mouth.
"Two …" DJ continued, smiling broadly.
"Free!" Angie finished, and everyone took a bite
"Mm," Steve said, nodding approvingly. "Very good."
Angie nodded rapidly, already going in for another bite.
"What do you think, DJ?" Kaitlyn asked.
He beamed. "They're so good!"
"You think everyone in A.T. will like them, too?"
He nodded, licking a bit of frosting from his lips.
"Another unanimous success for the master baker," Catherine said with a smile even as she stopped Angie who was reaching for another cupcake despite still having half of her first still in one hand.
Kaitlyn smiled. "Well, this time I had two awesome assistant bakers," she said, looking at DJ and Angie who smiled proudly at the moniker.
"That's us!" DJ said.
Angie nodded. "We helped!"
"Nothing guarantees success in the kitchen, but with awesome assistant bakers, at least you know you'll have fun, right?" she said, holding out her frosting spatula in a kind of toast.
DJ grabbed his spatula and touched it to hers. "Right!"
Angie quickly copied them. "Right!"
Over their heads, Steve and Catherine shared a smile, happy once again that their children were making special memories with their extended family.
"That's right," Catherine murmured contentedly. "That's absolutely right."
Hope you enjoyed!
Note: Find the cupcake recipe (including strawberry buttercream frosting!) by Lindsay at Life, Love and Sugar (lifeloveandsugar dot com slash fresh-strawberry-cupcakes)
Find all our stories (in chronological order!) on our website: marirealmcroll dot wixsite dot com backslash real-mcroll
Or in the McRoll in the REAL World community here on fanfiction dot net
Find us on Tumblr: mcrollintherealworld dot tumblr dot com
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