Kitchen Konfidence

Sue Ellen, Binky, and Jenna stood in the Barnes' family kitchen and looked over the recipe. With Mrs. Barnes' guidance, they'd be baking a chicken dinner for a music recital and dinner that night. It was the first time the kids had cooked together, but Binky seemed pretty skilled, and Jenna was pretty organized when it came to ingredients. Sue Ellen was the only one out of place, and when it came time to bring out the pitcher of milk so they could make their sauce, she nearly dropped it, spilling milk all over the floor.

"Sorry," Sue Ellen sighed, accepting a towel from Mrs. Barnes to clean up the mess. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. I feel like such a klutz."

"We all have days like that," Mrs. Barnes assured her. "The first time I made a meal for my husband, we'd been married two days. Instead of adding salt to his scrambled eggs, I grabbed the sugar bowl instead. Then I accidentally put salt in his coffee and burned the toast. Oh, it was a fiasco!" she chuckled. "But, you get better with time."

"Sue Ellen, you can get the baking pan for us from the drainer," Jenna suggested. "We'll be done with the prep work in another minute."

Sue Ellen nodded, picking up the pan and setting it on the counter beside them. At first, she thought she'd done well with herself, but suddenly the pan caught her shirt sleeve, spinning it and sending the salt and pepper shakers into the air. The spices rained down over the kids before the shakers clattered to the floor, spilling out their contents and cracking both containers.

"Oh no, not again," Sue Ellen sighed, grabbing the broom and dustpan as Jenna sneezed, thankfully not in the food.

"It happens to everyone, Sue Ellen. I once put aluminum foil in the microwave and set off the smoke detector," Binky grinned, chuckling to himself. "I did it by accident a few times too. I didn't know those burger wrappers from Burger Burger had metal in them."

"See, it's just a part of being human," Jenna said, sneezing again and moving to the sink to wash her hands. "I burnt my first scrambled egg. I damaged the pan so bad we could never use it again."

"But I've never even cooked anything. I just keep messing up," Sue Ellen sighed, dumping the spilled spices into the trash. The containers were rested on the counter in case they could be salvaged, but Sue Ellen knew they were cracked beyond repair.

"Well let's try something while this bakes," Mrs. Barnes suggested, putting the completed dish into the oven to cook. "Binky, get the eggs and more butter from the fridge. Come here, Sue Ellen. Let's cook an egg."

Sue Ellen was reluctant, but she knew she had to try. So, she listened to Mrs. Barnes' instructions, and a minute later, she had cracked an egg successfully into a bowl and mixed it properly. She sprinkled in some salt, pepper, and a little bit of shredded cheese before dumping the bowl into the pan.

A few minutes later, a perfect scrambled egg landed on a plate. The kids stared at Sue Ellen with awe, and each of them accepted a fork to split the delicious scrambled eggs. Sue Ellen was proud of herself, but she still wondered if her klutziness had remained. She tried taking the dish to the sink, a simple task, but she tripped on her own feet, sending the dish onto the floor, shattering it across the floor. Sue Ellen was too embarrassed, and she ran into the bathroom to be by herself.

"We'll sweep," Binky whispered, watching his mother go after Sue Ellen.

Sue Ellen knew she could do it. She knew she could get around a kitchen safely without breaking anything, and she knew she could cook a delicious dish. She just had to get through all of her fumbles safely.

Sue Ellen emerged from the bathroom and grabbed her things before Mrs. Barnes could talk to her or stop her. She decided it was best to let Sue Ellen do as she pleased, but she asked the others to keep an eye out for her at the recital that night. When the cleaning was done, Jenna and the Barnes' settled in front of the television, their minds filled with concerned for Sue Ellen.

"What's all this?" Mrs. Armstrong asked, picking up the recipe book before eying her daughter carefully. "I've asked you not to use the stove while I'm gone, but you seem to have everything under the control. Why are you making fajitas? And where did you get the ingredients for fajitas?"

"I went to the grocery store," Sue Ellen replied, putting chopped up peppers and onions into a plan to be caramelized. "It's going so well for some reason. I tried to cook with Binky and Jenna, but I couldn't do it. So, I decided to try again. I'm sorry I didn't ask your permission, but I wanted to see if I could do it myself."

"I'll give you space, but you call me if you need help, young lady. And your recital starts in a little over an hour, so don't take too long."

Sue Ellen nodded, her focus returning to her work. She was going to make her friends and family proud. She had to prove herself, she just had to.

The plates and dishes brought in by the students and families of Lakewood Elementary covered a long area of tables. On one end was the chicken dish Binky, Jenna, and Sue Ellen made, but halfway down the line was a fajita dish that had everyone talking. Binky and Jenna were finished with their sets, so they were going through the line to see what they could have for dinner. When they heard the rumor of the fajitas, they had to track them down.

"Sue Ellen?" Binky asked, watching as Sue Ellen brought out more tortillas for the fajitas. "You made this? We've been hearing about them all night.

"I had to know I could do it, so I did. Here's a fajita for each of you. Uh-oh, I'm all out," Sue Ellen smiled, giving Jenna and Binky the last of the fajitas. "Congrats, and I hope you enjoy," she said, packing up the dish and walking the container back to the family car.

Binky and Jenna were surprised, but they were mainly happy to have a delicious meal from their friend. They knew her confidence had returned, and they couldn't wait to cook with her again in the future.

Theme 010: Salt and Pepper

To complete the themes yourself, I have the list posted on my profile. The list is for any type of fan fiction (one-shot, drabble, etc.) and any fandom. Challenge yourself in other ways to make it more fun, and enjoy!