Chapter 13: In the kitchen and the dinner
A short while later, the kitchen was buzzed with food-making activity as Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne, all wearing aprons and chef hats, started making cookies.
Mixing the flour, eggs, butter, milk and the chocolate chips, the trio soon produced louds of the cookie dough for at least 30 cookies.
"Wow, you guys sure are fast in making cookies." Daphne quipped as Shaggy and Scooby finished producing the last of the spherical cookie dough shapes with chocolate chips.
"Yeah." Shaggy nodded. "Like, why have a large appetite if you can't make food? After all, if you love to eat, it's important that you know how to cook."
"Reah." Scooby agreed.
"That sure is good philosophy to live by, guys." Daphne smiled as they placed the baking pan with the cookie dough into the preheated oven.
Watching the trio enjoying themselves as they made cookies, George and Elizabeth smiled.
"It would seem that you kids really enjoy making food together." George remarked.
"We sure do, Dad." Daphne nodded. "Shag and Scooby are really good at the food preparation."
"So we've noticed." Elizabeth said. "You boys really know your stuff with cooking."
"Oh, it's nothing much really, Mrs. Blake." Shaggy smiled. "Just that we figured Daph wouldn't mind us helping out in making the cookies and get the cooking done sooner."
"That's good." George nodded and smiled. "And seeing how much you kids have enjoyed making food together, I figured we might as well invite your family over for dinner tonight, Norville, if you're fine with it."
"Oh yes, of course, Mr. Blake!" Shaggy smiled. "Mom and Dad are sure going to be delighted to be invited."
"And since you three seemed to be enjoying cooking, how about helping out in preparing dinner?" Elizabeth added.
"Works with me, Mom." Daphne nodded. "I only hope that the boys doesn't eat all of the food in the kitchen by the time their family arrives."
There were some laughs as Daphne made the last remark.
"Like, no worries Daph." Shaggy replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Last thing in our minds is for everybody else to starve."
While the Blake family kitchen was filled with food-preparation activity with Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne, dressed in aprons and chef's hat, over in the Rogers household, the police chief had returned home from work and the first thing he noticed when he got home was that Shaggy and Scooby were absent.
"Say, where are Norville and Scooby?" Sam asked after greeting his wife and daughter.
"Well, Daphne had invited them over to her place across the street to make some cookies." Wendy explained. "I suppose they are wrapping things up by now."
"I do wonder what kind of cookies are they making." Maggie quipped, but before she could continue, the doorbell rang.
"Now I wonder who could that be." Sam remarked as he, Wendy and Maggie walked over to answer the door.
Opening, the police chief was surprised to see George Blake and the butler Jenkins at the door.
"Oh, George!" Sam smiled as he shook hands with George.
"Sam, Wendy, and Maggie." George nodded as he shook Sam's hand. "How are you?"
"We're good, George." Wendy smiled. "And you?"
"I'm doing well, thanks." George smiled. "In the meantime, I take it you three were wondering about Norville and Scooby, are you?"
"Yes, we were." Wendy nodded. "I hope they didn't encounter any trouble while making cookies with Daphne at your kitchen."
"Ah, don't worry Wendy." George smiled. "They're doing alright. In fact, they and Daphne are enjoying themselves in the kitchen and that made me think of inviting you three over for dinner tonight."
"Dinner at your place?" Sam asked. "Sounds okay with me. What do you say, Wendy, Maggie?"
"I agree." Wendy nodded and smiled. "It's a good thing I haven't started cooking supper yet."
"Yeah." Maggie agreed. "And besides, since Norville and Scooby are enjoying themselves with Daphne, we should go over."
"That's good." Sam said as he turned back towards George and asked, "When would you like us over, George?"
"Oh, anytime is fine." George replied. "And no need to dress too formal like last time."
"Fine by me, as long as that saves me and Daphne the trouble of seeing Norville wearing one of his hideous T-shirts." Maggie quipped.
Seeing her parents heading upstairs to change and momentarily by herself in the hallway, Maggie momentarily shifted into her brother with her hair growing shorter as she imitated him saying, "Come on, Mags, it can't be that bad!"
Shifting back to herself, Maggie retorted, "Last time I checked your closet Norville, I had to clear out at least a dozen dead moths."
Muttering to no one in particular, Maggie shook her head as she made her way up the stairs to her bedroom and wondered out loud, "How on earth did I put up with Norville's shenanigans for as long as I did?"
Back in the Blake family kitchen, Shaggy, Scooby, and Daphne had gathered at the main counter as the former asked, "So Daph, what will you like to make for dinner?"
"Well, Sugie mentioned that your mother bakes great lasagna and I've always wanted to make one, but I'm not sure how." Daphne replied.
"Sounds like a swell idea, Daph." Shaggy said as he and Scooby exchanged glances briefly. "Like, Scoob and I had baked lasagna before, and we are more than happy to show you how."
"Oh, groovy." Daphne smiled as she rubbed her hands. "Where do we start?"
(Background music: D. Dale's surf-rock version of Misirlou)
"Right off the bat, we're going to need Mozzarella cheese, some eggs, tomato sauce, plenty of pasta, ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, and some spinach." Shaggy began as he and Scooby started to gather up the ingredients as the surf rock music started playing in the background.
"And I'll get the pans, knives and cutting board." Daphne offered as she went to get the supplies.
Once the kitchen supplies were gathered, Shaggy and Scooby got down to work as they demonstrated.
"First, we're going to chop the peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and cooked ground beef into pieces for the pasta sauce." Shaggy began.
"No problem, I can do that." Daphne nodded as she took a knife and started chopping the peppers, mushrooms, and spinach. Her mannerisms while chopping made it appeared as if she was chopping the food with the beat of the music.
"In the meantime, Scoob and I will prepare the Mozzarella cheese." Shaggy said as he and Scooby started preparing the cheese with eggs on another pan.
With the eggs mixed with the cheese, the duo proceeded to mix the two ingredients together.
After Daphne finished with the chopping, Scooby loaded the tomato sauce in another pan, where Daphne and Shaggy got the chopped beef, peppers, mushrooms and spinach into the sauce to boil.
As they wait for the pasta sauce to be prepared, the trio worked on the appetizers and desserts.
Eventually, the pasta sauce was ready, and the trio got down to work on another pan with the pasta and mixed cheese and eggs.
"Next up, we're going to lay the pasta into one single layer in the pan first." Shaggy said to Daphne.
"Sure." Daphne nodded as they got started with the first layer.
Eventually, Shaggy took the mixed cheese and eggs and started spreading the mix on the first pasta layer before Scooby and Daphne got the pasta sauce on the layer.
After that, they lay a second layer of pasta before repeating the whole process again.
Eventually, they finished with a large and tall lasagna that is capable of feeding a whole platoon of soldiers.
(Note: The idea of inserting Misirlou as the background music in the scene where Shaggy, Scooby and Daphne prepared the lasagna is inspired by a similar scene from Garfield: A Tail of 2 Kitties, where Garfield teaches the animals how to make lasagna)
"Wow, you guys sure know how to cook." Daphne remarked after they placed the pan into the oven.
"Thanks." Shaggy nodded as they proceeded to do the dishes. "I sure can't wait to dig in."
"Neither ran ri." Scooby agreed.
After a while, the lasagna was freshly baked and taken out from the oven.
"Oh groovy!" Daphne smiled as they looked at the lasagna. "It looks really delicious!"
"Yeah!" Shaggy smiled back. "We sure did good, eh Daph?"
"We sure did, Shaggy." Daphne nodded and smiled.
Watching the trio getting the baked lasagna out from the oven and setting it on the countertop, Jenkins inspected it briefly before he took a butter knife and stabbed it into the middle of the lasagna and then pulled it out.
Seeing how clean the blade is, the butler turned towards the trio and said, "I must say this lasagna is a masterpiece, Masters Blake, Rogers, and Doo."
"Thank you, Jenkins." Daphne smiled as Shaggy and Scooby both beamed.
As the trio set up all of the utensils, napkins and plates at the table, Jenkins got the food prepared on serving dishes.
A short while later, the doorbell rang and when George answered, the rest of the Rogers were standing at the other side of the door.
"Well, well, looks like you guys have arrived just in time." George said in greeting as he and Sam clasped each other's hands in greeting.
"Talk about perfect timing." Sam responded.
Once she took off her shoes, Maggie wasted no time heading into the dining room and saw her brother putting out slices of garlic bread freshly baked from the oven.
"My, you and Scooby looked like you've enjoyed yourselves, Norville." Maggie remarked.
"And must say that's quite the feast you three prepared." Daphne's mother Elizabeth added.
"Thanks." Shaggy beamed. "Like, we couldn't have done it without Daphne and Jenkins' help, Mrs. Blake."
"Likewise, Jenkins and I couldn't have done it without you guys either, Shag." Daphne interjected.
"Food sure smells really good." Sam quipped as he, George, and Wendy walked into the dining room.
A short while later, as the family dined together, the topic of what they've got planned for the Christmas holidays came up.
"So what do you guys have planned for Christmas, Sam?" George asked after talking a sip of wine.
"We've got relatives and the grandparents coming over and spending Christmas here in Coolsville." Sam explained after finishing a slice of garlic bread.
"That's good." Elizabeth nodded. "Where are they coming from?"
Sam and Wendy exchanged looks briefly before the former said, "Well, from my side of the family, there are my brothers Godfrey and Sheldon, who usually goes by Gaggy and Salty respectively. Gaggy's the youngest of us three lads and Salty is the oldest."
"Which makes you the middle child." Daphne interjected.
"That's right." Sam nodded. "Besides Gaggy and Salty, my mom Linda, my dad Clancy, and his brothers Nathaniel and Henry are coming with their dogs. Both Gaggy and Uncle Nathaniel are coming in from Boston, Salty is coming in from Seattle, while my parents are arriving from Plymouth. As for Uncle Henry, he's currently working in Damascus in Syria, though he is primarily based in Munich."
"Wow, that's fascinating." George remarked. "Any chance Salty's still in the Navy, Sam?"
"He's now captain in the Naval Reserves." Sam responded. "Anyways, he's coming with his wife Anne and their four children, Gerald, Nancy, Tricia, and Valerie, while Gaggy's coming with his wife Veronica and their three children, Ralph, Ian, and Sylvie."
"And who's coming from your side of the family, Wendy?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, my parents Darrell and Gina are coming from Belleville, just outside Detroit." Wendy said. "As well, my sisters Jamie, Shirley, and Chelsea, and brothers Bob and Jim are coming with their families as well. Jamie's the closest as she lives in Grande Cristal, specifically the Portland neighbourhood. Shirley's in Pittsburgh, Chelsea in Halifax. Bob is in Minneapolis while Jim is in Burlington."
"I see." The Blakes all nodded as George remarked, "Sounds like you guys are going to have quite the family get-together for Christmas."
"Is everyone staying at your place?" Elizabeth asked.
"Some of the relatives, but not all." Sam replied. "Salty's got a couple places in the county, one in Long Branch, the other in Meadowvale, both of which are no more than a 30-minute ride on the interurban to here, so the relatives will be distributed among the four places."
"Ah, that's good, Sam." George nodded. "I was going to suggest that they can stay here for the duration of their stay while we're over at Beverly Hills."
"Thanks anyways for the offer, George." Sam said. "So is it just your parents that you guys are staying at for the duration of the Christmas holidays, or are there more relatives going there as well?"
"For starters, my brothers Matthew and Sherman are arriving from Sunnyvale and Miami respectively." George responded. "And Elizabeth's brother John and sister Olivia are visiting from Hollywood and New York City respectively."
"Nice." Sam nodded. "How are Matt and Sherman doing?"
"Good, good, Matt's doing well managing Blake Agriculture, while Sherman's resort chain is taking off." George replied. "Been insisting on us calling him 'Sandy', on account of the beach resorts he's managed."
"Sounds like he and Salty will get along well as drinking and boating buddies." Sam remarked.
George nodded when an idea came to him and said, "Say Sam, since the relatives are leaving after Boxing Day, perhaps you are up for joining us for a short stay and get-together later after Christmas?"
"I can arrange that, George." Sam replied. "What have you got in mind?"
"We can hit one of the ski resorts Sandy owns in the west Rockies." George said.
Wendy turned to her husband and their children and Scooby before nodding.
"Like, Scoob really likes skiing, Mr. Blake." Shaggy said. "And Mags and I could use the change of scenery."
"It will be good to be out of town for a vacation for some change." Sam agreed. "When are you planning on going to the ski resort, George?"
"Around the 27th, I'll say." George replied. "We'll then return in time for New Years Day on the 31st."
"Ah, that works with my schedule." Sam smiled.
"Same here." Wendy nodded. "We'll be happy to be with you and Elizabeth and I'm sure the kids and Scooby will be happy to be with Daphne during the trip."
"You've read our minds, Mom." Maggie quipped.
"So how will we be travelling to the resort, George?" Sam asked.
"We'll take the train there." George said. "I know someone at the Santa Fe Railway who can get you guys the round trip tickets, and they've got the shuttle line service to Sandy's resort."
"Ah, that's good to know." Sam nodded.
After dinner, the kids went out for a walk in the neighbourhood.
"I sure look forward to the ski trip, guys." Daphne commented as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Same here." Maggie replied. "I can't wait to go skiing again."
"Scoob sure can't wait, either." Shaggy agreed. "Right Scoob?"
"Reah! Reah!" Scooby replied excitedly.
Daphne smiled. "And maybe you guys can teach me how to skate. I rarely travel to cold places during my vacations, so I don't know how to do that."
"Like, not a problem, Daph." Shaggy smiled back. "Scoob and I are more than happy to teach you to skate. It's almost similar to roller skating."
"Ah, that's reassuring to hear." Daphne said as she placed her arm on his back. "Besides skating and skiing, what other winter activities do you guys like doing?"
"We also enjoy snowboarding." Maggie said. "Not to mention riding on sleigh."
"Ah, those sound like fun." Daphne quipped. "Maybe I can try those out when we go after Christmas."
"That's a swell idea, Daph." Shaggy nodded.
"Once again, I cannot thank you enough for the impromptu dinner invitation, George." Sam said as he and his family prepared to head home later that evening. "Think the kids are quite pooped."
"So I've noticed, and no worries, Sam." George replied as he shook Sam's hand. "Always a great pleasure to get together."
"Thanks so much for showing me how to prepare lasagna, Shag." Daphne said as she patted Shaggy in the shoulder.
"Ah, you're very welcome, Daph." Shaggy replied. "If you're up for learning more recipes, do feel free to drop by my place anytime."
"Just as long as you don't surprise Daphne with wearing one of your hideous pieces of rag, Norville." Maggie deadpanned.
"Oh come on, Mags." Shaggy protested. "You know those T-shirts are comfortable to wear."
"Yeah, sure, though knowing you, you'd probably keep them around even after they no longer fit." Maggie rolled her eyes.
"Only so that I can save money on clothes for the kids later on, Mags." Shaggy retorted.
"Oh, I can only imagine how hideous your kids would look if they wear those hideous rags you saved, Norville." Maggie responded before she turned towards Daphne and winked.
Nodding back, Daphne rolled her eyes back though she was still smiling, then she mouthed to Maggie, Rest assured, I'll help keep your brother straight.
Maggie nodded and smiled. Thanks, Daphne, I know I can always count on you.
By that point, the parents had finished with their farewells and Sam and Wendy prompted Shaggy, Maggie, and Scooby to join them.
"See you guys after Boxing Day." Wendy was saying as the others waved at the Blakes.
"And an early Merry Christmas to you all if we don't see each other before then." Shaggy added as he waved at Daphne.
"Same to you all, Shag." Daphne smiled as she waved back.
Once the Rogerses were out the door, George closed it and turned to his family.
"Better get ready for bed time." He said as he made his way towards the stairs.
"Right behind you, George." Elizabeth nodded as she followed her husband to the stairs.
Daphne paused as she turned back towards the door and peeked though the side window.
Concurrently, Shaggy turned back towards Blake Manor as he and his family stepped through the front gates, and upon seeing Daphne peeking through the side window, he gave her another wave.
Smiling, Daphne waved back before she hurried off upstairs for her shower and bed.
Please read and review!