improve on Mami’s cooking?”
Lukas walked over and peered inside the bowl. Chunks of chicken and sliced celery seemed to float in a sea of mayonnaise. While he had no problem fixing a toilet or building cabinets, he didn’t cook, and he had no idea how to salvage the salad.
Elisabeth shut the door. “I’ll have to ask her what to do. I should have just left it alone.”
“Elisabeth, it’s not that bad. It’s just chicken salad.”
“That’s the point. I screwed up something so simple. Again.”
Lukas didn’t know what she was talking about, but before he could ask her, she flew out of the room in search of their mother. He looked around the kitchen at several dishes and desserts his mother and sisters had made yesterday. Their guests would also bring food, so there would be a lot to go around and probably plenty to spare. He didn’t know what she was getting so upset about, but at least she’d stopped talking about Anna. Now if only he could stop thinking about her.
He spied his mother’s Ho Ho cake on the counter, pushed far in the corner. He’d recognize that familiar foil-covered pan anywhere. After taking a quick glance around the room, he snuck over to the pan and lifted the corner. Just one little taste; no one would know. Grabbing a fork out of a nearby drawer, he moved in for a bite when he heard the back door slam. Quickly he ditched the fork and covered the cake before turning around.
“Hi.”
He turned around, stunned to see Anna standing in his parents’ kitchen. The word hello caught in his throat.
“I hope I came in the right way. I wasn’t sure.”
Finally he found his voice. “It doesn’t matter. We use both the front and back.”
“ Gut .”
He stood still for a moment, taking in the fact that she had shown up. She looked lovely, as usual, with added rosiness to her cheeks from the chilly weather outside. Then he noticed her holding a covered casserole dish. “Here,” he said, going to her. “Let me take this.”
“ Danki .”
While he set the dish down on the kitchen table, he said, “I can take your bonnet and shawl too.”
She unpinned the black shawl around her shoulders, then removed her bonnet. He watched her reach up to touch her white kapp for a moment. What had made her change her mind?
He hurried to the mudroom just outside the kitchen and hung up her bonnet and shawl on one of the pegs nailed to the rack on the wall, afraid if he took too much time she might leave. When he walked back into the kitchen, he saw her and Elisabeth standing near the counter, talking, his sister still upset.
“Do you know how to fix chicken salad?” Elisabeth asked.
Anna nodded. “I’ve made it many times. My Onkel Zeb loves it. I think he’d eat it for all three meals if he could.”
“ Nee , I’m not talking about making it. I mean fixing it.” She held up the bowl and showed Anna. “It’s ruined.”
Anna peered into the bowl. “It doesn’t look too bad. Why don’t you use it as dip?”
“Chicken salad dip?”
“Sure. Do you have some crackers?”
Elisabeth’s features relaxed. “ Ya , some of those round buttery ones.” She went to the pantry and pulled out a sleeve of crackers. “I’ll put some of the salad in a small bowl, then the crackers on a plate.” She smiled at Anna. “What a great idea.”
Lukas smiled and walked up to the women. “Need someone to do a taste test?”
“You can wait.” Elisabeth retrieved a plate from the cabinet. “Like everyone else.” She set the plate on the counter and picked up the crackers.
“Elisabeth!” Their mother’s voice sounded from the living room. “I need your help for a minute.”
She handed the crackers to Anna. “Would you mind setting these out?”
Anna nodded. “I’d be happy to.”
“ Danki .” As she left the kitchen she called out over her shoulder, “Don’t let Lukas get into the Ho Ho cake. He’s already tried that once today.”
“How did you know?” Lukas yelled
Lukas walked over and peered inside the bowl. Chunks of chicken and sliced celery seemed to float in a sea of mayonnaise. While he had no problem fixing a toilet or building cabinets, he didn’t cook, and he had no idea how to salvage the salad.
Elisabeth shut the door. “I’ll have to ask her what to do. I should have just left it alone.”
“Elisabeth, it’s not that bad. It’s just chicken salad.”
“That’s the point. I screwed up something so simple. Again.”
Lukas didn’t know what she was talking about, but before he could ask her, she flew out of the room in search of their mother. He looked around the kitchen at several dishes and desserts his mother and sisters had made yesterday. Their guests would also bring food, so there would be a lot to go around and probably plenty to spare. He didn’t know what she was getting so upset about, but at least she’d stopped talking about Anna. Now if only he could stop thinking about her.
He spied his mother’s Ho Ho cake on the counter, pushed far in the corner. He’d recognize that familiar foil-covered pan anywhere. After taking a quick glance around the room, he snuck over to the pan and lifted the corner. Just one little taste; no one would know. Grabbing a fork out of a nearby drawer, he moved in for a bite when he heard the back door slam. Quickly he ditched the fork and covered the cake before turning around.
“Hi.”
He turned around, stunned to see Anna standing in his parents’ kitchen. The word hello caught in his throat.
“I hope I came in the right way. I wasn’t sure.”
Finally he found his voice. “It doesn’t matter. We use both the front and back.”
“ Gut .”
He stood still for a moment, taking in the fact that she had shown up. She looked lovely, as usual, with added rosiness to her cheeks from the chilly weather outside. Then he noticed her holding a covered casserole dish. “Here,” he said, going to her. “Let me take this.”
“ Danki .”
While he set the dish down on the kitchen table, he said, “I can take your bonnet and shawl too.”
She unpinned the black shawl around her shoulders, then removed her bonnet. He watched her reach up to touch her white kapp for a moment. What had made her change her mind?
He hurried to the mudroom just outside the kitchen and hung up her bonnet and shawl on one of the pegs nailed to the rack on the wall, afraid if he took too much time she might leave. When he walked back into the kitchen, he saw her and Elisabeth standing near the counter, talking, his sister still upset.
“Do you know how to fix chicken salad?” Elisabeth asked.
Anna nodded. “I’ve made it many times. My Onkel Zeb loves it. I think he’d eat it for all three meals if he could.”
“ Nee , I’m not talking about making it. I mean fixing it.” She held up the bowl and showed Anna. “It’s ruined.”
Anna peered into the bowl. “It doesn’t look too bad. Why don’t you use it as dip?”
“Chicken salad dip?”
“Sure. Do you have some crackers?”
Elisabeth’s features relaxed. “ Ya , some of those round buttery ones.” She went to the pantry and pulled out a sleeve of crackers. “I’ll put some of the salad in a small bowl, then the crackers on a plate.” She smiled at Anna. “What a great idea.”
Lukas smiled and walked up to the women. “Need someone to do a taste test?”
“You can wait.” Elisabeth retrieved a plate from the cabinet. “Like everyone else.” She set the plate on the counter and picked up the crackers.
“Elisabeth!” Their mother’s voice sounded from the living room. “I need your help for a minute.”
She handed the crackers to Anna. “Would you mind setting these out?”
Anna nodded. “I’d be happy to.”
“ Danki .” As she left the kitchen she called out over her shoulder, “Don’t let Lukas get into the Ho Ho cake. He’s already tried that once today.”
“How did you know?” Lukas yelled
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