Friday, February 10, 2017

Use Your Words: Sometimes a Gyro

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

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At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I’m using: gyro ~ thieves ~ scrubs ~ funnel ~ gorgeous
They were submitted by Karen of Dinosaur Superhero Mommy.

                          
Two years ago, for a blog post, I wrote a Fairy Tale. I called it Fairy Tale (creative, aren't I?). I'm not sure what possessed me to write one, but I did and I have to admit it was a lot of fun. Not only did I enjoy writing it, but it was a hit. Tons of page views and people were flooding my FB page telling me I should write a book. Wow. And you know what? I liked the idea. It's different from the types of books so many were writing. No mommy war stories, just fun humorous fiction with a moral. YES. I could do this.

Or not. Seems I'm a ruthless editor. I'd write a story, edit, edit, edit and end up with about 3 words. Eventually I decided I was trying too hard and gave up. There's probably some neutral ground between trying too hard and giving up but I never looked for it. I wrote one more as a blog post and that was it. No book, of course, but today's word prompts have inspired me to write another fairy tale . . . 

She entered the little store, seemingly no different from all the other little stores at the gas stations where she'd stopped over the past 10 hours. Overpriced bags of food and chips, probably been sitting there a year. Walls of refrigerated cases filled with every kind of cold drink on the planet. A scuffed path in the floor to the bathrooms in the back. 

Bethryn followed the path to the public facilities feeling as hungry as she was exhausted. Knowing she'd have to force herself to eat despite the fact that the bathroom would pretty much destroy her appetite. Wishing she had another option, even a funnel and a glass jar to pee in would be a better option to entering one more of these filthy bathrooms. 

Relieved, she decided to check out the drinks before trying to find something edible in this little truck stop. Fresca. Haven't seen that in years. Wasn't till she opened the top to take a sip when she realized she'd been holding her breath since leaving the bathroom. 

Wondering what fast food hell this place might have, over-done hot dogs, microwave pizza, same as all the other places she was sure. 

Smiling at her from behind the counter was the attendant. And to his left was something she never expected to see. Meat. On a rotisserie. Gorgeous beef. Or could that actually be lamb? And she could smell it. Oh, my. This can't be. No matter what it is, she told herself, I'm no newbie. I know better than to order sushi in a gas station and gas station beef comes under the same rule.

"Beef?" she asked the attendant, looking towards the rotisserie. "Lamb," he answered in a thick  Greek accent. "Slow cooked. Delicious. I will own a restaurant some day. Until then I own this station. I work hard. I save my money. And I make my lamb. Many people come for my sandwiches. You must try."

She could hear his pride. And feel her own caution. Hunger won out. "OK, gyro a please." She thought his smile got bigger because she was trusting him but when he responded she understood "Gyro. Good for you. You say as heeero. So many call it jiiro. I know how is spelled, but is not jiiro, is heeero."

As he went to add meat, vegetables (and is that real tzatziki sauce?) to a piece of flatbread, she walked over to the chips. It was then that, just out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man walk in wearing scrubs. "I wouldn't think there'd be a hospital anywhere near this dinky town." she thought, "but that guy's a bit rough around the edges. Either he's no doctor or he's been working a double shift."

Bethryn must have been intensely studying the chips because it took her a minute to realize that the "doctor" was holding up the attendant. Terrified, she froze in place. This would hardly be a spot where she'd expect to find thieves. But that's definitely a gun in his hand. And the attendant was handing him the cash from the drawer while stammering "please, take the money and leave, please, don't hurt me."

Clutching the money in one hand and the gun in the other, the thief turned towards Bethryn. As she started to walk towards her, tears involuntarily streamed silently down Bethryn's face. She'd give him what he wants, her jewelry, her money, but will she live?

Almost before she could finish her thought, she was startled by something flying through the air. A deli paper wrapped sandwich missile hit the thief in the head. He lost his balance, smacked his head on the chip shelf and fell unconscious to the floor.

Maybe she was in shock, but by the time she was able to process what had happened, the attendant was standing beside her and the local sheriff responding to the 911 call was asking her if she was OK.

She was. And 3 hours later when she finally arrived at her son's house. She had quite a story to tell.

And the moral of the story? Wait for it . . . wait for it . . . 

Here it is: Sometimes a hero is just a gyro.

Now for something delicious that is neither a gyro nor bought at a rest area quick shop but perfect for sharing with your Valentine:


Red Velvet Kiss Cupcakes, as moist as they are pretty, these white chocolate frosted cupcakes have a surprise kiss inside | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #bake #ValentinesDay #dessert

Red Velvet Kiss Cupcakes
Red Velvet Kiss Cupcakes, as moist as they are pretty, these white chocolate frosted cupcakes have a surprise kiss inside | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #bake #ValentinesDay #dessert

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:


Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

Red Velvet Kiss Cupcakes
©www.BakingInATornado.com

 
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt 
1 TBSP baking cocoa
1 1/2 cups oil 
2 eggs, room temperature
1 oz red food coloring
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
24 Hershey's Kiss candies, your choice of flavor (I used Candy Cane Flavor), unwrapped

1 stick butter, room temperature
1 cup white chocolate chips
3 cups powdered sugar
about 1/4 cup milk

red baking sugar

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 24 liners into cupcake tins.
*Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and baking cocoa.
*In a mixer, beat the oil, eggs, food coloring, vinegar and vanilla.
*Beat in half of the dry ingredients, then half of the buttermilk, the other half of the dry ingredients and finally the rest of the buttermilk.
*Divide the batter into the cupcake liners,
*Bake for 17 to 19 minutes or until the center springs back to the touch. Remove from oven and press one Hershey's Kiss, tip facing down, into the center of each. Cool completely.
*Melt butter and white chocolate chips in the microwave until smooth.
*Mix in the powdered sugar just enough so it won't fly out, then beat the mixture.
*Lastly, beat in the milk. Start with 2 TBSP and continue adding until your frosting reaches piping consistency. Pipe onto the cupcakes. Sprinkle with red baking sugar.

16 comments:

  1. Bwahahaha! You totally got me!
    And now I'm hungry . . .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yay, I got you AND made you hungry. Now that's a successful post!

      Delete
  2. Nicely done story - I forgive you for the pun. Boooooooooo. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bwhahahaha! Now, I'm craving a heero, but alas everyone from around here calls them a jiiro!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love love love your story!! I laughed so hard I snorted!! These cupcakes look delicious!! Exceptional use of your words!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Oh, I can relate... Gas stations are our main food source (and chance for bathroom trips, some aren't as bad as others) on road trips, and I always wonder which may be the lesser evil to pick. Never came across any gyro, much less hero, though. Fun story!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, I've never come across a gyro in a gas station either . . . except in my imagination.

      Delete
  6. A hero is a gyro? ROTFL good job but I was hoping for the story to end with a delicious lamb dish.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm going to have to work on a lamb dish. I usually just buy lamb chops and throw them on the grill.

      Delete

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