random truths – Day 1,006 (Sunday) – hell’s sprinkles

The kitchen sweet shop sweat shop opened today. A review of the Ass O’Lard cookbook resulted in an ambitious baking list and yet another shopping list. There was a trip to Market Basket with a list of 11 items, and in the magic of the American super market, there were 26 items in the cart when I finally rolled up to the checkout and a 27^th added while I stood in line waiting.

As usual, I got to conduct the weekly training of another bagger who needed guidance on common sense and correct bagging technique. First, the knucklehead was jamming my bag of impulse purchase chips into a bag with the same effort I use to stuff a pillow into a pillow case. I managed to hold my tongue, but then he set the dozen increasingly expensive eggs in the bottom of a bag and put the fresh out of the rotisserie hot roasted chicken on top of it. Seriously? I’m not sure if he was trying to hatch the eggs under the hot chicken or smash them, but either way, I wasn’t happy and spoke up.

The baking wasn’t so much baking today as it was melting chocolate and twirling pretzel rods in it, and spooning little pools of chocolate to make coins. Then there was the sprinkling of décor – slivered almonds, chopped craisins, and the curse of the kitchen, the just bought little sugar sprinkle things.

Sugar sprinkles:
the glitter of the baking world.

During one shake, the tiny, round sugar balls I was trying to gently shake out of the large container into a small dish exploded onto the counter and the floor. They bounced on the floor and landed as far away as the office, some six or seven feet away from the scene of the explosion. Meanwhile, the chocolate was beginning to set and the sprinkles weren’t on it yet.

When I finally was able to address the explosion of the little sugar balls from hell, they were wedged in the little cracks in the floor and the ribs of the rug. They crunched underfoot as I went to fetch the dustpan and brush. While chasing them all around the kitchen, and later, when trying to scrub the stains from the counter from where water splashes and sugar balls met, it occurred to me that the stupid little decorator balls are the equivalent of craft glitter. They will likely be found in the kitchen for the next ten years.

After a break, peanut butter cookies were baked and another recipe was mixed and rolled to be refrigerated for a couple hours. The rolled dough logs will rest there until tomorrow after work before being sliced and baked. It was getting late, and the third sink full of dishes needed to be dealt with. Tomorrow, the crew of one will be back at it. Later in the week, operations will shift to cheese trays and food prep for a family celebration on Saturday. It's going to be a busy week.