This is my post to enter into August's @Dreemport's crazy challenges to make you a better person, writer, and Hiver. Dreemport is collaborating with the Scholar & Scribe Community this month.
Question one of Task #1
I'd like you to start out by describing your favorite dessert. Not only the flavor, texture, and scent... but WHY is this your favorite? Is there some memory associated with it? Some special feeling? ~ @DreemSteem
The Story goes something like this...
My parents grew up in the 1950s. To get married, you needed to be twenty-one or get your parent's signature on your marriage license to say they gave you permission to marry. The bride and groom were also required to pass a blood test to ensure they did not have syphilis.
My parents worked hard and played hard. If you were going out for dinner, you went to a nightclub. Pads of butter were brought to the table wrapped and chilled on ice in a tiny silver bowl. The table was always set with free breadsticks that the children could eat while you waited for your meal to come. One pad of cold butter was the perfect size for one breadstick.
You were taught table manners. There were no throwing fits. There was no acting up. You were dressed in your best outfit for the evening.
Dinner always started with my parents getting cocktails and me getting a Shirly Temple drink while discussing what they would order. If you were lucky enough, the superclub had a children's menu, and you could get a hotdog. If you were not so fortunate, you ended up with some sort of pasta with an odd-tasting sauce.
My favorite place to go for dinner was a superclub called Mannings. It was a short drive into the city. My Dad knew everyone in the place. You would walk in holding your parent's hand after the lecture in the parking lot on how you would behave, and if you did, you would be able to pick your own dessert.
It was worth every minute of being good because they had the best desserts back then!
I fell in love with a dessert called Strawberry Schaum Torte. The dessert starts with a base of slow-baked meringue, pipped into a circle with edges about three inches high. The meringue becomes light and melts in your mouth.
On top of the meringue is a scoop of the best vanilla bean ice cream you can buy. On top of the ice cream was homemade whipped cream which covered the ice cream and the meringue. To top it all off, fresh muddled strawberries are ladled on top. If it is your birthday, you could get a candle on top.
The first spoonful melted in your mouth. The sweetness from the strawberries and the shaum tort burst forth and filled you with glee. It was the perfect combination of sweet and creamy. To this day, I daydream about this dessert.
I can not find a photo of what it really looks like😿
My Father would take me to Mannings for lunch whenever I had surgery. He knew I loved Strawberry Schaum Torte, and I also loved spending quality time with him. Over the years of growing up, it became our special thing to do.
Sadly the restaurant closed years ago as times changed and people stopped getting dressed up to go out to eat.
The closest recipe I ever found to the dessert made at Mannings is from the website The Cafe Sucre Farine. The website's recipe for Ridiculously Easy Lemon Poppy Seed Scones is killer also!
Thank you, @Dreemport, for making me go down memory lane!!
Now I guess I need to answer some questions too! Let's see how I do!
How long have you been with Hive?
I have been on Hive for almost five beautiful years. I am very proud of that number too.
Have you ever written fiction before?
I learned to write on the blockchain, fiction, and nonfiction.
Are you familiar with Scholar & Scribe?
I am not! I feel bad that I have never come across this group before. Maybe... I should go back into hiding? Or do I dare see what they're all about? If I have gotten this far in writing my post, I should keep moving forward and see what this wonderful group has in store!
Are you expecting this to be a fun, challenging, or exciting challenge, or do you dread writing publicly? (Be honest - we are here to cheer you on!)
I think this challenge will be all of the above. I am hoping this challenge kicks me in the behind and helps me on the way to accomplishing something I have wanted to do for a very long time.
Are you going to TRY to go for the 3-part serial fiction (over 3 weeks), the engagement Bingo option, simply stick to SOME fiction this month for Scholar&Scribe or some other option altogether?
I am going to try very hard to go for the three-part fiction. It might not follow all of the rules as you see them, but in my mind, it will be three parts that belong together to make a whole story. That is all I can say for now. Either way, I will have fun trying to write something in the middle of the night because I do not want to let anyone down, myself included.
I can not wait to read more of what you all have in store over the next month.
It will be engaging in the end, this is all I know for sure.
Help someone smile today. It can not hurt you.
Snook
Thumbnail dessert: Photo by Adrian Frentescu
Drinks: Photo by Ainis Jankauskas
Food: Photo by Pixabay
All photos are mine unless otherwise stated.
