Chocolate, that’s what Grandma Rachel was daydreaming about! She was sitting at the kitchen counter, clicking through the El Gusto website and dreaming about chocolate, trying to make sense of it all. This modern technology…! She would never admit to her daughter that she found her head swimming with all the things she was trying to remember. Well, here was one recipe that looked delicious. Rachel was secretly hoping it was something chocolate! She was craving that rich chocolate flavour. https://elgustoglobal.com/recipe/iced-nutella-drink/ But what was this? Nutella? What on earth was Nutella? A replacement for chocolate? Why would anyone want to replace chocolate? Rachel sighed and poured herself a second cup of coffee. She would enjoy the momentary peace and quiet in the kitchen and explore some more chocolate recipes.
Great-Grandma Helen meanwhile, sat wearily in her rocking chair. Chocolate, that’s what she was fancying! The good old-fashioned chocolate recipes from her childhood. That was back when chocolate was a real luxury, and not just these everyday bars that can be picked up at every shop checkout! She can still vividly remember that first time she savoured the taste of a brand-new Cadbury bar. And it was just for her! By gingerly nibbling the edges, and stashing it away in her top drawer, she had managed to make that bar last an entire week. Memories flooded back of her mother’s famous pavlova recipe; the one with rich chocolate drizzled down the sides. https://elgustoglobal.com/recipe/chocolate-pavlova/ The crisp crunch of that melt-in-your-mouth dessert. How she would love to show her great-granddaughter how to make an old-fashioned pavlova. Dear little Willow.
“I wonder if they still make pavlovas like that these days”, Great-Grandma thought wistfully. She would have to ask her daughter, Rachel. She’d heard Rachel discussing something called El Gusto, with her own daughter, Eloise. Sounded mighty foreign to Helen, but maybe they had some old-fashioned recipes on this website thing. With a bit of effort, and a few crunches and creaks of the joints, Great-Grandma Helen made her way to the kitchen, to investigate El Gusto.
At that moment, Eloise, busy mom of three and active Campus & Co volunteer, was frantically sorting the wash. Time just flew by these days, and the pile of laundry seemed to grow when she wasn’t looking. How on earth would she be ready for entertaining on the weekend? She went through her standard list of easy desserts, while she absently put on another load of wash. The hubby had been asking if she could try that caramel slice they’d had at Rob and Mary’s house; but Eloise had never tried it before; she vaguely remembered Mary mentioning that it was an El Gusto recipe. https://elgustoglobal.com/recipe/classic-caramel-slice/ Eloise had long ago subscribed to El Gusto and felt a bit guilty about not using it more. She tended to fall back on her old standby favourites. Maybe now was a good time to look up something new. Shutting the door to the washing machine and clicking the button, Eloise tiredly made her way to the kitchen. She would give El Gusto another look.
On the floor in the playroom, little Willow pushed back her hair in frustration. She could not get these dolls to look right, and they kept misbehaving anyway. Hungry, bored and frustrated, she knew she would have to stay in the playroom awhile longer, because when Great-Grandma Helen visited, Mum asked her to be a little quieter.
Suddenly her stomach growled, and hunger took over! Maybe she could persuade Mum or Grandma Rachel to give her some special treat. Grandma had been talking about having a special Grandma/Willow Day, to do some baking. That would be fun! She had seen Grandma looking at something on Mum’s laptop; maybe those were chocolate brownies! Willow got quickly to her feet and made her way to the kitchen. She wanted something chocolate; and the sooner the better.
Sitting at the kitchen counter, Rachel’s peace and quiet was suddenly and loudly interrupted! From three different directions came a hullabaloo of voices and commotion. Clicking her way along the passage, came Great-Grandma Helen asking something about pavlova. No sooner did Great-Grandma make her presence known, than Eloise came bustling in with a basket of fresh laundry; all the while talking about caramel slice! And before Rachel had time to process what was going on, little Willow ran headlong into the middle of the room. All three of them talking at once, there arose a mixed jumble of questions and voices.
“Mum… Grandma said… Can we have chocolate…? Pavlova like my Mama… Try that caramel slice… El Gusto…”
Suddenly, the four of them stopped abruptly, looked at each other somewhat dumbfounded, and burst into laughter! That helpless kind of laughter, when you’re not at all sure what happened, and why you are laughing!!
“Well!” declared Grandma Rachel, wiping her eyes. “With all that chatter, something rang through loud and clear. I distinctly heard each of you say something about chocolate!”
“And El Gusto,” agreed Eloise. “Let’s put some tea on, get out that tray of brownies. And then I’ll show you a recipe I’d like to try on El Gusto!”
“Good-o,” agreed Grandma Rachel. “I was just looking at one that uses Nutella. Maybe you can explain what Nutella is!”
Great-Grandma joined in with, “I would love to try an old-fashioned pavlova with little Willow.”
With their chocolate cravings eased for the moment by a generous dose of brownie, they all settled down to find the next family favourite recipe.
