Cut The Sweetness

by | May 13, 2011 | Little Domesticity, The Red Dress Club | 21 comments

Crunchie[Source]

Gluttony.

The prompt was gluttony.

But I was stumped. Blocked in that writerly way.

I swung back and forth in the desk chair. Thinking, thinking.

Got up, opened the fridge door. Stared for a bit. Took out the Coke and poured a glass.

Closing the fridge door, I padded back to the computer. Sat. Raised the fizzing Coke to my mouth, my lips forming that drinking position well before the glass reached them. Protruding forward, as though to catch an absconding target. Weird how they do that. Relax, lips, it’s coming. Trust me.

I love the way the effervescence of the black liquid burns a layer off my tongue each time. I love Coke.  

What to write, what to write.

My fingers were poised on the keyboard. Hovering. Any moment now, inspiration.

A wail.

I waited. Burned another layer off my tongue.

Another wail, this time growing in intensity.

“Guys!” I shouted, a warning to stop doing whatever it was they were currently doing.

I waited.

 Wailing and crying – such a fine line. I heaved myself up off the chair, draining my glass, relishing the bubbles on my tongue before stepping into the fray.

Preschooler admonished. Toddler hefted onto a hip, removed from the scene. Held tightly, soothed with soft murmuring and a smooch just below the ear where I nuzzle often just because I love the smell. Redirected.

I wandered aimlessly, eyes flitting over the chaos of the lounge room, toys strewn lifelessly about,  an uncomfortable crunching sound underfoot, a pair of robot underpants without a bottom to cling to.

Wound up in the kitchen.

Finger hooked the kid-proof pantry door open. No staring this time, straight for the Crunchies.

Gold foil dispensed with, teeth cracking through the chocolate exterior and through to the honeycomb. Which side would it be? Always there is a hard side and a soft side. I crunched through the hard side first. I prefer the soft side. It sort of melts if you suck it.

The sugar was cloying on my tongue. I got up and poured another Coke. To temper the sweetness.

Another wail. I can separate them one thousand times a day but they are brothers and find one another again like magnets attracting.

Fucking annoying.

Back at the pantry. I had to reach further into the cupboard because when I grabbed the first Crunchie, I pushed the packet to the very back of the shelf. Because that was it. I wasn’t going to have another one.

But they were fun-sized. So I could totally have another one.

I could probably have three before it was even the size of a regular Crunchie.

I had a third Crunchie.

This time, I tied a rubber band around the packet. Because that was it. I wasn’t going to have another one.

I swung in my desk chair for a bit. Typed and deleted for a bit.

Got up. Poured myself a glass of Coke….

 

This was written in response to The Red Dress Club prompt on gluttony, one of the seven deadly sins. 

Hello friends

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I’m Angie!  I mum. I write. I wife. My husband would say this is the correct order.  He’s so neeeedy. I live with my family in Melbourne, Australia, where I complain about the weather for 90% of the year – but I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Except maybe in Lake Como, waving to my neighbours George and Amal each morning.

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21 Comments

  1. Galit Breen

    Yes, this. I totally and completely get this.

    You? Are a genius!

    And I? Would like to snack with you!

    Loved this, lady!

    XO

    Reply
  2. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    It’s so this, isn’t it?

    If not for great oceans between, we would share a bag of fun-sized Crunchies, you and I.

    xxx

    Reply
  3. Ange

    If you feel like cooking, found this recipe, with a handy hint on making it soft!

    Honeycomb
    Ingredients:
    6 tbs white sugar
    2 tbs golden syrup
    2 tsp water
    1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

    1.) Put 2 tbs of golden syrup, 6 tbs of white sugar and 2 tsp of water in a in a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is totally dissolved.
    2.) Bring to the boil and boil for sevral minutes.
    3.) Remove Pan from heat and quickly add the 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda. (At this point the mixture will froth) Stir quickly and pour into a pre greased lamington tin (will fill about a 30cm X 20cm container).
    4.) As the mixture starts to cool, mark into pieces. When cold, break into pieces and Enjoy. Make sure you store in an air tight jar.

    ***You can also make the honeycomb chewy instead of crunchy by adding 1 tbs of Olive oil while it’s on the boil.

    Reply
  4. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Oh my goodness, you’re HILARIOUS!

    And also, AWESOME!

    Thank you. And curse you.

    xxx

    Reply
  5. Sophie

    Having got some tips from FB recently, I emptied my toilet of water and poured in 2L of Coke to soak overnight and the black that has been crusted to the bowl for a year came off!! Now go get yourself another crunchie and a cuppa instead 😉

    Reply
  6. Carrie

    I have girls and they are no different than your boys 🙂

    I have the same issues: drinking too much Coke and snacking on whatever sweet treats I can get: gummy bears, snack size chocolates, Skittles…

    and I wonder why I’ve put on 15 pounds in a year :p

    Reply
  7. sarah

    Great post – I’m right there with you 🙂
    I like the running commentary of the post and how it flows – great job!

    Reply
  8. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Yeah, I know. The Coke is a problem. But I figure maybe it’s also removing any residual blackness I might have within. Like tar from my smoking days, perhaps? Yes, I think this is exactly what is happening. So it’s a good thing….

    Reply
  9. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Oh Carrie, sugar addiction is my downfall. It will be my undoing, you mark my words!

    I keep the weight at bay but only because I go to the gym. I am not, however, losing any weight. So there’s that…

    Reply
  10. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Thank you, Sarah!

    I snacked WAY less before kids. They have ruined everything. Everything, I tell you!

    Reply
  11. Alison@Mama Wants This

    I am totally a Crunchies girl too, and I have the same thoughts about the fun-sized ones. Don’t you just love that – *fun* sized?

    This was awesome!

    Reply
  12. Angie @ The Little Mumma

    Yeah, fun-sized? Whatever. I eat 3 in a row and things start seeming vaguely fun…

    Thank you!

    Reply
  13. Victoria KP

    I hardly ever drink coke anymore, but when I do it’s pure bliss.

    Reply
  14. Melissa

    As a diet Pepsi addict, I absolutely loved this post! Very well-written also!

    Reply
  15. Mommy Shorts

    The miniature chocolates always get you. Below my office they sell 5 mini reeses cups for a dollar. I bet it’s actally more calories than just buy ing a regualr reeses but I get them all the time.

    Reply
  16. Melissa

    There’s nothing “Fun” about “Fun Sized” unless it’s eating the whole packet because that is truly “Fun”.

    I love Crunchies too. There’s something about the way the honeycomb just disintegrates. Like an Aero Bar. You can somehow convince yourself that you’re eating less because of the amount of air included in the product.

    I’d managed to curb my sweet addiction over the last few months but have started to relapse since Easter. Dang … I’d been doing so well too.

    Reply
  17. Cheryl

    I don’t know chocolate crunchies, but clearly this is a void in my life. Also, I also love Coke. Not Diet Coke. The Real Thing. HA! Anyway, this is so my life. I loved this!

    Reply
  18. Kris

    I can so relate to this. Unfortunately. Salty snacks are my weakness. A bag of Cheetos. Forget it. I’ll eat the whole bag. Can’t even buy them!

    Reply
  19. Elaine

    Ah yes the going back for more and more… I know it well.

    Love how you tied the fact that you were trying to write about the prompt into your actual post.

    Reply
  20. Galit Breen

    Yes. Yes, we would my friend! And it would be divine! XO

    Reply
  21. Mama Track

    What a great take on the prompt. And I love how you describe the sensation of drinking Coke–it’s exactly right.

    Now I need to go find one….

    Reply

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