Newsletter | Prompt
A Sigh of Relief
Mmm Mondays News & Prompt #11
Exhausted, I sat in the passenger seat, head bowed, staring at my hands as we bounced down the last stretch of road to home. I’d never seen such a shade of black around my fingernails before. Soot and dirt and I could only guess at what else. My hands matched the surrounding countryside; like my fingertips had brushed each and every scorched tree, bush, and stone.
Finally, I raised my head, facing the destruction. I held my breath, eyes growing round and three times too big as I noticed the neighbors fencing charred and gone in parts. Entire trees, still standing but resembling blacked poles more than the former glorious pines and spruce.
The year had been hard, even before this. Before the evacuations and the smoke and the orange sky, brighter at midnight. There had been sickness, and drought, and everything that comes with it. Shortages, late plantings, whispered words to entities I wasn’t sure existed.
Then the overwhelming buzz. The constant stream of planes, cupping back and forth. Empty and then full. Helicopters; their blades chopping the wind, dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn. All the noise had set my teeth on edge. Made my head foggy.
And then there was the leaving. Looking in the car’s side mirror, watching everything we’d built growing smaller in the distance. The not knowing. Not knowing who to ask.
As we pass the property line from old farmer Jackson’s to our secluded chunk of land, I strain my neck, trying to see over the rise. Breath bated, those seconds feel like minutes, like hours and days.
And like a phoenix, atop the hill stands our home. Its white tin roof shining like a beacon in the open sunshine. The outbuildings are gone, the once used barn, the treehouse our children used to play in; the tree as well. But our home still stands. And for all the destruction, and all the rebuilding and hard work to come, I can’t help but release a sigh of relief.
Sigh of Relief
idiom. : to relax because something one has been worrying about is not a problem or danger anymore : to feel relieved.
We’ve all had moments like this. Moments that made us feel like we were walking on an edge but set us gently on our feet, or times when we had prepared for the worse, only to discover our preparation was for naught.
Whatever it was, we want to know…
What makes you say Mmm?
please note: prompts are completely optional, and only serve as ideas to get your juices flowing. Feel free to link to this prompt, should you choose to use it though.
see all our previous prompts here…
Chocolate Soufflé
If there was ever a recipe that will have you sighing in relief, it is soufflé. The steps require fine tuned care and dedication, and even then, there’s a chance your soufflé could fall. But when you’ve tasted that perfect souffle, it will all be worth it.
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons (1/4 cup; 60g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 Tablespoon size pieces
- 4 ounce (113g) semi-sweet chocolate bar, coarsely chopped*
- 3 large eggs, separated*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 3 Tablespoons (38g) granulated sugar
Prepping the Ramakins
- 1 Tablespoon (15g) unsalted butter, extra soft (the softer it is, the easier it is to spread)
- 4 teaspoons (16g) granulated sugar
Soufflé Instructions
- For the batter: Melt the 4 Tablespoons of butter and the chopped chocolate together in a double boiler or in a large heatproof bowl in the microwave. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each until completely melted and combined. Slightly cool for 3–5 minutes.
- Whisk egg yolks, vanilla extract, and salt into chocolate mixture. Set aside.
- In a completely clean residue-free medium glass or metal mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar together on high speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on high speed, slowly add the sugar in 3 additions about 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating for 5 seconds before adding the next Tablespoon. After all 3 Tablespoons of sugar have been added, beat until stiff glossy peaks form, about 2 more minutes. Do not over-beat.
- Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. It’s best to do this in 3 separate additions, combining each addition completely before folding in more.
- Refrigerate the batter for 5–10 minutes as you preheat the oven and prepare the ramekins. (No need to cover the batter unless you are refrigerating it for longer than 1 hour. Can be made up to 2 days in advance, see make ahead instructions below.)
- Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat to 400°F (204°C).
- Prepare the ramekins: Brush four 6-ounce oven-safe straight sided ramekins with a generous coating of the softened butter. Sprinkle in the granulated sugar, then shake/rotate each to ensure every spot of the ramekin has a sugar coating. Place ramekins on a baking sheet. Discard excess sugar.
- Spoon batter evenly into ramekins. Using a knife or icing spatula, smooth down the surface. Run a knife, icing spatula, or your thumb around the rim at the top, creating a “channel” between the batter and the rim of your pan. Feel free to wipe the edges clean with a towel, though I don’t always do that and don’t notice a difference in appearance or rise.
- Bake: Place baking sheet with ramekins on top in the oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375°F (191°C). Bake for 13–14 minutes or until the edges are set and the center just barely jiggles when you give the pan a light tap. Avoid opening/closing the oven too much.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately plain or with optional toppings. Soufflés begin to fall within minutes. You’ll still have that sponge-like texture underneath a crackly top, though it settles into a denser texture as time passes. Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
For those of us who need more direction, the full (and thorough) recipe found here.
What’s Happening on Mmm Mondays…
The prompt story is a true event that has just come to pass. I don’t tell you this for sympathy, but to show that life sometimes gets in the way.
This year has not been easy at the household of MrsK, but we’re slowly getting back into the swing of things. I hope to get caught up with many items soon.
A huge shout out to May More 💜 Tales for all she does. Running her own publications, and yet she still finds time to filling wherever she’s needed! If ever there was a friend who could make you sigh in relief, it is May. Thanks, my friend!
We’ve had many stories in these past 4 months, and I will highlight them all next week in the Mmm Mondays second memorandum where I’ll mention new writers, highlights, and top stories for each month since our first memo went live.
Watch for that as there is still plans for a writing competition in the month of November and a new Ask a Writer project coming in January.
What’s coming this week? Hopefully you!
Want to write with us? Check out the guidelines below:
What makes you say Mmm?
On the Mmm Mondays blog we’re on Week 139, with a different recipe every week, a monthly book idea and a growing list of writers guaranteed to make you say Mmm