“Wow,” Amanda said in awe as she and Molly entered the ballroom of the Palace Hotel later that evening. “This is the fanciest place we’ve ever been!”
“Seriously,” Molly agreed. “I hope I don’t spill anything.”
The elegant room was decorated in ivory and gold. Sparkling chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and pale purple roses graced each table. Men in tuxedos and women in formal dresses milled about, chatting and laughing. A long buffet table was crowded with dozens of dishes, and at the far end of the room, a live band was setting up next to a gleaming parquet dance floor.
“Molly! Amanda!” Peichi called as she and Shawn hurried over to the twins. “Can you believe this place? Everything is so fancy and gorgeous! It’s amazing! This is gonna be the best party ever! I can’t wait to hit the dance floor! And the buffet! That food looks delicious! Ohmigosh, did you see Omar? He looks so funny in his suit! Actually, all the guys do! It’s so weird to see them wearing something besides jeans!”
“Hey, Chef Girls!” Natasha said happily as she came up to her friends. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Natasha, congratulations!” Amanda said, giving her friend a hug. “You did great today.”
“You look great, too,” Shawn added. “Your dress is gorgeous!”
“Thanks! You all look amazing, too,” Natasha replied, beaming. “Come on, let’s find the photographer! I want a picture with my best friends!”
After dinner, the Chef Girls danced for an hour as the band played lots of fun music. The dance floor was crowded with people of all ages, everyone dancing together.
“Phew! I need to take a break,” Amanda said, panting. “And I really need a piece of that cake. It looks sooo yummy.”
“Let’s all go,” Peichi said.
But when they reached the dessert table, the band started playing a slow song. Connor and Omar walked up to the girls.
“Hey, Natasha,” Connor said shyly. “Um, would you like to dance?”
Natasha’s face lit up. “Sure!” she replied. She grinned at her friends as she followed Connor back onto the dance floor.
“Hey, Cheng,” Omar called. “I don’t have anything better to do—wanna dance?”
“With you?” Peichi asked, looking like she was about to crack a joke. Then, suddenly, she seemed to change her mind. “Um, okay.” Her friends could tell she was trying not to giggle as she and Omar started slow dancing.
“Wow, that was fast,” Amanda said lightly. “Justin will probably be over any minute to ask you to dance, Molls.”
Molly shrugged. “I don’t feel like dancing right now. I’d rather hang out with you guys.”
“I know what you mean,” Amanda said seriously. “This cake looks too good to pass up just to dance with some boy.”
“Mmm, this cake is really good!” Shawn exclaimed after her first bite. “It’s so rich.”
Molly looked thoughtful as she chewed a bite of cake. “The frosting is amazing. What’s that flavor? I can tell they blended strawberries into the frosting, but there’s something else, too.”
“I think it’s got a lot of vanilla in it,” Amanda said. “You guys! We should try to make this frosting! It would taste awesome on cupcakes. We could make them for Dish. And speaking of Dish, we need to book a lot of jobs so I can pay back Mom and Dad for the ski trip.”
“Great idea, Amanda,” Shawn said. “I bet our clients would love cupcakes with this frosting.”
“Maybe we can sneak a piece of cake home, to make sure we have the flavors right,” Amanda said thoughtfully.
Molly raised her eyebrows, and Shawn started laughing.
“What?” Amanda asked. “I’m doing this for our business, guys!”
“And for your sweet tooth, Manda,” Molly teased her sister.
Shawn grinned. Laughing with her best friends, eating the delicious cake, having a ball at the best party she’d ever been to—Shawn felt happier than she had in a long time. It may take a while for my life to feel normal again, she thought. But I know that my friends will always be there, no matter what happens.
My dad always makes this
milk on cold winter nights.
It’s a yummy change from hot
chocolate and is extra-good as
a bedtime treat!
-Natasha
MOM MAKES AWESOME TACOS. THEY ARE FUN
TO SERVE AT A PARTY, BECAUSE EVERYBODY
CAN ADD THEIR OWN TOPPINGS!
—AMANDA
This was the first meal we had at Chestnut Hill
Farm. Mrs. Hudson gave us the recipe. I don’t know
why they call it Snowshoe Chicken, but the maple-
mustard sauce is really yummy!
—Peichi
Cooking Tips From The Chef Girls!
The Chef Girls are looking out for you!
Here are some things you should
know if you want to cook.
(Remember to ask your parents
if you can use knives and the stove!)
1. Tie back long hair so that it won’t get into the food or in the way as you work.
2. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing that could drag in the food or on the stove burners.
3. Never cook in bare feet or open-toed shoes. Something sharp or hot could drop on your feet.
4. Always wash your hands before you handle food.
5. Read through the recipe before you start. Gather your ingredients together and measure them before you begin.
6. Turn pot handles in so that they won’t get knocked off the stove.
7. Use wooden spoons to stir hot liquids. Metal spoons can become very hot.
8. When cutting or peeling food, cut away from your hands.
9. Cut food on a cutting board, not the countertop.
10. Hand someone a knife with the knifepoint pointing to the floor.
11. Clean up as you go. It’s safer and neater.
12. Always use a dry pot holder to remove something hot from the oven. You could get burned with a wet one, since wet ones retain heat.
13. Make sure that any spills on the floor are cleaned up right away, so that you don’t slip and fall.
14. Don’t put knives in clean-up water. You could reach into the water and cut yourself.
15. Use a wire rack to cool hot baking dishes to avoid scorch marks on the countertop.
An Important Message from the Chef Girls!
Some foods can carry bacteria, such as
salmonella, that can make you sick.
To avoid salmonella, always cook poultry,
ground beef, and eggs thoroughly before eating.
Don’t eat or drink foods containing raw eggs.
And wash hands, kitchen work surfaces,
and utensils with soap and water immediately
after they have been in contact
with raw meat or poultry.
mooretimes2: Molly and Amanda
qtpie490: Shawn
happyface: Peichi
BrooklynNatasha: Natasha
JustMac: Justin
Wuzzup: What’s up?
Mwa smooching sound
G2G: Got To Go
deets: details
b - b: Bye-Bye
brb: be right back
<3 hearts
L8R: Later, as in “See ya later!”
LOL: Laughing Out Loud
GMTA: Great Minds Think Alike
j/k: Just kidding
B/C: because
W8: Wait
W8 4 me @: Wait for me at thanx: thanks
BK: Big kiss
MAY: Mad about you
RUF2T?: Are you free to talk?
TTUL: Type to you later
E-ya: will e-mail you
LMK: Let me know
GR8: Great
WFM: Works for me
2: to, too, two
C: see
u: you
2morrow: tomorrow
VH: virtual hug
BFFL: Best Friends
For Life
: -@ shock
:-P sticking out tongue
%-) confused
:-o surprised
;-) winking or teasing
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