Chef Ava

Ava woke up one splendid morning with an idea in her head. It was always her dream to be a chef one day; cooking terrific dishes and seeing the smiles on critters' faces. Although Ava's father was the mayor, Ava was not as interested in politics. She had already learned how to make various dishes and plenty of desserts. Some from the country and some new from the city.

That morning she got to work and decided to host a small buffet at the center of the Lakeside District. It will be held at noon in a few days. She would make different foods and let the Cloverleaf Countryside critters help themselves.

Harlin Hopscotch even bought invitation cards for Ava to decorate. They were sent out to different residents in no time.

Ingredients were bought as well, Natalie Charcoal had offered her luxurious kitchen for Ava to use. When Ava stepped in to get ready to cook, she was greeted with Rose, Lily and Natalie.

"Hello Ava!" they all greeted.

Ava smiled, "Good morning. Thank you so much for letting me use your kitchen."

"Oh, it is no problem at all," chimed Lily, "I hope you like the new arrangement. Mother's been redecorating."

Rose added, "I can't wait to see what you cook!"

Spread out on the kitchen island were all sorts of appliances. A scale, a beater, a pastry iron, everything was set for Ava. The Tuxedo Cats' home did seem different. Natalie had done some redecorating to keep herself busy after her eldest loved out. The kitchen had more space with the dining table out of the way. "Help yourself, let me know if you need anything," Natalie said.

Ava quickly got to work. First, she made a fluffy waffle batter. Everything was precise, from the exact weight of the flour to the consistency of the batter. Then, the bear ladled it into the waffle iron.

Soon after, donut batter was put into the iron which had interchangeable plates. Ava had already begun plating the waffles and toppings. However, she couldn't quite remember how she got sugared fruits…

Not long later, Ava began to work on appetizers. Carrot and bell pepper soup sounds good, the skilled girl thought to herself. Underneath the sink was an iron pot, perfect for creating soup. Also underneath was a cutting board and knife, though Ava could've sworn it was Teri Choch's…

When Ava opened the fridge drawer, she found a selection of colorful veggies. "Mr.Tuxedo!" she cried, "Did you buy vegetables yesterday?"

Mason came into the kitchen and replied, "Well I don't think Natalie and I went grocery shopping. Then again, maybe we did."

"Okay, you probably did. It was in the fridge."

"Hmm, that's strange. We never buy carrots, how did they end up here?" Mason said before excusing himself.

Ava too was perplexed, but decided the best choice of action was to keep going.

Once the carrot and bell pepper were in the pot seasoned with salt and pepper, different ingredients showed up on the wooden countertops.

Once again, Ava could have sworn she did not go outside to the stands and get the baguette. Not to mention, her desserts were missing! Ava concluded, I must be tired, that's all. The baguette was chopped up and spread with cheese. Bits of diced up tomato were spread around as well.

As for the main course, pot pie! Ava made the dough by herself, shaping it into a rabbit's head. Boiled vegetables and soup made the filling. It looked perfect, baking in the oven until the edges became a golden hue.

At 5 o'clock, visitors flocked to the picnic tables and waited for the buffet. Ava's mind was a little fuzzy on how all the food arrived, but she ignored the uncomfortable news.

"Yum! Compliments to the chef!" cheered Skip, who had a plate of chocolate waffles.

Teri was having a bowl of soup and a mini pot pie. She chimed in, "Most definitely VERY TERI. It's fancy and modern, yet there's a homey feeling."

"3 cheers for Chef Ava!" Luke announced, "Yay Chef Ava! Yay Chef Ava! Yay Chef-"

"Ava? Ava? Are you alright?" Heidi bombarded, "What happened?"

Ava's eyes shot open, only to see a magazine. She got up and realized she had fallen asleep while having tea outside! Unfortunately, it had been a dream. Ava had not cooked a 3 course meal with all sorts of new dishes. Of course, it did explain how food appeared out of nowhere. Wanting to cheer herself up, the Cuddle Bear girl took Grace Hopscotch on a stroller ride. "Yay!" Grace giggled, "Thank you, Ava!"

Ava smiled and looked towards the horizon. In the distance was the Lakeside Lodge Adventure Treehouse, home of Felicia Tuxedo. Felicia was a fashionable young cat that worked at the Calico Times. An idea immediately sparked inside Ava's head.

The next day, Ava walked all the way towards Felicia's house. It was a brisk 40 minute stroll and when she got there, Felicia was setting up food on the picnic tables. To make the place more inviting (and to help with rent), Felicia cooked complimentary food. Anyone visiting the area could help themselves. After all, Mayor Cuddle Bear wanted more critters to visit the Lakeside District. In addition, it was Ava's duty as the mayor's child to come once a week and help Felicia spruce up the Lakeside District.

Felicia was wearing gray capri pants, a checkered belt, a white blouse and black rimmed glasses. "Hello Ava!" she called out.

Ava waved, "Hi Felicia!"

Then both critters took the bin full of dishes and washed them by the well close to the lake. When they returned, Felicia placed the bread Mason made in the trays, while Ava organized the table. After they finished, the Tuxedo Cat sister invited Ava up for some warm milk.

"How have you been?" asked Felicia.

"Good, but I was wondering if you could help me."

Felicia replied kindly, "Tell me more. I'll see what I can do."

"Well, you see here, I dream to be a chef. My mom has been teaching me how to cook since I was in middle school. My mind is just connected to cooking; I can see a dish and figure out how to make it."

Pretty soon, Ava explained she would like to post her recipe on the Calico Times. In every edition, critters from abroad could submit their recipe. Natalie Charcoal was a big fan of this and read it everyday. Felicia nodded and thought it'd be a splendid idea. The next time she went to work, she asked William Cinnamon (head of the Calico Times) to publish Ava's bell pepper and carrots soup recipe. When it got out, Ava and crittizens were amazed by the 15 year old's skill. As promised, Felicia was even the first to try it.

At the Cloverleaf Countryside, Ava received plenty of praises. Freya approved of the health benefits. Harlin appreciated the mild spice from the bell peppers and somber sweetness of the carrots. Grace loved that she could eat the meal at the dining table (just like a big girl).

Ava beamed proudly and could not help but think that she was one step closer to her dream.