Get Back to Kroger: A Funny Art Class Misadventure and the Rice Krispy Treat Recipe That Saved the Day
- Karen Hand Allen
- 18 hours ago
- 5 min read
You know Marilyn, my friend from nursing school and fellow ER nurse that worked with me. Yes, that Marilyn, that totally insanely crazy friend of mine had somehow talked me into taking an art class, convincing me that we could hang our pictures proudly in our homes, people would admire them when they came to visit, stare at them fondly.
Marilyn thought she had real promise as an up-and-coming artist, as for me, neither of us held out a glimmer of hope. I couldn’t draw if it bit me, but it couldn’t be that bad, could it? I mean we’d have our works of art forever, could even possibly pawn them off onto an unsuspecting family member or ultra-close friend if we grew tired of them, and quite possibly sell a painting or two, or three. Right.
Marilyn dabbed yellow ochre with cobalt blue, capturing a wave in flight, hitting the granite as it exploded against jagged rocks, with bony seafoam fingers reaching out to sea. Safe and warm within Shinny’s little studio across the street from the beach, we could imagine the scene as clear as day, blustery-cold as it whipped birds and sand into its fury, nothing escaping. Mist rose every little bit, trying to warm, yet futile.
Yes, Marilyn and I were taking painting lessons, and it wasn’t pretty, not by a long shot. Shinny watched over his hatchlings, mouth upturned, then down. Eyes roaming the paint boards in search for perfection. This was our third week, and the fall day had turned cold as the dickens outside. We had to park in the Kroger parking lot, some two blocks away. Shivering, I dutifully unloaded my paint caddy, purse, coffee, warm blanket, all of it piled there beside me as I frowned in consternation in my cubby. I had chosen to do a fall bouquet on a tiny 3X3 board the week before, and with Shinny’s help, it looked somewhat presentable; I was encouraged by it.
“Make it come alive, yes, lighter, more life,” Shinny exclaimed. “We want to be there on this beach, in this snapshot, in this moment forever.”
“Yeah, sure,” Marilyn flung over her shoulder. Capturing a brush, she dabbed cadmium white onto her mixture, producing a palette more somber in its winter elegance. I slid a glance her way. Not bad, I thought, looking at my mass of jumbled granite stones, as confusing as ever. Shinny moved behind me, studying my canvas, a pout clearly present.
“What is missing? So, you’re not pleased with it?” Stating the obvious must come second nature to him.
“Well, I started with the rock groin and this granite pileup ain’t exactly a frozen scape statement.”
“OK, girlfriend,” he shooed me away as he captured my brush swiftly, and with several strokes, the rocks looked right in their position along the long-docked walkway, sand flying up, blustery day captured true. Deftly, he managed to captivate the viewer as seagulls looked forlorn in winter’s dress, hovered along water’s edge. Sighing slightly, humming under his breath, he dabbed blues and greens and yellows, the sky and wind and waves in harmony, flowing and breathtaking. The whole class had managed to squeeze around us as he dabbed a little here, a little there. In awe, the group gasped when he finished, breaking into spontaneous applause.
“Oh, Shinny. My family will never believe I painted this.”
“Of course, they will. It’s yours, take it. Now everyone back to your canvas, let’s work backwards and think autumn.”
I started out fine, thinking, “I have this.” I added warm, earthy colors to my palette, sap green, gold ocher, raw sienna, burnt orange, Indian red, violet oxide, indanthrene blue, green gold, electric yellow. Closing my eyes, I thought of an autumn afternoon I might like to walk into, a winding road, down, down the side of a hill. Sun setting, colors connecting to peace, happiness and a slower pace, where we all want to be.
Shinny circled me, clearing his throat quite loudly. “Having a little dream, are we?”
Shaking out of it, I came back to the room, which had grown way, way warm suddenly. “I’m picturing where I wish I was when I ride my bike through the Hill Country.”
“Good, good imagery. Carry on.”
I started with the background, blues, grey, filtered light, stands of trees, stark and ready to shed leaves, some having done so, some in the process, falling to rocks, to ground, to hillside grasslands covered in autumn castoff. Dappling still, allowing warmer colors in front, I continued my assault on the paint board in front of me. Stepping back, I inhaled sharply. Something was askew, no, no, it looked a bit off, well maybe a lot off. Marilyn heard my death rattle, creeping over to peek at my completed artistic endeavor.
“What in the world is it? A tousled, chaotic, strange rendering, huh?”
Straightening my shoulders and squaring them off, I blew out a short breath. “I displayed ragged, woodland and timbered areas, stark and wonderful in the dimming afternoon.”
“Ok, if you say so. Shame though, you could use it in your doghouse at home.”
Stepping back, I saw she was right, it had a helter-skelter appearance. Moving across the room, further away, she piped in, “Not bad if you get back to Kroger,” noting that Kroger was but a mere two blocks away. From that day on, when something looked off, whether a dress, furniture placement, whatever, one or the other of us flung out, “Get back to Kroger.” Apparently, as the years unfolded, each of us had our Kroger moments, often…
Usually after art class, Marilyn and I would spin over to Kroger to get ready for our fall cooking. I mean, it was just a hop and a skip from where we were painting, so if we had a particularly brutal art session, and we had many, we could shop and then go home and cook-and eat, and eat, and eat. Capital plan.
Since fall was well underway, we decided to make my Ooey-Gooey Buttery Rice Krispie Fall treats. They were sure to be a winner and every party I’d ever taken them to, they were a smash hit. Every time I wanted to bring leftovers home, there were none to be had, some treat monster had stolen them in the night. You’d better make extra if you have any hope for a secret midnight snack of your very own. This is for you Marilyn, who stole many a gooey treat right from under my very nose!
Tell me what you think of my Rice Krispy Treat recipe in the comments below!
Our Ooey-Gooey Rice Krispy Treat Recipe (A Sweet Ending to the Chaos)
Ooey-Gooey Buttery Rice Krispie Treat Recipe
Recipe By: Karen Hand Allen (www.karenhandallen.com)
These crunchy and ultra-rich, delectable and scrumptious Rice Krispie Treats are so buttery and yummy you’ll pull a switcheroo in order to sneak a second or third one for your lunch! They’re sure to please a party crowd or your very own special night in with the fam!
Servings: 14-16
Prep Time: 10 mins | Cooking Time: 5 mins | Rest Time: 60–120 minutes | Total Time: 1 hr 15 min–2 hr 15 min
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I love this!