"ONOMATOPOEIA"

ONOMATOPOEIA

by 

Gabriel Blake 

(age 16)

"Oink, oink, oink” shouted jolly piglets
“Neigh, neigh, neigh” said the prancing horse
“Ow, ow, ow” cried the injured boy
“Moo, moo, moo” cried the hungry herd
“Arf, arf, arf” complained the hounds
“Trill, trill, trill” a raccoon hummed 
“Oops, oh no” reacted a parrot 
“Pawoo, Pawoo” trumpeted elephants 
“Oo, Oo, Oo” shouted gorilas 
“Eeack, ” screeched soaring eagles
“Ick, gross” yelled a distraught human
“Achoo, achoo” sneezed the cat 

Assignment for Poetry Lessons 

(www.polliwogpages.com)

If you are between the ages of 13 -18,

(or know someone who likes to write stories)

I would like to post your story here.

Send me an email. I'd love to read your story!

My Culinary Journey

My Culinary Journey

by

Gabriel Blake

(age 15)

Hello fellow reader, my name is Gabriel, and from a very young age, before I can remember, I have always been able to cook. I could make a bowl of cereal along with toast, microwaved eggs, coffee, and a simple sandwich. I learned my very first real meal when I was eight, that meal is tacos

Tacos
The Ingredients
Two teaspoons of cumin
One tablespoon of paprika
One tablespoon of chili powder
One tablespoon of dried oregano (if you wanted to use fresh you would need to adjust accordingly
As much red pepper flakes as you desire
One chopped onion
One  chopped jalapeno
One can of black beans
One can of corn
Two spoons of minced garlic
Two pounds of ground meat.

On the side/Toppings

Two cups of rice
Tomato

Pickles

Cilantro

Cheese

Avocado

Lettuce

Salsa

To cook, put in your minced garlic and chopped onions into a pan and saute until the onions are cooked. You will then proceed to add the ground meat and jalapenos.
Once the ground meat is almost done add the can of black beans and corn.

I would suggest you serve this meal on a plate or bowl.

I first started to make tacos in 2017, and this meal set me on a path that would greatly alter the way I eat food.
In 2018 our family built a small fire pizza oven in our backyard. The cooking area was no larger than a foot and a half wide. After enjoying the fire baked pizza I just knew I needed to learn how to make pizza dough, because I was nine, and pizza once a week just wasn’t going to cut it.

Bread Dough
One and a half cups of lukewarm water,

Four to five cups flour,

One tablespoon of yeast,

One or two tablespoons of olive or avocado oil

And as much salt as you want.

Whisk the yeast and lukewarm water, then let sit for five to ten minutes.

Add the salt to the water mixture then gently stir until the salt is evenly incorporated into the mixture. Dump in the flour and knead for about  ten minutes or until the dough is soft to the touch. Gently rub the dough with oil, then transfer the dough to a container and cover with a damp cloth. Let rise for about an hour before baking.

This recipe makes two sixteen inch pizzas or one loaf of bread.

A couple years later ,in 2022, when I was thirteen, my cooking career really started to take off because I decided to make dinner five days a week. I won’t lie. At first we ate tacos every week until I decided to buy a couple of cookbooks and I really liked this one Asian cookbook in particular “101 Asian Dishes You Need to Try Before You Die” by Jet Tila. My favorite meal from the book is “Drunken Noodles.”

Drunken Noodles

Three tablespoons of oil
2-3 garlic cloves minced

2 eggs

2-4 jalapeno peppers chopped

As much shrimp as you like

Half an onion chopped

Egg noodles

Half a cup of grape tomatoes, halved

One cup of basil

Sauce

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

1 and a half tablespoons of fish oil

1 teaspoon sugar

6-8 basil leaves finely chopped

For making this meal I would recommend a wok, for two reasons, A, it is the authentic cookware in asian culture, B, in my opinion the wok is the most versatile pot or pan.

Start by boiling your pasta water. Once the water is boiling, add the pasta. Then on a separate burner preheat your wok on the stove with the oil on high heat until you see a wisp of smoke or you get impatient. Side note. From my experience some types of oil don’t smoke until they are very very hot so you might just need to guess. Next add your onion, jalapenos, and garlic. Saute until the onion is almost cooked. Once the onion is almost cooked lower to medium heat then add the egg and shrimp. Remember to stir frequently and make sure to flip the shrimp over so that you cook both sides.
Once the shrimp is cooked and the basil, pasta, and the sauce. Change to low heat, mix everything well and let sit with a lid for a minute before serving.

My cooking skills continue to increase and I am actively looking for new recipes to add to my collection. 

I started where I was comfortable and got a Mexican cuisine cookbook. I made two meals a week from that book every week faithfully for a month. After that I was hungry for more. Over the next couple of months and years I accumulated several cookbooks of different cultures or styles, Asian, Italian, Harry Potter, crock-pot meals, and a book solely on bread.

Now I have my eye set on another culture, Mediterranean. I now would say I have a fairly large “vocabulary” of meals and each culture seems to find a way to seep into the meals I make every day. I can only hope that my desire for exploration in the world of food never dies, and that my library of meals grows ever larger.

To be continued . . .

Lesson #20 of Basic Lessons (Autobiography)

If you are between the ages of 13 -18,

(or know someone who likes to write stories)

I would like to post your story here.

Send me an email. I'd love to read your story!

Alice with her Mischievous Cat

Alice with her Mischievous Cat 

(autobiographical fiction) 

by 

Alana Blake 

(age 14)

“Who knew today would be a good day for fishing?” Alice says, putting her fishing pole in the truck bed.

Dad puts the fish cooler in the truck bed, “Yeah, it was. We better head home, so I can take a quick shower before Mom gets home.”

In the truck Alice thinks, "I can’t wait to have the whole farm to myself while Mom and Dad are on their date.”

“Alice. Hey, Alice?” Dad taps Alice on the shoulder before putting his hat on.

“Ah, sorry. What is it?”

“Can you clean the fish, and put them in the fridge for me when we get home?”

“Yeah, of course.” Alice thinks, Ah, no, that's going to take forever, and I won’t have as much time to do whatever I want. But it will make Dad happy. Lost in thought, Alice stares out the truck window watching the animals and grass fields pass by.

Dad turns the truck down the dirt driveway. "Alice, where will you want me to put the fish?” 

Alice says, still staring out the window, "Just in the barn next to the sink, where we clean the birds, will be fine.”

“Dad says, "It sure is beautiful today. Those cherry trees are so pretty when they are in full bloom.”

“Yeah, it's so great that we have them on our land.” says Alice hopping out of the truck "I am going to go get a fish knife. Then I will meet you in the barn.”

Alice starts rummaging around the cupboards in the kitchen, Alice thinks. Where did I put the fish knife? 

“What are you looking for, Alice?” Mom was standing behind Alice, with a questioning expression on her face.

“Ahh!" Alice jumps. "Oh you're home! Hmm, I'm looking for a fish knife. Do you know where it is?”

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you, but yes, it is on the wall over counter top above your head.”

Mom turns around, grabs her purse, and heads outside. “Are you ready to go, Honey?” Mom says to Dad.

As Dad puts the cooler of fish down on the table. “Ah! Don’t walk, so quiet like that please, but no, I need to change."

 Alice joins them and trips on nothing, but doesn't fall. 

“Oh, Alice, you can put the fish in this?" Dad pass Alice a glass container. "Are you going to be fine, Alice?”

“Yeah, I got it all handled,” Alice says with a smile. 

“Great,” says Dad before walking to the house.    

Mom looks at her watch then at Alice “If you need anything just call, okay? And don't stay up past 10:00 pm, and no fires, please, Alice.”

“Don’t worry about me, I will be fine. I won’t do anything I don’t already know how to do, so go with Dad.” 

“Oh, you are growing up so fast.” Mom pulls Alice into a hug and kisses her on the head.

 In a few minutes Dad leans up against the barn door. "I’m ready to go now. We better get going or we might miss our reservation.”      

 “All right, I'm on my way." Mom releases from the hug, and looks into Alice’s eyes." You be good, okay?” 

“I will. Bye Mom, and bye, Dad."

“Bye,  Alice,” Dad closes Mom’s door and waves at Alice.

Alice waves back at them as they leave.

“Well, there’s that. I guess it’s time to clean those fish.” Alice walks over to a cooler in the barn. “Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, cinco, y seis,” Alice takes one fish out at a time. “All right, so if I take five minutes on each fish, then that will take thirty minutes. Then I  should  have enough time so I can finally watch Percy Jackson. Then I'll take a shower before Mom and Dad get back. Yeah, that sounds right.” 

Four fish later. “Ow! No!” Alice looks at her bloody finger then runs into the house to get a band-aid.

Alice looks at her finger after washing the blood away. “Okay, it’s not that bad. I hope Mom will still let me use a knife.” Alice puts a band-aid on it and goes back to the barn to finish the last two fish. 

“Ahh, no, Cipher! That’s my fish!” Alice yells, running over and grabbing the fish filet out of the cat’s mouth. She puts the cat on the floor. “I forget you like fish. I remember now, so don’t even think about trying to take my fish again.” Alice points her fingers at her own eyes then at the cat's eyes. Still staring at the cat, Alice picks up another fish and puts it on the cutting board. The cat watches as Alice cuts the rest of the fish up. 

“Finally! I’m done. Now I can go watch  ‘Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters.’  "Yay!" Alice grabs the container that the fish filets were in, and heads inside to watch Percy Jackson.       

"All right now were is that DVD? I know it is around here somewhere." Alice looks at the very unorganized movie shelf  in the living room.  Alice looks in the cracks in couch, under the reclining chair, and around the TV which is over the fire place.

Alice looks at the cat staring at her, "Don't look at me like that, Cipher. I am going to find the DVD in time, even if you don't think I can. You just watch."

Alice looks back at the DVD's and spots the Percy Jackson DVD she was looking for, but it was on the top shelf, which was too high for her to reach. "You got to be kidding me! How am I supposed to get that? I am only 4’ 8." 

Five minutes later, Alice pulls over two chairs, and stacks them. "What? It's not going to fall over, see?" Alice shakes the chair, and looks at the cat watching her. "Here we go," Alice climbs up the chairs, and starts to stand up. The chairs wiggle  a little under her weight "It's ok, I am not going to fall. I just need to reach the DVD." Alice goes on to her tiptoes and grabs the DVD. "Yes!" 

A cracking noise comes from the chairs under Alice, and the next thing she knows she is falling to the  floor.  "Ow! That hurt!" Alice looks in front of her to see Cipher looking at her, dead in the eyes, as if he was saying, "I told you, so!  

Alice picks up the DVD, and puts the chairs away before watching Percy Jackson.   

 Two hours later, Alice stretched and turned off the TV. "That was great, wasn't it, Cipher?" 

Cipher walks away.

Alice hears a car coming down the drive way. "Oh no! is it that late already? I haven't even take a shower yet!"

Alice runs to the bath, takes a super fast shower,  then hears voices. So she runs to her room and jumps in bed as she hears the door open. 

"Do you think Alice went to bed?" Dad asks.  

"I think, so because I didn't see any lights on, but let's check," Mom says.

"Looks like she's asleep," Dad says quietly.  

"Yeah. Good night, Alice," Mom says before she  kisses me on the head, and Dad does the same.

The End

(Assignment for Lesson #20 - Autobiography) 

If you are between the ages of 13 -18,

(or know someone who likes to write stories)

I would like to post your story here.

Send me an email. I'd love to read your story!

The Little Blue Butterfly Fish

The Little Blue Butterfly Fish

by

Alana Blake 

(age 14)

“What a wonderful day to be alive in the coral reef! No one has tried to eat me, and it’s light out,” Blue Fish says, swimming around the reef calmly.

 “Ooh, what’s that shiny thing?” Blue Fish asks, with a glow in his eyes. He swims closer to it. “No, I shouldn't! It could be a trap, but what if it’s not?” Blue Fish stops, looks around cautiously, then back at the shiny piece of metal on the seafloor. 

Two seconds later, “Naw, no one would do that,” Blue Fish says, swimming right into a net that is in front of the shiny piece of metal. “Nooo! Please let me go, you thing! I promise I won’t try to take the shiny again, please!” Blue Fish says, struggling to get loose from the net, but it only gets tighter around him. 

“Ahhh, I can’t breathe! Where did the water go?” Blue Fish yells, being pulled out of the net. He is put in a really dark box with sea water in it. “What in the Barnacles is going on? And how is it night already?” 

A few hours later, Blue Fish feels a sound jolt, then he hears a bunch of weird noise as the water clams down. Blue Fish looks up to see a bright light, and then something big starts coming closer.  Blue Fish dashes around the small box, but it’s no use. The thing gets him! 

“This is it! I am going to die! There’s no doubt about it!” Blue Fish yells. 

Blue Fish is dropped into a different tank of water. “What? Why am I not dead?” Blue Fish swims around the new tank. He swims towards a reef, where there were a lot of other fish. “Hey, maybe there is food over there,” Blue fish says. As he gets closer, he sees one of the little fish, that wasn’t moving, get scooped up by a little shark. “Never mind,” Blue Fish says, swimming backwards as fast as he can. But then he runs into something hard, and immediately freezes in place. Nothing happens though. Blue Fish moved a little, then froze again. Again nothing happens, so Blue Fish turns around to see weird figures, that were a little bit blurry, staring at him. “What is this thing in front of me? I can not see it, but I can feel it, and why are those things staring at me?”

The water vibrates as something taps the clear thing that you can feel but not see. “WhAT iS GoINg oN? AhHh!” Blue Fish yells. Suddenly being scooped up again, but this time in a clear cylinder. Weird shapes zip by in all different colors, and sizes. “Places, let me go where you found me. I promise to never try to  take anyone's shiny thing again, just let me go!” Blue Fish baggies. 

Blue Fish is dumped into another tank but this one is different. The water was wormer, there were wired shape rocks, and more wall it looked liked. Blue Fish looks around, and all of the other fish look just like him. “Hmm, this is better, I don’t even need to find something shiny to look at myself now” Blue Fish says.   

Written for Lesson 17 at Polliwog Pages (Point of View)

(polliwogpages.com) 

If you are between the ages of 13 -18,

(or know someone who likes to write stories)

I would like to post your story here.

Send me an email. I'd love to read your story!