This or That by Merri Maywether

The day the temperatures drop below seventy degrees, my mind shifts from sweet tea and smores on the porch into "this or that" mode. It is a season of asking: Which would be better this-or-that?

But it goes beyond asking. I test recipes that have the same end goal with different ingredients. The questions go along the lines of:

Should I make a cake with butterscotch pudding or chocolate pudding? 

Which would taste better, pancakes made with milk or sour cream? 

Which soda would be a great marinade for a roast: Dr.Pepper or Coca-Cola? 

Every weekend until the middle of October, my husband endures the taste tests. He doesn't seem to mind.

One year I started a great debate in our women’s circle—Lefse with instant mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes. There was a great divide. I preferred the traditional Scandinavian flatbread made with instant potatoes because it had a softer texture. They voted for the boiled potatoes batch because it was easier to roll. In the end, people were happy because we had a lot of lefse.

Why this or that? It is a fun conversation starter. The curiosity adds an element of fun to cooking. And, the best part is we get to taste the result. What fun things do you do in the upcoming season?

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I like to write short stories inspired by the month. One August day,  I shared a video with my Facebook group and they challenged me to write a story. Lost and Found is the story. 

Lost and Found

Merri Maywether

If she didn't know what he was really like, his half-crooked grin would have charmed her.

 

New to Paradise Hills, Dr. Erin Thorne needs all the help she can get. On her first day of work, her dogs run away, and despite her credentials, a strict security guard gives her a hard time about parking in the doctor's lot.  

In this meet-cute romance, she'll get the help she needs settling in from the most unexpected places. 

Click here to download a free copy of Lost and Found

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Merri Maywether lives with her husband in rural Montana. You can find her in the town's only coffee house listening to three generations of Montanans share their stories. Otherwise, she's in the classroom or the school library, inspiring the next generation's writers.