Dial "C" for Carrots

The sun was shining, a light breeze was blowing from the east, and it was a balmy 15 degrees according to Auntie's lucky deer thermometer that was hanging from a post in the back yard. I'd won it in playing bingo a few years ago so it's always had a place of honour in the yard. 

So as you can see, the day was as perfect as it could be for baking carrot cakes, four of them in total, all destined for my fund raising bake table at the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale.

Auntie's heart was singing and preparations were progressing nicely but when it came time to grate the carrots it all came to a screeching halt.  Imagine Auntie's dismay when I noticed that one of the three bags of carrots I'd bought from my local supermarket the day before seemed a lot lighter than the others.

This wasn't good.  Auntie needed every gram of those carrots to make four carrot cakes.

Just to make sure I wasn't imagining things, which Auntie sometimes does, I pulled out my scale and weighed that bag of carrots.  Sure enough, something was wrong.  It should have weighed almost a kilo but it didn't.  As you know, Auntie takes baking very seriously so too few carrots in her carrot cakes would never do.

I threw on my coat and hat, ready to head out the door to buy more carrots when I noticed a phone number on one of the bags.   Hmm, I thought.  Maybe if I explain the situation someone can send me some emergency carrots!

Auntie is a bit cynical these days when it comes to customer service.  Sadly, it's a lost art but with a jolt of optimism, no doubt fuelled by the cheery prospect of baking all day, I thought what the heck.  It was a free phone call and maybe the Green Giant himself would answer. Wouldn't that have made Auntie's day?

Safe from squirrels and little fingers

Auntie has always had a place in her heart for the Green Giant.  When Auntie was a little girl she sent away for a 5-foot tall stuffed Jolly Green Giant and it was her very favourite thing for a long time.  Auntie's fondness for vegetables and big green men in leafy togas goes way back.

There go to two lucky ladies with the last pieces of carrot cake

While I dialled the number on the bag, I was expecting to hear a recorded message like "press one for peas, two for corn, three for carrots" but instead, a very nice lady named Julie answered.

I told Julie the sad tale of the light bag of carrots and instead of laughing, she was very sympathetic and apologised.

After I hung up the phone with Julie, Auntie discovered a few loose carrots in the vegetable crisper so off came my hat and coat and out came the grater again. When I finished grating and weighing the carrots, I had just enough to make all four carrot cakes.  Phew.

A few days later on a sunny Saturday morning during the Great Glebe Garage Sale, Auntie sold all four carrot cakes, one slice at a time, each topped with a hand-made carrot made of white chocolate.  For a few hours, I made many people very happy while raising lots of loot for Auntie and Uncle Jim's favourite charity.

One pound of carrots = one carrot cake = 16 happy customers

One morning, a few days after the sale, Auntie heard a clacking at the mailbox and guess what?  Julie sent me a coupon for more carrots!

Isn't that nice?  I think Uncle Jim may be getting a nice carrot cake soon.