The Emerald Prince and the Sapphire Palace

Hi-Ho, Hi-Ho, it is off to Northwestern Missouri we go.

As most of you know, the Emerald Prince (a.k.a. the Frog Prince) resides in that plush palace run by the state of Missouri and known as the Emerald Palace. It is an exclusive resort so popular that it is surrounded by barbed wire to keep the less fortunate out. Well, the Emerald Prince lives there no longer. Because of being an exemplary resident he received an automatic upgrade to even finer digs and now he resides across the street at the even finer Sapphire Palace. (It has a blue roof and an extremely fine Howard Johnsons.)

HarleyDad, Brokerbelle and Princessbelle received an engraved invitation to come up and visit the Emerald Prince, so it was with excitement that all of us headed up north of Kansas City for this exciting adventure and rare opportunity. But we did not go alone. We came bearing gifts. Nestled away in our picnic box were steaks medium rare, bacon and lettuce sandwiches, New York cheese cake with strawberry and blackberry topping. Yumm! Did I mention that the Sapphire Palace had loss its Cordon Bleu trained chef so the family decided to come bearing gifts cooked by Brokerbelle who is such a good cook that the French cooking schools occasionally drop over to Missouri to get her latest recipes.

Well as usual, when we arrived we were met by the Servants of the Sapphire Palace and the official palace tasters (who are there to keep the guests from being poisoned and who are worthy of being tasters for an oriental potentate). Being passed through the “Sniffer” we were told to get rid of the champignons which the taster concluded might be drugs. After all, they appeared to look like mushrooms). HarleyDad claimed that the champignons were really truffles; however the Tasters kept mumbling that they were “shrooms.” Then we had to remove the rum sauce from the cheese cake which HarleyDad promptly scraped off and ate and then proceeded through the rest of the inspection in style. Oh, the tasters did not smile on us and removed the Cabernet Sauvignon “98 which HarleyDad promptly drank on the spot and returned the Bavarian Glass Wine Stems to the car. We suspect that the facility may be run by Mormons or Baptists because they do not allow us bring in alcohol.

After sampling one half of the cheese cake the tasters joyfully pronounced all food to be of the finest quality and we were announced with trumpets and entered into the Hall of Waiting.

After a while we were joined by the Emerald Prince who also wanted to inspect the basket of goodies that we had brought through the Missouri woods. The first item of inspection was the bacon , lettuce and tomato sandwiches which were promptly eaten. The Emerald Prince, finishing his third, pronounced them edible.

Then we proceeded to the cheese cake and finished that off. Next was the filet mignon and the broccoli and cheese sauce.

The Emerald Prince began to discuss the wonders of the Sapphire Palace. He showed us his room key for the executive suite. Then there was the excellent library even containing such volumes as the Ante-Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers including works by Augustine, Origen and Ignatius. And the fitness center is to die for with both machines and free-weights. Ah but the food, is less than optimal due to the absence of French trained chefs.

It was a great visit. The Emerald Prince continues to prosper and yesterday thanks to the wondrous cooking of Brokerbelle, prospered more than ever.

The adventure continues.