Toaster Strudels

This morning I woke up ravenous, probably because I went with some people in my ward went on a late night McDonald's run, revving up my metabolism.  Looking through my food supplies, I found a glorious forgotten treasure: Strawberry Toaster Strudels.

When my mom was dropping me off this semester, my first semester cooking for myself, she took one last trip tot he grocery store where she bought me things she knew I wouldn't be buying for myself:  ice cream, cookies, chips, and yes, Toaster Strudels.

I cooked the Strudel with the technique I have mastered over the years: 10 seconds in the microwave and then toasted on a medium setting.  That way, the inside isn't cold while the outside is burned.  I added the last swirl of delicious frosting, which started melting as soon as it touched the warm pastry.  As I brought the sweet to my lips, I literally closed my eyes in anticipation.  I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten a Toaster Strudel.  Even in my childhood they were a delicacy.

The first bite was exquisite.  Warm, but not burning, toasted, but not crunchy.  I recognized with each bite what a rare occasion this would be, and did everything in power to savor every moment.  I calculated that each Toaster Strudel was around 55 cents a pop.  That's a lot of money for something you can devour in 4 bites and forget you've eaten 10 minutes later.

Suddenly, a flashback hit me.  The years it took me to perfect my Toaster Strudel technique.  Sometimes, I made them too soggy.  Sometimes the middle still ended up cold as ice and hard as a rock.  I painfully remembered one occasion when I burned the outside of the strudel, and shamelessly threw it away.  THREW IT AWAY.  The thought alone made me want to go back in time and reprimand my nine year old self.  But that wouldn't do any good now.  All I can do is remember how to properly cook the delicious treat, and enjoy every last bite.