Clam dip

 Pumpkin pie, Mexican won ton and clam dip.  The foods I associate with Char.

I told the story of pumpkin pies yesterday.  Mexican won ton was a recipe we found on Sunset magazine.  It was a mixture of hamburger, sausage, cheese and various spices, and folded into Chinese won ton skins and deep fried.  You served it with guacamole.  It was a favorite whenever we went to any sort of social gathering...one or the other of us made it.  In fact, one of the reasons "Trifles from Tiny Tots," the cookbook we put together as a fund raiser for the kids' nursery school, was written was because so many people wanted the recipe for Mexican won ton.  We ended up putting all of our favorite recipes in it (as well as many recipes from other parents at the school) so we would have them all in one place.  It's one reason the cookbook is such a good one.

But it's clam dip that became the most popular hors d'oeuvre for our Pinata group get togethers.  One of us would make a big bowl of it, to be served with potato chips.  I made it with just cream cheese and minced clams, plus some of the juice from the clams.  I believe she may have added some other ingredients.  But we would put the big bowl out and immediately the kids gathered around.  I can't remember, in all honesty, if the boys ate more than the girls did, but we always told the boys not to "hover," meaning they could take a couple of chips with dip but then had to leave for a bit before they could take more.  The boys always complained that the girls got more than they did.

It seemed appropriate to see this on the kitchen counter this morning.

How better to remember Charlotte than with clam dip.  Ned made it and brought me a bowl of chips and dip at lunch  time.

The nice thing about eating clam dip and chips when you are alone is you can hover all you want.

Miss you, Char.

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As I was writing this, I received news that Pat Lange, who taught Jeri how to play piano decades ago, has died.  We just saw her at a birthday party a month or so ago and she looked very sad the whole time.  She made a huge difference in our lives and in the lives of so many others.