Little Brooke is all grown up and married! A few weeks back we had a bridal shower for her, and she is pictured here wearing her fake veil...she had to answer questions about her fiance to see how well she knew him - for every wrong answer a chunk of veil was chopped off. I had hopes of seeing just a stubble of tulle on the top of her head but Brooke fooled us all and her knee-length veil was still past her shoulders by the time the game ended!
It was a lovely shower with a lot of good friends and family and beautiful gifts - just what every bride deserves! (I'd like to see the shower tradition changed up a bit...anyone who stays married for 20 years should be given a bridal shower...after 20 years everything needs to be replaced! Along with a new toaster, blender and dishtowels the wife of 20 years would enjoy opening new lingerie flannel pj's or a lovely moo-moo! New towels and bedding and perhaps even a Merit Badge of Perseverance, translation: a new ring! Those of us who have been in the trenches, who run our fingers around the rims of glasses, checking for chips, before setting the table, would truly appreciate a new 4-slice toaster...we would probably swoon upon opening it! New brides smile, politely say "thank you" and then move on to the next gift...hoping for a nasty little number to wear on their wedding night...they have NO idea how quickly lingerie turns into dust rags!! Okay, I'm done...I'm going to give myself a Celebration Shower and replace every old thing in my kitchen and if the mister walks in, then I'll replace him, too!)
We served this appetizer at Brooke's shower - it was a hit! It's one of our favorites, so I make it frequently, although I usually only stuff pea pods with the crab mix for special occasions. Sometimes we just have this as a dip with chips and/or crackers or I spread it on celery stalks or serve it with cut veggies - it has great flavor and it's so versatile, plus it's a snap to make!
Cheesy Crap Dip/Crab Stuffed Pea Pods - Adapted From Joan Blair, Leawood, Kansas
1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
1 jar (5 oz.) Old English Cheese (comes in a small jar and can usually be found on the cracker aisle of the grocery store)
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cans (6 oz.) lump crab meat, rinsed and drained
48 Pea Pods, rinsed and dried or sliced celery
In a large bowl combine cream cheese and Old English cheese and mix well to blend. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, garlic and cayenne and mix well. Fold in crab meat. If serving as a dip, fill serving dish and serve.
If filling pea pods, remove stem/string from long end of pea pod, carefully open pod, repeat with remaining pods. Scoop crab dip into a large Zip-lock style plastic bag, then snip off about 1/2-inch of the corner of the bag. Place bag into pea pod and gently squeeze crab dip, filling pod. (Mixture will be soft but will become more firm with refrigeration.) Makes 48 pea pods. Keep refrigerated until serving time.
