Pharm Cooking: Diamonds in the check-out lane
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
It is best to squelch rumors before they get out of hand. Yes, it is true that I am not wearing my wedding ring and yes, I was hugging a man in Wichita in public.
As usual, the whole thing is the fault of my younger son, Carson. Carson asked me if he could have a Super Bowl party for his dorm guys and their girl friends in our basement. Of course, we agreed because we love having young people in the basement and we built it just for that purpose. Then the other shoe dropped and he asked me to make the food.
Normally, I would be thrilled — I love to cook for a crowd. But I was going to Oklahoma to see my sister and do a little business while I was there, too. So I changed my plans to come back on Saturday night instead of Sunday. This is where it gets interesting.
I knew I would get back to Hillsboro after the grocery stores closed so I stopped in Wichita to buy some perishable items that I didn't want to buy before I left. It was almost closing time for the store, the parking lot was packed, and of course, there were only three or four checkers with 10 people in every line.
I waited my turn, and as I was unloading my groceries onto the conveyor belt, my ring caught on a rough edge on the cart and the diamond popped out. I was in shock. I told the checker what had happened and asked that she call a manager.
So after they got another aisle open for the checker, the manager, another man, and I crawled around on the floor looking for a loose diamond. After about 10 minutes, the manager got a flashlight. Under the register on the next checkout lane, he saw it!
I was so relieved that much to his horror, I hugged him. (He looked to be in his late 20's). Then I was shaking so hard that he had to get an envelope to put it in because I couldn't hold it. I had had that diamond for 34 years and I was so relieved to have it back.
I was teasing my husband and told him that I immediately had to put my other ring on my left hand to keep the old men from hitting on me because when they saw I had fresh produce in my cart, they knew I could cook.
So we made it home, the party was a success, and I am getting my ring fixed. I used a new cheese dip for the party because for 30 college students, I knew I would need a lot. My sister-in-law said that she had been using this recipe because it stays better that the plain Velveeta and Rotel dip and makes much more.
I think saving my diamond made me remember how glad I am that I have such a good husband. It was either saving the diamond or the fact that he opened all the cans for dip.
Nacho Cheese Dip
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cheddar cheese soup
2 cans tomatoes with chilies such as Rotel
2 pounds Velveeta
1-2 pounds hot sausage, browned and drained
Combine all the ingredients in a very large crock pot. Heat. Serve with taco chips. (You can add variations. I used one can of nacho cheese soup in place of one of the cheddar cheese soups and I used the extra hot Rotel tomatoes because my family likes it hot.)
