Spinach Dip

One of my favorite people is my old roommate Jane. We met in an English class in college and wound up living together in a giant house (with like 5 or 6 other people) during our senior year. Jane took care of me during one drunken night right before Christmas break when I was weepishly loaded and bemoaning the most recent break up. I threatened to pass out. She informed me that I would not, but rather would be getting off my ass and dragging our Christmas tree outside. This is what happens when you are one of 9 children.

In living up to her name, Jane was only into very plain food. She was adamant about this. She did not enjoy fancy. Just a good solid meat-and-potatoes, hot dogs-and-mac-and-cheese, get-all-that-fussy-shit-away-from-me sort of girl.

As a result, I expected the recipes in my book from Jane to be good solid sorts of their own. I was not mistaken. The first from Jane is a recipe for Spinach Dip. As expected, I made this recipe without event. It was easy, the instructions were clear, and it tasted the way it should -- good, solid, ubiquitous spinach dip that people will inhale at parties. The biggest to-do was that we couldn't find the veggie soup mix it calls for at the first (ghetto) grocery, so we had to go to the slightly less ghetto one down the street.

Again our friend Sean was over, so he got to be the lucky guinea pig for yet another recipe. He and Josh chowed it proclaiming its goodness. I partook too, and can faithfully report that the best part about this spinach dip is that it has some sort of aftertaste (now there's a word you don't usually see used positively) that makes you need to take another bite. I think it is attributable to that elusive veggie soup mix, but I'm just talking out of my ass. Anyhow, who cares? It's good. The mystery of Spinach Dip is now solved. The end.

Not bad, if I do say so myself

Spinach Dip

1 10 oz pkg of chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese, bar not tub
8 oz sour cream
1 pkg of Knorr's vegetable soup mix
1 can chopped water chestnuts
chopped green onion

Mix sour cream and soup mix together and let sit about 20 minutes (to soften up the spices in the soup).

Soften cream cheese in the microwave so it is stir-able, but not melted. Think, 'This is odd. This is the second time I have had to soften cream cheese in the microwave this week.'

Be sure the spinach is drained thoroughly; squeeze excess water out of it using paper towel. Be unsure exactly how to do this. Decide this means you are to put the lump of spinach into a collander, douse the shit out of it, and then cover it with a paper towel. Realize you are going to have to use an entire roll of paper towels at this rate. Trade up for a dish rag, which works to your satisfaction, but now must go into the laundry because it has turned a sickly green color.

After sour cream and soup mix have sat 20 minutes, add all other ingredients and stir together. Chill at least 2 hours before serving with your favorite crackers and vegetables. Tell excited Josh and Sean that they have to wait every time they ask for their dip because it has not chilled sufficiently yet.

JANE NOTES:
1. Add sour cream if dip is too stiff.
2. Do not use low fat cream cheese - it will give the dip a bitter taste.
3. Low fat sour cream works fine.

HEATHER NOTES:
Decide, in inspiration from the picture on the Knorr's veggie soup mix package, that you should get fancy and attempt a bread boule in which to serve said spinach dip. Say, 'I should do a bread boule, but oh, what a waste, no one eats the bread.' Have Josh say in return, 'I do.' Buy round loaf of Italian bread and discover it is extremely easy to hollow it out and chunk the dip in it. Discover Josh does not eat the bread boule after all.