“Yes, they would,” I reply.

“I can picture it, you know?” She swallows again. “Tiff with a husband and little ones, and my parents so proud of us, chatting with your parents and the others. I hate that we were all robbed of that.”

“I hate it too.”

“Do you think they know?” She pushes away so she can look up hopefully into my eyes. “Do you think they know how happy I am? That they can see us and our kids?”

“I do,” I reply with a soft smile and wipe the tears from under her eyes. “And they’re so fucking proud of you, M.”

She gives me a watery smile and leans into me again. “Yeah. I think so, too. I guess I just get melancholy when good things are happening for us. I feel almost guilty because things are so good, and they will never have that.”

“They did have it,” I remind her. “Your parents were very happy, and they loved you girls. Your mom told me that a lot back in the day. And Mer? They’d be pissed as all get out if they knew that you felt guilty for being happy. They would want you to be happy.”

“I know.” She nods and wipes at a tear on her cheek. “And I am happy. Ridiculously happy. I’ll pull out of this funk, just like I always do. It helps that I can talk to you about it.”

“Always.” I kiss her head again, never able to get enough of the smell of her, of the feel of her against me. “You’ve had a lot to deal with lately, and you’re still healing from having Hudson.”

“Who might have been the biggest baby ever birthed,” she mutters with a sigh. “I’m a small woman, M, and he was almost eleven pounds.”

“I remember,” I say with a cringe. “I don’t know how you did it.”

“With a lot of pain,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m feeling better. Dancing feels good.”

“I’m glad.”

She tips her face up for a kiss, and I happily comply, sinking into her soft mouth.

“Never forget,” I whisper against her lips. “It’s you and me. M and M, against the world.”

She grins and cradles my face in her hands. “Always.”

House Warming Party Menu

Hot Crab Dip with Bread Ring

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon minced garlic

Juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 pound lump crab meat

1 cup shredded mozzarella

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 tube refrigerated French loaf bread dough

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350° and spray a 9” iron skillet with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and onion powder and stir until cream cheese is very smooth. Fold in crab meat, mozzarella, Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Cut bread dough into 16 pieces and roll each piece into a small ball. Place bread balls around the perimeter of the skillet, then brush with butter and sprinkle garlic powder on top. Add the crab mixture to the center of the dough ring. Bake until the bread is golden and cooked through and the cheese is bubbly, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

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BLT Cups

12 strips bacon (6 whole strips, 6 cut in half)

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cups iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a 6-cup muffin tin, turn the tin upside down and place 2 half-strips of bacon on top, making an X. Then place 1 whole strip of bacon around the sides to form a cup. Repeat with remaining bacon strips. Place muffin tin on a rimmed cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, remove bacon cups from cupcake tin and drain on paper towels. While bacon is cooking, mix together remaining ingredients and scoop into bacon cups when they’re done.

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Spinach Artichoke Rolls

6 cups oil for frying

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 can baby artichokes, chopped

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1/4 cup sour cream

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 package egg roll wrappers

Heat oil to 350 degrees in a Dutch oven or deep fryer. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except egg roll wrappers. Place 2-3 tablespoons of filling in the center of each egg roll wrapper. Fold in the two sides, then roll up starting with open corner. Seal with water at the end of the roll. Fry 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve.

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Strawberry and Bacon Bruschetta

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup basil pesto

1 French baguette, sliced

2 cups strawberries, sliced

8 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup goat cheese, crumbled

Balsamic Glaze (Click here for recipe)

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta cheese and basil pesto. Spread over sliced baguettes. In a separate bowl, combine the strawberries, bacon and goat cheese. Place 1-2 tablespoons on top of each baguette. Drizzle Balsamic Glaze on top.

Balsamic Glaze

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a small saucepan, simmer the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar over medium heat until it reduces and thickens, about 5 minutes, and let cool.

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Truffles

1 package Nutter Butter cookies

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 bag milk chocolate chips

1 tablespoon vegetable or Canola oil

Crush Nutter Butters in food processor. Cut softened cream cheese into chunks and add to food processor. Pulse until combined into a dough. Roll into small balls (about 1 inch). Freeze for 10 minutes on a cookie sheet. Melt chocolate chips in the microwave with 1 tablespoon oil. Stir until smooth and all chocolate is melted.

Using a toothpick or spoon, dip the Nutter Butter balls into the chocolate, letting the excess chocolate drip off. Melt more chocolate, as needed. Set the truffles on waxed paper to cool.

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And from Kristen’s Kitchen...Huckleberry Delight

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

11/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (12 ounce) container whipped topping

3 cups huckleberries

1/4 cup cornstarch

In a large bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar and the butter together. Spread evenly in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. In a separate bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until blended. Fold in the whipped topping and spread on top of the graham cracker crust.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the huckleberries, remaining 1 cup sugar and cornstarch, stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved and sauce has thickened. Let cool for 10 minutes, then pour over whipped topping layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

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Cocktails & Shenanigans Invitation

Luke & Natalie

Luke

“They’re gone.” I find my bride of six years in our closet, wearing only a matching set of light pink underwear and the pearls I gave her long ago, staring at her clothes as if she doesn’t have anything to wear.

Trust me, she has plenty.

And I’ll buy more for her, all she has to do is say the word.

She turns her smiling green eyes to me, a grin tickling her pink lips.

“Are you saying we’re alone?”

“As alone as we’ve been in weeks,” I confirm and pull her into my arms, holding her close. “I love our children, and I’d do it all over again any day of the week, but I do miss my alone time with you.”

She sighs as I kiss her temple. “I know. Time alone is scarce these days. I just don’t want to hire a nanny. I don’t think we need one yet. Maybe when they get older and have to be shuttled around to this and that I’ll want an extra set of hands, but I like it being just us for now.”