Chocolate Pudding.

Dot has been saying that no one makes their own pudding anymore, and she insists that the kind that you mix up yourself is so much better than the kind in the “tiny” containers at the grocery store, so I decided to whip up some do-it-yourself chocolate pudding last night for dessert.

If I had known how excited Joe and Dot would be when I put a big bowl of chocolate pudding in front of each of them, I would have started making pudding a long time ago!  You would’ve thought it was Christmas morning if you could have seen the looks on their faces when I put a dollop of whipped cream on the top.  They both grabbed their spoons and dove right it.

Dot:  “Isn’t this the BEST PUDDING YOU’VE EVER HAD, Joe?”

When Joe looked up at her, his mouth and chin were covered in chocolate pudding.

Joe shrugged:  “Yeah, it’s alright.”

Dot:  “Did you make this yourself?”

I nodded.

Dot:  “I just can’t even believe that people are too lazy to even make their own pudding these days, because it’s SO MUCH better this way!”

Me:  “I’m glad you’re enjoying it.”

Dot noticed that I wasn’t eating any pudding, so she said, “Aren’t you going to have any?”

Me:  “No, I cheated on my diet during Thanksgiving, so now I’m back on track and trying to be good, so I’d better not.”

Dot shook her head:  “Well that’s just no way to live.”

Joe looked up at me with big eyes and a chocolate-covered face:  “You can’t have pudding after Thanksgiving?  Is that kind of like how you’re not supposed to wear white after Labor Day…?”

I laughed:  “Yeah, something like that Joe.”

The Winemaker.

When I walked into Joe and Dot’s house this week, I was carrying 2 bottles of cranberry wine that I had purchased for them during last week’s trip home to Seattle.  Joe and Dot love wine, and I knew that it would be perfect to serve at their son’s house for Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Of course when I walked in, Joe greeted me by turning to Dot and asking her:  “Who’s that girl?”

Dot:  “Her name is Whitney, she’s here to take care of us.”

Joe:  “I don’t need anyone to take care of me!”

Dot:  “Well, she’s also going to cook for us.”

Joe:  “She’s gonna cook?”

Dot:  “Yes, and she’s an excellent cook!”

Joe:  “She IS?  Well, how the hell do you know that?”

Dot:  “Because she’s cooked her before.”

Joe looked at me suspiciously:  “SHE HAS?!”

Me:  “Yep. Lots of times.”

Joe:  “But isn’t she the Wine Lady?”

Dot:  “No, her name is WHITNEY!”

Joe:  “Oh okay.  Whitney, the Winemaker.”

Me:  “Well, I didn’t actually make this wine, Joe.  I just bought it at the winery.”

Joe:  “So the Winemakers sent you?”

Dot rolled her eyes.  I just smiled and said, “Yep, the Winemakers sent me.”

Joe:  “Oh okay, why didn’t you say so in the first place?  I’d never turn away a Winemaker!”

For the rest of the week Joe referred to me as the “The Wine Lady” and I just went with it.  It is kind of catchy:  “Whitney, the Winemaker”.

Perhaps I missed my calling…