Lay's potato chips were on sale at the grocery store so I bought a couple bags. And while I love them plain right out of the bag, I was craving the chip dip that my mom used to make. It was the same dip that my grandmother used to make. I think she got the recipe from the mother of one of my mom's friends. Since both my mom and grandma are gone now, I guess I'll never know for sure where it came from. One of a million things I should have asked about but never did.

Here's the base recipe...

• 8oz. cream cheese brick, softened.
• Two heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise.
• Splash of lemon juice.
• Garlic powder to taste.

It's good just like that, but there are optional add-ins if you're wanting something more exciting...

• Splash of Worcestershire sauce (for non-vegetarians).
• Two heaping tablespoons of sour cream.
• Ground pepper to taste.
• Cayenne pepper to taste.
• Minced garlic to taste.
• Dash of hot sauce.
• Chopped scallions (or chives) and paprika as a topper.

   
Tonight I just made the base recipe with a little cayenne. It was exactly what I needed.

And everything I didn't.

It's been seven months since my mom died and there's always something there to remind me that she's gone. If it's not the pictures of her on the wall or cream cheese dip, it's something else.

Everything else.

There doesn't have to be a ghost for you to be haunted. All it took for me was a bag of chips.