Thursday, December 17, 2009

Catastrophic Crab Dip

I have quite a few Christmas cookbooks, but my favorite is the Mystic Seaport Christmas Memories Cookbook. Last night I decided to make a crab dip recipe from it for a potluck at school. This doesn't sound like it should have been a dangerous endeavor. It was, however, the indirect reason that I ended up in the emergency room in Bakersfield forty miles away. As I was reaching for the crab in our refrigerator, I somehow snagged my wrist on the lid of an olive can and trying to catch the can, I ended up with a deep, two-inch gash on my wrist. It didn't bleed or hurt that badly, but it was scary looking. I remember looking up at the clock as I realized that I was going to need stitches; it was nine o'clock, the time that our small town's urgent care center closes. So, Russ, who had already gone to bed, and I headed to Bakersfield where we sat endlessly in the waiting room. I think my big mistake was telling the triage nurse that my pain level was a three on a ten-point scale. I should have said "eleven!" Finally, after five hours of waiting, and having answered "no" to four different nurses and/or doctors who questioned whether my slit wrist was self-inflicted, we headed home through the foggy night. When we got home at 2:30 a.m., there was the crab dip in the fridge. Paige had gone ahead and made it for me. She had gone to bed, but Kai was sleeping on the couch waiting for us to get home. What a nice ending to an unpleasant evening.

Crab Dip

3 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 -2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 hardcooked eggs, finely chopped
12 - 16 oz shredded crabmeat

1. Process cream cheese, mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, lemon juice, and Worcestershire Sauce in food processor until smooth.

2. Fold in crabmeat and chopped egg. Pour in oven-proof casserole and refrigerate until ready to serve.

I served my cold, but you may also heat in a 350 degree oven until hot and bubbly. You may serve with sourdough bread or crackers.

Hopefully, you will have an injury-free experience preparing this wonderful dip.

I had plans for spending my evening knitting yesterday. Typically, because I have had so much work to do, I feel like knitting all the more. I'm almost finished with the "cableyoke jacket" sweater from Debbie Bliss's Simply Baby. I just need to buy a zipper. I really like this pattern. It was really easy, but the cables kept it from being boring. I'm proud to brag that I used stashed yarn to knit it. It's wool, but that's about all I know. I've had it forever. I think I bought it to knit a Christmas sweater from McCall's Knitting Magazine back when it was one of the only knitting magazines around.
This is turning into kind of a random posting, but I had to show off my mailbox cover. I think it's the perfect design for someone who loves knitting. I'm hooked on the mailbox covers from House to Home Ideas. Russ asked me today if I was part of a club with them where I get a new one every month...mmmmm. that sounds like a great idea.

6 comments:

Tracy Batchelder said...

I hope everyone liked the crab dip after all you went through. It was nice of your daughter to finish making it for you. It sure does look good.

Knittings Nice! said...

Oh not a nice experience for you last year...but a lovely recipe.
Loving the mailbox cover, alas nothing like that over here...but lovely though and mitts are gorgeous on it.

Thimbleanna said...

Ouch! Sorry about your injury, but the dip looks yummy. Do you think they would have made you wait even longer if your injury had been self-inflicted LOL? Love the sweater and the mailbox cover. And I have a Mystic Seaport summer cookbook -- I need to remember to use it more!

Anonymous said...

I love the fact that Paige made it for you. And I hate the fact that you got hurt!! Lots of lessons learned though. Overstate pain at emergency rooms and empty opened aluminum canned items into a safer vessel.

Hope you are feeling better and we will chat soon.
XO
Ann /Lincoln

Rani said...

At first, I thought we were in for an allergic reaction story!

How horrible - but how wonderful that you had a back-up team in place to wait patiently by your side AND make the crab dip anyway.

Happy Holidays!!!!

JayJay said...

Yikes, that is some dangerous crab dip! (Although your recipe does sound yummy and I may have to try it, injury free I hope.)

Cute mailbox cover! Too bad we don't have an actual mailbox. The downside of living in a new housing development I guess.