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Sophie went out to the corner store a few hours later and picked up what they needed. She also grabbed a container of homemade blue cheese dressing to have with the chicken wings as a dipping sauce.
When she returned, Caroline had the wings lined up on a cookie sheet and was brushing barbecue sauce onto them. “I won’t put these in the oven until a half hour before Max comes, so they are nice and hot,” she said.
“What can I do to help?” Sophie asked.
Caroline thought for a minute. “Do you want to make the guac? It only gets better when it sits, so we can make that ahead.”
“Sure. I can handle that.” Sophie got a mixing bowl and sliced the three ripe avocados, took out the big pit and scooped them into the bowl. The avocados were perfectly soft and buttery. She added a little diced onion, garlic, jalapeño, chopped cilantro and juice from half a lemon. She mixed it all up, tasted and added a pinch of salt and pepper. Then she scooped some onto a chip and handed it to Caroline to taste.
“Oh, that’s good. Maybe just add a splash of salsa?”
Sophie did as suggested and took another taste. The tablespoon of fresh salsa balanced the guac perfectly. She wrapped it up, pressing on the plastic so the film touched the avocado so it wouldn’t brown. She put it in the refrigerator and then watched as Caroline made the taco dip.
“This is so easy. You just brown a pound of ground beef, or turkey, it’s good both ways. Once it’s browned, I add two tablespoons of taco seasoning and a quarter cup of water, then a big squirt of Sriracha hot sauce. Maybe a tablespoon or so, just for a little kick. Then I dump in a can of refried beans and mix until it’s well blended.”
Sophie could smell the hot sauce and seasonings and her stomach rumbled in anticipation.
“Last step is the cheese. You can use a cup of shredded cheddar, but I like to use half a carton of cheddar pub cheese.” She pulled the carton from the fridge and scooped the leftover creamy cheese into the pan. Once it was all blended, she poured the mix into a square casserole dish and sprinkled a handful of shredded cheddar across the top. “Now we’ll just pop this in the oven when the wings have ten minutes to go and they’ll be ready at the same time,” she said.
“I’m suddenly starving,” Sophie admitted.
“Me too. Let’s open the wine and pour a glass while we wait.”
Sophie opened a bottle of Josh cabernet and poured two glasses. She also filled a small bowl with mixed nuts to take the edge off her hunger.
“Have you heard from Tessa?” Sophie asked. She hadn’t seen her all day and guessed she’d slept at her friend April’s house the night before.
Caroline nodded. “She said they are going to a party at one of April’s friends tonight and she’ll probably just stay over again and head into work from there.”
Sophie was secretly relieved that Tessa wouldn’t make an appearance while they were hanging out with Max. She knew Max would be fine with it, but Tessa always seemed to bring tension with her and Sophie was looking forward to a relaxing time with Caroline and Max.
Sophie had texted Max that they were doing appetizers instead of pizza and he arrived at seven sharp with a bottle of Caymus cabernet. Sophie knew nothing about it, but Caroline’s eyes widened when she saw the label.
“Yum. I’ll open that now so it can breathe. This is nice splurge, thank you.”
Max shrugged. “It’s my mother’s favorite and I bought a case of it the last time she was here.”
Sophie was curious. “I’ve never had it. Am looking forward to trying it.”
“It’s so good,” Caroline said. “But for me it would be a special occasion wine. I don’t usually spend much more than twenty dollars on a bottle of wine.”
Sophie nodded. “Same here. Though I did splurge recently on Austin Hope and Flowers, that pinot noir Aunt Penny loved.”
Max grinned. “I don’t mind spending on wine now and then. It’s all about the experience for me. And it is delicious. That said, I’ve been known to enjoy cheap wine from a box, too. I am not a wine snob.”
Sophie laughed. “It’s fun discovering a good, cheap wine. This is a treat though.” Sophie poured Max a glass of the Josh to start.
“Okay, everything’s ready.” Caroline put the hot wings on a platter with the blue cheese dressing on the side for dipping. She carried the bubbling taco dip to the table while Sophie got the guac out of the refrigerator.
They sat around the table and inhaled the taco dip and wings. The chicken wings were good, but the taco dip was addictive, especially with the guacamole on the side. It was almost like nachos.
“This dip is crazy good,” Max said as he scooped a pile of dip on a chip.
“Thanks. It’s my mother’s recipe. She makes it for every Super Bowl and tailgate parties,” Caroline said.
Max glanced at Sophie. “How did your open house go today?”
“I think it was pretty good. A lot of people came through and everyone seemed to like it. It’s hard to know for sure. Hopefully, I’ll hear from at least one or two realtors next week. Everyone that came through was already working with someone,” Sophie.
