"You got chocolate in my peanutbutter..."

I love stories about how couples met - everyone has one, unless perhaps they married their brother, which is a thought that makes my brain punch itself. Unless you're like Cain and Abel, and there isn't anyone on earth other than your sister or your mom (*punchpunchpunch*), there are TONS of available mates out there, just go to your local library where they congregate at the free computers that can't be denied porn because of our second amendment rights. Just make sure you set your standards to "sub-basement".

I met my husband through my brother - they knew each other from mutual friends, and I don't know if my brother was trying to hook me up, or perhaps just show me he had friends...I leaned toward the latter since he never showed me particular deference when handing out childhood beatings, and, after causing me to develop a perpetual flinch until I was 23, I couldn't imagine he had real friends unless he paid them. (I kid...somewhat) It was a painful and awkward due to our mutual paralyzing shyness (DAMMIT, I'm telling you I WAS...) and that was about it.....took a few months and a chance meeting at A&W to get the ball rolling. And a LOT of onion rings.

My gramma met my grampa at a dance....back then they didn't "date" so much as they did "group activities"...they would go to USO type dances and meet other groups of crazy kids who probably jitterbugged and watusi'ed like George and Mary Bailey right before they fell in the swimming pool. I love that movie.... So after several dances, my grampa stopped showing up, and the next time they ran into each other, my gramma asked him why. He said that he liked her, but that he could not marry a girl who wasn't Catholic (I think she was Lutheran?), so he couldn't keep seeing her. My gramma, who I'm SURE was shy too, told grampa "Oh, is THAT all?", and promptly converted. They were married close to 60 years....

I think my mom and dad met when my dad was skipping school and went to the theater where my mom was an usher...y'know the person in the olden days who helped you find a seat with a flashlight in the dark theater. Mom had dropped out of high school, so marrying my dad dashed her dreams of working her way up to popcorn girl....she threw it all away for a measly 54 years and counting. Sheesh. I have more, I just hesitate to share in case it would embarrass one of my children....but I think it is my favorite, so maybe he'll let me share it someday. Kids are so darn cute, even when they get all big and old and hairy!

So where am I going with this? No clue. Right now my brain is racing through all my cookbooks and my trusty recipe box, wondering if there is anything that would follow my theme of either "first meetings" or "couples".....hmmmm. Eureka! Here is an offering of just 4 ingredients, that don't really seem to complement each other, but when put together create a perfect marriage - sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy, carbs and proteins! I had these at our annual church bazaar a few years ago, and they are the most addicting, cannot stop eating, share with your friends so you're not the only one hooked snack I think I've ever found...I have guards in place to make sure I never have all 4 ingredients at the same time to avoid all hell breaking loose....along with the elastic in my buffet pants.

Tumbleweeds

12 oz. salted peanuts - the regular kind or dry roasted...what do they put on those anyway?
7 oz. french fried potato sticks..y'know, the kind that are hard and crunchy?
3 C. butterscotch chips
3 T. peanut butter

Mix peanuts and potato sticks in a big bowl; resist the urge to rub peanut butter all over your face and stick it in the bowl to make yourself a human tumbleweed. In a smaller bowl, put butterscotch chips and peanut butter in the microwave for 1 minute on high and stir, put back in on high for 30 seconds and stir again, continue 10 seconds at a time if it's not melted and smooth. Pour over nuts and spuds and stir to completely coat. Drop by spoonfuls on wax paper, and I dare you to walk away without picking off the random clinkers and eating them while your fingers burn from the melty chips and peanut butter. Let cool until hard, peel off paper and share, Share, SHARE!!!

I just had a revelation....I kept thinking "what if you've never heard of potato sticks? They are kind of weird, and an old timey food - I don't know if all grocery stores carry them, so what if you can't find em? Well, I thought about describing them, but realized immediately that part of that was "they taste just like a potato chip"...DINK! (that's a light bulb going off over my head) SOOOOO....I say if you can't find potato sticks, buy some nice ruffle potato chips! You will want to break the big ones up a little, but it should work....different shape, same taste, let me know if you do how it works! Cheers to the happy foursome, may you be together on one plate for at least a nano second!