These two-bite cheeseballs were a big hit at a recent party.  They’re two bites if you’re feeling ladylike.  In truth most everyone popped them in their mouths right off the toothpick.

How do you get along with your mother-in-law?  When I met John’s mother for the first time she must have been around 70 and I thought she was the sexiest old woman I’d ever met.

She dressed (and still does) like she’d just stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine and she’s as petite as she can be.  I wanted to be just like her.  She flirted with every man she saw and had them wrapped around her finger in minutes.  Think Scarlett O’Hara in her 70s.

One thing she didn’t like about me was that I was American.  It seemed that Americans all lived in big cities and they chewed gum and were downright unpleasant.  Honestly, look at what’s on TV.

She changed her mind after a 3-week visit to the states, exclaiming, “There are neighbourhoods here that look like they could be anywhere in Australia.”  Uh huh.

She never said I was overweight or dare I say it, fat but she often points out fat people and says things like, “She has such a pretty face, too bad she can’t shift the excess weight.  Too many Maccas.” I suppose she hopes I’ll take the hint.  I rarely go to McDonalds so it’s not the maccas that make me round.  I suspect it’s butter.

I think she’d approve of these lovely two bite cheese balls that are perfect for any party.  I brought them to a Christmas gathering the other night and they disappeared in under 5 minutes.  I was surprised because there wasn’t one left for me.  I should have brought more.  They took about 5 minutes to prepare once the cheese was at room temperature.

My mother-in-law went into an aged care facility this week for the big A.  She’s very confused and feeling abandoned, leaving our hearts broken.  Rob speaks about her every time I walk past him and he can’t wait til she’s settled and ready for visitors.  It must be tough after 67 years of marriage.