If Joey mentions a restaurant dish he once loved, he already knows I am going to treat it like a challenge. I love figuring out how to recreate our favorites at home—especially when it gives us something delicious without another meal out.
Not long after we moved into our home, Joey tried to describe a certain kind of chip he had eaten at a Mexican restaurant somewhere in North Louisiana. He kept calling them “fried chips,” but neither of us could find quite what he meant online.
Finally, after enough back-and-forth—the way married couples who know each other well sometimes do—I asked, “Are you talking about fried flour tortillas?”
I made a batch and let him be the judge. That was exactly what he had been trying to describe, and I have been making them for him ever since.
A Little Brunch Request
Today Joey requested a little brunch snack: my sausage cheese dip with those homemade fried tortilla chips. I use the large zero-carb flour tortillas I usually buy, then cut them into different shapes before frying them until crisp.
I have several cookie cutters, including a heart, and it had been a while since I used that one. As soon as I spotted it, I thought, “Let’s do the hearts today and see if he notices.”
Joey’s Favorite Sausage Cheese Dip
Ingredients
- 1 package spicy breakfast sausage
- 1 small block of Velveeta cheese, cut into cubes
- 2 cans mild Rotel
- ½ block of softened cream cheese
How I Make It
- Brown the breakfast sausage completely, then drain away any excess grease.
- Reduce the heat and add the cubed Velveeta, mild Rotel, and cream cheese.
- Stir gently over low heat until everything is melted, creamy, and combined.
Homemade Heart-Shaped Tortilla Chips
For the chips, I cut large flour tortillas with my heart-shaped cookie cutter. I also use the remaining tortilla pieces so nothing has to go to waste. I fry them a few at a time until they are crisp and golden, then place them on paper towels to drain.
The hearts make an ordinary snack feel a little more special, but they still look handmade—and that is part of their charm.
He Noticed the Hearts
I arranged everything on a platter, tucked the heart-shaped chips around the dip, and carried it to Joey feeling entirely too excited about my little surprise.
He thanked me as I started to walk away. Then he took a closer look at the plate and said, “Oh, you did the hearts.”
“Yes, I did—because I love you.”
He ate every bit of it.
That is one of my favorite parts of homemaking: remembering the little things someone once mentioned, finding a way to make them at home, and adding one small detail that says, “I was thinking about you.” It does not have to be expensive or elaborate. Sometimes love looks like a heart-shaped tortilla chip beside a bowl of warm cheese dip. 🤎
Love Served From the Kitchen
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31
There is something meaningful about preparing food for someone you love. This was not a grand gesture—it was simply Joey’s favorite cheese dip, tortillas cut into little hearts, and a plate carried to him with love.
Homemaking gives us so many ordinary opportunities to care for the people God has placed in our lives. Even a little brunch snack can say, “I know what you enjoy, I remembered, and I wanted to make it especially for you.” The giving is not only in the food itself, but also in the thought, time, and love that go into serving it.
Let’s Talk in the Comments
What restaurant favorite have you learned to recreate at home—or what simple food do you make to show someone you love them?
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