I so enjoy being the parent of adults. They don’t put cat food up their noses. The conversations are more interesting, the wit is sharp and funny, and I have ready-made experts to explain the intricacies of the modern world to me. Now I know what a meme is. I understand why texting is preferable to conversation in many instances. I know which vampire brother makes the girls swoon. Yesterday, Last born showed me how to focus the screen when taking a photo with my iPhone. Now that’s useful! I still flinch when the b-word is tossed into casual talk, but I (affectionately) called the offender a chickensh*t two weeks ago, so I can’t really complain. First born is willing to try the latest food truck menus with me, and she also showed me how to navigate Etsy. I even have a PayPal account!

A new and wonderful world has opened up.

Along with that comes a lessening of responsibilities. I don’t care anymore if my kids eat brownies before dinner (unless those brownies are designated for dessert after dinner, then there’s trouble). If my wineglass needs refilling, I have someone over the age of 21 to do it for me. Last born even downloaded the Find Friends app on my phone so that we could track each other’s whereabouts, pretty much the last thing she’d agree to, much less initiate, between the ages of 14 and 23. Maybe she’s forgiven me for sending her three-year-old self to preschool that day with a head of garlic for Show & Tell. (I thought the directive was for your child to bring something that started with the letter G. Instead, it was supposed to be a favorite toy.) Win some, lose some…

So, at family dinner last week, when I ran out of time to make the french fries that went with the hamburgers, I blithely disregarded the menu and pointed to the potato chips and cucumber dip we’d been enjoying prior to the meal. The appetizer would stand in for the vegetable, I said, because a potato is a potato, and a cucumber is a veg. Eat up!

Besides, we love this dip.

Cucumber Dip, adapted from Rave Reviews, a community cookbook by the Junior League of North Little Rock, © 1982 by Rave Reviews Publications. Reduced-fat ingredients can be substituted for the cream cheese, sour cream, and Miracle Whip, if desired.

1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 English cucumber, chopped (If using a regular cucumber, peel the skin.)

1/2 small white onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (or finely chopped)

1 8-ounce carton of sour cream

1/2 cup Miracle Whip dressing

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of kosher salt

Put everything in a bowl and mix it together. A hand-held electric mixer works well for this, but so would a wooden spoon and some elbow grease. Serve in a pretty bowl with some extra cayenne sprinkled over the top, for color, alongside lots of good potato chips or crudités.