I’m having a miniature identity crisis and desperately need the help of a few of you readers. I was invited last week to a meet and greet on the block of my Arizona home. The hostess said we could bring a small something to share or not.

I certainly didn’t want to be not only a newish member on the block, but the person who brought the “or not.” But I had a serious problem. I’ve still not learned my way around the grocery store or about the items you can find there to combine into a “small something” to share.

Some of you know that my husband was my cook and grocery shopper. The only advice he gave me before he died nearly four years ago was “Find a guy who cooks.”

Well, that hasn’t been successful. So what do I do? I’d already shipped my car home, so I had no means of going anywhere to find that “small something.” But, lucky me, I remembered that when my daughter had visited, she’d brought several tubes of frozen dough and caramel sauce for caramel rolls. I decided, even though the meet and greet was for a 4-6pm happy hour, I would bring warm breakfast caramel rolls.

I forgot to get them out the night before to rise (or raise?). So I did this task at 8am. The directions said they needed eight hours to rise. So I “rose” them until 3:40 and baked them till 4:10, arriving at the meet and greet 15 minutes late with my piping hot rolls. Because we were having some super hot weather, the hostess had decided we’d stay inside instead of gathering on her steamy windy patio.

Her decision was beneficial for my piping hot rolls. They liked the A/C.

When I entered the dining room, I saw the “spread” on the very large table. The items displayed there were not small inconsequential items. I stood back in awe. How did people think up these beautiful concoctions?

I made a place for my piping hot rolls and took a small paper plate to pile on some of the beautiful items covering the whole table. One particular “glob” looked like a yummy “fluff” salad my mother used to make, so I took a heaping spoon of it. Some tiny bits of red and green something drowned in Cool Whip, perhaps.

When my small plate was full, I sat on the couch next to a neighbor I knew. I took a bite of the “fluff” but it was NOT the fluff. I asked my neighbor if she knew what it was. “I brought that,” she said brightly. “It’s hummus dip.”

I felt myself go pale. Dip. “Oh, its something you put on crackers?”

“Yes, the crackers were right next to it on the table.”

I felt like I’d never been properly socialized. At the age of 80, I still didn’t recognize a dip and crackers ensemble.

After getting some crackers, I took a large spoonful of a mushy-cakey-like thing with dark red dots. Maybe a chopped up strawberry short cake?

It was delicious. I asked my neighbor what it was. “That’s Ginny’s (not her real name) signature dish. It is really yummy. She brings it every time we have a party. Everyone loves it.”

As I shriveled back into the sofa cushions feeling totally deflated, I got a bright idea. I could redeem myself. I could get famous myself if only I had my very own special signature dish! If only!

And that’s where you come in, readers. What simple, simple dish–say no more that five items–is a knockout dish that could become my signature dish? One I could bring to block parties and everyone would exclaim: “There’s Lois again with that wonderful ……! It’s so wonderful, we just can’t wait for another party so we can have it again!”

I had dinner with these two woman before I left AZ. I mentioned in passing that I was a blogger and this “signature dish” may show up on my blog. I don’t know if they believed me or not.

But to back track, after I’d recovered a bit at the party, the hostess came to sit by me. “Did you bring these yummy rolls? They are wonderful!” My neighbor chimed in: “Yes, they are so good. They melt in your mouth. You’ll have to give me the recipe.”

I smiled sweetly inside and said a prayer that my grandkids’ school would be selling these frozen tubes of caramel rolls again. Meanwhile, if you have that simple, simple recipe to share, who knows? You could be the winner in helping me become famous!