White Queso Dip with Beer

I am watching the Olympics Opening Ceremonies right now.  I love the Olympics.  I have always loved the Olympics, which is weird, because I don't really like sports and I don't watch much of the Olympics once they are on each year.  In the 2010 winter Olympics my husband developed this very odd obsession with curling, and I was forced to watch hours and hours and hours of it.  I guess it's kinda cool.  But goodness.  Aside from that, though, I have seen all the big moments (i.e. Michael Phelps, the 2002 bribed pairs-skating, etc.) but not much else in between.  But I absolutely LOVE the opening ceremonies.  I love the excitement, the music, the magic, and of course, all the countries.

I have been a very reluctant American for most of my life.  I am grateful for this country, but I've never been particularly patriotic, I'm not big on politics at all, and I probably am a little too hard on the U.S. of A.  I don't like to admit that I'm pretty much an Americanized American - I'm not a third-culture kid, I'm not a missionary kid, I don't really speak anything fluently other than English, but every part of me yearns to travel and speak a million languages and eat all sorts of weird food and feel like a citizen of some other country.  That may explain why my one month in Brazil shaped a huge part of my adolescence and changed who I am as an adult.  It may explain why I will try anything once and have eaten (among other things) frog legs, baby squids, cow hoof soup, wild turtle, and wild boar.  It may explain why I love teaching English as a second language, but I love even more to make friends with my students and learn about their culture.  It may explain why I sought out random restaurants in NYC that served food I knew I wouldn't find anywhere else.  It explains a lot.

I've always wondered, though, what I would miss if I moved abroad.  I think I'd be really surprised.  I'm sure I'd miss a lot of important things, but I think I'd also miss dumb stuff like Goodwill and Velveeta cheese.

My baby brother is staying with us this week, and he specifically requested that I make this queso dip I made one other time he was here.  So I agreed, and then proceeded to change the ingredients and add some beer (because cooking it is the only way I can have any now, although thankfully my pregnancy body isn't craving it this time like last time I was pregnant - ha!).  Thankfully, he seemed to enjoy the dip regardless.

This is the classic recipe, which we call Sue's Dip because our dear friend Sue brings it to everything and no one will ever allow her to ever bring anything else to any event ever.  Mine is below.

White Queso Dip with Beer

• 2 lbs. Velveeta Queso Blanco
• 1 can tomatoes with green chiles (original spice level, or hotter if you like)
• 1 pound spicy pork sausage, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 bottle of light beer

Cut Velveeta into cubes, combine all ingredients in crock pot, and cook until bubbling.  Allow to bubble for about 30 minutes, then turn to warm until read to eat.  Serve with scoop chips, because they are easiest to load up.