Mrs. K At Home: July 2013

Friday, July 19, 2013

Pimento Cheese Spread and Kitchen Towel Swap

I was over at the Facebook page for Sweet Tea & Cindy, reading her recipe for Pimento Cheese. Well, I do love Pimento Cheese, it's one of my favorite things to eat on celery sticks, cucumber slices, or crackers. In the south, according to Cindy, they eat it on a sandwich! Yes, I will have to try that. She calls it the caviar of the south, LOL. I was born and raised in New York state, but have lived in South Florida for more years than I lived in NY. And while you can't take the New York out of this girl, I have picked up a love for all things southern. Naturally, pimento cheese is on that list.

Cindy has a great recipe -http://cindyeckhart.com/pimento-cheese-caviar-of-the-south-mamas-secret-ingredient/ - and a couple a gals commented, one adds cream cheese, another, sweet pickle relish. I had to do a bit of grocery shopping today, running through the raindrops, so I picked up what was needed and decided to make a batch last night - we should have enough to get through the weekend, but I'm not sure! Here's my tweaked version:

YUM!

Pimento Cheese

8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
3 cups of mild cheddar cheese, shredded (I used a package of Sargento pre-shredded)
1 cup mayonaise (I like Duke's)
1 7oz jar of pimentos, drained
3 spoonfuls of sweet pickle relish (I didn't use a measuring spoon, just a dessert spoon)
2 - 3 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste) - trust me, this is the secret ingredient.

I just used a whisk and blended the cream cheese and mayo together, then added all the other ingredients - except the sugar, I didn't think I would need it with the relish. I blended it all up and tasted. Hmmm... something was missing, must be the sugar, so I added that. Wow, that sugar, just as Cindy says, makes the flavor pop.

This was so easy to to whip up, and tastes so, so good, I will never buy the pre-made again. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

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On another Facebook page, SB Canning, I participated in a kitchen towel swap. The idea was to send... yes, a nice kitchen towel. It was suggested that you might add a kitchen magnate and/or a recipe. I found a really cute 100% cotton towel with an image of a bunch of carrots on it, green tops and all, added a pretty, ceramic kitchen magnate that said, "Housework won't kill you, but why take a chance?", and threw in a recipe for my very favorite Fresh Apple Cake, which I make all the time. It is really very good: buttery, spicy, and packed with unpeeled apples. I have tweaked that recipe a bit too because Mr. K. doesn't like nuts or raisins, which the original recipe calls for.

Years ago, 1984 to be exact, I belonged to one of those book clubs that were so popular; you know, you get ten books for a dollar and agree to buy half a dozen more over the next year. One of the first books I bought was "The Fanny Farmer Baking Book" by Marion Cunningham. I was only married a few years and was delving into baking. I cannot tell you how much I use this cookbook! Well, the Fresh Apple Cake recipe is in that book and I have been making it ever since. I figured it would be a nice recipe to include with my swap, so off it went.

The same day I sent it off, my package arrived, and what a delight it is. It included a pretty towel, small wind chimes with a wooden cardinal (my favorite bird) on top, a little spatula/scrapper, the cutest scrubby, two recipes - one for Texas Hash, the other for Pumpkin Bars, a little notebook in the shape of a handbag, I just love little notebook, two containers of tea, and... a really nice sized tea strainer with stars, moons, and suns on the rim. Marla G. was very generous and I am very grateful for all the goodies.

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Before I hit the grocery store, I made a stop at my local needlework shop, Cross Stitch Cupboard, in Fort Lauderdale. The Halloween Ornament issue of Just Cross Stitch had arrived and I had reserved a copy. It is the best issue they have done so far, filled with 51 wonderful Halloween designs. There are ten, yes, TEN, designs I want to stitch. Luckily, most are smalls. By the way, the fabric that I laid my swap stash on is from the Cupboard too, Blackbird Designs - just had to have that. Oh well, I will make a pot of one of Marla's special tea blends, put on some lovely music, and take up my needle! Perhaps a few celery sticks packed with Pimento cheese on the side would not be amiss?