Beryl came in and went out and we didn’t get any measurable rain, every day the forecast was “It’s going to rain today around 1:30 or whatever time and nothing happened. We finally got rain Friday and Saturday, a little over an inch, but none so far today (Sunday).
This past week has been relatively quiet. I finished with my PT at the hospital, but still have to do exercises at home seven days a week! I find my best time for this is immediately after my morning prayers and either just before or right after breakfast, it takes me 30 to 45 minutes to complete the series and as I had fallen out of the habit of going to the hospital to the pool that was part of my downfall, so I’ve had to get back into a routine, and as long as I can move around, walk to my mail box, go shopping and walk around, I’ll just have to bite the bullet and do it. At least, I don’t have to spend three or four hours doing exercises, and if it makes some of my household chores easier on me, yes, I’ll do it.
Do people still mix up and eat pimento cheese? Yes, people really do eat pimento cheese, not everyone, of course, but quite a few of us! In fact, it was just recently that I discovered that not everyone loves this stuff as much as I do. When I was growing up, not only were sandwiches made of it, but celery pieces were also stuffed with it and it was served on vegetable trays, along with sliced carrots and plain celery sticks. In thinking about these trays as I was writing this, I realized that cherry tomatoes were not around, and people didn’t serve cauliflower and broccoli raw! Also, these days, you also see sticks or slices of squash or zucchini on these trays and back then, they weren’t served raw either!
Do you know how long pimento cheese has been around? It started showing up in grocery store as early as 1915. During the ‘20s and ‘30s this item boomed in popularity. It is traditionally served slathered between two slices of white bread. Elvis Presley even used it to top his hamburgers with it, because it made something ordinary into something extraordinary.
In the 1940s, Mildred and Weldon Price of Texas began mass-producing their family recipe for pimento cheese under the Price’s brand name. They combined real shredded cheese, fresh pimentos and seasonings for a wonderful homemade taste. (I went to a bunco party recently and the hostess had sliced the tiny bell peppers in half and filled the cavity with pimento cheese! It was truly delicious).
When I was growing up, when you wanted cheese, you went to the meat market and the man behind the counter cut a piece off of a five-pound loaf. Pimento cheese was available the same way, American cheese with little red flecks in it. Later on, both types were available in packages, already sliced. Back then, however, most women made their own pimento cheese with American cheese that was melted, and the pimentos were stirred in. This is how it was made at school lunchrooms during the ‘50s. The following recipe is from an old Fredericksburg Cookbook that used Velveeta cheese. (I have no idea when Velveeta came on the market, and Mother never used it). She made her pimento cheese by simply grating American cheese, stirring in mayonnaise or Miracle Whip and adding drained pimentos. Almost everyone I know makes some form of pimento cheese, and like the stuffing we serve with turkey, there are probably as many recipes as there are cooks!
One of the things that I prefer to do with prepared pimento cheese spread, especially a store brand, is to beat together 4-oz of cream cheese with a small amount of mayonnaise, ½ cup (or more if desired), Monterey Jack cheese until well blended and then mix into the container of prepared spread along with a 2-oz jar of well drained pimentos.
My Family’s Favorite Pimento Cheese
(This makes a large amount that is great to take on a picnic or sandwiches for a shower)
1 pound shredded American cheese
½ pound shredded Velveeta® cheese
1 block (8-oz) cream cheese
1 cup (or more if necessary) mayonnaise
1 jar (4-oz) and 1 jar (2-oz) diced pimentos, well drained
Beat cream cheese with mayonnaise until smooth. Stir in remaining shredded cheeses and pimentos and mix well. Serve as sandwiches or with crackers. When a family member worked and lived in Midland, several years ago, my mother and I would take quart jars of sandwich spread with us for food on the road. One of us would make pimento cheese and the other would make Spam® salad, put it in a cooler and have a picnic on our trip.
The following recipe for pimento cheese is from a Fraternal organization cookbook that was published in the late 70s, and uses only Velveeta®, pimentos and salad dressing. Another recipe from the same book is pretty much the same, but adds a dash of Worcestershire sauce to the mixture.
Pimento Cheese Spread
1 lb. Velveeta® cheese
1 pint salad dressing
Dash of garlic salt
1 jar, (3-oz) pimento strips
Have cheese and salad dressing at room temperature. Slice cheese and put in large mixing bowl. Mash with fork; add salad dressing and garlic salt and stir together. Mix with mixer until smooth and creamy. Cut pimentos into small pieces and stir into cheese mixture. This makes enough cheese spread for two loaves of sandwich bread.
The following chicken salad recipe is delicious, it can be used as a spread for crackers, or eaten on a bed of lettuce as a salad; either way, it is great. I have made it for a group and they all loved it.
Chicken Salad with Apples and Walnuts
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped*
½ cup finely diced celery
2 to 3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1/3 to ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
3 tablespoons roasted sunflower seed kernels (you may use either salted or unsalted)
Light mayonnaise to moisten ingredients
Dice the chicken and place into a bowl; add the remaining ingredients stir lightly to mix. Add the mayonnaise and gently toss together to coat all ingredients. Chill before serving. *I like to chop the apple and place it in a small bowl with some 7-up to prevent darkening.
Now, here is the peach cobbler recipe I promised you last week!
Magic Peach Cobbler
1½ sticks butter
1½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1½ cup sugar
1½ cup buttermilk or soured milk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tsp almond extract
2 cans (21-oz) peach pie filling
Preheat oven to 350º.
Place the butter in a 9×13 pan and place it in the oven to melt for 3 to 4 minutes or until completely melted, do not let it brown. (I cut it into patties to melt more evenly). Remove from oven and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the sugar and whisk to combine. Pour in the buttermilk or soured milk, vanilla extract and almond extract and whisk just until combined. Pour the batter evenly over the melted butter in the pan (do not stir). Spoon the peach pie filling over the batter, sprinkle the top with cinnamon and sugar if desired, place in oven and bake for 45 to 55 minutes until the edges of the cobbler are golden brown, cool slightly before serving. This is delicious with some vanilla ice cream on top!