"Almost Palmetto" Pimento Cheese

"Almost Palmetto" Pimento Cheese

Remember when I mentioned Palmetto Pimento Cheese in my engagement post?  I knew I would have pimento cheese withdrawals and they have certainly set in. This past week I set out to make a pimento cheese that would be my Idaho substitute!

And I think I have found it.

I started out with the highly rated Southern Pimento Cheese Recipe on allrecipes.com.  It has 171 reviews and almost 5 stars...always a great sign it's a recipe worth your time.  The first batch I made was wonderful but I altered the recipe this time to get more of a palmetto-like pimento cheese.

Ingredients:

1 lb block extra sharp cheddar cheese (will make about 4 cups)
4 oz cream cheese, softened  (half a block and I used fat free)
1 heaping tablespoon of mayo  (low-fat works fine)
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 4 oz jar diced pimentos, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Boise has many options for cheeses.  I've had fun experimenting.  I no longer buy the pre-shredded cheeses.  They often have additives and powder that takes away the natural moisture of cheese.  I love my cheese to be spreadable.  Thankfully my new food processor makes shredding amazingly easy.

See how amazing this looks?

I always chop the pimentos smaller than what they appear in the jar so they go further in the spread.  I certainly used more than most people would in this last recipe but Hunter and I both LOVE pimentos!

Beat the cream cheese, mayo and spices in the mixer first. Then add shredded cheese and lastly the pimentos so they are not completely obliterated.

This is my method of choice for eating my pimento cheese...wheat thins!

Enjoy!

Love my new Lenox French Perle Bead Plates!

Boise Update

Hello from our new kitchen...

.....in our adorable rental house...

...filled with amazing new wedding gifts and kitchen gadgets.  I have taken a break from blogging but rest assured...I have done plenty of baking and cooking.  More to come shortly!

Scarbrough Family Cookbook - Link Available

It's no secret. I'm behind on posting.  The cookbooks are finished and gifted to mom and sisters.  Milkbooks was a bit of a disaster and I will not be using them again...EVER.  But the books are completed (started in August and shipping each time took a month).  Just recently I noticed I left off the Mother/Daughter Tea Punch and my cheese straws take 15 minutes and NOT 30 minutes to bake (incorrect on my recipe card).  Sooooo please keep that in mind.  Also, much to Jill's dismay, only one picture of her made it into the cookbook.  How did that happen?!

Good news! I can share my book with you by providing a simple link.  If you would like a PDF let me know and I can send it your way for use on an iPad etc.  Here are some picture sneak peaks...

Scarbrough Family Recipes

 

Engagement (woohoo) Update

For the few people who follow my blog, there is a reason I have been absent.  The family cookbooks are complete (post regarding that at a later date).  But most importantly, I am engaged!

With that comes not only a wedding to plan but a cross-country move to Idaho.  Perhaps you will see more potato recipes on here in the future.   One thing is for sure.  I must get my fill of southern food...pronto.  My mission is to learn how to recreate the Palmetto pimento cheese.  I live on it.  (Ok, maybe moving away from that is not a bad thing.)

Since this website started as a way for me to keep track of recipes and I cannot seem to find anything I store in email, I thought I might make a list for myself.  This list will be "go-tos" of what I can cook when Hunter and I are hungry and planning meals.  So forgive me.  This part is more for my own personal use!

Beef Patties and Mushrooms
Chili
Shrimp Chowder
Chinese Stir Fry (Aprons recipe)
French Toast (breakfast)
Hamburgers
Pizza
Pork Tenderloin and veggies
Shrimp and Grits
Spaghetti and Meatballs (if in freezer or ground beef)
Spinach Pasta Bake
Taco Soup
Tomato Rigatoni
Pot Roast
Chicken and Rice
Beef Broccoli Stir Fry

I am sure I will look back on this one day and laugh.

Banana Muffins

Let me explain the difference between banana bread and banana muffins.  There is a difference.  First off, this recipe is best in muffin form while the bread recipe is better as a loaf.  Banana muffins are sticky sweet.  They have more banana flavor (because of more actual banana and less flour).  This recipe was SO very popular with my childhood friends.  In fact, one friend would request them every time she came over.

I didn't freeze bananas until this year and now I wonder how I went without.  It's so much more convenient.  They don't look beautiful when they thaw (they turn black on the outside and become all juicy on the inside).  I may even say it makes the baked goods more moist. 

Maw's Refrigerator Cookies (Shortbread Cookies)

The family recipe book assembly is still underway!  It's reminding me of some of my FAVORITE recipes from childhood.  These shortbread cookies Maw (Mom's mother) made for us.  She would sprinkle them with colored crystal sugars.  The bonus about this recipe....you can keep them in log form (see below) in the refrigerator for a week!  And for a girl who absolutely loves chocolate - I can tell you these rank up there!

Mine were a little brown.  Keep your eyes on them!  I am not going to write out the steps because I did what was written on the recipe card.  This is one of Maw's recipe cards.  You can tell because she always used her cursive typewriter. I love it!

Note:  It is easier to make the logs actually square.  I wrapped mine in parchment paper!

Maw's Banana Bread

Maw's Banana Bread

I had to triple check to be sure I had not posted this recipe before.  This was THE first recipe I knew by heart and I remember making it long before college.  I still have not found a better banana bread.  According to the rate it disappeared this morning at work, I am not the only fan!

I've decided for many of these recipes I am going to skip boring pictures.  I can only take shots of the mixer and batter so many times before they all start looking the same, even for me!

I love this recipe card.  Mom must have covered it in contact paper to preserve it.  It's had a lot of use!

This is my secret.  I now only use frozen bananas.  The thought used to give me the heebie jeebies.  But after I tried it a couple years ago, it works out well.  They mash so much easier, provide more liquid, and are so very convenient!  (On a side note, I freeze the bread often once its baked and it is also wonderful.  I have 3 small baking pans that I used last time to try to limit myself!)

It took me 2 years to go through the huge tub of crisco you see in this picture.  It was embarrassingly large.  I ran into this the other day and figured it is worth a try.  So far, it is a wonderful substitute.  If anything, it makes me feel better!

The batter still ranks in my top 5 batters of all-time.  Nuts are optional but with Hunter gone, they are a necessity in my book. I love them.

I used bread flour this time and it never seems to rise enough but I wanted to finish the bag.  Basic all-purpose is my first choice!

And here we have a photo of my favorite way to enjoy the bread.  Ok, second favorite way.  My favorite is the toaster!