Amy’s Pimento Cheese Spread

Graduation Board
My two sons graduate from high school on Thursday. I can’t believe I just wrote that sentence. It doesn’t quite seem real. But, maybe if I keep saying it I will be able to wrap my head around it. I mean it really doesn’t seem that long ago that I dropped them off for their first day of kindergarten—one of them excited and one of them sobbing. But now it is on to a different chapter in their life. And, like the hundreds of other graduates in their class, we will be having a party on Saturday.

Based on the number of invitations we received for grad parties, we know that the day will be much more of a rolling party than everyone gathering all at once. This means the food will have to be more passive than active. This is a fantastic opportunity for my daughter and me because we have both caught the ART-cuterie board bug that has become all the rage. Just take a quick spin through Pinterest and you will get the gist.

ART-cuterie is essentially a cheese board that combines salami and fruits and nuts as well as dips and cheeses in a though out and artful way. It’s kinda silly, really. But, they can be very pretty when displayed on your buffet table. Plus, it doesn’t always have to be made with meat and cheese. You can do a s’mores board, or something with baked goods, or fruit and chocolate. An all-veggie tray is always a good idea. You can make them as big or as small as you need or do more than one if you want even more variety. The possibilities are endless as are the combinations.

We’re planning on doing a mixed grill. So, I’m thinking that my board should have things that go well with a Summer BBQ. I am going with basic favorites like sliced cucumbers, celery sticks, and bell peppers. Since the peaches and nectarines are starting to come in, I think I might slice some up and add them along with some crisp grapes and Marcona almonds. There will definitely be sliced salami and prosciutto. For crackers, I’m going to go with some water crackers and some butter crackers. The absolute must-have for me though is Pimento Cheese Spread.

Our cheese department has our Pappy’s Pimento Cheese Spread which is darn tasty. But, sometimes I just like to do it myself so I can customize it a bit. For example, I like Amy’s Pimento Cheese Spread with a little fresh diced jalapeño for a bit more kick. I also like a little green onion—which isn’t traditional. But, I likes what I likes…

Amy’s Pimento Cheese Spread Recipe
Yields approxomately 4 cups
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Apple Slab Pie

Image of the close up of a slice of Apple Slab Pie with whipped cream End of an Era
Yesterday my two sons played their last baseball game. Well, let’s just say it’s their last competitive baseball game. My guess is they will find their way to an intramural team or maybe an adult league somewhere at some point. But, the days of practice every day after school and watching the league standings to see if they make the NCS playoffs are over.

The two of them started playing thirteen years ago with t-ball. Along the way, we have experienced the highest of highs and some pretty low lows. Playing that long requires a lot of effort as well as a lot of time. There were vacation plans that had to be changed due to tournaments and plenty of split-duty weekends when plans just couldn’t be changed. Along the way, we made lifelong friends with the families of other players. The Cooperstown tournament, when they were twelve, will be an experience that the boys will never forget. And, they will be able to bore their kids with the telling of it well into their 80s. It was an experience my husband and I will also never forget—mostly because of the people involved with that team.

Six of the twelve players from that team continued playing together right up until the final out last night. This is no small feat considering how competitive it is to make the varsity team at their high school. We were all emotional, including the boys, but we did manage to get those six together for a picture.

Now the boys aren’t sure what they are going to do with this newfound free time. Our response was to get a job. So far one has managed that task. We’re crossing our fingers the other gets something soon.

It will be an adjustment for my husband and me as well. Suddenly our Tuesday and Thursday evenings have opened up. Guess we’ll just have to deal the old-fashioned way…Baseball (on TV), hot dogs, and apple pie…luckily, this recipe for Apple Slab Pie could feed the whole team!

Apple Slab Pie Recipe
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen
Yields 12 to 18 servings

This Apple Slab Pie has a higher proportion of crust-to-filling than your standard 9-inch round double-crusted pie. And, the crusts of slab pies tend to puff into gorgeous flakes far more readily than standard pie crusts do. So, this recipe is perfect if you’re into crusts! Read more…

Roasted Gochujang Chicken with Potatoes Revisited

Best Laid Plans
May is always a busy month of celebrations for me and my family. This May particularly is one that I have both looked forward to and dreaded because of its potential to be intense. This May there are four birthdays, two volleyball tournaments, Mother’s Day, a school musical, the end of a baseball era, five AP Exams, Senior Ball, and, to top it all off a high school Graduation. At a time when all hands on deck were required, I did not have time for Covid. Covid laughed and said, Hold my beer…

The bright side is that my husband and I are the only victims—which is a switch from when all three kids had it in January. The problem is that the inmates are now running the asylum. Two high school seniors and a sophomore are now in charge of everything in the house from groceries, to laundry, to taking care of the dog, to keeping up with dishes.

It’s been…interesting.

As you can imagine, meals are an issue since we’ve been sequestered in our bedroom. The good news is that they all can cook, and can cook well. I made sure of that. The bad news is that there are a lot of activities happening (see above) that take them away from the house and from our beck and call. (I mean continuing to live their lives? How rude!)

The situation has been somewhat eye-opening for them. The three kids now get a good picture of what their parents’ lives have been like for the past 18 years. This is why they’re happy to get out of the house whenever possible. Our issue is that we’re hungry…and we’re getting kind of tired of sandwiches (and possibly each other).

The current plan is to send up a flag or some flares and see if we can’t get some rescue tacos or an emergency roast chicken with potatoes. In the meantime, here is a repost of our Roasted Gochujang Chicken with Potatoes recipe from 2020.

Roasted Gochujang Chicken with Potatoes
Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

In case you haven’t noticed, Korea’s gift to the culinary world, gochujang, has taken over menus everywhere and I am totally okay with that. I have become addicted to this stuff and what it does to the humble chicken.
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Curry Chicken Salad

Party Time
In our lives, we will attend many celebrations. (I know…such amazing insight!) There will be birthdays, holidays, and graduations. There will be happy celebrations and sad. What is interesting to me is the type of celebrations you attend in a lot of ways depends on your age and where you are in your life. Let me explain…

Not too long ago my husband and I were sitting around talking about how we really wanted to go to a wedding. It had been years since we attended a wedding and the two of us were kind of in the mood for a good party. The only problem is, at this point in our time on earth, all our friends are married and their kids as well as ours aren’t even close to thinking about marriage let alone doing it. So, alas, no party.

Same thing is true with bachelorette parties, wedding showers, and baby showers, though I’m pretty sure I couldn’t survive a bachelorette party at this point (It hurts just thinking about it.), I haven’t been to a shower other than the wet and soapy kind for almost 20 years. This is nuts because for about a five-year period of time it seemed like I was hosting or attending a shower of some variety at least once a month.

It got to the point that my sister and I became masters of the baby/bridal shower—mostly because my sister is just good that way. But, we got it down to a science. And, as long as the guest list was different, you just went with the same process, menu, and setup. Different colors of course. We were a well-oiled machine.

Our menu of choice included this Curry Chicken Salad that we served in a fresh papaya boat. But, you could also do it with half an avocado if you wanted to go smaller. The recipe came from a Junior League Cookbook of my mother’s that has given us several family favorites. The recipe below is the original. But, if I had to make this recipe today, 20 years later, I would make a few changes as my personal tastes and eating habits have changed significantly. I’ve noted them in parentheses in case you feel the same.

Curry Chicken Salad
Adapted from the Private Collection: The Junior League of Palo Alto Cookbook
Yields 8 servings Read more…