Really Good, Really Easy Pimento Cheese

Good Tuesday morning!

The Gallery Pictures are old, old, old. Enjoy these blasts from the past while I try to find something photo-worthy around Faulkner Farms (circa 1842) today!

RANDOMNESS #1 - I was very excited about our upcoming train trip to New Orleans. VERY excited. But the end of May and the beginning of June began with temperatures in the three digits... and humidity through the roof. And that reminded me of how hot and humid it can be in New Orleans in the middle of July and beginning of August. (Really hot and humid.)

As per Mikie's request, I went over our itinerary to see how many events were outside versus inside activities. Except for our first morning breakfast (beignets and coffee) and the restaurants I had picked out for three different lunches, we were going to be outside ALL DAY LONG... EVERY DAY!

And did I mention the Swamp Tour? That's right. I had scheduled a five-hour portion of one day for a swamp tour in a swamp boat. An get this! We would be arriving in a swamp bus (whatever that is... I'm pretty sure it wasn't air conditioned). And then we were going to feed alligators marshmallows. Hot, sticky marshmallows!

What were the other activities? A strolling tour of Jackson Square (where the Faulkner Five would most definitely chafe and melt), and a fun day at the world famous New Orleans Zoo (looking for animals who would not be in their enclosures because THEY had enough sense to get in out of the heat).

Okay. I decided to change gears. New Orleans next Spring... perfect!

And this hot, sticky, humid Summer... (DRUM ROLL, please!) We will be HOUSEBOATING on Lake Lanier in Georgia.

That's right. Houseboating. Living on a boat for three nights. Fishing, swimming, grilling, hot tubbing, etc., etc. And get this! The houseboat has air conditioning. And the "people in charge" assure me it is a real working air conditioning unit. Not a bucket of ice in front of a big fan (Don't ask.)

We are pretty excited. After surviving the Heat Wave of 2010 on Amelia Island last year, we are more than a little wary of the heat index wherever we will be vacationing.

And in case you have forgotten that story, I'm adding it to this post. We haven't been able to laugh about that trip yet. And I've tried. Believe me... I've tried.

AMELIA ISLAND... OR AS I LIKE TO CALL IT "FIRE SAND BEACH!"

Ahhh! Our first day at the beach. We were ready. Our hotel was less than a block from the beach, but we loaded up the Big Gold Van with five beach chairs, two umbrellas and two more boogie boards which our concierge sweetly gave us. (Believe it or not, Mikie and I do not own our own boogie boards. Something which will soon be remedied because we became boogie board experts, I tell you!)

We drove the 15.5 seconds it took to get to the beach and noticed vehicles driving right onto the sand and parking. Perfect! The closer, the better. Off we went... and we immediately got stuck! As we emptied the van, and the boys began to push, I noticed how soft and powdery the sand was, and how far my feet and ankles sank immediately upon getting out of the van. Our tires were no exception.

Within seconds (no exaggeration), a man with a four-wheel drive truck came up to us and asked if we wanted a pull... which we did... and he did... and we were FREE to park in the parking lot. Mike gave him $10 for his trouble, and he left to help pull the next out-of-town sucker out of the sand. And the next. And the next. We saw him every day of our trip, so I'm assuming it was a quick and easy way to make a buck.

Roxie was furious. She called him a con artist, a crook, a low-life.

"Roxie. What is the problem? He's just trying to make a little money. AND he's helping people."

"Wouldn't it be more helpful if he stood at the gate and told people to back up because they were about the get stuck."

Hmmm. Good point. But I digress. We have to get to the "injury" part of this story.

We set up our tents and chairs on the nice hard, wet sand and saw the huge waves waiting for us. The kids went in right away, while Mikie and I took in our surroundings. The beaches were not as pretty as the Gulf of Mexico, but they were so far away from the water, and flat and hard. They were very easy to walk on and people could even ride bikes on the beach. Amazing!

It didn't take long before the Heat Wave of 2010 started having an adverse effect on us, so Mikie and I headed to the water, boogie boards in hand. The waves were big and constant, and once we got into the water we noticed immediately there was NO undertow. Very odd. The water was also VERY cold, but considering it was over 100 degrees (literally), it felt great.

We couldn't see anything in the water. It wasn't dirty. It was just the color of the Atlantic Ocean... again something very different from the Gulf. I stuck to my rule of thumb... stay close to a large group of people a little further out than your family. The sharks will get them first. (I'm sorry. I've never been the same since I saw Jaws.)

We had a ball. We played in the water for over two hours before we decided to head in and lay out by the pool. Austin led the way, and I was directly behind him. He started hopping on one foot and turned toward me. Blood was pouring off his foot.

By the time Mike made it to the shoreline, we couldn't even see where the blood was coming from because his foot was covered in the red stuff... more commonly known as "shark bait." Mike helped him to the chairs, and I got Josh and Roxie out of the water.

We determined it was his toe. We also determined it was still on his foot. Josh took matters into his own hands and fetched a lifeguard. (That's right! They have real Baywatch Lifeguards on the beaches. It was pretty cool.) He didn't run, but he did have a "kit." By pouring a whole bottle of peroxide on the toe, we were able to tell it was a deep slice... from a shell or piece of broken glass. His professional lifeguard advice was, "I don't know if you need to take him in for stitches or not. There's not really anything left to stitch." And he was right.

Mike helped Austin get to the van which was difficult. It was like hopping on one foot in snow drifts... very, very hot snow drifts. Josh, Roxie and I loaded up the chairs, umbrellas, coolers, etc. and slowly plowed through the incredibly hot, soft sand. Then it happened.

I kind of toppled, kind of fell on my right side... on top of the chairs and cooler. Since it was very similar to sitting in FIRE, I immediately hopped up. And then I fell over again. Roxie was totally mortified. Not only had her mother fallen once, but TWICE... and not gracefully... and not quietly.

But the second time was a charm, and I was able to maintain my balance and make it to the van just a few feet away. I knew I had sustained quite a number of injuries, but because I wasn't dripping blood, I wasn't the main focus at the moment.

When we arrived at the hotel, we headed to the pool. We were quite a sight... Austin with his bloody foot wrapped in a bloody beach towel and his mother limping and covered with Fire Sand. After we situated Austin in the shade and Josh, Roxie and I rinsed off, we soaked in the pool until Mikie came back with $59.95 worth of medical supplies. I let Mikie handle the toe.

He has always called himself a health care professional, although the kids are quick to point out he takes care of the money and not the people where he works. When something like this happens, Mikie is "Johnny on the Spot!" He loves it! I, on the other hand, do not!

He worked very hard on the injury, declared it to be "unstitchable," and dressed the toe. It looked very professional.

When he finished with Austin, I limped over to him to show him my six bruises, skinned knee, sore elbow and the second degree burns I had up and down the right side of my body from landing in the Fire Sand. He was a little unimpressed.

There was one more injury during our trip, and although it happened on Day Three, I'm going to go ahead and throw it in the mix.

I was getting on the elevator, and I tripped on Austin's "overly" dressed toe... and fell right past Austin, Roxie and Josh into the back panel of the elevator. I hit the old elbow again. And I'm not really sure why three children (MY THREE CHILDREN) didn't even try to catch me.

Well, I know why Roxie didn't try. You can't catch a falling woman and be properly mortified at the same time. It just can't be done!

Really Good, Really Easy Pimento Cheese

4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can Rotel (do not drain)

Mix well, and serve with crackers.

This is the recipe for the Pimento Cheese which was served at the Graduation Reception the end of May. (Remember? I talked about it a lot.) I LOVED it. My friend, Joan, gave me the recipe in the Comment Section, but her sister, Jane, was the caterer for the Reception, so I'm assuming she made it for that event.

And I've given credit to the people who deserve it most... and I didn't name it "The Enchanting Belinda's Really Good, Really Easy Pimento Cheese." I'm very careful about things like that!

Have a safe, cool Tuesday. As always, we'll be busy on A Simple Life tomorrow with a Seasonal Tradition, Wednesday Wisdom, new pics (of something) and Randomness. Make sure you save a minute in your summer schedule to check it out!

Take care, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Sincerely,

The Enchanting Belinda