FLOUR

     Face-Off----Mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt?? 

     Okay, which will it be, mayonnaise or Greek Yogurt?  I am referring to what should be the dressing when one makes pimento cheese.  Pimento cheese is a classic and has been around since the early 1900s.  It was once expensive to purchase cheese and the pimento peppers initially were imported.  That meant this popular spread only appeared at parties for those who could afford the ingredients.  When the first processed cheese began to be sold in the United States and southern farmers started growing pimento peppers, this spread grew in popularity.  (For more information about the origin of pimento cheese, I am sharing the following link.) www.thekitchn.com/textile-mills-to-tea-sandwiche-150238
     I was born in the South and have eaten and enjoyed pimento cheese for many years.  I am also a mayonnaise girl at heart and haven't been able to give it up totally (My compensation is that I eat less of it now.).  I just cannot imagine certain recipes that call for mayonnaise without this egg and oil emulsified loveliness.  But I started to ponder a substitution for mayo when I read a pimento cheese recipe that included Greek yogurt instead.  Hmmmmm????
     S00000........I made my own pimento cheese a couple of days ago.  I grated an eight ounce block of sharp cheese and divided it evenly between two bowls.  To each bowl I added about a teaspoon of very thinly sliced green onion, two ounces of sliced pimentos that had been rinsed and drained, five drops of Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper to taste.  Then I stirred in four ounces of mayonnaise in one bowl and four ounces of Greek yogurt in the other.  Why Greek yogurt?  It has way less calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium than mayonnaise.  The only thing it has more of is protein.  Worth a try, right?
     I asked my husband that night to do a taste test.  He honestly ended up liking both of them.  He liked the mayonnaise flavor because it was familiar, but appreciated the creaminess of the yogurt.  The difference was not a drawback.  I agreed and would be willing to adjust my recipe (occasionally, haha) in the future.  Well, wonders never cease.  Now, which one in the picture below has the mayonnaise, and which one has the yogurt?  Can you tell?

Pimento Cheese Face-Off

     To accompany our pimento cheese spread, I found the following recipe for Herbed Crackers.  It comes from Four Centuries of American Herbs by Patricia B. Mitchell and was purchased from Colonial Williamsburg.  The crackers had a slight, but easy chew.  They made a tasty herb foundation for our cheesy spread.

Herbed Crackers

2 c. whole wheat flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. each salt, marjoram, onion powder, oregano, parsley, and thyme (use dried herbs or increase amounts for fresh)

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 c. milk

Mix dry ingredients.  Mix oil and milk and stir into the dry ingredients.  Form a ball, knead slightly, roll out dough, cut crackers.  Bake at 400 degrees F. for 10 minutes or until the crackers are lightly browned on the bottom.

Herbed Crackers

& FLOWER

     I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July celebration.  I began looking around my yard recently and found that I have three natural specimens growing here that exhibit the patriotic colors of red, white, and blue.

     Some of you may have read this from me before, but I don't believe there are many blooms that are prettier than a red geranium.  Like this one pictured above, the color is vivid and vibrant.  The flower's structure is delicate in its petals, yet with a sturdy stem and leaves.  I also appreciate that the geranium has been around for a long time.  I first learned about them from my grandmother, who loved them for their beauty an ease of care.  As long as they get six to eight hours of sunlight and are not attempting to live in saturated soil, they are happy.  I have read that geraniums were first shipped to America from France by Thomas Jefferson.  I enjoy sharing information like this, so the following link will provide more facts about geraniums.
www.mygardengeek.com/a-short-history-of-the-geranium/

     These are white coneflowers.  I already had purple coneflowers, but now there are many different colors from which to choose.  I like the raised centers and petal structure that resembles an umbrella on each flower.  Coneflowers are great as cut flowers.  In the garden, they are drought tolerant and can take hot temperatures.  I try to water them weekly in summer, but if I forget, usually I just have to look at them to see if their heads are drooping.  Butterflies are attracted to them and the birds like the seeds from the flower heads. 

     I realize there is not much blue in the above photo, but it has only just begun its beauty reign for the summer.  This is black AND blue salvia.  I love this addition to my perennial garden because it attracts hummingbirds.  No kidding.  Invariably I will be at work pulling weeds nearby this salvia and all of a sudden, I hear a whirring noise like a motor and look up to see a small green hummingbird coming in for a snack.  They love it.  This salvia, just like its relative known as blue salvia, grows well from summer until fall in moist, but well drained soil, and bright sunlight.