Southern Comfort

I made a batch of cheese straws earlier this week. Since I traditionally make them at Christmas, the smell of them baking got me a bit confused and feeling like I should deck the halls. (Stepping outside into the mid-90's heat straightened out the seasons for me.)

For anyone unfortunate enough to be unfamiliar with cheese straws, here is the plate of finished ones:

Cheese straws are delicate, crispy crackers made from sharp cheddar cheese, real butter, flour and some red pepper for a little kick. They are usually served at Southern teas, wedding and baby showers, or with late-afternoon cocktails. They are wonderful with wine and especially good with eggnog. Their cheese taste balances the sweetness. But, these out-of-season cheese straws were baked for therapeutic reasons.

My Southern roots run deep and I was raised right. My mama was from Macon, Georgia and my daddy is from rural southern Alabama. And, I was raised in Tallahassee which really ought to just go ahead and admit that it should be part of Georgia and not the capitol of Florida.

When friends or neighbors (or neighbors of friends) are sick in body or spirit, true Southerners take them some food. Different areas have different customary dishes, but in Macon, the food was frequently boiled custard or homemade pimento cheese. But, I don't think that cheese straws are ever taken to the sick.

However, a good friend of mine has been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma and he specifically requested cheese straws to give him strength for his last round of chemo. So, of course, I made them. Fortunately, my friend's cancer is in remission, but as my husband said, "On the whole, I think I'd rather skip the cheese straws."

Here is the cheese straw recipe I use, which comes from The Southern Living Cookbook (not to be confused with any of the Southern Living Annual Recipes books. This is the ultimate cookbook.)

Cheese Straws
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (I use extra-sharp yellow Cheddar)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened (I included "margarine" since it is in the recipe but don't use it. Use butter.)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper (I use a heaping 1/4 teaspoon)

Combine cheese and butter in large mixing bowl; beat well at medium speed of an electric mixer. Combine remaining ingredients, stirring well. Gradually add flour mixture to cheese mixture, mixing until dough is no longer crumbly. Shape mixture into a ball. (Note: I use my food processor for this part. I use the grater blade to shred the cheese and then change to the main blade. I mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then put them, the butter and the shredded cheese into the food processor. I pulse it just until everything gets crumbly and starts to form a ball. Then, I take it out and finish pressing the dough into a ball. Then, I finish the way the recipe states.)

Use a cookie press (cookie gun) to shape dough into straws, following manufacturer's instructions. (Some people use a star disk but I like the one that is flat on one side and ridged on the other. I think it makes them crisper and more delicate.) Squeeze the dough into long strips on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes until lightly browned. (Do not let them get very brown; really, they should just cook until the tops have gotten dry.) Cut into 2" - 3" pieces while warm. Store in airtight containers, placing wax paper between the layers.

It looks like a lot of trouble, and it sort of is (although less so with the food processor) but aren't your friends worth it?

A Little Hair of the Dog...

Is there any sort of "Locks For Love" program for dogs? You see all those poor dogs who have some sort of skin condition and have lost their fur. Surely they would feel more confident with little doggie toupees to cover those spots. You don't want the other dogs to laugh and point. Well, maybe the hyenas and the pointers, but they really can't help it.

I am prepared to contribute to such a program. I daily sweep the hair shed by my black lab, Tally, and I am sure that I have enough to cover a small poodle. A week's worth and you can knit your own Great Dane.

So, if someone will send me the address, Tally and I will be happy to help the bald dogs of the world.

Happy Birthday, Son!

Twenty years ago today, my wonderful son was born and life was (happily) never the same.

He was born on the first day of summer - a fact that he was very proud of. The hospital sent him home with us which was fairly terrifying at the time.

Right from the start, he was sweet and fun and funny and kind and smart. And, he owned my heart. Twenty years later, nothing has changed. I love you, son!

Behind the Red Door, Part II

After a day and night, the door was ready to be rehung. And it was beautiful! It was truly deliciously red. But, it made the old brass hardware and lights look dull and shabby. So, I went to Home Depot (Trip 2) and bought a new door handle, kickplate and light fixtures. My husband (lawyer-turned-handyman) installed the shiny, new door handle and kickplate.


And it was even more beautiful! No lights yet, but I could see it in my mind. But, now the flowers in the pots out front didn't match. They needed to be red - and pink - and bright! So, I went to Home Depot (Trip 3) and bought gerbera daisies. And, it was even more beautiful!

My husband (lawyer-turned-electrician) tackled the light fixtures. They didn't fit the existing mounting, of course. So, he went to Home Depot (Trip 4). And back to Home Depot and back to Home Depot and back to Home Depot....and finally the lights were up. And, it was even more beautiful!

The white trim around the door now looked shabby and I said I would paint that. So, I went to Home Depot (Trip 326) and bought the white paint. My BFF the orbital sander and I cleaned up the old paint, I filled some spots with wood putty and put on a fresh coat of white paint.

Then, I turned around, and saw the not-white-enough-looking columns. I had a brush full of white paint in my hand and you can guess the rest. (By the way, "wood filler" is a lie. It won't fill in spots where the wood rotted away and really needs replacing. But, you can slather it on like cake icing and paint it anyway.)

And, it is the most beautiful ever! I love, love, love it.

Now, we need to talk about the inside paint....

Behind the Red Door - Part I

Finally - I have the red door of my dreams. The process was tedious, but worth it. I had a hard time finding the perfect red - not unlike trying to find the perfect red lipstick. Some are too pink, others are too orange, some are just WRONG!


I sampled many colors on the door. I considered leaving a note on the door and a sign at the sidewalk asking passersby to come vote. I almost chickened out and painted it blue. I asked for opinions on Facebook and had more comments about that than any other thing I've ever said.

Finally, I settled on Red Delicious and sent my husband to Home Depot. (Trip 1.) He came back with the correct paint AND the correct primer, took the door off the hinges and put it on sawhorses. He borrowed my pal, the Orbital Sander (more about this in another post) to smooth it out and put on the paint. Done, right? Wrong.

First, it didn't dry in one day so we had to sleep without a front door. We took careful security precautions though. The door had a sheet of plastic stapled over it to keep most of the bugs out and the cat and the dog in, so that was the first barrier. I was still nervous that a truly resourceful crook could figure out how to get through the plastic shield so my husband stapled a quilt on the inside. He told me that would make it look dark so that no one would know we didn't have a door.

Okkkaaayyy...everyone knows that a sheet of plastic AND a quilt are inpenetrable. But, just in case, he set up a trap. He put two chairs in front of the door and filled the seats with the tools he had been using (staple gun, screwdriver, orbital sander, etc.) Anyone coming through the plastic and the quilt would not expect that and would fall over it, making a lot of noise.

And, at my request, we added our main noisemaker. We left our dog, Tally, out of her kennel. She barks loudly at anyone (known or unknown) who comes into our house. She is really saying "Yay,yay,I'msogladyou'rehere.I wanttolickyourface.Yay,yay!" But, crooks wouldn't know that and she does sound very fierce.

As it turned out, we were safe and ready for Part II of Behind the Red Door.