Archive for October, 2009

Saluda, North Carolina is one of our favorite towns to visit for an afternoon getaway. Often we’ll take off last minute and scoot up for lunch or just for a change of scenery. Just the drive to Saluda is enough to clear the cobwebs.

Saluda has history, scenery and more than its share of quaintness. Situated at 2100 feet elevation, Saluda is located on top of a sharp elevation change. In fact, a section of the Norfolk Southern railway just south of downtown is the steepest standard-guage mainline railway grade in the United States. That steep stretch of railway is called the Saluda Grade.

The railway was completed in 1879. Back in the day it served passengers coming up from Charleston, SC to escape the heat and bugs of a low-country summer. The advent of air conditioning and bug spray have not dampened Saluda’s appeal however. Today cyclists flock to the scenic roads in the area.

Outdoor types can fly fish, hike, or hunt to their hearts content around here. Music lovers can take in Saluda’s vibrant live music scene. Or you can just stroll down main street and enjoy some of the interesting shops.

Ward’s Market & Grill displayed this colorful bounty.

Aren’t they pretty?

A variety of shops line Main Street for your perusing pleasure.

Hank honey, I don’t think they do Crocs.

For a tasty bite, The Purple Onion offers a variety of menu items that are sure to please.

Check out the pizza combinations. Pesto…yum.

They even have local artwork on display and most are for purchase.

And look at this pie. Oh my word…I wonder if they would’ve noticed if I snagged it and ran real fast?

Saluda even offers a playground for the little ones and not so little ones.

Our two had a ball goofing off for a while.

Convenient to I-26 and Hwy. 25 between Greenville, SC and Asheville, NC, Saluda is sure to win your heart as a quick quaint town to frequent. For more information on Saluda, NC visit http://www.saluda.com/ where you’ll find local calendars and other attractions close by.

Near or far, I’d love to hear your favorite places to visit for a day trip. Where do you go and what do you do when you get there?

If you engage in any amount of cooking then you’ve certainly made your share of boo-boo’s in the kitchen. Sometimes, thankfully, we’re surprised with a happy mistake. This was one of those times.

This was supposed to be a pimento cheese recipe. But I misread the ingredients and used over double the amount of cream cheese called for (a 3 can easily be mistaken for an 8, right?), then I doubled the cheddar to try to fix it and well, it never recovered but magically turned into a cheese spread right there in front of my eyes.

And you can imagine my delight when my husband nearly swooned when tasting it. It’s some good stuff no doubt. I mean cream cheese, cheddar, monterey jack, mayo…how can it go wrong? So it was definitely a happy mistake – and when I say happy, I mean slap-your-pappy-happy. Not that I’m into violence or anything but you get my drift.

It’s good. Make it. Make it now. Then hide it.

You’ll need cream cheese (duh.), sharp cheddar, monterey jack, mayonnaise, pimentos, red onion…

dill, celery salt, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper.

(Notice the first picture of ingredients only shows 1 cup of cheddar. Obviously, this was before I realized my goof up.)

After a little shredding, a little mixing and some measuring you’ll be spreading the good stuff in no time. Full of flavor, with hints of pimento cheese and a little kick, this cheese spread is great on crackers, celery and I can imagine that it would be fantastic on a sandwich with leftovers from that Thanksgiving turkey as well. Definitely a good spread to have on hand for last minute holiday drop-ins. And it would make a great cheese ball if you’re into cheese in the shape of balls.

Remember to refrigerate until served.

Aint No Mistake Cheese Spread Recipe
(makes a little over 2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 – 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons pimentos, mashed and rough chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated red onion (white or yellow would work too)
• 1/8 teaspoon dill
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

With a mixer or by hand beat cream cheese until smooth. Add all other ingredients and blend well.

Refrigerate until served.

Enjoy!

Do have a yummy appetizer to share for the holidays? Please do.

A few weeks ago my parents and I went on a little hike in search of an old family cemetery. Back in the woods we traipsed around without a map – just my dad’s memory was all we had to guide us.

Well, I won’t speak of my dear ol’ dad’s memory right now, but needless to say, our resting family members are still waiting for a visit.

While out and about in the woods I decided on an impromptu photo shoot. The lighting was nice and if I couldn’t take pictures of old tombstones what was I to do?

Mushrooms. They were everywhere. Different shapes, colors, and sizes. I thought fondly of scenes from “The Lord of the Rings” and of woodland creatures that might pop out at any moment.

Now I’m not a mushroom expert or connoisseur by any measure. I like them on pizza, use them in sauces and the occasional recipe here and there. I know that most are brown or whitish gray. Others, called truffles, are real expensive and a gastronome’s delight. Definitely a mushroom primer would do me good. So if any of you out there are experts in identifying mushrooms, please let me know if I need to go back and get some of them for my next risotto.

As my parents hunted for the grave site, I hunted for mushrooms. I didn’t pick any, just took pictures. There were red ones…

and brown ones…

and creepy gray ones…

and little cute itsy bitsy red ones…

and some whitish grayish ones (these look a little familiar to me, I wonder if they might be good for cooking?)…

an orange one with it’s own fungus (a fungus with a fungus)…

and others that looked like they had been nibbled on…

All in all my little mushroom trip (a non psychedelic mushroom trip) was fun. Hopefully when we return to hunt again for the family plot there will be more fungi to greet us.

So any ideas on what kind they are?