What a wonderful sunny winter day it is today. I hope you are having as wonderful a day as I am. Although I have to admitt, I have much better days when it is sunny than when cloudy and gloomy so I am sure that has something to do with the gladsome feelings for today. So here are the questions of the day.

Do you use good cheese to make a grilled cheese sandwich?

Do you use good cheese to melt on a hamburger patty?

Or is store brand cheese good enough for these purposes?

And what about the Tex-Mex classic – Queso?

I have to admit, I have both made and eaten my fair share of Velveeta Queso dip. But as I have moved along my cheese journey I have become dissatisfied with the processed flavors (or non-flavor) of store brand cheeses.

So today I am going to experiment. I have an old family recipe for cheese fondue that uses beer, flour, grated cheese and spices. I have wondered for some time if the same style recipe would be a good model for making chili con queso without using Velveeta.

In the fondue recipe, the secret of keeping the cheese from separating while melting is to toss the grated cheese with a couple of tablespoons of flour before adding it to the hot beer mixture. So here is the recipe I am going to try.

Ingrediants:

1. ½ cup salsa
2. ¼ cup beer
3. 2-3 cups grated cheese
4. 1 Tbl flour

Directions:

1. Heat beer and salsa together.
2. Toss grated cheese with flour.
3. Slowly add grated cheese to salsa mixture until melted.
4. Eat with chips

* You may also add spicy sausage crumbles to the salsa mixture before adding the cheese/flour.

So here goes. Will report on success (or failure) in the next post.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

I stumbled across a You Tube video the other day that just blew me away. It shouldn’t have I suppose, but… She was speaking to my current life situation. And doesn’t that always get our attention? Not to keep you in suspense any longer it was Judith Jones. Who??? You might ask? And so did I at first. But as soon as her introduction was read, I knew who she was without ever knowing who she was.

OK, Ms. Jones is a publisher and author who has worked for Knopf publishing for ever. According to her publicity introduction, she is the editor who brought “The Diary of Anne Frank” to America and was also the editor who spearheaded the publication of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking”.

Now you see why I say I knew her and didn’t know her. Who really follows the editors of famous books? But of course there must be an editor and sometimes that editor must have almost as much impact on the final book as the author. I found the talk that Ms. Jones gave was fascinating. Not only did she share some insights and amusing scenes of her varied carrier but she also talked about her book, “The Pleasures of Cooking For One”.

I can’t wait to get this book. I am sure it will be a wonderful addition to my library, especially as Ms. Jones apparently is not just about cutting down a recipe by dividing the ingredients by 4 or 6 or 8. Her recipes sound enchanting but it also sounds like she has wrapped the cooking lessons inside her personal philosophy that cooking for one can still be “doing something creative, treating yourself well, and, above all, enjoying.”

If you already own a copy of this book, please let me know what you think about it. Is it a buy? Is it a keeper or a put on the shelfer? Hope to hear from you soon. And now I am ready to sit back, relax with a cup of hot tea, and enjoy the day.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

Today I woke up and decided it would be a different day. For the past 20 or so days each morning has come later and later and each corresponding night also got later and later as I struggled to deal with grief. The new year had begun, weren’t things supposed to be easier? My son and I made it through Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve so why was January 5th such a downer? And January 6th? And January 15th? I think you get the point.

I kept getting visual flashbacks of my life with my husband. I could actually see him sometimes sitting by me or laying on the bed or standing in the room. Not being a particularly visual person, my forte being words not drawings, it is such a powerful longing to see his face, his hands, his smile. I hope that I never forget all the pictures I have of our life together.

Grieving time is important. It could be for the loss of a spouse or someone else close to you. My wise mother told me “give yourself time to grieve but don’t stay there”. For me, January was hard. It seemed like I was going to stay in the sadness and depression forever. But even if it seems like you have felt sad for a long time, look to the Lord for strength to make just this one day different.

I don’t know what made January so difficult. Maybe your difficult time came unexpectedly as well. I am not an expert or a counselor. I can’t solve my grief or yours but I strive daily to follow my mother’s advice to not stay “there”. With God’s mercy, today was different. I did several work activities, worked on this blog post, read a little, and stayed up the whole day. For me… that’s progress.

I pray that you experience progress as well as you deal with the challenges in your life.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

Cheese Twists

Simple crisp updated flavor of an old standby party favorite. The aged gouda cheese gives an unexpected depth of flavor to these simple appetizers.
I used Beemster Classic Extra Aged Gouda.
I was making this appetizer for a group that included children, so I did not want to go heavy on the spices. If I was making this for my family, or only adults, I would have increased the amount of the spices.

Heat oven to 420
Place parchment paper on baking sheet

Ingredients:
Pillsbury Pie Crusts
Melted or Softened Butter
Gouda Cheese
Pre-mix egg wash – 1 egg mixed with 1 Tbls water.
Pastry Brush

Spices I Used:
1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
1/4 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Ground Chipotle Pepper
1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika
You can use any spice that you like or prefer.

1. Layout 1 crust and use real butter to slightly cover the pie crust.
2. Grate the aged gouda, and layer onto the pie crust at least a ¼ inch deep.
3. Sprinkle spices on the cheese.
4. Place the second pie crust on top and roll out very thin.
5. Use a pizza cutter to slice into rustic slices and cut longer slices in half or thirds.
6. Twist into shape.
7. Place on parchment covered baking sheet.
8. Use pastry brush to lightly coat cheese twists with egg wash.
9. Place in pre-heated oven for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown.
10. Serve either hot or cool and serve later.

I know this is a very simple dish and many people would cringe at using a such a “good” cheese for such a basic dish. However, I am finding that many people are not yet ready to jump into full cheese tasting, but are getting to love these new cheeses in familiar dishes. I hope to have a cheese tasting one of these days. But for now, I am enjoying introducing others to these great cheeses.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

There are two times of the year that I really like to indulge in flavored teas. It seems like the flavor possibilities these days are enormous. The tea shelf displays, even at a regular grocery store such as Krogers, is getting larger and larger. This increase is certainly in the number herb teas but flavored teas also appear to be gaining in popularity.

During the hot months of the year I tend to indulge in a mint, jasmine, orange, or lemon flavored tea. These teas are brighter in flavor notes and lighter in body, so for me, they tend to be more refreshing in the hotter months of the year.

One tea that I have never drank is a rose petal flavored tea but I plan on adding this to my tea tasting sometime in the spring. Do you have any recommendations for a good rose tea to try? Let me know in the comment box below so I can be on the look out for the tea while out shopping.

This is the time of year when I tend to pull out the Earl Grey and Lady Grey tea, maybe an Orange Dulce, or even a vanilla flavored black tea. The Earl Gray and Lady Grey teas are blended with bergamont oil but Lady Grey also has hints of lemon and orange from the addition of dried peels.

I consider both of these teas as “get the day going” type of teas. They are soothing teas which are hearty and energy boosting at the same time. First thing in the morning I need gentle, soothing awakening and the comfort of milk and sugar. Can you tell that cold winter mornings are not my favorite “cup of tea”.

As far as my husband was concerned jasmine tea was a year round necessity. He especially liked jasmine with a green tea base for its light, floral, and sparkly mouth feel. He was not one to indulge in milk and sugar. He loved his tea straight up, hot, and often. He said that was the only way to drink tea as milk and sugar just dulled the flavors but then he married Lady Sweet Tea and over the years did occasionally indulge in my famous southern sweet tea.

There is so much flavor out there, I encourage you to grab something new and indulge yourself. I would love to know what is your favorite flavored tea or what new teas you have discovered. Leave me an note, I would be glad to hear from you.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

Weclome on this beautiful Sunday afternoon. I am enjoying a wonderful cup of hot tea and relaxing after a meal at Ruby Tuesday’s, with some good friends from church. There is nothing like a cup of tea when you have maybe overindulged just a little, and I must confess my son and I split the most delicious cake for dessert. Anyway, I just wanted to talk with you a little about the holidays and I thought we would all enjoy a little audio today. Thanks for listening and don’t forget to leave me some comments below.

Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

In surfing the web this morning, I found another cheese store that has some fun articles. Here is an”article“, from Di Bruno Bros. in Philidelphia, about a Gouda that apparently has a different flavor than the Beemster Gouda I currently have. You can see a little difference in the color of the Beemster and the Wilde Weide Gouda. The Beemster is a deeper caramel color. However, you can see the wonderful crunchy flavor crystals in both. Just wish I had enough money to buy all the cheese I want to taste. So, if you have ever had the Wilde Weide Gouda, please leave me a comment, and let me know how you liked it, and how you served it.

Happy Sippping,
Lady Sweet Tea

In yesterday’s post, I told you that I would be pairing up my wonderful Beemester Gouda cheese with a Super Sweet Scuppernong Wine from the Butterducks Winery in Guyton, GA.
Guyton just happens to be just about 20 minutes outside Savannah, GA where Lady Sweet Tea spent several glorious days a couple of weeks ago. We always like to hunt up little places everywhere we visit and I am always on the hunt for local wine, beer and cheese.

We sure lucked out in the wine department with Butterducks Winery. About 6 years ago a Mr and Mrs Butter had a pond, and in that pond they had 2 ducks. When low and behold a wild mallard duck named Lenny, stopped by. With plenty to eat, a nice place to sleep and new friends, Lenny decided to move in. Unfortunately, Lenny lived longer than the household ducks and grew very lonely. So Mr and Mrs Butter found him some new friends and “the gang” moved in. Now Lenny, Dexter, Lilly, Don, Heidi, Delilah, and Georgette, all live happily together.

When it came time to turn a run away hobby into a real business, Butterducks Winery was born. They are committed to making “fine wines from the fruits of Georgia”. And I can personally attest to have enjoyed our tasting at the shop. I enjoyed it so well that I brought home 4 different types of wine. Friday we will be opening our first bottle of the Super Sweet Scuppernong Wine at a friend’s house. It is a silver winner in the 2006 Wines of the South Competition. I think I will also take a bottle of the Butterducks Chardonnay for dinner.

If you are not from the southeast you might not have ever heard of Scuppernongs. They are actually a variety of Muscadine grapes and are native to the southeast United States. I find it fascinating, that according to Wikipedia, these grapes were first mentioned in the writings of Florentine explorer Giovanni de Verrazzano while exploring the Cape Fear River Valley in 1524.

It was fun catching a little glimpse of Georgia through these great wines. Georgia has some interesting laws, the Butterducks can not ship outside the state, but their wines are carried at over 10 retail locations around the Savannah area. Or visit their store and have fun tasting the “fruits” of their labor.

As Always, Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea

It always begins with the milk. And really that is about half of the story, don’t you think? Rich, luscious milk, from grass fed cows in Northern Holland, is the beginning of the life story of the Beemster Classic Extra Aged Gouda, sitting on the plate on my table. The end of the story is a caramel colored bit of wonderfulness.

As a youngster I really enjoyed the young goudas that are what is typically available in American markets. My parents loved cheese, and gouda was frequently available in my home, and the light, creamy taste and texture made it one of my favorites.

But just like little girls grow up, so can goudas mature  into a deep flavorful cheese, if they are just given the opportunity. And, if anyone ever again tells me something mature is no longer full of life and flavor I will just point them to the wonderful world of cheese.

Maybe at this more mature time of life we have a deeper appreciation for things that have aged, sweetened and crystallized a bit. I hope you can see the deep caramel color and the beautiful texture of my newest purchase. This is the second Beemster Gouda this season. I found the flavor so extraordinary that I just had to have more of this marvelous cheese. With a taste between bourbon and caramel, what’s not to love?

Just take a look at this cheese. It is glorious. Check out those crystals – They are a crystallization of the amino acid, tyrosine, during aging. Some people even buy tyrosine supplements because it is supposed to reduce stress and help you sleep. What a way to relax. Aged Gouda is a great ending to a good meal. Mix in a bottle of Super Sweet Scuppernong Wine and you have the makings a perfect ending to the day.

I am so glad that I also still have some of the Formaticum cheese paper because I hope to savor this cheese after dinner at a friends house in a couple of days. As you can tell, wrapping a slice of cheese is not quite as easy as wrapping a box but this 2-ply, breathable cheese paper will keep this cheese in top condition even though my fridge is probably too cold. I put my cheese in the vegetable drawer and the vegetables on a shelf. Which is more important? Hands down, the cheese!

As Always, Happy Sipping Ya’ll,
Lady Sweet Tea

 Now that I have found some different tea varieties, and how they dry and wither the leaves, I am exploring ways of “Brewing the Best Teas”, and getting the most wonderful flavors out of them. In looking for information on how to correctly brew loose tea, I found a wonderful site. It happens to be a tea store out in New Mexico. Almost as far as you can get from Virginia, but it really sounds like a great store with some neat products. So what did I learn from their article? Well, it just might surprise you to find out what type of water makes the best tea? Or, how long should you steep each type of tea? I know some of this information was new to me, and I can’t wait to experiment to see if I can tell the difference. For one thing, I have been pouring boiling water on green teas for years. Now it seems that is a “no no” and I’ve been missing some great green tea flavor. I would love to learn more about getting the best flavor from the tea leaves so if you have some tips please share your information in the comment box below. Anyway, check out “The Fragrant Leaf” for some great information.

 Happy Sipping,
Lady Sweet Tea