Pimento Cheese...I FOUND Pimento Cheese in OREGON

So anyone who is from the south knows about pimento cheese.  This delicious cheese spread is the cornerstone of every baby shower and warm summer's day menu.  Moving to Oregon, I assumed I could find it out here...UH WRONG...in fact most people out here have not even heard of it! I have introduced most of our friends out here to this delicious cheese spread, and they LOVE IT!  I have resorted to making the deliciousness from scratch since I can't find it at any store, UNTIL this last week. I ventured into the local Safeway and found the Price's Pimento Cheese that I grew up on in the deli case. Y'all I was SO excited I let out  a little squeak, the other shoppers around me turning to stare. I quickly scooped up a container and headed home to dig in.  I know that Price's is not THE best pimento cheese, but it was nice to find a little piece of the south in the supermarket.  I thought I would share with y'all my favorite go to pimento cheese recipe for when I have a hankering for some homemade pimento cheese sandwiches...here ya go...enjoy!

Emily's Pimento Cheese recipe (adapted from southern living)

2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese (get a block of cheese and shred yourself) 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup Blue Plate mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper  1/4 teaspoon onion powder 1 (4 ounce) jar diced pimento, drained salt and black pepper to taste Place the Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, mayonnaise, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, onion powder, and pimento into the large bowl, stir together. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours for all the flavors to meld.  Enjoy!

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Scarlett O's Fall Potpourri Recipe

Hello all,

I have been out of town this last week tapping into my southern roots! I ate plenty of delicious southern foods and saw family and friends, it was an amazing trip home!  Upon my arrival back to the PNW, I was greeted by rainy, windy and COLD weather! I was not quite ready for that shock after spending 7 days in cool, crisp, southern sunshine!

A great way to welcome in the fall/rainy season is to engulf your home in the smell of the season.  I thought I would share with you all my fail proof way to make your house smell amazing and get you in the fall spirit!  I developed this recipe after some trial and error, but I have since perfected this lovely stove top potpourri, guaranteed to make your house smell AMAZING...here is my recipe..enjoy!

Fall potpourri

1.  6-8 cloves
2.  3-4 cinnamon sticks
3.  2 star anise
4.  1/2 orange peel
5.  2-3 cups of water
6.  1 spice bag

1.  Place all ingredients 1-3 (cloves, cinnamon, and star anise) in spice bag, close tightly.
2.  Slice 1/2 an orange, discarding the meat of the fruit, you only need the peel!
3. Place spice bag, 1/2 orange peel and 2-3 cups of water in a large pot on your stove.
4. Turn eye of stove on low, and simmer away to fall perfection.

I picked up my spices in the bulk section of my supermarket, as you don't need an entire jar to create this several times.  I also picked up the spice bags at my supermarket, but I am sure you could pick them up at any local craft stores!

The wonderful smell will engulf your house in minutes! Sit back, brew you a cup of apple cider and ENJOY! I know I did!

sliced oranges for potpourri

Star anise, cloves, cinnamon and spice bag

ENJOY!

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Top 5 Things I Love About Oregon in the Fall

It seems everyone these days is doing a list of their favorite things...so in the spirit of the beginning of the fall season, I put together the top 5 things I have discovered I LOVE about Fall in Oregon. So in no particular order, here you go....


1. Coffee, Coffee, Coffee- As I have discussed before, Oregon has some amazing coffee shops. Pretty sure Starbucks got this area of the country on the map!  There is nothing more wonderful about fall in Oregon than all the delicious coffee shops that you can indulge in on rainy cold days!  A few of my favs in the Eugene area are:  Starbucks (DUH), Dutch Bros (see previous posts on this one!), Vero and Allan Bros.

2.  Pumpkin Patches and Orchards- In the south there are some pumpkin patches, but what I have heard from some of southern friends is that they are not TRUE pumpkin patches at all!  They are  merely old watermelon vines that someone goes and puts bought pumpkins in the field to give the illusion of pumpkin patch picking. I have no idea if this is 100% true or not, I always bought my pumpkin at Home Depot when we lived in Alabama...BUT, Oregon has legit pumpkin patches.  There are so many around our area we haven't been able to scout them all out yet. But it is SO FUN. Some of our favorites are (in no particular order): Detering Orchards (they have APPLE picking too!); Lone Pine Farms (they have GOATS and Sheep, which I LOVE!), and Thistledown.  

3.  Beginning of rainy season- I know I have posted on this NUMEROUS times, but there is something so nice about the beginning of rainy season. Colder weather, snuggly socks, and leggings...it also means I get to break out my new rain pants that I just purchased (i am PRETTY stoked!) from Sierra Trading Post (AWESOME website if you have not ever shopped there!)

4.  SNOW begins to fall in the Cascades- Growing up in the south, the only time you saw snow was by some weather fluke.  The great thing about living an hour or so from the Cascade Mtns, is that in the falls when there begins to have some fall and accumulation on the ski/snow parks.  Since moving out here, I have not tried skiing (YET), BUT, my husband and I absolutely LOVE snowshoeing. For a southern girl, this was an easy winter sport to try, that is SO FUN.  I think we may be buying our first pair of snow shoes this snow season!

Our first time snowshoeing: Christmas Eve 2012

5.  Oregon Football and Indoor Tailgating- I have posted before on my experiences thus far with football culture in the PNW.  But one of the coolest things they have during football season is an indoor place to tailgate during football games.  With your ticket to the football game, you can not only watch the Ducks from the stadium, BUT from inside the indoor tailgating area called, the Moshofsky Center (nicknamed the "Mo").  This is the single BEST thing about Duck football games. On any other given day, the "Mo", is the indoor practice facility for the Oregon Ducks Football. BUT on game day its transformed into a giant indoor tailgate; equipped with a beer garden, inflatables for the kiddos and a food court.  Its AWESOME. My general rule has become when its a rainy and cold game that I will stay till halftime in my seat, then my husband and I head over to the "Mo" to meet friends to warm up and grab a beer. If SEC schools did this, this would be a HUGE success....only in Oregon!

Panorama pic of Mo

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Rain jackets: The Official Clothing of the PNW

Hello and HAPPY Fall Y'all!  Since the last time I posted, the rainy season is already rearing its ugly head here in the PNW.  Ironic since the first day of fall was yesterday and today is the first day we have seen rain in close to two months.  I have to say that now that rainy season is starting, there is something oddly comforting about it....maybe its the dark dreary days that make taking naps and drinking endless cups of warm beverages so enjoyable, or that I get to wear skinny jeans and rain boots pretty much every day.... I am not actually dreading it like I have for the past two years (ASK ME AGAIN IN APRIL how i feel!)

When we arrived here in 2012, I owned one singular rain jacket.... because, well, it seems like a silly thing to own more than one rain jacket.  Having lived here two full years now, I own....FOUR rain jackets. I know I know, you may ask yourself, WHY ON EARTH do you have so many....well, if you had told me two years ago that I would need that many I would have laughed in your face. Rain is rain..Right?!

The fact is rain is not rain....especially not in the PNW.  I have never lived in a place that has SO many different types of rain. Think about the scene Forrest Gump, that about sums it up!  After only a few months here, I discovered, that my beautiful NorthFace rain/cold jacket, with the fleece zip in , although fantastic for a light rain, or a chilly/snowy day was NOT going to cut it out here. In the PNW, you need the good industrial strength Gortex rain jacket.  One that can handle whatever mother nature can throw at it!  Thank goodness there is an REI near by so that I could check out all the different types of rain gear!

One may ask, WHY I have four rain jackets now...well, I have learned a few things

1.  It is necessary if possible to have multiple rain jackets in the PNW...it is possible to rain on any given day SO MUCH  that you will need to switch out jackets, to allow time for one to dry (NOT KIDDING YOU ON THIS).

2.  You will need a thicker rain jacket that also can serve as a protection against cold...it doesn't ever get REALLY cold in Oregon, but 45 degrees here feels like 25 degrees. Its wet, and damp and chills you to the bone.

3.  You will need a nicer dresser rain coat for work/nice occasions. Prior to moving to the PNW, I just threw on my NorthFace and rolled out, however, in the PNW, it is work etiquette to have a nicer jacket for days when you are having an important meeting and need to wear a suit, and perhaps the bright green Columbia is not going to cut it!  Although not all in the PNW adhere to this rule, this  has been my observations.

So that my friends, is how my wardrobe evolved from one single jacket into four....and I have to say, the evolution is probably not over. I am always looking for a new coat (kinda like getting a brand new pair of Yellow Box flip-flops in the Springtime in the South).  I would have never thought it was possible, but I suppose I this is all part of the process of acclimating to becoming an Oregonian!

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Football game attire 101: PNW style

Awww college football...the time of year that most southerns look forward to all year long.  The focus each week from August to December revolves around what game is on the upcoming Saturday, setting up the tailgate and what time is food/alcohol being served.  Having grown up in the south, I have spent a good part of the fall seasons at football tailgates.  Upon moving to Oregon I assumed/expected football to be similar to tailgating in the SEC.  Well, like much of the theme of my blog, it is not.  Don't get me wrong, tailgating here in Oregon is FUN, just VERY different.

Since my husband is a fundraiser for the University of Oregon, our weekends during the fall revolve around the game. When my husband first accepted the position at UO, one of the first things I did was stock my closet up with as much green and yellow clothing I could find. Including as many cute accessories that I could find at Francesca's . When I arrived to our first football game, I was gleaming from head to toe in the perfect (or so I thought) game day outfit, expecting to find a stream of other woman looking just like me..well was I WRONG.

Football in the south is like church, you dress up in your Sunday best to attend a game.  It is not uncommon on a given Saturday to see hoards of girls in sundresses and boys in blazers and bow ties (cliche I know).  I didn't fully expect to see bow ties and sundresses, but I CERTAINLY did not expect to see the complete opposite.  Now don't get me wrong I am using broad generalizations, and there are SOME people that dress up for football games. BUT, for the most part, they don't.  Let me paint the picture for you, most men AND women wear jersey's to football games. Nothing wrong with it, JUST different than I anticipated.  PNW football supporters DONT wear their colors to support their teams either, but rather ANY thing and EVERYTHING with a team logo.

During our first football season, I refused to wear anything but the school colors to football games. My closet quickly turned into a sea of green and yellow of varying seasonal outfits due to the beginning of rainy season early during football season.  In the south, my closet was full of sundresses of varying shades (mostly crimson- Roll Tide), but I never had to think about having a wide seasonal selection of team attire.

 I will say that I am adapting to the culture a LITTLE bit...I have purchased a few Oregon shirts, and I even have worn shorts (instead of a dress) to football games.  One of the things that I realized about PNWerns and football is that the reasons driving why they don't dress up is not because they don't LOVE the game as much as southerns, but it is simply out of need.  For the most part it RAINS for 90% of all football games, there are typically a handful of days that it would be even weather acceptable to wear a dress and cute sandals to a game (believe me when those days come... I am dressed head to toe in yellow and green). But when that rain starts, it is beyond uncomfortable to sit in a dress for hours on end at a football game (believe me I tried!).  

So I am not hanging up my sundresses and fabulous game day accessories yet...BUT I will need to alter my wardrobe a bit to have a successful football season in the PNW.  So if anyone finds a cute yellow or green rain jacket and rain pants (YES, these are necessary!)...let me know!

Rainy tailgating attire!

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Ahhhh Fall...football, cooler temps and beginning of rainy season...

Ahhh, fall, for me it has always signaled the beginning of many things that I love: college football, cooler temperatures, sweaters and boots.  Upon moving to the PNW two years ago, we arrived in August, and the weather was BEAUTIFUL.  I honestly could not believe that this was the same place that everyone was always nicknaming as one of the rainiest places in the US. From around July 4th to September the weather in the PNW is fantastic...think Southern California.  It is nothing but blue skies, little humidity and sunshine until 11PM.  But BOY was I in for a shock around mid/end September, when the weather makes a drastic change, almost over night.

The rain out here is different, you may ask how can rain be different, and I can tell you it is VERY different than a rainstorm in the south.  Rainy season lasts from around Mid/end september until somewhere around March/April/June (depending on the year).  Now, you may say to yourself, HOLY SMOKES, how could anyone live in an environment like that....and I will tell you, it is NOT easy.  Having grown up in the south my entire life, I was used to the wonderful array of weather that mother nature can provide: from tornados to ice storms, most southerns have just about seen it all...and sometimes in the same day!  But I will say that the rain is different here...its a light misting type or rain, that is not quite worthy of an umbrella, but you defiantly need a rain coat (I will do an entire post on this later).  The joke around town is you are not a true Oregonian until you walk about in the rain without an umbrella.  When we first moved here, I couldn't imagine ever walking out in the rain without an umbrella/jacket and rain boots...but I can tell you, I have done it now!  Since the rain out here is different, AND since it rains practically 24/7 for 6 months, you get tired of hauling around an umbrella with you.  You can call me a true oregonian now, for 6 months of the year I wear my rain jacket pretty much every day, accompanied with my Hunter Rainboots (y'all these are amazing, you HAVE to get you a pair).

Now some have asked me, does it rain EVERY day for 6 months, the answer is NO. But it does rain about 95% of the time.  There are some days that it is sunny and beautiful (much like the south), but it typically does not last all that long, maybe a day or two. Then it is right back to the rainy, misty,cloudy and cold.  The temperatures are fairly mild, typically in the 50's most days. But its a VERY different 50 degrees... Its a damp and cold, almost chilling to the bone type of cold.  Now I am sure you are all thinking how on EARTH has this southern girl survived in this weather for two years...simple, even though the weather is crappy in the fall/winter...it does not stop the world as we know it from going on here in Oregon.  Everyone still rides their bikes, goes for runs, goes wine tasting. The weather does not inhibit them from living their lives....which is nice and refreshing.  AND it doesn't hurt either that they have some of the MOST amazing clam chowder and dark beer that I have ever tasted. Those two alone can make any cold/damp/rainy day seem brighter!

I would recommend to anyone visit the PNW during the rainy season, it gives you a WHOLE new appreciation for sunshine and warm weather.....

Our first rainy season in Oregon 2012

Until next time y'all,

Emily

Southern Girls Love Their Chicken Salad

Oh chicken salad, the delicious lunch time treat that I indulged in OFTEN when we lived in Alabama. Some of my favorite came from  an amazing little lunch place called Chicken Salad Chick , I ate there AT least once a week if not more.  It never even occurred to me when I moved to Oregon that chicken salad was not as much of a hit out here as it is in the south.  You can find it some places, but it is not as much of a staple as it was in the south.  So I have had to resort to making my own, which is totally fine EXCEPT, they don't carry the type of mayo that I like.... Moving here it never even occurred to me that there would be different items in the grocery store. Typically I have had to resort to having my family members send me southern staples, until I discovered that I can order ANYTHING I need on Amazon Prime.

In the south everyone has their favorite mayo, depending on where you grew up. My family always used Blue Plate, but I have some friends that swear by Duke's and other local brands. To me when you are  making chicken salad/pimento cheese or anything that calls for mayo, it has to be Blue Plate.  For the last two years I have been making chicken salad with whatever mayo I could find at the Safeway. And the chicken salad turned out fine, but something always seemed off with the flavor.  That was until a few weeks ago, I was surfing around on Amazon and found a reasonable quantity of Blue Plate that I could justify purchasing. That is the one thing about Amazon, sometimes you have to get the Costco size quantity of something.  Since my shipment arrived, I have made chicken salad twice (my husband is SO happy), and have pimento cheese on my list to make as well.  The chicken salad I have been making these last few weeks is the more savory kind...below is a recipe for my chicken salad:

Spicy Jalapeño Chicken Salad:
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1/2 cup blue plate mayo
1 tbsp  dijon mustard
1/2 tsp of fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
1/2 a packet of Ranch dressing

Directions
1) Shred chicken
2) Sprinkle 1/2 packet of ranch dressing over chicken
3) mix together the remainder of the ingredients, add more mayo if needed.

ENJOY!

Until next time y'all,

Emily