Jazzed-Up Pimento Cheese

So happy it is the weekend again! : )  We have a teacher furlough day on Monday, so the kids are off.  That means this is a fabulous three-day weekend!

Today we are going to a potluck get-together at our friends Stephanie & Jamie's home in Forsyth County.   Steph & I met our junior year of high school, went to Berry College together for one year, and have remained friends through thick and thin ever since!  I love these get-togethers at their home - lots of friends, delicious food, and lots of laughter & friendship!  We try to have these every few months at their home, and it's something we all look forward to.

Today I'm making my Buffalo Chicken Dip (double batch!),  Creme de Menthe Brownies, & Jazzed Up Pimento Cheese for sandwiches.  Pimento Cheese is kind of a staple here in the south.  This Pimento Cheese is my version of a local cafe's amazing Pimento Cheese. The now-closed Red Sky Cafe in Buford served their Pimento Cheese on biscuits, mixed in with hot grits, and even offered a grilled version with a side of strawberry jelly.  It is SO good - there's a little kick from the jalapenos and a little crunch from the chopped pecans.  Heavenly, I'm telling you!

Jazzed Up Pimento Cheese  

• 8 oz block of sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 oz jar diced pimentos, finely chopped (because I don't like them big - I chop them til they are almost non-existent, lol)
• appx 1/2 cup mayonnaise - we prefer Duke's mayo, or Kraft's Olive Oil Mayo if I'm out of Duke's.
• dash of salt
• 1 Tbsp of the juice from a jar of jalapeno slices  (can also add chopped jalapenos,  or more of the juice to taste)
• 1/3 c chopped pecans

Mix it all up, then store in covered container in the fridge overnight.  I like to slice a package of soft rolls (the kind in the little foil pan, found on the bread aisle) in half, and take the top half off.  Spread the bottom layer of rolls with PC, replace top half of bread, and toast in the oven til brown and PC is bubbly.  Serve with a side of strawberry jelly, just like they used to do at Red Sky in Buford!!  YUM!  Also good with crackers, or on celery.

Back to School ~ Tea Leaves & Thyme Tea Room

Taking tea is a long-time tradition in our family.  My mom, known as Grandmama or G-mama to her grandkids, started this back when her three oldest grandchildren were small. That first time, my sister & I took the girls with Mom to Woodstock to Tea Leaves & Thyme.  It's a beautiful little tea room where you can go in, sit down and let your worries and cares disappear for a couple of hours.  Taking tea is all about relaxing and enjoying the flavors and variety of delicious foods and hot tea that will be served to you.  Each bite is savored, each sip is enjoyed.  We've visited other tea rooms, but Tea Leaves & Thyme is the one we keep going back to, time and again.  I love love love tea rooms!

This year, I wanted to take both kids for a special back to school tea.  K is a senior, and D is a 2nd grader, so they both have much different interests, but both were excited about this tea party! 

We arrived and were seated in a sweet little room all by ourselves *yay*!  We each picked out something fun to add to our outfits: I grabbed a big floppy hat with feathers and a bow.  D grabbed a fur coat and a top hat, and K grabbed a fur coat because she was cold! *She wasn't so much in to the dressing up part this time*  : ( 

We ordered Full Afternoon Tea - which is all of the goodies you get for tea time on a three tier tray, plus a chicken salad croissant and an endless tea pot.   D got the Mad Hatter's Tea ~ a smaller three tier tray of kid-friendly goodies, plus his own tea pot.   His tray included:  top tier:  fruit, plus chocolate chip scones, middle tier: a chocolate-dipped, heart shaped peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a chocolate-dipped raspberry cream cheese (rabbit shaped) sandwich with a marshmallow tail, and a ham stripe sandwich.  Dessert tier - a chocolate cherry & hershey kiss mouse, a petit four and a jello tulip.  He LOVED it all!

When our tray of food arrived, here's what we got:  top tier - cranberry scones with lemon curd and amaretto whipped cream,  plus fresh fruit.  Middle tier: finger sandwiches - ham stripes, pineapple cinnamon cream cheese, egg salad with maple bacon, cucumber cream cheese topped with sour cream swirl & a radish curl.

The dessert tray included cookies and cream brownies, some type of bar with chocolate chips, nuts, etc., lemon bars, and a butter cupcake with pinapple center and pink frosting. 

Plus we got that giant chicken salad croissant!

 Our first pot of tea was creme brulee, the second was winter comfort (I think) - it was a chocolate mint tea.  David had a creme brulee pot and a vanilla spice pot too! YUM!  We had a wonderful time making memories and enjoying a special afternoon before school started.

I am hoping to get my mom, aunt, cousins and others together at Tea Leaves & Thyme for a Christmas tea this year - that would be so much fun!!

If you live near Atlanta you must try out Tea Leaves & Thyme.  It would be a great place to have a bridal or baby shower, too.  I love going there for tea with friends & family - it's such a nice way to take some time for yourself!  Make sure to call first and make reservations - you probably won't get in without them!

Have you visited a tea room? What is a fun back to school tradition you share with your family?

** This is not a sponsored post - I was not compensated in any way for writing this! We paid full price for our teas and will do so again ~ we have been going there for over 10 years now! I really wanted to share this fabulous Atlanta tea room with y'all! **

Who's ready for a Thirty-One Gifts GIVEAWAY!?!?

My friend Jamie "introduced" me to her friend Deanna on Facebook a few weeks back, and I was excited to see that she is a Rep for one of my favorite companies ~ Thirty-One gifts.  LOVE LOVE LOVE them!! My favorite tote bag EVER is from Thirty-One.  It's several years old but looks fantastic - they have quality products, girls!! I am totally  making a "wish list" for Randy so when he feels the need to buy me something, it will be from Deanna!

I'm very excited to announce that she is sponsoring a Thirty-One gifts giveaway for Just Kidding Around Atlanta!   The winner will get to pick one of these three items in the fabric of their choice!

Winner will choose one of these super-cute prizes:

Littles Carry All Caddy ~  Retail Value $12, you choose from this or two other fabric options

OR

Small Lunch Tote - Retail Value $12.50  Winner chooses from 5 fabric options.





 OR





Mini Zipper Pouch - Retail Value $10  Winner chooses from 6 fabric options.

So how do you enter the giveaway? Well....I've got lots of chances for you to win!!

Mandatory Entry - Like Deanna's Thirty One Gifts Facebook page ~ you must do this to be eligible to win, and for any of your bonus entries to count as well.  If you are chosen as the winner and haven't liked her page, I'll have to pick another, so please do this one first!  Leave a comment below telling me you liked her page.  Please include your email so I can contact you if you are my winner!



Bonus Entries ~ completing each one of these counts as one entry. You need to leave a separate comment below this post for each one you do, and include your email in each comment so I can contact you if you are my winner! If you already follow me here, on FB, or Twitter just leave a comment telling me that as well - please also include your id or name on those accounts so I can verify your entry if you are my winner!

• Visit Deanna's Thirty-One gifts online, check out the catalog and leave me a comment with your favorite item
• Like my blog's Facebook page
• Follow me here on Just Kidding Around Atlanta via Google Friend Connect
• Follow me on Twitter www.twitter.com/aimeer68
• Subscribe to my feed (above right, under the Twitter section) & confirm via the email you receive
• Send your friends to Deanna's Facebook page, have them like it, then leave a comment on her page saying that you sent them from JKAA's giveaway.  (you leave me a comment with their name to count as your entry! (ie - my friend Jenny S.  liked Deanna's FB & commented)

Super Bonus Entry Option ~ worth 5 bonus entries!!

Contact Deanna at dstraw8825 at aol dot com by Sunday, January 23 at 11:59 pm EST and set up a virtual (online) catalog party.  You & your friends can shop til you drop online, and if your sales total $200 or more, you'll earn fabulous hostess rewards, too! Again, email Deanna and set your virtual party up before Sunday night, and you will get those 5 bonus entries.  Once you set it up, leave me 5 separate comments telling me you're hosting a party!

So there you have it ~ up to 12 chances to win a trendy Thirty-One accessory!  Spread the word, and get busy entering!! : )  Don't forget to leave a comment for each entry in the comments section below this post!

Contest will end at 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday, February 2, 2011.  Winner will be randomly picked, emailed, and will have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen.  **US addresses only**

Thanks again to Deanna for sponsoring this giveaway!!

The best Christmas gift ever...

I'm SO excited, my sweet friend Stephanie, (from the Halloween party!) invited us to go with them to Orlando the week after Christmas! She and her husband have rented a house down there with 6 bedrooms and a fabulous heated pool! There is one other couple going as well - it is going to be fantastic!

Six years ago I wrote for a local website - AtlantaChristianWeekly.com, as a features editor & columnist. I did reviews of local attractions, concerts, etc, as well as a few travel feature/reviews on Savannah, South Georgia, & Central Florida & Orlando. One reason I started this blog was to be able to review more places to share with all of y'all. And this trip offers me the perfect opportunity to start reviewing more - I've not really done that since summer! (Well, except for the Melting Pot last month- does that count?) So I'm hoping to visit & review a few new places while we are down there and share them with you!! Maybe you will find a new place or two to visit on your next trip to Florida!

Tomorrow is David's party ~ I'll share the details of that either tomorrow night or the next day. It's just been super-busy here and I haven't had much time to myself at all, so new posts here or on the blog FB page!! Thanks for being patient with me, I will be back soon to share more with you! I'm also working on a very frugal craft that will highlight my Grandmother's vintage glass ball ornaments - it is so pretty and easy-peasy to make! Pics of that to follow!
~ Aimee