Hello LilyOnTheLam.Com Readers!
If you are a regular reader, you may be aware that on Wednesdays I post "New Product Wednesday" product reviews of items that are new or at least new to me! In honor of the first Trader Joe's opening in South Tampa, I have dedicated New Product Wednesday for the past several weeks to Trader Joe's products.
However this week we are going to take a break and feature a non-Trader Joe's product. Stick with me people, you won't regret it!
Growing up in the Northern Midwest, I never thought of Florida as being part of the "Old South." Living ten years in Florida (man, does time fly!), I still don't really consider Florida to be the South - although I have noticed a few "y'all" and "bless her heart" sayings have crept into my every day vernacular.
This past Memorial Day weekend, I went to visit my friend (who I have self-appointed as "The First Lady of Lynchburg") in her home of Lynchburg, Virginia. I have worked in Roanoke and Virginia Beach and visited Richmond and the DC-adjacent Virginia suburbs, but I had never been to Lynchburg. To me, parts of Virginia are still "the Old South."
Now I have also recently been in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina on a business trip. I was working incredibly long hours and had no time to explore the area. I made one exception to visit my favorite Lebanese deli, but other than that I was chained to my computer. I bemoaned to FLL (First Lady of Lynchburg) how sad I was that I did not have a chance to visit my favorite foodie paradise in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - the massive wonderful food emporium- Southern Season. It's like NYC's Eataly but with a Southern flair!
Being raised outside of the South, I do not have the genteel etiquette and sensibilities of a Southern Belle. Although I do have some social graces. If a person offers me a gift, I usually do the "oh no, I couldn't … that's much too kind … no really, I just couldn't" 2-3 times denial before accepting said gift. I don't know why, I just do.
So when FLL heard that I had not had a chance to go to Southern Season, she pulled out a container of "Mamie Jo's Kitchen's Pecan Cheese Wafers" for me.
Instead of doing my normal "Oh no, I couldn't possibly …" response when offered a gift, I swooped down on the plastic container of sharp cheesy wafers with gigantic pecans like a cracked out owl on a mouse! I scurried away with my treasure and I am pretty sure I didn't even say "Thank you." I needed to lock this gift in my suitcase before FLL changed her mind! When it comes to pecan cheese wafers, the only word is "YES!"
I am not sure how I managed to not crack into the plastic tub before returning to Florida. Extreme human restraint? But let me tell you, the minute I walked through my door I turned on the television and out came the pecan cheese wafers.
I noticed on the label that it says they "freeze beautifully." Which made me smile and laugh. My friend Ms. Kentucky and I are going to see American Stage Theatre's production of "Steel Magnolias." I have never seen the play, but I have seen the movie more times than I can count. I also remember that there is a line in the movie about recipes in the "freezes beautifully" section of a cookbook. So seeing "freeze beautifully" on the Mamie Jo's Kitchen Pecan Cheese Wafers label made me think of Dolly Parton.
When I was in Las Vegas, I was surprised to see that there were Dolly Parton slot machines. Listen, nothing is better than winning money while Dolly is singing "Jolene."
I won $109 at the Las Vegas airport while Dolly was singing her heart out. It may have annoyed the man sitting next to me, but my wallet loved every single minute of it!
In the American Stage Theatre production of Steel Magnolias, local actress Tia Jemison plays "Truvy" - the Dolly Parton role. I am extremely excited to see Tia play Truvy as she was wonderful in Stageworks Theater's production of "A Raisin In The Sun" and American Stage Theater's "The Wiz."
But enough about Dolly Parton, how did the Pecan Cheese Wafers taste?
Like absolute Southern Heaven.
Incredibly cheesy with a sharp, rich, buttery cheese taste and the pecans were so amazingly fresh. I had to pace myself because I wanted to gobble up the entire plastic tub (45 calories per wafer).
Mamie Jo's Kitchen has a Facebook page that lists where you can buy their products. If you like sharp cheese shortbread with hearty, tasty pecans, you HAVE to try these little buttons of delight! They are sooooo delicious. And they do freeze beautifully.
P.S. See Steel Magnolias at American Stage Theatre through June 15. Read the Tampa Tribune's review of the play here.
P.P.S. I am so happy that the insanity around the new South Tampa Trader Joe's seems to have died down. I drove there the other day and 1/3 of the parking lot spots were actually open! Of course by the time I came out of the store, there were only 3-4 spots open … but it was the first time I had shopped at the new South Tampa location without wanting to stab everyone I saw in the head. Progress!
If you are a regular reader, you may be aware that on Wednesdays I post "New Product Wednesday" product reviews of items that are new or at least new to me! In honor of the first Trader Joe's opening in South Tampa, I have dedicated New Product Wednesday for the past several weeks to Trader Joe's products.
However this week we are going to take a break and feature a non-Trader Joe's product. Stick with me people, you won't regret it!
Growing up in the Northern Midwest, I never thought of Florida as being part of the "Old South." Living ten years in Florida (man, does time fly!), I still don't really consider Florida to be the South - although I have noticed a few "y'all" and "bless her heart" sayings have crept into my every day vernacular.
This past Memorial Day weekend, I went to visit my friend (who I have self-appointed as "The First Lady of Lynchburg") in her home of Lynchburg, Virginia. I have worked in Roanoke and Virginia Beach and visited Richmond and the DC-adjacent Virginia suburbs, but I had never been to Lynchburg. To me, parts of Virginia are still "the Old South."
Now I have also recently been in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina on a business trip. I was working incredibly long hours and had no time to explore the area. I made one exception to visit my favorite Lebanese deli, but other than that I was chained to my computer. I bemoaned to FLL (First Lady of Lynchburg) how sad I was that I did not have a chance to visit my favorite foodie paradise in Chapel Hill, North Carolina - the massive wonderful food emporium- Southern Season. It's like NYC's Eataly but with a Southern flair!
Being raised outside of the South, I do not have the genteel etiquette and sensibilities of a Southern Belle. Although I do have some social graces. If a person offers me a gift, I usually do the "oh no, I couldn't … that's much too kind … no really, I just couldn't" 2-3 times denial before accepting said gift. I don't know why, I just do.
So when FLL heard that I had not had a chance to go to Southern Season, she pulled out a container of "Mamie Jo's Kitchen's Pecan Cheese Wafers" for me.
Instead of doing my normal "Oh no, I couldn't possibly …" response when offered a gift, I swooped down on the plastic container of sharp cheesy wafers with gigantic pecans like a cracked out owl on a mouse! I scurried away with my treasure and I am pretty sure I didn't even say "Thank you." I needed to lock this gift in my suitcase before FLL changed her mind! When it comes to pecan cheese wafers, the only word is "YES!"
I am not sure how I managed to not crack into the plastic tub before returning to Florida. Extreme human restraint? But let me tell you, the minute I walked through my door I turned on the television and out came the pecan cheese wafers.
I noticed on the label that it says they "freeze beautifully." Which made me smile and laugh. My friend Ms. Kentucky and I are going to see American Stage Theatre's production of "Steel Magnolias." I have never seen the play, but I have seen the movie more times than I can count. I also remember that there is a line in the movie about recipes in the "freezes beautifully" section of a cookbook. So seeing "freeze beautifully" on the Mamie Jo's Kitchen Pecan Cheese Wafers label made me think of Dolly Parton.
When I was in Las Vegas, I was surprised to see that there were Dolly Parton slot machines. Listen, nothing is better than winning money while Dolly is singing "Jolene."
I won $109 at the Las Vegas airport while Dolly was singing her heart out. It may have annoyed the man sitting next to me, but my wallet loved every single minute of it!
But enough about Dolly Parton, how did the Pecan Cheese Wafers taste?
Like absolute Southern Heaven.
Incredibly cheesy with a sharp, rich, buttery cheese taste and the pecans were so amazingly fresh. I had to pace myself because I wanted to gobble up the entire plastic tub (45 calories per wafer).
Mamie Jo's Kitchen has a Facebook page that lists where you can buy their products. If you like sharp cheese shortbread with hearty, tasty pecans, you HAVE to try these little buttons of delight! They are sooooo delicious. And they do freeze beautifully.
P.S. See Steel Magnolias at American Stage Theatre through June 15. Read the Tampa Tribune's review of the play here.
P.P.S. I am so happy that the insanity around the new South Tampa Trader Joe's seems to have died down. I drove there the other day and 1/3 of the parking lot spots were actually open! Of course by the time I came out of the store, there were only 3-4 spots open … but it was the first time I had shopped at the new South Tampa location without wanting to stab everyone I saw in the head. Progress!
