Sunday afternoon in the desert-- a taste of home

today was my day to run errands...  after I put in a load of laundry and went to the health club, I headed to the grocery store to pick up all the essentials for our Thanksgiving dinner. And as I was walking through the deli area, I spied this display in one of the deli coolers:

not everyone will know what this is... it's a product that not very many people reading this will have ever had, either- here's a closer look for you:

yes, it is Limburger cheese!! I was quite surprised to see this in our grocery store; I'm guessing someone from the Midwest asked the store to bring it in, because I've never seen it there before. 

Limburger is an old-style 'pungent' (to put it mildly) cheese, today made only one place in the US: the Cheese Chalet company in Monroe, Wisconsin... for more about Limburger cheese, you can read this Wikipedia article: Limburger cheese. This cheese is a traditional part of the Mayer family gathering at Tom's dad's place in Wisconsin... Tom's grandma loves it, and everyone (everyone who eats it, anyway- lol!) enjoys it in the afternoon before the big dinner. 

And, some of this cheese (2 packages, actually) came home with me. Not for me, because I don't like the strong taste, but for Tom- he actually enjoys it! Limburger is a strong tasting (and smelling) soft cheese that is traditionally served with onions and can be eaten as a sandwich on rye bread...  

(notice Bisbee in the back, wondering if she can sneak a cracker??)

And here's Tom, enjoying his Limburger, with some onions and capers (for a bit of saltiness) on crackers, along with a cigar-- a bit of home, right here in the desert! (he's on the patio: partially because it was beautiful out, and partially because I didn't want the Limburger opened in the house, lol!)

Theme #1... also known as somewhat random vacation pics

For our vacation, we visited our families in NW Illinois and south-central WI. That area is the heart of dairy and cheese country, after all, so how could I resist taking pictures of cheese?? :D Pictures in a theme: when you actually go out and look for them, they're not too difficult to find... it started even before we left Phoenix!

we snacked on queso dip and chips in the airport while we were waiting for our flight. (it was tasty!)

the cheese sale display in the Milwaukee airport: possibly the only airport that sells cheese-to-go??

a sign on the way to my parents' house... cheese for sale at a random gas station / mini mart along the highway. This sign is from the cheese factory in the town where I grew up. It was at the end of the block where I grew up, actually... I remember walking down to the sales room to buy cheese before major holidays, so Mom could have all the necessary ingredients for the cheese and relish plate. (Sadly, this cheese factory is now closed.)

The cheese display in one of the stores when we visited Galena... we tried a couple of the more exotic cheeses, although I'm still wishing I would have tried the horseradish cheddar. (...just to see what it tasted like!) Tom's dad slicing into a fresh-from-the-oven cheese and pepperoni pizza prepared with freshly grated mozzarella and cheddar-- it was wonderful!!

Salt and pepper shakers from a gift shop in downtown Wisconsin Dells-- they're cute, but I prefer to be able to figure out which is which a little easier than this. (I told you, themed pictures are everywhere, if you look!!)

This is one of the traditions from Tom's family reunion-- if you watch Larry the Cable Guy's show "Only in America," you know that limburger is made in only one cheese factory in the country, and surprise, surprise-- it's in Wisconsin! It's an acquired taste, but one I have not yet acquired. I have tasted it- more than once- but I can't get past the (dirty sock) smell; give me a nice sharp cheddar any day!

Tom, however, does like it! The "limburger crowd" had the screen tent to themselves (along with their onions and liver sausage) while the rest of us kept our distance, waiting for the burgers and sweet corn to be ready... funny, but after putting this post together, I'm thinking now I need to go make some mac and cheese-- LOL!!