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!)