Pimento and cheese sandwich recipe with some side dishes and good thoughts

I had something to celebrate today so I went to the store and picked up what I needed to make a cheap and happy meal. My mother made this once in awhile, and I remember it at funerals, church luncheons and dinner on the grounds, and what folks would serve as snacks for parties.

Here's what you need to do:

Mix a handful of pimentos or chopped up Italian sweet peppers, one cup of mayonnaise, one or two chopped up garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon or a little more of store-bought lemon juice or a little more if you can squeeze in your own, 1 teaspoon or a little more of dry mustard, a small handful of chopped onion greens, one-half of a teaspoon of Worcester sauce and a few drops more, and one-quarter of a teaspoon of red pepper flakes together.

I'm told that you should do this in a bowl and use a wooden spoon. Mix it up really well.

Then add two cups of grated cheddar cheese and Colby cheese, or save some work and get a small bag of already-mixed shredded cheeses and throw two cups of that in.

Mix it up and put it in the fridge.

This goes well with a side of sweet relish, potato chips, and sweet tea.

For my sweet tea I put some licorice tea bags, some mint tea bags or mint, some fragrant flower tea and/or some sassafras tea in a large jar with water and let it sit in the sun for most of the day. I put it in the fridge and let it sit over night. Some people add lots of sugar when the tea is brewing, or after it is brewed. I add my sugar by the glass instead. I like to use Mason jars for glasses. You can buy small ones with handles or find some at second-hand stores.

Now, the pimento-cheese mix does best on cheap white bread, I think---the kind that will stay together and breathe a little. When the mix is a little cold take it out and be generous in scooping it onto the bread. Slice the sandwich diagonally so that you feel happy as you're eating.

The best music to listen to as you enjoy your meal is The Staple Singers, the Stanley Brothers, early Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, any of the early Philadelphia soul groups, and Bill Monroe and Del McCoury. If you have a tablet or a laptop, or if you live around Whitesburg, KY., put on radio station WMMT. They broadcast over the Web. There is a link to WMMT on this blog, in fact.

A good piece of berry pie with ice cream, and maybe a cup of decaf, will make a fitting dessert. You deserve it, so have seconds.

Eat slowly and happily.

I know that the recipe books and websites make the cheese-pimento mix look smooth like egg salad. I have never been able to do that and, anyway, I like mine kind of chunky and with bites of different spicy flavors.

"Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God."