Daylilies from Grandpa's farm in Worthington, Indiana
My cousin Joy celebrated a very big birthday, one of the kind that ends with the number “0”. Her family decided to throw her a surprise birthday bash. The key word was “surprise”. There were a lot of people who had a secret to keep. And, they were successful.
One of the grandchildren, Emily, was the brainchild behind the event. She claimed that she just knew how to delegate. It was a team effort. I was a little surprised that my name was included on the guest list. I don’t ever remember meeting Emily or her brothers, let alone their assorted children. I am not sure Emily would have even known about me to invite me. Her father, Darren, said he checked the list to see who might have been forgotten. That’s how my name was added.
Anyway, as I said, there were a lot of people who kept my cousin clueless about this event. One of the main “decepters” was Emily, who is about the best granddaughter that anyone could ever want. In addition to planning the party, she had to plan on the way to get her grandmother to the event and get her there in style. Emily wears the same size clothing as her granny. So, she purchased a dress for the event. She told her grandmother, “I bought this dress, but it isn’t right for me. Why don’t you take it?” She knew her grandmother's taste in clothing. The dress was beautiful and the granddaughter so very clever!
Now, as a part of being such an amazing granddaughter, Joy is included in a lot of family events. When a family birthday is near Valentine’s Day, Joy is included when the gang goes out for a birthday/Valentine’s celebration. The same thing seems to happen at Easter, Christmas, or whenever there is an occasion to eat out. So, it came as no surprise when Emily invited Joy to celebrate an anniversary with the family. And, “Why don’t you wear your new dress when we go out to eat?” Still, very clever!
There were other “decepters” in the midst. Joy’s brother Steve and his wife Lyla drove down to Indiana from Michigan the night before to take Joy out for a birthday meal. They had a delicious evening, and the following day around noon, they said that they “had to go”. Of course, Joy thought that meant that they had to return to Michigan at that moment. It was just a minor instance of not telling the whole story. They “had to go” to the surprise party at the Hartford City Girl Scout House.
Joy didn’t know where the anniversary would be celebrated, but Emily said that she had a time-sensitive commitment at the Girl Scout House that she had to take care of first. Normally, Joy would have just waited in the car. But, Emily assured her that it was not a problem to come on into the building for a few minutes. Nobody would mind.
So, Joy walked into her celebration.
I didn’t really expect to have all that special of a time. I only knew Joy, her brother, and his wife. And, I knew that with so many guests, I’d not have much time to spend with the guest of honor. All that was true, but there was one man I forgot I knew from decades past. I walked up to Lyle and said, “I’ve not seen you since you were a teenager and my sister liked you.” He replied, “You’re going to have to be a little more specific. Who are you?” Right away I asked, “How many girls are there that liked you?”
Once he knew my name, of course, he knew my sister. Then, he surprised me. He said that he once visited our home in Ohio. I didn’t remember that bit of information.
My cousin Joy is blessed with many wonderful kids, grandkids, and great grandkids. Most of them I had never seen before, but I was very welcomed into the fold. I spent quite a while talking to Emily along with her husband, Josh, and son about a recent trip to Europe. Travelers are my kind of people.
I also enjoy people who cook. There was so much good food prepared for the party, but hands down, no competition, my favorite dish was smoked cream cheese. I’d never heard of it before. I don’t know any cheese that I don’t like, but this dish was amazing.
It’s a dish that I will never be able to make because I don’t have a smoker. Emily’s father, Darren, may be the main smoker in the family. He built his own smoker that he said was big enough for two hogs at once. I don’t know how much space two hogs take up, but as you can see in the photo, it’s big enough to hold a good-sized adult family member, Kolton. (Obviously, don’t ever get Darren mad at you.)
For this particular feast, Emily’s brother Evan prepared the cheese on a much smaller smoker. Emily gave me the basics for the recipe.
Smoked Cream Cheese
from Hartford City, Indiana
Line a small baking dish with foil and spray with olive oil. Then, place the cheese in the center and cover all exposed sides with oil. Generously sprinkle with seasoning of your choice. For the birthday party, sweet maple and brown sugar was used on one block and the other was sweet maple and smoked paprika.
If like me, you have never heard of sweet maple, Blackstone sweet maple seasoning is a blend of delicious spices for the cheese.
Gently score your 8 oz block of cream cheese in both directions with a knife to create a cross-hatch pattern.
Smoke at lowest setting, about 200 degrees, for 20 - 30 minutes.
Serve with crackers.
As I said, I can never make this dish since I don’t have a smoker, so I looked for something similar that can be made in a crock-pot. That’s how I discovered this treat.
Crock-Pot Smoked Cream Cheese
Inspired from Hartford City, Indiana
Ingredients
2 blocks (8 oz each) full-fat cream cheese, cubed
2 cups shredded Colby-Jack or sharp cheddar cheese
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
1/2 to 1 tsp liquid smoke
1 Tbs barbecue seasoning or dry rub (plus extra for topping)
1/2 cup pepper jelly or sweet-and-spicy barbecue glaze
Instructions
Place the cubed cream cheese, shredded cheese, and tomatoes with chilies into the slow cooker. Next, add in the liquid smoke and dry barbecue rub.
Cover the goodies and cook on low for 2 hours. Stir the cheese mix every 15 to 30 minutes until it is all completely melted and smooth.
Switch the cooker to warm.
Before serving, spoon the pepper jelly or warm BBQ glaze right over the top. Serve it up with tortilla chips or crackers.
If you want a little meat in your deliciousness, add sausage or bacon. Everything is better with sausage or bacon.