Herb de Provence Soft Cheese

When approached by Earth Fare to write a few blogs for them I was super excited but slightly stumped! I have so many ideas of things that I could make that would be awesome and was unsure what direction to take. I talked to quite a few friends and family members about what recipe would be the best to represent my blog. I do not specialize in vegan foods or gluten free meals. I am purely a cook that makes things that she loves; incorporating all types of foods into my repertoire. So after some thought I decided that is exactly what I should write about.... a food that I love and that drew me to Earth Fare.

What made me first LOVE Earth Fare??    Mmmm..... Cheese!!!!

Around 2002, I began to shop at Earth Fare in Greenville, SC for their healthy outlook on eating and all things food. Earth Fare was one of the first "whole food" stores in my area and it was like a new world to me. I loved going in every week and trying something new, discovering a new local producer in my area or gaining knowledge from one of their educated employees. I enjoyed all parts of the store, but I especially came to love their wonderful world of different cheeses! Over the years, I have frequented the cheese counter almost weekly; so much so that the employees that works in that area usually knows my name (ugggg.... the beer guy does too. But that is a different post!) 

Through these visits,  I have found my love for all types of cheeses, but one thing I always purchase are different spreadable cheeses. Some days, I buy a great triple brie and on others a creamy, herbed chevre log. I love to have these on hand for entertaining or just for a snack with a glass of wine after a long day at work. So after some thought, I decided I would challenge myself to make a spreadable cheese in an "Earth Fare" style just like the cheese I buy from them that I love so much. Of course, part of this challenge was using all Earth Fare ingredients, but that was not hard for me!! I always invite a chance to fill up my cart at their store. 

Enjoy!

Ham Barley Soup

Who is C-O-L-D?? I am, but as a lot of you already know, I am always cold. I have the perfect solution to beat the cold and this crappy weather- my Gram H's Ham Barley Soup. This is a recipe that I have loved since I was a little girl. My Gram H. knew that my little sister and I loved this soup (as well as her fabulous spaghetti.) When we would go to my grandparent's house in the winter for a weekend sleep over, she would make this for us.  It was the best possible food to eat after spending the day outside playing in the snowy Pennsylvania weather. I can still see her standing by the stove stirring the pot of soup in between hands of our favorite card game, Kings on the Corner.

When I got older and moved so far away, I craved this soup. One day, probably 10 years ago now, I really wanted this soup. Since Gram lives so far away, the only way that I was going to get my soup is if I made it myself.  I picked up the phone and called her. She walked me through the simple recipe and I made a great pot of soup. Of course, it is always best when Gram makes her recipes,  but I thought I did a pretty good job. Now, every time I make this soup, I call Gram and tell her that I am stirring a pot of her Ham Barley Soup.  It makes her happy to know that I love her soup and that I am keeping her recipe alive. It is also a great time to fill her in on my latest doings and to just have a few good laughs. Even after all these years, this soup continues to bring us together.