Livermush and Cheerwine = Heaven
Hey Y’all! Let’s talk about Southern things today. I grew up in a little town called Hudson, North Carolina. To get even more specific, Cajah’s Mtn (like 3 people are going to understand that one). Our only real claims to fame are Madison Bumgarner (that world series pitcher) and Eric Church (country singer). But I am not here to talk about people I don’t know…I am here to talk about awesome southern things. I get to claim a bunch of crazy awesome stuff. I was spurred by this list I was sent yesterday. Some of my favorites are on the list. Let’s look a little closer:
#1 – Cheerwine. Sweet lawdy I love that stuff. I don’t drink near as much soda as I did when I was younger but sometimes, it is so refreshing. I can’t say Cheerwine is my favorite of all time. That would go to #25, Sundrop…which was just recently made national. Hell look at this list. We are the home of every freakin awesome soda ever. #31 Dr. Pepper? Southern. Pepsi(not on the list)? NC born. #20 Coke? Atlanta. Mountain Dew(not on the list)? Tennessee. Sugary land of awesome down here y’all. I mean my good friend Ralph sent me this in a text recently and I about fainted from the epicness.
#2 – Duke’s Mayo. I don’t have much to say about this because why the EFF would you buy something different? All I can think of is Sunbeam white bread, fresh tomatoes and duke’s mayo. Man I love mater sammiches. Also? Replace the tomato with bananas and we have another fine treat.
#7 – Livermush. Ok yeah, I hear you gagging and saying “man this bitch is some kind of back woods hillbilly” but you can suck it. My husband already tells me this quite often. Nothing phases me. That shiz is AWESOME. We have our own festival! On top of it’s crispy goodness, the fact that it is SO regional is really amazing to me. I think Andrew notes it in the video about how you can go just a few miles east and people have no clue what you are talking about. Kevin still refuses to really even look at it. Once again, solidifying my bumpkin status. I grew up on it, never questioned it’s ingredients and therefore just know it for it’s tastiness.
#16 – Pimento cheese. Now I can’t say I am a bigger fan than say BA or Kathleen, but I sure do love it. Now if I have to buy at a store, I choose Ruth’s. Just a fact. I actually had some here at work this week. Toasted too! Nom.
#41 – Country ham. If loving ham this much is wrong, then I don’t wanna be right. The salty goodness is always a special treat. When we went to the zoo a few weeks back, we stopped at Dixie III in Asheboro based on a twitter recommendation (man i love twitter). It was a great hole in the wall place that only took cash and checks. All southern food (no collards on the menu though…booooo). I had country ham steak and it was GLORIOUS.
So those are just a few. What are your favorite southern things? Did they make the list?
Country ham on a sweet potato biscuit. With Cheerwine. ZOMG.
I grew up near Hickory so I understand. Duke’s is not just a staple, it is a necessity. I have at least one spare in the pantry at all times. My SO will notice that I start to twitch until I replace the spare once I start using it
Livermush is best homemade, preferably by my late grandmother, but that ain’t gonna happen anymore. I stock up on several pounds of Hunter’s brand when I’m back home and store individual slices frozen in the freezer. It is like a special treat every so often. I even have my SO, who is a flatlander, into it now. (This can be a negative when I start to run low however.)
We never got soft drinks when I was growing up so Cheerwine was never in the house. I’ll drink it once in a while, but sugar causes me issues. I have to say that Orange Crush is my favorite if I had to choose, which I don’t thankfully.
I make my own pimento cheese the way my dad always made it. I never really found a commercial brand that set off the endorphins like the family recipe, but that is such a personal thing.
I really like Jenkin’s brand but i can eat it all. And homemade pimento cheese is the best…but when you are lazy like me, Ruth’s it is π
How appropriate! Yesterday I had (for the first time!!) biscuits with sausage gravy and it was awesome! I was always a little freaked by white gravy but NO MORE. Holy shit it was good! And they were real biscuits not the kind from a pop can… I could tell because they were a little bit more dense and didn’t slide off my plate with grease. I love Ruth’s pimento too! I love country ham. I love sweet potato biscuits!! Succotash!!!!! Steamed crabs out of the Pamlico dumped in the middle of the table!! Neese’s hot breakfast sausage! OMG I should write my own blog post!!! π
YES! Biscuits and gravy. I was telling K about your adventure last night. He doesn’t like it…which is crazy. I hate all gravy EXCEPT biscuit gravy and he is the opposite. And gotta love the crabs screaming to get out of the pot. π
I have a friend who moved to Iowa and they don’t have Duke’s Mayonnaise. Can you imagine?
Krispy Kreme is my favorite on the list. Double it up in the summer and get a Cheerwine Krispy Kreme. Winning at food.
Hahahaha. Winning at food. I love you.
I heart me some country ham. My grandmother used to buy them for me at this country store out the the boonies and keep them in her deep freezer until I could get there to pick them up.
Mmmmmm, sodium deliciousness.
I’m feeling you on most of this. Hubby is a Duke’s man all the way. I grew up 10 min from the birthplace of Cheerwine, & my aunt was distantly related to the Sundrop family. mmm, Chreewine and Sundrop slushes, it’s been too long my friends….Plus my church growing up always had country ham & red eye gravy at Easter sunrise service breakfast!
I enjoy some Krispy Kreme donuts every now and then and absolutely, positively adore Blue Bell. We actually go to the Blue Bell festival in Brenham every year. SIX DOLLARS for all you can eat Blue Bell for the day? Um, Hell to the Yes. We took Isaac in May, where he had his first taste of ice cream.
Moonpies are a road trip guilty pleasure. I introduced a guy on the rugby team to them last year when we were on our way back from Corpus after a game. I’m a fan of the banana flavor.
And biscuits and cream gravy is a must for me. I love them so much we actually had them at our wedding reception. While we were going around saying hello to everyone they took my plate that had two biscuits on it and by the time I got back to the food the biscuits had been put up. I was disappointed to say the least.
Finally, they don’t mention Shiner beer. Shiner hasn’t made a bad beer in the history of the brewery. FACT.
I have never heard of half the stuff on your list! Does that make me even more bumpkin?
I so love pimento cheese. I’ve never heard of Duke’s but please tell me you toast your tomato sandwich? To me, it has to be toasted with lots of salt & pepper.
I’d add:
chicken and dumplings
sweet tea
beans and cornbread
O hells yeah I have tons of salt and pepper on those bad boys. Toasting is nice but not a must have for me. Especially if it is really fresh white bread. and BEANS AND CORNBREAD! Please tell me you get that reference.
Stupid Florida roots! I ate all kinds of southern food growing up but can’t count myself as southern.
Two faves:
Chick-fil-A. Kind of pisses me off they have it in California and Illinois now.
Pork rinds. And I shamefully admit I love pork cracklings more than pork rinds.
Oh man. Good list. & yeah, I do have a pretty unhealthy obsession with pimento cheese π
Also? In Charleston a few weeks ago, at Hominy Grill, I had a fried chicken biscuit with with cheese & sausage gravy. & a Cheerwine negroni cocktail. Freakin’ heaven, I tell you.
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Don’t know a particular brand, but when the hubby goes to visit family in NC, he fiends for NC BBQ and Brunswick stew to go with his Cheerwine. It’s not my Texas BBQ, but it’s a tangy pulled pork concoction.