Fewer “Tadoos” Make Saturdays More Sacred

It’s becoming a weekday habit of mine to pin a heaping portion of “tadoos” to sacred Saturdays.

Oh, let’s just go to bed, I’ll blog on Saturday. Surely I’ll make it to Saturday morning yoga. I’ll clean the house on Saturday. That laundry can wait until Saturday (in the dryer). I’ll finish the bathtub refinishing project that has left our bathroom yellow-taped for weeks – on Saturday. Maybe we’ll make the Saturday night service at church. I’ve chipped a nail, I’ll file it … on Saturday. Linus needs more dog food, I guess I’ll pick it up on Saturday (spoken on Thursday). 

Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like for every 10 tasks I pin to my Saturday board, I get one done.

And I’ll pile  on a dozen other to-dos the day-of, squeezing in appointments and visits, all the while my husband accusing me of not understanding the basics of time management.  By the time Sunday rolls around, we don’t feel rested and, anticipating a full work week, we decide our bed looks like a good place of refuge.

I got a lot of tadoos done this past Saturday, especially considering I had to go into work. But my favorite part of Saturday was probably the walk I took with my husband Shawn and our dog Linus. What was accomplished one our wintertime 30-minute walk? I can tell you, nothing on that mental Saturday pinboard of mine. But fresh air, crunchy leaves leftover from autumn, the warm sun piercing the tense cold, my goofy dog galloping through the grass, and oh-so comfortable silences walking beside my best friend. These are the things that don’t make the tadoo pinboard because they are being pinned on a way more important place – my heart.

Here’s a kitchen tadoo that won’t steal  you away from those important moments with your family – my Knock-Your-Socks-Off Pimento Cheese. Don’t waste your money with the store-bought stuff, this is the real deal.

1. Warm a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a pan on medium. Toss in one dice shallot. Once it becomes translucent, add one finely diced red pepper and one diced jalapeno. Simmer until all ingredients are well-cooked and tender. Set aside.

1. Cream together in a bowl: 1/2 cup of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of mayo, 1 tablespoon of tabasco sauce and lots of ground pepper. Add your sauteed vegetables and mix together. Then, fold in 2 cups of your favorite shredded cheese – I used 1 cup of white cheddar and one cup of pepper jack. Salt and pepper to taste. Spread on bread for sandwiches or use as a cold party dip. For another alternative, spread the mixture in a shallow pan and bake at 375 for 20 minutes – you’ll have a killer hot dip!