The Mid-Century Pineapple Cheese Ball

The pastor's wife at the church submitted a recipe that caught my attention. It looked easy to make, so I made what I now have coined The Mid-Century Pineapple Cheese Ball for a holiday gathering that year. My guests raved about it. I made that same cheese ball yearly until I moved to Raleigh. 

Once living in Raleigh, I forgot about that pineapple cheese ball until I resurrected it for a fellow parent all-star cheer team social in 2022, and posted the recipe on HinesSightBlog. 

Cheeseballs were at the height of their popularity in the forties during wartime for budget-friendly reasons. During my Southern upbringing, cheeseballs were fashionable for parties.  

Bringing a Southern Classic into our Modern Kitchen 

• The Base: Use high-quality, organic cream cheese for a cleaner profile.
• The Texture: Instead of standard canned options, opt for crushed pineapple packed strictly in its own natural juices (no added sugars or heavy syrups). You can also use fresh pineapple from the produce sections. We have so many more options.
• Shop Local Produce:  I highly recommend sourcing fresh, local pecans. If you are in the Raleigh area, a quick trip to the NC State Farmers Market will yield incredible, locally grown pecans that add a buttery, crisp texture far superior to anything prepackaged on a supermarket shelf. NC pecan season starts in late October. 

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Chill time: 2+ hours (Perfect for making the morning before your gathering)
• Yield: 1 large cheese ball

• 2 packages (8 oz each) premium cream cheese, thoroughly softened
• 1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple, completely drained (press out all excess moisture with a paper towel)
• 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
• ¼ cup green bell pepper, finely minced
• 2 tablespoons sweet yellow onion, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon seasoned salt (The original recipe used Lawry's seasoning) 
• 2 cups local North Carolina pecans, finely chopped (for rolling)

1. Mix the Base: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
2. Combine: Fold in the completely drained crushed pineapple, sharp cheddar cheese, minced green pepper, minced onion, and seasoned salt. Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
3. Shape & Chill: Spoon the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Bring the corners of the wrap together, twisting the top to mold the cheese blend into a firm, smooth ball. Place it in the refrigerator for at least two hours to set up.
4. The Pecan Crust: Just before serving, spread your finely chopped pecans evenly across a shallow plate or cutting board. Remove the cheese ball from the plastic wrap and gently roll it through the pecans until the entire surface is completely coated.
5. Serve Elegantly: Place on a vintage mid-century platter or a modern charcuterie board alongside upscale artisanal crackers, crisp celery sticks, and fresh grapes.
6. 
   

During cold and flu season, you can also make this recipe for individual servings. You can make two dozen small balls for individual servings, each with a cracker.  Below photo is size exmaple. 

Shop some of my favorite entertaining essentials that will work great for this recipe at a fall tailgate or a holiday party

BeeCee Beauty Brand

Skincare doesn't have to be complicated, but it should be clean and not be a hazard to your health. We know so much more about the beauty industry today and the hazards to our health than we did when I was twenty years old.

I walk into Sephora or Ulta with my teen daughter, and truthfully, I get overwhelmed. There are so many products on the market, and, quite honestly, anything I personally use she would never, ever use, even if it's a great product. 

My daughter is not a makeup lover like I was at her age, but because of all-star cheer, she has to dive into the market and buy a few things earlier than most people do. You know the real story here. I'm the one who pays for the brands she uses, so essentially I support those businesses, too. 

Most of her recommendations are things she has seen on TikTok or products a friend uses. In all fairness, she has introduced me to some brands that I now buy today, so I guess a Mom can learn a few things from a teen. During my era, I relied on ads and magazines. She turns to TikTok and to her friends' recommendations. 

I loyally use a lot of the Counter brand products, and have since 2016. When you know something works, a smart consumer will always go back to a product because they like it. Founder of the Counter brand, Gregg Renfrew, like me, has young adult children. As a result, BeeCee is a brand she has developed that targets the younger generation.  They need simple and easy. They do not need my wonderful $75 overnight resurfacing peel, in which I justify the price tag because I know darn well it works. 

The Counter Overnight Resurfacing Peel is my must-buy product

Does Gen Z really care about clean beauty these days? I asked my daughter and her friend questions about clean beauty this morning. I asked, "What does clean beauty mean to you?" They looked at me like I had two heads. They did not know. But again, they are 16. I am sure the older target customer may be more mindful of cleaner products and sustainability. 

BeeCee is targeting the age range of 14 to 30. It launched to the public on September 1 with just a few products. The brand is all over TikTok. Yes, I'm driving my kids crazy by having an account to help promote this blog. 

Despite my being way out of the target market's age range, there were a few items that I put on my radar. I am ordering them today because Gregg is giving me a discount. No, I have never met Gregg in person, but we're close in age, and I have learned a lot from her behind my Counter affiliate portal. I respect what she has done for the beauty industry regarding product safety and legislation. 

The first product I want for my beauty bag is the Jelly Gloss in Watermelon Sugar.  I cannot stand a sticky gloss, but I love hydration on my lips at all times.  At cheer comps this season, this will be perfect in the backpack. I carry my own CEA cheer backpack and carry anything my daughter may need during the comp. 

During the holiday season, Counter typically showcases a small jelly gift set, which sells out within hours. I predict that this new BeeCee jelly will be a very similar formula. I am a big fan of Counter's lip balm and lipstick. It's the best moisturizing lipstick/balm on the market. I use the shade Bitten-a warm berry daily. What I really want is the exact same shade in the Sheer Genius lipstick, too. It is the best lipstick for my lips, but I feel the Sheer Genius lipstick color options in products that offer more moisturizing color pigments are limited. I do look to other brands to fill the gaps in my lipstick choices. I am going to give this Lancome lip balm a try with the lip liner as a new fall option. Reviews say it is buildable, so I am hoping it will give me more pigment than my favorite Counter Bitten Lip Balm shade. 

I love a berry color for fall

BeeCee's Routine Set bundle is on sale, priced at an introductory $88, with brand gifts included. The jelly gloss can be bought now with that set. 

Shop BeeCee

This is a great way to try products at a reduced cost. 

Here's a tale of five summer squash that you may enjoy hearing. We are now in the "BER" months (September through December), which means yellow summer squash will disappear at the farmer's market after North Carolina's first frost. 

My husband hates zucchini and squash, or so he thinks. My grandmother and Dad used to make the best brown-sauteed squash, which you find served in country-cooking restaurants. I've yet to recreate the right seasoning for it, but I will keep trying. Through the years, I have made mediocre versions in my kitchen, and since no one in my house will eat squash except me, I rarely buy it.

For years, I have been a customer of Papa Spud's produce box. I don't use it every week, but it is a terrific way to get NC produce delivered, especially NC-made products from across the state that are harder to find in the Raleigh area. For example, basil pesto from Anders Farm in the Triad region is an item I frequently ask for in my subscription box. I'm fortunate because I live less than two miles from the State Farmer's Market, so getting good produce is not difficult for me.

However, there are sometimes downsides to having a subscription. There are weeks when I forget to pause it for the week or customize the box so it has all my wants and needs when it arrives at my doorstep from my weekly carrier. Both are great perks of this service, especially when used properly. The customer has three days to get this done, from Friday at 12 pm until Monday at 12 pm. If it isn't completed, I'm responsible. 

My husband came home from work and saw the squash as I was plating our dinner, and reminded me that he didn't like squash. I said, "I know, but I had squash come today, so I cooked squash."

Yellow summer squash will only be on NC farms until we have our first frost. We'll more than likely have winter squash in place of yellow squash in early October. I found another easy squash recipe in Southern Living that uses a sheet-pan method; I wouldn't mind trying it, but perhaps I should stop while I'm ahead. However, this Greenpan Bakeware Quarter sheet pan I found wandering the internet has me wanting to cook in the oven more often as the temperatures drop. But that's another story for another time.