I recently discovered that October is National Cheese Month. I must admit I do like cheese. There are so many kinds of cheese that it is impossible to list them all. In my refrigerator now I have mozzarella, pepper jack cheese, American cheese, sharp cheese, and dill Havarti.

I use them all differently. When I make grilled cheese, I like American cheese with a couple small slices of pepper jack. I put a little mustard on the bread as well.

When I make macaroni and cheese, I like to mix my cheeses to get the best flavor.

There are cheeses made from cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and the milk from sheep. There are cheeses made with low fat content as well as those made with richer content.

Research shows that 9 out of 10 American homes have cheese in their refrigerator. It is estimated that Americans eat close to 26 pounds of cheese annually.

The history of cheese goes back nearly 4000 years. It is said that an Arab merchant put milk in a pouch before going on a journey. The rennet (a substance that causes milk to coagulate) made the milk separate into curds and whey. European monks liked the result and worked to perfect it.

Cheese making got its start in America as soon as cows were imported.

There are some diets that exclude cheese. I do not think I could ever do that.

My diet consists of a balance of meat/fish, breads and whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and milk products. People have been eating these things for hundreds of years. I think the rub comes with the level of activity. Less activity means that you need to eat less.

I read labels and look for the cleanest variety. Most of my meals are made from scratch. When I cook from scratch, I have full control of the ingredients.

Processed foods contain a lot of additives — additives that are not healthy. Oh, they are in there but they are carefully hidden to fool the consumer. Be an educated consumer.

Know what is in your food. I do not believe that you need to exclude food groups to make your diet work, things must be eaten in moderation.

Several years ago, dairy farmers began to advertise their products. Since that time sales have increased. Advertising works. Remember the “Got Milk” campaign and the milk mustaches. They sold milk and milk products.

With colder weather approaching, people look for comfort food. You can bet that cheese will go into at least part of the dishes. Soup will also be on the menu.

I make many varieties of homemade soup. Cheese sometimes goes into the potato soup. It is also in the taco soup and the corn chowder. When I serve chili, I also serve cheese to put on top if you choose. Sometimes I just serve pieces of cheese with a good supply of crackers.

My mother-in-law used to serve sliced cheese with her apple pie. That is a classic combination if ever there was one. I remember seeing a cheese plate for dessert on some of the cruises that I took and on the Canadian railroad trip.

Europeans eat a lot of cheese. Italians use it in their dishes. The French eat it as a dessert course. Germans eat cheese in many of their dishes. Since we all came from immigrant stock we like our cheese.

I mentioned taco soup. I learned how to make this at the YMCA. I was taking a Silver Sneakers class and a yoga class. Every holiday we came together for a lunch after class. On Cinco Di Maio we had the taco soup. Each of us brought one of the ingredients and we put it together while we exercised.

I made it for a soup contest at our sister church. Although I did not win, everyone said it was good. It was one of the soups that Don especially liked. I remember him helping me clean up after the event and he was very happy to see there was some left. He knew he would get some the following day.

TACO SOUP

1 lb. hamburger1 can corn

1 med. Onion, chopped

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can black beans

1 pkg. taco seasoning or make your own

1 can kidney beans

1 pkg. dry Ranch dressing

1 c. grated mixed blend to add when serving

Brown hamburger and onion. Drain and put into crockpot. Add black beans, kidney beans, corn, and tomatoes without draining away any of the liquid. Stir in taco seasoning and dressing mix. Cook in crockpot for at least three hours. Serve with grated cheese and crackers.

TACO SEASONING

1 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. onion powder

½ tsp. garlic powder

I mix this and use only part of it.

DRY RANCH SEASONING

1 tsp. dried parsley

½ tsp. dried thyme

¾ tsp. ground pepper

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. garlic powder

½ tsp. onion powder

To make into a dressing add 1 c. mayonnaise and 1 c. buttermilk. To make into a dip use dry ingredients plus 1 ¾ c. sour cream and ½ c. buttermilk.

Hope you try this and enjoy!

Ann Swanson writes from her home in Russell. Email her at hickoryheights1@verizon.net.