08/09/2026
STORY TIME!!!
🧀 SEVEN YEARS AGO TODAY: THE BIRTH OF THE SMOKED CHEESE
Seven years ago today, Lazy D smoked cheese was born.
Not gracefully.
Not professionally.
And most certainly not according to any known fire-safety recommendations.
I had a baby shower coming up, and smoked cheese was a KEY part of the theme. There was just one little problem.
It was approximately 147° outside, and every time we tried to smoke the cheese, we ended up with what can only be described as cheddar lava.
See Exhibit A. 👆
But I HAD TO HAVE SMOKED CHEESE.
So, being the resourceful problem-solver that I am, I came up with a perfectly reasonable solution:
I dragged the smoker into the air-conditioned house.
I lit the smoke tube, got everything going, and then — because apparently operating an indoor smoker wasn't enough excitement for one afternoon — I LEFT AND WENT TO DOLLAR GENERAL.
Unfortunately, Brad came home early.
I don't remember his exact words, but there was some discussion about my intelligence, fire hazards, and the typical behavior of Alabama fans.
(He says “Alabama fan” like it's a derogatory term. Bless his heart.)
He promptly dragged my smoker back outside and put an end to Phase One of my research.
But here's something Brad should've known after knowing me this long:
I was not done.
The next day, I came home early from work with a new plan.
If I couldn't bring the smoker to the cheese...
I'd bring the smoke to the oven-stove-thingie.
I put the cheese inside, lit my smoke tube, shut the door and waited.
Before long, the house started smelling AMAZING. Rich, smoky, cheesy deliciousness filled the kitchen.
Then I noticed smoke coming out of the vent on top.
Naturally, I took this as a sign that things were progressing beautifully.
So I opened the door.
Y'ALL.
A biblical cloud of hickory-scented glory rolled out of that thing like I had just elected a new Pope in my kitchen.
Smoke billowed across the room.
The house disappeared.
The cheese emerged.
And right about then...
Brad came home.
Again.
He just stood there looking at me.
Then at the smoke.
Then back at me.
There was another brief lecture regarding the intellectual capabilities of Alabama football fans.
But guess what?
THE CHEESE WAS SMOKED. 🧀🔥
And our house smelled like a barbecue joint for approximately three fiscal quarters.
Fast-forward seven years...
We've upgraded our methods a little. 😂
No smokers in the living room.
No smoke tubes in household appliances.
No emergency trips to Dollar General while something smolders unattended.
And somewhere along the way, we actually got pretty dang good at it.
Good enough that today we vacuum seal it, slap LAZY D CAJUN & Q on the package, and sell it to other people.
So when you see our smoked cheese today, just remember:
This was not an overnight success story.
This was seven years of determination, experimentation, melted cheese, questionable judgment, marital disagreements.....and one Alabama fan who simply refused to let basic fire safety stand between her and a baby-shower theme.
We've come a long way, baby. 😂🧀🔥
