Homemade Flavored Cream Cheeses

My husband Andrew is a bagel guy. Every Sunday morning, he gets up early and goes into town to get us fresh bagels for breakfast. Andrew is originally from New York, and he is passionate about great bagels. He has tried every bagel shop within a 10-mile radius and settled on his favorite, Bethesda Bagels (although he still doesn't think they compare to real New York bagels).  He has gone through his poppy, sesame and plain bagel phases, but lately, he has been joining me more often for whole wheat bagels.

If the bagels are still warm, he can't resist tearing one apart in the car on the way home. On Sunday mornings we enjoy our bagels with cream cheese, and sometimes smoked salmon for a special treat, but on the other 6 days of the week, Andrew will sometimes top his bagels with mashed avocado, melted Swiss cheese, or peanut butter. I always joke that if he ever leaves me it will be for a bagel (or one of his other two carb-loaded loves, a tortilla or a baguette).

This Sunday, for Father's Day, we are going to let Andrew sleep in and well get up early and get the bagels (I'll probably let our 16-year-old, Solomon, drive since he has his learner's permit now and wants lots of practice.) For a Father's Day treat, we'll get some lox, but we are also going to try making homemade flavored cream cheeses. You can get creative with these recipes, but here are three combinations we like:

Veggie Cream Cheese: Start with 8 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened. Mix in ¼ cup finely chopped vegetables such as chives, carrots or red or yellow bell peppers

Scallion Cream Cheese: Start with 8 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened. Mix in ¼ cup finely sliced scallions or chives

Strawberry Cream Cheese: Start with 8 oz. cream cheese or Neufchatel, softened. Mix in 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh or frozen strawberries (thawed) and 4 Tbsp. powdered sugar.

I hope you and the dads in your life have a wonderful Father's Day and get to enjoy something homemade and delicious together.