cooking by the fingers

I'm sure you can tell a cook by the fingers. Last week my left index finger got in the way first for a potato and then the next day for an onion.  Just now the knuckle on my right thumb got a bit too involved with the cheese grater.  As soon as it heals I'll wound myself with some other kitchen tool.  Perhaps I should have used the food processor, which deters such finger chopping by having a lid.  But I'm on a quest and it involves the grater I think.

You see, I'm trying to make my own pimento cheese spread.  I love the stuff Kroger makes.  Yes, I could buy it, and sometimes I do, but I want to make it.  Cooks understand.  If its good you want to try to replicate it.  And now, because I can't, I'm obsessed.  If you google "pimento cheese spread recipe" you come up with "about 53,300" hits.  Most of them are wrong.  Wrong as in, 'I can't put my finger on it (or in it!) but it isn't what I'm looking to get'.   Pook and I like them all, even though they still aren't what we're aiming to make, but Bug has been more critical about it.  And we're all comparing it to Kroger brand, which lists "spices" among the ingredients.  Like I can duplicate it based on that. So, I keep experimenting.  Unfortunately, I'm not good at writing down my process, so I'm getting no closer to a result.  Today I vow to write down the process/ingredients AND the results.

The major change today is in texture.  I'm grating the cheese to keep the mixture fluffier.  I'm using both mayo and cottage cheese.  I know the cottage cheese is odd, but again, I think it might add something good to the texture. As for flavor, I'm keeping the garlic and onion to a minimum, and using more pimento.  Some Worcestershire but no hot sauce.  Does anyone have a recipe they can suggest?  Does anyone know how I can get Kroger's recipe?  Does anyone avoid chopping their fingers when they cook?