Thursday, October 15, 2009

Pumpkin Bread

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounce package (227 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pumpkin Bread:

1 cup (110 grams) pecans or walnuts

3 1/2 cups (450 grams) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 large eggs

2 cups (400 grams) granulated white sugar

1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1 - 15 ounce (425 grams) can pure pumpkin

1/2 cup (120 ml) water

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe:

Crust:

1 cup (100 grams) graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cups (50 grams) finely ground ginger cookies, homemade or store bought

1 tablespoon (15 grams) granulated white sugar

4 - 5 tablespoons (56 - 60 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake:

2/3 cup (145 grams) light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 pound (454 grams) cream cheese, room temperature

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup pure pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

Topping:

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar


When making cheesecakes make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature so they blend together to create a smooth texture. Cold cheese is harder to beat and you can end up with graininess. Judging when a cheesecake is fully baked always presents a challenge. They are very deceptive as they do need to be removed from the oven when the center is still wobbly and wet looking. Cracking can also be a problem. As a cheesecake bakes its moisture evaporates. If too much moisture is lost (when overcooked), or if it evaporates too quickly (oven temperature too hot) cracking will occur. So be sure to follow your recipe's instructions. Also, to prevent cracking, shortly after you remove the cheesecake from the oven, run a sharp knife around the inside edge of the cheesecake. Once the cheesecake has completely cooled, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. This allows the cake to set, flavors to meld, and produces a creamier texture.

You can use canned pure pumpkin in this recipe or make your own pumpkin puree. Fortunately there are excellent brands of canned pumpkin on the market which match the quality of homemade. But if you want to make your own puree, use the smaller pumpkin varieties like Sugar Pie, Baby Bear or Cheese Pumpkin (approximately 5-7 lbs., 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 kg.). To make the puree, cut the pumpkin in half lengthwise, remove seeds and stringy fibers, and place cut-side down on a greased baking sheet

. Bake at 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) for approximately 45 minutes to 1 1/4 hours (depending on size) or until easily pierced with a knife. Scoop out the pulp and puree in a food processor until smooth. Can strain through cheesecloth to extract all the liquid. Cool before using..


Pumpkin Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick spray) an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan.

For Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs

, finely ground ginger snap cookies, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the prepared spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the cheesecake filling.

For Cheesecake: In a separate bowl, stir to combine the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), on low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth (about 2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar

mixture and beat until creamy and smooth (1 to 2 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (about 30 seconds) after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the vanilla extract and pumpkin puree.

Pour the filling over the chilled ginger crust and place the spring form pan on a baking sheet to catch any drips. Place a cake pan, filled halfway with hot water, on the bottom shelf of your oven to moisten the air. Bake the cheesecake for 30 minutes and then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees C (165 degrees C) and continue to bake the cheesecake for another 10 - 20 minutes, or until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed but the center is still wet and jiggles when you gently shake the pan.

Meanwhile whisk together the sour cream, vanilla extract and sugar. Pour the sour cream mixture over the top of the baked cheesecake and rotate the pan slightly to evenly distribute the topping. Return the cheesecake to the oven and bake about 8 minutes to set the topping. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a sharp knife around the inside edge (this will help prevent the cake from cracking). Then place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan so the cheesecake will cool slowly. When completely cooled, cover and refrigerate at least eight hours, preferably overnight, before serving.

Serves 10-12 people.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Chocolate Caramel Fondue OH MY

Serves 4-6

1c milk chocolate chips
1/2c (70z jar) marshmallow cream
1/2c caramel apple dip
1/2-2/3c cream

In fondue pot simmer 1/2c cream and the caramel. Slowly add chocolate and marshmallow cream. Slowly add more cream if the consistency is not to your liking. Serve on WARM with dippings.
We prefer peanut butter cookies, fresh strawberries and fresh slices bananas.
IT WILL ALL BE GONE!!!

3 Cheese Fondue

OH MY heavenly goodness! So I cam across this recipe and switched it up a bit... SO SIMPLE.

serves 5-6
  • 1 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) (personally Fetzer brand)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 or 1/2 clove fresh chopped garlic
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 7 ounces Gruyere cheese, cubed
  • 7 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 7ounces Gouda cheese
In fondue pot bring to a boil wine butter and garlic. Shred all cheese and sprinkle with flour. Turn the pot down to about 200 degrees or just between warm and 200 degrees. Slowly add cheese until fully melted. Keep on WARM and serve with your choice of dippers.
We prefer cubed sourdough bread, carrots and apples.
OH MY WORD THIS IS GOOD!!!

Friday, May 29, 2009

Home-Made Simple

Sharing our homes with family and friends is one of life's great pleasures. A thoughtful and tastefully designed guest bedroom lets those who are dear to you know that your welcome mat is always out for them.

Spoil your guests with these ideas for making your guest bedroom an inviting oasis they will want to visit time and again.

Use Your Best

When designing your guest bedroom, resist the temptation to use all your extra or unwanted furnishings. Using your best sheets, bedspreads and mattress, for example, will show your guests how much you care. Challenge yourself to make the room look and feel like a top-notch hotel or B&B guest room. Make it a room that you'd want to visit.

Choose a Theme

Your guest bedroom's design theme doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive, just tasteful and thoughtful. Choose a theme (nautical is popular right now) and start with a subtle approach and color scheme-throw pillows on the bed, some appropriate artwork and maybe a piece of furniture or two that adds to the theme. Remember that you can always add items later as you find them when traveling or shopping around town.

Store It Elsewhere

Make sure the room's closets (or armoire) have ample room to hang all their clothes, and include a chest of drawers and at least one nightstand for other personal effects. Also, even if you use the room as an exercise area at other times, make sure your treadmill, weights and other equipment are stored elsewhere when hosting guests so they know the room is reserved exclusively for them.

Little Touches, Big Impact

Little Touches, Big Impact It's always the little touches that transform an ordinary room into something extraordinary. Take a mental journey back to your favorite hotel and B&B rooms you've stayed in over the years. What did you like about them? What little touches did the proprietors include that added a touch of class?

Let your guests know you have their comfort in mind by including these items in your guest bedroom during their stay:

* Extra blankets in the closet or a drawer in case they get cold.
* Ceiling fan (or small oscillating tabletop fan) in case they get hot.
* Terrycloth robes for each guest hanging in the closet.
* A night light or small flashlight stored in a drawer if they need to get up during the night.
* Bottled water and glasses in case they get thirsty during the night.
* Dish with mints or hard candy.
* A good reading lamp.
* A few magazines or books in case they want to read a little before drifting off to sleep.
* Box of facial tissues.
* Small basket of fresh potpourri.
* Welcome basket with extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwash, body lotion and other small items they may have forgotten to bring with them.

Final Test

After you've put all of those personal touches into designing and furnishing your guest room, do one last thing before hosting guests-stay overnight in the room yourself. Chances are you'll find a couple of little things you'd like to add or change about it. Perhaps you forgot to include a waste basket or the room flows better with the furniture re-arranged. Make those little adjustments and then rest assured that your guests are going to love staying with you.

Home-Made Simple


There is silk grass available, but it is so simple to grow grass that it’s silly to buy fake. And with fresh, green grass you can really bring the sunny feeling of spring indoors, even on those “April showers” days.

Watching the Grass Grow

Watching the Grass Grow Plant your grass today, and in three to four days you should start seeing sprouts—and in ten days your grass will be ready to display!

Use a fast draining potting mix, like cactus mix. Place some screen mesh at the bottom of your pot to aid drainage, then scoop in the soil. Leave about an inch from the top of the pot and level it off.

At this point, water the soil very well so the seeds have a moist bed to lie in. Then sprinkle the seed generously over the soil. Rye grass grows especially well indoors. Sprinkle a little more soil over the seeds, then use a mist spray bottle to keep the soil moist for the next few days. In a few days, you’ll see some green.

Containers For Interiors

Grass is such a versatile design element that it can really reflect and enhance almost any decorating style, so it’s important that your container fits that style. Therefore, choose your planters carefully.

To create a modern look, choose a container that has sleek lines, perhaps with a rectangular or hexagonal shape. For a more traditional look, find a more classic looking Grecian urn or carved planter. Even the tried and true clay flowerpot looks new and different with grass.

You can find many styles of containers at any home or garden center. For the latest styles of containers, you may want to go to a high-end or boutique garden store. You can also search the internet for “indoor pots and planters.”

Creative Container Gardening

You can also create your own planter. Some creative gardening containers include tea tins and wicker baskets lined with plastic. Challenge yourself to come up with a neat and unexpected container to grow your grass in. Just make sure these creative containers have enough drainage, as grass doesn’t like “wet feet.”

Grass Décor Ideas

Now that you have your grass planted, here are some decorating ideas:

* Place a row of smaller grass planters down the middle of your dinner table for an intriguing centerpiece.
* A long, narrow planter with grass shooting out the top is a nice cap to a credenza or a low hall cabinet.
* Smaller pots full of grass look very pretty on windowsills.
* Ease the transition from outdoors to indoors by placing a pot of grass near sliding glass doors.
* Place one next to the sink in the bathroom for a simple shot of color and life.
* For seasonal celebrations, arrange decorated eggs on top of your grass. Or, for a golfer in your family, tee up some golf balls on your grass decorations.

It’s odd how grass can give a natural and down-to-earth feel, while at the same time feel sleek and modern, but that’s why it is such an intriguing interior design element. Try growing a pot of grass now, and in ten days you’ll have a whole new look in your home.

Home-Made Simple


1. Old or outdated dressers and bureau pieces can all be repurposed in the kitchen or dining area for dish and linen storage. Use paint or stain to brighten them up and coordinate them with your space. Use an Old Dresser to Organize has even more tips for repurposing an old dresser.
2. Use sturdy old fruit crates or wooden boxes you find at markets as shelving. Be sure to use hardware that will adequately support the amount of weight you will be adding to the wall. Using at least one wall stud will provide the best support. Attach the bottom of the crate to the wall so that the opening faces outward. Place some in your kitchen to display items, or for storing spices, jars and cookbooks.
3. Jewelry boxes with lots of drawers are great places to organize and store cosmetics in the bathroom.
4. Take interesting, refurbished stools, benches and/or wooden chairs and use as plant stands in sunny spots.
5. Use an old wooden coat tree to track the height of your little ones. Give the tree a fresh coat of paint and adhere paper cutouts marked with “age” and “date” so you can mark their heights as they grow.
6. Spruce up an old entertainment center with a fresh coat of paint and new hardware to create a sophisticated storage piece. Its large, deep compartments are perfect for stowing away electronics, books and toys.