We had a very nice weekend and were busy the whole time. Saturday we had a church Father's Day Picnic. It was so much fun. Lots of people, lots of food and lots of games! But man we tired afterwards!! Sunday we had church in the morning and evening as usual, but in the afternoon we had a simple meal at home, my husband's choice. It was nice just to have the four of us for the day. But because we were so busy I got behind again. Ugh!!
Day 16 ~ Fitness guru or couch potato? Talk about your fitness habits.
Up until the first part of this year I was a bit of a couch potato. Not a total one, but I wouldn't say I had a regular exercise program or fitness program at all. But since the first part of this year that has changed. I am by far NOT a fitness guru, but I am doing a lot more to get myself back into shape and healthy. I am not so concerned about the shape part as I am the healthy part. Being healthy and staying that way is really important to me!!
Day 17 ~ 3 things you are proud of about your personality.
Saying I am proud of myself is not something I do. So this is a little hard for me. I think one of the things would have to be my slightly obsessive compulsive tendencies. Yep they can be positive sometimes! I am an organizer and very good at it. I can see the whole picture of what has to be accomplished and all the steps on how to get there. It frustrates some of my friends and encourages them in the same breath. If they need to reorganize their furniture in their house and can't see how to do it they call me. If they are planning a big party and need to know what has to be done when, they call me. There are two downsides to this part of my personality though. I can become obsessive about little details that really don't mean anything and it can get in my way. The other is even though I see the whole picture and all the steps to get there sometimes I become overwhelmed and freeze up. All those details just become too much for me. So I have to try and stay pretty balanced in my life or it can get away from me.
A second personality trait I have that I would put to the top is being mostly positive. I tend to have a pretty good outlook on life and can find joy in little things. I laugh easy and I enjoy too may things to let too much pull me down. Being positive has really helped me in a lot of situations. I won't say I have not had my down times, because I have! We all get them, but I don't stay there too long.
The third things I guess would be my bubblyness. That's how my friends describe it. Sometimes I am not sure what they mean by it, but I do know it comes from being outgoing and happy. The joy I find in life just tends to spill out and I have to share it. It also makes it easy for them to figure out when I am not feeling good or I am down.
See I told you it is hard for me. My friends would give you a whole different list, but those are the ones I see the most in myself. I'm not good at this kind of sharing.
Day 18 ~ A recipe you love.
Ugh!! I love to cook so which one do I choose??? Well I am known for my cheesecakes so I guess this one would be right up there near the top! I sell this in my area to people for $20 each!! It is yummy and so not good for you!! LOL!!
White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cheesecake
Crust
1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs
or 20 crumbled Oreo cookies (filling removed)
1/3 cup margarine, melted
Cheesecake
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
1/4 cup water
4 8-ounce pkgs. cream cheese
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped into chunks
Optional Garnish
2 ounces shaved white chocolate
whipped cream
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place a large pan or oven-safe skillet
filled with about 1/2-inch of water into the oven while it preheats. This
will be your water bath.
2. Combine the raspberry preserves with 1/4 cup water in a medium
microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 1/2 minutes on high in your microwave. Stir
until smooth. Strain to remove the raspberry seeds (toss 'em out), then let
the strained preserves sit to cool, put the bowl in the refrigerator
until later.
3. Measure 1 1/2 cups chocolate cookie crumbs (or crush 20 Oreo cookie
wafers -- with the filling scraped out -- in a resealable plastic bag) into
a medium bowl. Mix in 1/3 cup melted margarine. Press the crumb into a
9-inch spring form pan that has been lined on the bottom and side with
parchment paper. Use the bottom of a drinking glass to press the crumb
mixture flat into the bottom of the pan and about 2/3 the way up the side.
Wrap a large piece of foil around the bottom of the pan to keep the
cheesecake in the water bath. Put the crust in your freezer until the
filling is done.
4. Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese with the sugar, sour
cream, and vanilla. Mix for a couple minutes or until the ingredients are
smooth and creamy. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Whisk the
eggs in a medium bowl and then add them to the cream cheese mixture. Blend
the mixture just enough to integrate the eggs.
5. Remove the crust from the freezer and sprinkle 4 ounces of white
chocolate chunks onto the bottom of the crust. Pour half of the cream cheese
filling into the crust. Drizzle the raspberry preserves over the entire
surface of the filling. Use a butter knife to swirl the raspberry into the
cream cheese. Just a couple passes is fine, you don't want to blend the
raspberry and cream cheese together too much. Pour the other half of the
filling into the crust.
6. Carefully place the cheesecake into the water bath in the oven. Bake for
12 minutes at 475 degrees, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake
for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake turns a light brown
or tan color. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool. When the
cheesecake is cool, use the foil from the bottom to cover the cheesecake and
chill it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
7. Before serving, sprinkle the entire top surface of cheesecake with 2
ounces of shaved white chocolate. I also use dark chocolate for this. It looks pretty.
To serve, slice the cheesecake into 12 equal portions. Use a very thin knife to do this. Wipe the blade between cuts. Apply a pile of canned whipped cream to the top of each slice and serve.
Makes 12 servings
So what are some of your favorite recipes???
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