Holidays

Fear Not the Cheesecake

/ still a dreamer

Have you ever noticed how many perfectly competent, as well as excellent, cooks shake in their boots at the thought of making a cheesecake? (Also homemade pie crusts, but that’s a different post!) This always surprises me, because cheesecake is actually one of the easiest desserts you can make. It’s not that you can’t find very complicated cheesecakes – they’re out there, and I’ve made them, too – but most of your cheesecakes are fairly simple and almost foolproof.

Take this pumpkin cheesecake, for instance.We decided that this year for Thanksgiving I would forego the more traditional pumpkin or apple pie, and make a pumpkin cheesecake instead. I have a couple good recipes for pumpkin cheesecake that I know to come out well. In deference to my host who cannot eat nuts, I eliminated the pecan or walnut praline topping, and made a substitution in the crust ingredients. Instead of the called-for graham crackers, I used gingersnaps. Note – the crust has only 2 ingredients – ginger snaps and butter. Easy, right?

More simplicity – the filling is all made in one bowl, – cream cheese, sugars, eggs, pumpkin, cream and spices. It doesn’t really get much easier than that! It came out creamy and delicious, and although it called for 1-1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, you couldn’t go wrong by making that 2 teaspoons.

Feeling more confident yet? Cheesecake is really an easy dessert – easy on the cook, easy on your busy schedule, and easy on your hungry guests eyes!

p.s. If anyone would like to try my recipe, just leave a comment, and I will scan it or type it up.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

/ still a dreamer

Thanksgiving, to me, is always the epitome of fall … glorious foods in colors and flavors of autumn grace the table, there still may be some tawny leaves on the trees, and just the right chill in the air. It’s the last major holiday before our thoughts turn to snow and Christmas, trees and gift-giving. Thanksgiving seems the culmination of fall, and then a whirlwind of different flavors and colors surrounds us.

We sometimes have to be careful that in our anticipation of great dinners and watching football and Thanksgiving Day parades that we don’t lose why the holiday was so named, a day to give thanks. I thought a few words from those who’ve pondered this holiday might be in order …

If the only prayer you said in your whole life was, “thank you,” that would suffice.  ~Meister Eckhart

Grace isn’t a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal.  It’s a way to live.  ~Attributed to Jacqueline Winspear

If you count all your assets, you always show a profit.  ~Robert Quillen

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.  ~G.K. Chesterton

Gratitude is the music of the heart, when its chords are swept by the breeze of kindness.  ~Author Unknown

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!

 

Leftover Tombstones

/ still a dreamer

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so I have one more chance to post a photo of something that caught my eye when I was out walking. Much like political signs left way too long and all over the place like so much litter after an election, there are always some people that have their holiday decorations out far beyond the holiday. In this case, I’m glad they were still there, because driving by didn’t give me the opportunity to read them. So this is the last I’ll have to say about Halloween!

Although Party City and other stores have a pretty big selection of tombstones at Halloween, I find that people who make them themselves are far more clever. These were all pretty funny, but the one that made me stop and laugh was the one in the center. Nice and simple – Trespasser.

In case you can’t read the others – Noah Moore – I told you I was sick; Here lies an atheist – all dressed up with nowhere to go; and Dr. Gonzo – too weird to live, too rare to die.

Note the broken pumpkin .. which brings us to our next seasonal item … pie. Hello, Thanksgiving!

Nov. 26 – Shop Small Business Saturday

/ still a dreamer

Here comes the onslaught – the endless ads and commercials on radio, TV and web -all promising you the perfect Christmas if you just buy from them. And who is ‘them?’ All the big box stores that have multi-millions to advertise, of course.

But while everyone is busy cramping about the crappy economy, they’re also busy running out to these same stores to get a deal. And this while the small businesses in your very own neighborhood are languishing and slowly shuttering their stores due to lack of sales. People … here’s the chance. Shop local!

“The 2nd annual Small Business Saturday® is a day dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. On November 26, we’re asking millions of people to shop small at their favorite local stores and help fuel the economy. When we all shop small, it will be huge.” What a great idea.

How about it? Nirvana is not really at Wal-Mart, and by shopping at the small businesses in your town or county, you keep merchants alive who are trying so hard to bring you what they think you want. Got a car wash? Get some gift certificates for friends or family – who wouldn’t love someone else cleaning their car inside and out .. or detailing it? Gift and card shop? There’s always something special for a hard-to-get person, and you’ll most likely be buying Christmas cards. Have a favorite restaurant in your area? pizza place? cafe? Again – gift certificates to eat out are a real treat in this economy, and bound to please anyone. It’s not rocket science, just a shift in thinking.

There are so many options before blowing it all at a big box store. Help your local businesses thrive and get cool stuff for your gift recipients. And although Small Business Saturday is November 26, spread the wealth and expand the time frame. Think small – you’ll feel great.

In this post you see photos of just a small portion of the wide selection of what’s in store in a small business not too far from me. It’s primarily a card and gift shop with an amazing assortment of things inside; it’s called This `N That on the Corner, and it’s located at 38 Bridge Street in Milford, NJ. Shopkeeper Tracy puts her heart and soul into searching out great merchandise and also features local artists. You can come to my neck of the woods and shop here if you’d like – she’d love it! – or maybe take a look around your own neighborhood with new eyes.  The season of giving is upon us – happy small business shopping!

Idea for New Year’s

/ still a dreamer

As mentioned about a year ago, I am not one for New Year’s resolutions for a variety of reasons.  However, in talking with a dear friend on New Year’s Eve, she had come up with a very helpful idea for the turning of the New Year … better than resolutions.

She made up a list of all she had accomplished in the past year. Before the clock struck midnight, I did the same. Let’s face it – we all know what it is we want to do and what changes we have to make. That’s nothing new. And New Year’s Resolutions, for me, anyway, just state the obvious and indirectly, point out all our shortcomings in the year gone by.

But a list of what we HAVE accomplished – now that’s a feel-good list, because whether we accomplished specific goals or not, we have definitely done many things over the year that we can be happy with. And that list isn’t just about career goals or the like. It’s about ALL we accomplished – were you a good friend the past year? a great Mom? did you donate time or expertise to a charity that means something to you? Help a neighbor? Repair something that’s been waiting forever? Finally treat yourself to something you’ve put off for years? Finish even a part of a project that’s been really challenging? Create a new resume? Leave a painful relationship behind? Exceed your own expectations of what you believed possible?

Here’s your chance to review the year and realize that you actually did quite a bit. Life isn’t measured only in “got a new job” or major milestones, though they’re nice, too. It’s often measured in day to day growth. So make a list of all that good stuff you’ve been doing – it’ll make you feel better about tackling whatever dreams you have for the New Year.

Happy New Year!