Getting It All Together

I made a list of 6 things that were burdening me & determined that THIS was the week they were going to be done.  I was focused!!

Do you find that you spend more time dreading tasks than it takes to actually accomplish them??  I sure do!!  Those things on my must do list weigh heavily on me. When finally accomplished, I feel so relieved!!

But none so much as a recent incident that I confess I did NOT respond to with grace & dignity. 

You see, my college attending son turned 21 & his military dependent ID needed updating to continue our benefits.  My retired military husband was in charge of these tasks & his demise put them squarely in my lap.  Dealing with the military system is surely NOT in my comfort zone.

However, one must do what one must do!!  Andrew obtained a letter from the college stating he is a full time student.  I had done my homework calling in advance to see what the military folks required to facilitate his getting a new ID.

He also needed new glasses, so I combined an eye check appointment with the ID renewal.  Also on my to-do list that day was gathering some party supplies for a friend & the finishing touches on a cheesecake for her son Gregory.  We would be celebrating his 18^th birthday that same evening at a cook out.

After the eye check, Andrew & I headed out to the AFB.  As we got out of the car, I realized I had left his birth certificate in the book I was reading….the book I left on the counter at the eye doctors.

Back at the store, his glasses were ready, & we headed back to the base.  We were in the parking lot when I realized I had left home without the letter from the college. I was NOT a happy girl!

It was impossible to complete the task without that letter, so we headed home.  I sent Andrew on to our friend’s home with the party supplies, then we met & headed to the base for a third time.

I just had to laugh when I handed over the paperwork to the airman assisting it.  As I listed each required item I was handing her, she stated, “Wow, you really have it all together.”  If she only knew!! 

That frustrating day ended with a great time celebrating Gregory’s 18^th birthday.  I’m sharing the cheesecake recipe we all enjoyed that night.  Gregory likes his plain, but you can top it with fresh sweetened strawberries & whipped cream on the side if you wish.

CHEESECAKE
Graham cracker crust
1-3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs 
1 T. brown sugar
6 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. cinnamon

Melt butter and mix graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Press into a
9" springform pan.

Cheesecake filling
3 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened to room temp
1 c. sour cream
4 eggs
1 c. sugar 
3 tsp. vanilla
1 T. cornstarch 

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat, scrape down sides and beat
again. Beat in sour cream, and cornstarch.

Add eggs, one at a time, until incorporated,
then vanilla. Pour into crust. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 1 hour or until center
is set. 

Remove from oven and cool on rack until lukewarm. Chill for several hours or
freeze for easy removal from pan to a serving plate.

If frozen, run a sharp slender knife between the crust and bottom of pan, loosening the entire cake. Support cheesecake with a spatula and slide it onto a serving plate. If the cake is not frozen, it's best to leave it on the bottom of the springform pan and place it on the serving
platter.  Yield: 12 servings from 9" pan, 8-9 cakes from the mini cheesecake pans 4-5" in diameter. 
Cupcake size in foil liners may also made, but the oven temp should be 275-300° for 12 to 15 minutes. The higher temp will cause them to rise quickly, then the centers will fall. 

Extra crust ingredients my be required to make the 25 cupcake size desserts yielded from this
recipe.
Note: Don't be intimidated by cheesecakes. They are easy to make and can be frozen
2-3 months. You do need to have a springform pan. It's a small expense for a big
reward!! I have several of the mini pans, bake and freeze 2-3 varieties of cheesecake,
then wow my guests with an assortment of bite size delectables.

Keep Your Fork

Woman and the Fork There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes. She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her. 'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.. 'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply? 'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my Right hand.' The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part- Because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!' So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.' The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did- more than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming. At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled. During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about The fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Today’s recipe I will share is for Velvet Chocolate Cheesecake…another wonderful reason to keep your fork. 

CHOCOLATE VELVET
CHEESECAKE
8 oz. chocolate wafers or Oreo cookies 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
with filling removed speck of salt
1/3 c. butter, melted

Place cookies in a Ziploc bag and crush very fine with a rolling pin or place in food
processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and press into the bottom and up the sides of
a 10" springform pan. Pour filling into the crust and bake in a preheated 350° oven.

Filling
12 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips 
2 T. butter
 2 c. heavy cream or half &half
3 (8-oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, softened
3 eggs 
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 c. sugar 
speck of salt
Heat cream in microwave or on stovetop until very warm. Add chocolate chips and
stir until melted. Set aside. 
Beat cream cheese until soft and there are no lumps. Add sugar and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time incorporating well before adding the next. Pour the chocolate/cream mixture in, then the vanilla and tiny pinch of salt. Pour into cookie crust and bake for 1 hour.

 The filling will be soft when you take it out of the oven, but will become firm when completely cool. Cool completely before covering and storing in refrigerator overnight. This cheesecake can be done in foil cupcake liners and muffin tins. 

Lower the heat to 300° and bake for 15-20 minutes. A higher temp will cause the mini cheesecakes to rise quickly and then fall. A whole Oreo half when fit into the muffin tin, so the crust instructions can be ignored.

Garnish with whipped cream. Yield-32 cupcake size,
8-9 mini 4" cheesecakes or 15 servings from 10" pan. Can be frozen well wrapped for
2-3 months.

Note: Cheesecakes are among the easiest of desserts to make. I often freeze the cake
before removing it from the pan, making it easier to transfer to a serving platter. Run a
knife around the edge first, remove the sides, then slide a knife under the crust and run
it around the bottom to loosen if from the bottom and slid it onto the serving platter.

                                         Confectionately  Yours,

Sue