♥ White Chocolate Cheesecake with Glazed Raspberries

White Chocolate Cheesecake with Glazed Raspberries

For the crust

3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1-1/2 sticks salted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter until moistened.
Pour into a spring form pan. Press the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and about 1-inch up the sides.
Bake for 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Cheesecake

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup good quality white chocolate chips

3 eight ounce packages ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup whipping cream for cheesecake batter

Over low heat in a small saucepan, heat 1/3 cup of whipping cream until scalding. Stir in the white chocolate until melted. Set aside while you make the rest of the batter.

Cream together cream cheese and sugar until creamy and then add one egg at a time beating well after each one. Add the vanilla extract and the melted chocolate. Finally blend in the 1 cup of whipping cream.

Pour your batter into your prepared crust and bake in a water bath at 325 degrees for about 60 minutes depending on the size of your pan. The cheesecake will be slightly brown around the edges. It will be slightly wobbly just at the center. Allow the cheese cake to cool on a wire rack at room temperature. When completely cool remove the cheesecake from the spring form pan by running a sharp knife around the outside edge before removing the sides of the pan and then run a knife under the crust to release it from the pan’s bottom. Cover the top with fresh raspberries and drizzle with raspberry glaze

                                                                                     For the raspberry glaze

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

1 tablespoon water

Place the jam in a small saucepan. Heat the saucepan over low to medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add about 1 tablespoon of water and stir constantly over low heat, until the berries begin to break down and the sauce develops a thinner, pourable consistency. Taste and add sugar or a little honey if you want it sweeter. Turn off the heat when the sauce has reached the consistency you desire. Let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes or until it's still thin enough to pour but no longer piping hot. If the sauce thickens too much, simply reheat it on the stove for a minute or two.

NOTE: I bake my cheesecakes in a springform pan that has the bottom and sides wrapped in multiple layers of heavy duty aluminum foil. I use at least 4 layers of foil to make sure that no water leaks in and ruins the crust of my cheesecake. The aluminum foil wrapped pan is then placed inside a larger baking pan; I usually use a 12 inch cake pan. Then I pour boiling water into the larger pan filling it 1/2 of the way to the top. I find it best to pour the boiling water into the pan after it is placed on the rack in the oven as you are less likely to splash water onto the cheesecake or inside the aluminum foil.

Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Baked Rotini in Meat Sauce

 

 

 

 

 

I love making different pasta bakes with different sauces and cheeses...they are the ultimate comfort food. Lots of gooey cheese and rich sauce. Serve it up with garlic bread and a salad and you have a great meal. And Pasta bakes are always even better the next day! Click on photo for drool mode.

 
Baked Rotini in Meat Sauce

1 lb ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small can diced tomatoes in juice
2 tablespoons tomato paste (if you want a thicker sauce)
2 cups of your favorite pasta sauce (see my choice below)
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz sour cream
2 cups whole milk shredded mozzarella
2 cups of shredded Provolone cheese
2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
1 (16 oz) box of Rotini pasta

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and then saute onion and garlic until just tender. Add sausage and ground beef and break up into pieces with a wooden spoon. I like my ground beef chunky so I leave large pieces. Drain any excess oil from meat mixture and return to stove. Add the canned tomatoes, your favorite sauce (I only use Ragu Chunky Tomato Onion and Garlic). 

Turn the heat to medium high and add basil and oregano to suit your taste. If you want a thicker meat sauce add in your two tablespoons of tomato paste. Cover and let the sauce come to a low boil. Then turn down the heat to a low simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime boil pasta according to directions and then drain well and return to pot.

Mix the cheeses all together in one bowl. Pour half of the pasta into bottom of buttered casserole dish. Sprinkle half cheese mix on top of pasta. Layer half the meat sauce on top of cheese. Spread sour cream on top of sauce all the way to the sides of the dish. Add the remaining pasta. Add another layer of cheese, reserving some for the top.

Pour the remaining meat sauce and then finally add the remaining cheese all over the top. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted on top and has started to brown.

Recipe and Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Four Layer Red Velvet Cheesecake

My elderly neighbor, Jack Dulaney, stops by from time to time to bring me something from his garden. He turned 90 last Friday and I wanted to make his favorite cake and invite him over to celebrate his special day. Jack is a widower and I have kind of adopted him as the grandfather I never had the chance to meet and it has been a joy calling him my friend. Usually people make this wonderful cake for the holidays because of it's rich red color, but Jack loves it anytime! I decided to add a little twist and make it a cheesecake and he loved it. We enjoyed coffee and cheesecake last Friday afternoon for Jack's 90th birthday.

Four Layer Red Velvet Cheesecake

For the cheesecake:
10 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
3/8 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons red food coloring,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

For the frosting:
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium until fluffy, scraping down side of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beating until fluffy. Beat in lemon zest and juice, and salt. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl after each addition. Beat in sour cream.

Line the bottom of four 8 inch spring form cake pans with parchment paper cut in circles. Then wrap each cake pan bottom and sides with heavy aluminum foil. Pour in filling into the pans then place in a roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the side of spring form cake pans. Bake until just set in center, about 45 minutes. Remove pan from water; let cool 20 minutes. Run a paring knife around edge and let cool completely without removing the cheesecake from the pan. Cover the pan and chill for at least 3-4 hours, then wrap in plastic wrap and freeze.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa, and salt into a medium bowl. In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, buttermilk, food coloring, vanilla, and vinegar until well combined. Add dry ingredients in three additions and beat at low speed until smooth, about 2 minutes after all the dry ingredients have been added. Divide batter evenly between 4 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then invert each onto a plate, then invert again onto a cooling rack. Let cakes cool completely.

Frosting

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined. Add sugar and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, 5–7 minutes.

Putting it all together

Place one of the 8 inch cakes on a cake stand. Remove one of the cheesecakes from freezer, unwrap, and remove from the pan and peel off parchment paper. Place cheesecake layer on top of the bottom layer of the red velvet cake. Place another 8 inch cake on top of the cheesecake, and continue doing this with all four layers of cake and cheese cake. Then frost entire cake with cheesecake frosting. I topped it with a maraschino cherry but you can decorate how you'd like it. Try some shaved white chocolate or some sprinkles of red cake crumbs.

NOTE: In the photo, I used only two layers and with a serrated knife, I sliced them in half to form the four layers. I did the same thing with the cheese cake after allowing them to thaw a little before slicing them to fit the cake layers. But for a more impressive tall cake, use all four layers of each.

Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Shrimp Cocktail

My lunch today. I love shrimp cocktail as an appetizer before a meal when I go out to dinner but why not have it as a main course for lunch? Here's how I make mine.
Shrimp Cocktail

First I brine the shrimp. I buy them raw but already cleaned at the seafood counter.

For the brine:
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups cold water

For the cocktail sauce:

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup prepared chili sauce
4 tablespoons prepared horseradish (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar
pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning, optional

Rinse the shrimp in cold water. Then add them to a bowl with the brine mix and refrigerate them for about half hour.

Mix tomatoes, chili sauce, horseradish, sugar, pepper, and salt in food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate cocktail sauce until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a baking sheet in hot oven and heat for 5 minutes. Remove shrimp from brine and drain thoroughly. Rinse the shrimp under cold water and dry on paper towels. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with olive oil and sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning, if desired, or a little salt and pepper.

Place shrimp onto a sizzling hot sheet pan and roast at 425 degrees for about 5-7 minutes or until just starting to turn pink. Turn the shrimp when they come out of the oven and let the heat from the pan finish cooking them until they are cool enough to place on your serving platter. Eat warm or you can chill them to serve later.

Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Garlic Shrimp Over Pasta

 Can you tell I bought too many shrimp this past weekend? It was on sale at my local grocery store, But shrimp is so versatile and you can use it in so many ways. This dish is one of my favorites One of my favorites. It's simple, fresh an...d soooo good! It's one of those dishes that gets better the second day! I think you'll love this one.....click on the photo for drool mode!






Garlic Shrimp Over Pasta

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1/2 lb medium to large shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
2 cups farfalle pasta, uncooked
Salt & pepper
Dried red pepper flakes (optional)

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add a few drops of oil to prevent sticking. Cook pasta until al dente and drain well but reserve about 1/4 cup of pasta water and set aside.

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the minced garlic and shallots for 2-3 minutes until tender. Add the shrimp to the skillet along with 2 tablespoons of the pasta water. Season with salt and pepper. Saute and stir constantly until shrimp have turned pink. Add the pasta to the skillet and mix until cheese melts and blends in well. Using a vegetable peeler, shave sheets of Parmesan cheese onto pasta and serve immediately.

 

Photography ©Welcome Home

♥ Strawberry Glazed Cheese Cake

For this little delightful dessert, I baked a vanilla cake just to keep  it simple. I sliced the layer in half and between each layer I spread a generous amount of no-bake cheesecake filling. Then I topped it with some fresh whole strawberries.  To top it all off,  I poured on a strawberry glaze. It's incredible!

Strawberry Glazed Cheese Cake

1 super moist vanilla cake mix
1 egg
milk
butter, melted

Follow the directions on any super moist vanilla cake mix you choose (I like Duncan Hines), however, replace the oil in the recipe and use melted butter instead. Replace the water in the recipe and use whole milk instead. Add one more large egg than the directions call for, and then follow the directions for baking. Once cake has finished baking, allow it to cool completely.

No Bake Cheese Cake Filling
24 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
2/3 cups plus 6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

In the electric mixer on high speed whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form and set aside. Then in another bowl, on medium speed, mix the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and creamy. Fold in the whipped cream.
 

Strawberry Glaze

2 pounds (32 oz.) fresh strawberries, stems removed
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn starch

Combine the water, strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a large saucepan on high heat. Stir thoroughly while bringing it up to a boil. After the mixture begins to

boil, reduce the heat to low, and allow to cook for up to ten minutes, occasionally stirring throughout. As the strawberries soften, use a wooden spoon to break them in pieces to release the flavors from the strawberries.

Remove from heat. Using a strainer, pour liquid into a bowl ensuring to press as much juices through strainer with wooden spoon. Dispose any of the solid strawberries leftover from mixture, and return liquid to pan on low heat. Meanwhile, whisk the cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Then, pour into the simmering pan of strawberry juice. Increase heat to high, and continue to whisk the mixture until it thickens into a glaze (approximately 3-5 minutes). Remove glaze from heat, and pour into separate bowl to cool down. Once the glaze has reached room temperature, place in refrigerator until it is chilled.

Cake Assembly

Make cake as directed and cool completely. With long serrated knife, slice one cake layer in half lengthwise to make it evenly flat on top. Generously pour and spread cheese cake filling on top of bottom layer and top with second layer. With flat spatula spread more filling all around the sides and top. Place fresh strawberries on top of cake and top with strawberry glaze. If desired, apply cake crumbs to the sides of cake for an added garnish. 

Photography ©Welcome Home



Giant Ornamental onion plant

 From my garden...these are Alium also known as Giant Ornamental onions. They are definitely a show stopper in the garden with their purple softball-sized flowers and strong stems that reach 3- 4 feet tall.

Ornamental onions perform beautifully, blooming late spring through early summer; they add a different, spectacular architectural dimension to the garden and they are also wonderful for cut and dried flowers.

♥ Fried Cornbread

 

Fried Cornbread (Also Called Hoe Cakes)

1 ½ cups of Yellow Self-Rising Cornmeal
2/3 cups Buttermilk
1 Egg, whisked
½ teaspoon of salt
... Oil for frying
Place the cornmeal in a medium sized mixing bowl. Crack the egg, whisk it with a fork and add it into a well formed in the center of the cornmeal. Add the buttermilk. Add the salt. Stir the mixture just enough to incorporate the ingredients. If the batter is dry, add a little more buttermilk as needed for a smooth consistency.

Test your oil for proper frying temperature. Drop a spoonful of the batter into your skillet. Adjust the amount depending on the size you desire. If necessary, use the back of the spoon to spread the batter out. You want thin hoe cakes. Watch for the edges to brown then, carefully flip the hoe cake over. Fry until the hoe cake is golden brown on both sides. Remove from oil, place on folded paper towels and let drain.

Repeat the process. You need two hoe cakes for each sandwich. Serve warm and enjoy.

http://www.tasteofsouthern.com/collard-sandwich-recipe/

If you can't see anything beautiful about yourself....

get a better mirror,
look a little closer,
stare a little longer....
 

Because there's something inside you that made you keep trying, dispite everyone who told you to quit. You build a cast around your broken heart, and signed it yourself. It says.... "They were wrong."



The author is Shane Koyczan. The poem is called, " To This Day." It is powerful. Watch it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltun92DfnPY

♥ Brown Sugar and Apple Glazed Ham slices

Ham and Egg Biscuits

Instead of making a whole ham, I sometimes buy the slices and make my own glaze before baking. This time, I made the ham and some cream biscuits and added a fried egg on top....oh so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Brown Sugar and Apple Glazed Ham slices

2 fully cooked thick ham slices
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
dash of cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil and boil for about 2 minutes Place ham on rack in a foil-lined roasting pan. Brush with hot glaze. Bake at 325° for about 10 minutes. With tongs, flip ham slices over and brush glaze on other side. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Serve any leftover glaze on the side.
_____________________________

Cream Biscuits

3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the surface
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter in a microwave dish, and set aside. Sift two cups flour, the baking powder, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Fold in 1 1/4 cups cream. If the dough is not soft or easily handled, fold in the remaining 1/4 cup cream, little by little.

Turn dough onto a floured surface, mound it into a ball and, using your hands, press it to a thickness of about 3/4 inch. Cut into 2 1/2 inch rounds. Dip the top of each dough round into the melted butter and arrange on the baking sheet. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes and serve hot.

Photography ©Welcome Home