Monday, September 22, 2008

Busy weekend!

Well the garage sale was a success! We got rid of 3/4 of the junk we had for sale, and then made only one trip to DI to drop off the rest. We were done with everything by around 1:00 and had made $500.00! Not too shabby!
Then Michael and I went to lunch at Mimi's and then hit the farmers market. We bought a box of peaches that were so delicious!! I spent the last two days making peach jam and freezing peach slices. Then we worked on cleaning the house and rearranging furniture since our house is now "decluttered!". I love a clean house!! We did laundry, probably 5 loads of dishes, cleaned carpets, swept and mopped floors, cleaned out the fridge, boxed up some more clutter around the house, and now it's nice and pleasant. We also made some meals for lunches this week along with our first homemade cheesecake! That was really super easy. I had never made one because they always looked really intimidating. I'll attach the recipe. We put some of our peach slices on top too! YUMO!

The Ultimate Cheesecake (Tyler Florence recipe)
Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 30 squares)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound cream cheese (2 8-ounce blocks, softened)
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 dash vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8-inch spring form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup or the smooth bottom of a glass, press the crumbs down into the base and 1-inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 minutes.
For the Filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, for 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. The batter should be well mixed but not over-beaten. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Set the cheesecake pan on a large piece of aluminum foil and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan; the foil will keep the water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle (it will firm up after chilling), so be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, non-serrated knife that has been dipped in hot water. Wipe dry after each cut.

2 comments:

BAWC said...

sounds exhausting! do you want to start with my house next weekend?

Elisa said...

Wow! That's awesome that you sold so much!