New Look

Today many of you will notice a NEW blog look. I am still tweaking it to get it just right so please bare with me but as for now I'd like to get a response from you as to what you think.

Should I keep it or go back to old look?
After all you are the ones who have to navigate around and  look at it....:-)

Amazing Cheesecake

Last night my husband brought home a part of a piece of Cheesecake for me to try that his co-worker made. It is kinda funny because I ate lunch at my husbands work on Tuesday and this guy was talking about going home and making a Cheesecake to score high with is wife and that is just what he did. Gus proceeded to tell me that he found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen. Deb the author of this site had just posted a New York Style Cheesecake that I guess obviously was calling out to make. I mean how can you turn something up like that?  This cheesecake below is simply divine tasting, just mouth watering. Even if your not a Cheesecake fan you will be changed forever after tasting this. You must give it a try.

Pictures from Smitten Kitchen

I decided instead of trying to explain it myself I would take the post straight from the author herself. Here is the post and recipe from Deb at Smitten Kitchen.

New York Cheesecake

Adapted from Gourmet Magazine

The changes I made to the original recipe were to one and three-fifths (yes, exactly that) the crumb crust because I like those that go up the walls (you still might have a smidge more than you need but I figure it is less annoying than measuring the recipe in 7 tablespoon amounts), significantly reducing the zest (because as far as I’m concerned, the entire zest from two citrus fruits is an absurdly high amount), fudging (unsuccessfully) with the baking time and adding a completely optional cherry topping. That is not from a can. You are welcome.

Crumb crust
8 ounces (15 4 3/4 x 2 1/2-inch sheets of graham cracker; yes, I am crazy enough to both count and measure) finely ground graham crackers or cookies such as chocolate or vanilla wafers
8 tablespoons (1 stick or 4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Very tall cheesecake filling:
5 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened (Philadelphia is recommended for cheesecakes but if you’ve had success with other brands, feel free to use them again)
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
5 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cherry topping
10 ounces sweet or sour cherries, pitted (they’re not in season here so I used frozen; worked just fine)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar*
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Make crumb crust: Stir together crust ingredients and press onto bottom and up sides of a buttered (I forgot to do this and had no sticking issues with a non-stick springform) 9 1/2-inch (or 24 cm) springform pan. You can fill it right away but I like to pop my into the freezer so it quickly sets while I prepare the filling.
Make very tall cheesecake filling: Preheat oven to 550 degrees (yes, this is correct). Beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour and zest with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beating on low speed until each ingredient is Incorporated. Scrape bowl down between additions; I cannot stress this enough as if you do not, you’ll end up with unmixed stripes of cream cheese. I always find at least one, despite my best efforts.
Put spring form pan with crust in a shallow baking pan (to catch drips). Pour filling into crust (spring form pan will be completely full) and baking in baking pan in the middle of the oven for 12 minutes or until puffed. Please watch your cake because some ovens will top-brown very quickly and if yours does too fast, turn the oven down as soon as you catch it. Reduce the temperature to 200 degrees (see Note below about my baking drama) and continue baking until cake is mostly firm (center will still be slightly wobbly when pan is gently shaken), about one hour more.
Run a knife around the top edge of the cake to loosen it and cool the cake completely in spring form on a rack, then chill it, loosely covered, at least 6 hours.
Make cherry topping (optional): Place all ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cook it for an additional one to two minutes then remove from heat. Cool completely.
Remove side of pan and transfer cake to a plate. If you had any wonky baking issues (see my Note below), you might need to trim the cake flat. I promise not to tell anyone what happened to those scraps, okay?
Spread topping (if using) over chilled cheesecake. The original recipe says to bring this to room temperature before serving, but I never have!
Do ahead: Cheesecake keeps, covered and chilled, 2 weeks.
Baking drama: As some of the pictures might suggest, I really borked (an actual word, thank you) the baking of this cake. First, I was convinced that 550 degrees would singe my cake so I did the first step at 400, to see if you can get away with it. Yes, I am guilty of not following a recipe from time to time too. It turns out, 550 would have been just fine. Then, although I turned my oven down to 200, I didn’t check the thermometer inside my junky oven, and had I, I’d have realized that what my oven calls 200 is more like 150. And an hour later, was almost completely raw. Then I upped it to 300, which my oven told me was actually 250, where it still took another hour to bake and gained many cracks. I blame the fact that the oven didn’t start hot enough, as many others have made this recipe crack-free. What’s the point of me sharing this? To give you a heads up that oven wonkiness may ensue. What matters is that, in the end, you do not take the cake out before it is ready. An accurate oven helps too. I’m going to get right on that.
* You might dial this up by up to another 1/4 cup if you’re using sour cherries. However, if you’re using sour cherries I’m going to assume it is because you like them, and the more tart taste they impart, thus you probably will enjoy this sauce just as much with only 1/4 cup sugar. Look at me, psychologizing!

Spring Break...Now what do I cook?

 It can be quite difficult for some to go from cooking for your children at dinner to cooking 3 meals a day for an entire week. Here is an idea that you can try for your family this week that will be easy and loved by all.

Chicken and Bean Burrito

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 2 cloves garlic; 1 smashed, 1 minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 pound (about 2 cups)frozen diced butternut squash, thawed
• 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
• 1 15-ounce can black beans
• 1 cup grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers, plus 2 tablespoons pickling liquid (if serving to children-keep Off)
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas, warmed
• 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Plain low-fat yogurt or sour cream, for serving (optional)

Directions

Heat a medium skillet over high heat. Add the rice and smashed garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 cup water, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Add the squash and reduce the heat to low; cover and simmer, undisturbed, about 25 minutes. Sprinkle the chicken over the rice mixture, cover and remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, make the bean salsa: Drain and rinse the beans, quarter the tomatoes and chop the cilantro and jalapenos. Toss with the pickling liquid and minced garlic in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir the chicken-rice mixture and spoon it down the center of each tortilla, then top with half of the bean salsa and sprinkle with the cheese. Fold in the sides and roll up. Slice in half and serve with avocado, the remaining bean salsa and yogurt, if desired.

{Tell All Tuesday}

I must apologize to you all. I was fully expecting to have a post for the blog on Monday but one thing happened after another and before I knew it the day was over. But saying that.... I am back up and running today!
This past weekend was a blast. Florida definitely held true to the name, Sunshine State. It was really beautiful weather and we took advantage of it all weekend long.
Saturday was a special day for my husband and I because we celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary. It has been an amazing 6 years and I look forward to the rest of our life together. It truly gets better all the time.
We also spent Saturday morning and afternoon having an Easter egg hunt/ party for our oldest son. It was so much fun watching him play with his friends and enjoy the gorgeous weather outside.
After enjoying the day outside we spent the evening with our two boys walking the Town Center and having a delicious meal under Maggiano's pergola.  The boys were fantastic and behaved like little angels (well, maybe I shouldn't take it that far but they did amaze us.)

While shopping I found these cute little dresses. Aren't they cute? I didn't get all of them, well actually I didn't get either because they both fit wrong. Don't you hate that? I did.

Both dresses by Antonio Melani

 I can not wait to get a chance to look through my pictures of the weekend and share some with you. As for tomorrow, I will share with you how to cook a quick and easy meal for your children this week while they are on spring break. 

Have a great Tuesday!

Easter Dinner

Easter Dinner can be a time to toast winter (well in Florida it would just be the cold) ending and spring hitting full swing with seasonal favorites. Here’s a lighter, simpler Easter menu you might want to try. These recipes will sure be a hit but you won't have to spend tons of time cooking in the kitchen. Recipes Below.

Orange Glazed Ham

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

Honey Glazed Carrots

Ham is a classic for Easter. Ina Garten’s Orange Bake Ham has a sweet-and-spicy glaze made from orange marmalade, brown sugar and Dijon mustard — a great balance to the smoky meat. This recipe serves 35, so you might want to cut it in half depending on how many people you are cooking for (or invite a crowd). Don’t cut it too much, though — leftovers work well in sandwiches, salads and omelets.

Pair it up with Risotto, which is easy to make, and the combo of rice and spring veggies is like two side dishes in one. Add a side of Honey Glazed Carrots and your meal will be complete. Simple but delicious!

I did use the Food Networks Pictures to show you the food. Yumm!

Orange Glazed Ham

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (14 to 16-pound) fully cooked, spiral-cut smoked ham on the bone
• 6 garlic cloves
• 8 1/2 ounces orange marmalade
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 orange, zested
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the ham in a heavy roasting pan.

Mince the garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the marmalade, mustard, brown sugar, orange zest, and orange juice and process until smooth. Pour the glaze over the ham and bake for 1 hour, until the ham is fully heated and the glaze is well browned. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto

Ingredients

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 large vanilla bean
• 3 cups peeled cubed (1-inch wide) butternut squash, about 12 ounces
• 2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
• 3/4 cups finely chopped onion (from 1 onion)
• 1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or cooking wine- found on the seasoning row)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Directions

In a medium saucepan, warm the broth over medium-high heat. Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds and add them, and the bean, to the broth. When the broth comes to a simmer reduce the heat to low. Add the butternut squash to the simmering broth and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove the butternut squash to a side dish. Turn the heat on the broth down to very low and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition to of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes total. Discard the vanilla bean. Turn off the heat. Gently stir in the butternut squash, Parmesan, the remaining tablespoon of butter, and salt. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl and sprinkle with chives. Serve

immediately.

Honey Glazed Carrots

 

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound baby carrots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

In a medium saucepan, bring water to a boil. Add salt and then carrots and cook until tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain the carrots and add back to pan with butter, honey and lemon juice. Cook until a glaze coats the carrots, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with parsley.

April's Photography Tip

Good Morning April

It's time again to share with you another photo tip from Open Light Studio's.

If you have recently started to follow Mommy Buzz then let me explain for just a sec...

Open Light Studio's is a professional husband and wife team who give us tips each month on how to better yourself with the camera. Click on the titles to see the past few months tips: "Bring Props" ; "Using the Sun"

April's Tip:

Lighting

Lighting is key for creating a good photo.  Always keep this in mind! The worst lighting is with flash.  Avoid using your flash at all costs.  This means take most of your photos outdoors.  When shooting outdoors, shoot at a time of day when the lighting is soft, not harsh.  Times of day when the lighting is soft is in the early morning, the late afternoon, and overcast days. 

Functional Kitchen

 When you think of a Kitchen, well when I think of a kitchen... I think of a space/room I am practically in all day. Cooking 3 meals a day plus snacks for 4 people plus sometimes visitors isn't always easy. Don't get me wrong, I love cooking and I love having people over but sometimes I run out of ideas. Yes, Even I run out of ideas. I could write an entire cook book but when it comes to doing something for my family I can't decide on what I want to cook.Which then I turn to my husband and ask, "What would you like for dinner this week?" But I bet you can all guess what he says.... the infamous words from husbands about food, "Whatever you want." And then you are back at square one.
That got me thinking, If I had an in home chef and they asked what I wanted for dinner, you better believe I would be giving them all kinds of things to cook. I would want something new everyday for lunch and dinner. So why is it that I can't make up my mind for my small family of 4?
Well honestly most of the time I can, it is just those few days here and there that I can't decide.... I think we all have those. Where we wished someone would come in and cook and clean up and leave us to enjoy a quiet dinner.
Maybe that's what it's like after the kids leave home...huh....but I don't think it is reality for most of us!
But back to what I was saying about kitchens--When you spend so much time in a room you want it to be functional. You want to be able to find everything and have a spot for it all, right?

Guess where everyone always ends up? You got it---in the kitchen.

Work on taking the space you have and making it workable. Clean the clutter, organize your pantry and just give your kitchen a new and improved look for FREE.

Because I have different taste and designs for rooms it differs from day to day with what my favorite choice would be for a kitchen. I tried to find a picture to give you an idea of what my "ideal" kitchen would be but I couldn't find it. I think that's because it's in my head and I haven't seen it anywhere.

So if you get a chance this week write and tell me what room in your house is your favorite and which room you spend the most time in...I can't wait to hear.