simple new york cheesecake

this is my go to dessert when i've been assigned the dessert dish for potlucks and family dinners...especially in the summer. i initially got the recipe off of a box for cheesecake crust. i ended up never using the instant crust mix, but have always used the recipe i found printed on the box. it's nothing fancy, but everyone loves it and people are usually shocked that it's not store bought.

1/4 c. butter (room temp)
16 oz. cream cheese (room temp)
1/2 c. sugar
1 lg. egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbs. cornstarch
1/2 c. sour cream
1 keebler™ ready crust
assorted berries or fruit of choice

1. chill ready crust in freezer and preheat oven to 450°F

2. beat cream cheese, butter, and egg.

3. whisk in egg, vanilla and cornstarch.

4. fold in sour cream.

5. pour mixture into chilled ready crust and make sure it's smoothed out on top.

6. bake for 10 minutes at 450°F.

7. reduce heat to 200°F.

8. bake for 45 min.

9. turn oven off and open oven door a crack...leave in oven for 3 hours.

10. keep chilled in refrigerator and cover with fruit topping before serving.

Tips: the biggest concern when making a cheesecake is the temperature. overheating the cheesecake and/or cooling too quickly can cause cracks in the cheesecake. the taste isn't necessarily affected, but if you plan to use a sauce as a topping then it's important to have a cheesecake without cracks in it for the presentation. i also recommend starting with room temperature ingredients and try to avoid having to microwave anything to soften it. the other thing that can cause cracks is overbeating. so, that's why i have the three different stages of beating. i use a beater for the butter, cream cheese and sugar, then i use a whisk when i add the egg (whisked before adding), vanilla and cornstarch, then i use a spatula to fold in the sour cream. and of course i usually end up with cracks anyway, so that's why i prefer a fruit topping :)

this one turned out almost perfect...no cracks, so it wasn't over beaten and it cooled down at a good rate. the surface is a little over cooked, and happened when i had to go from 450°F to 200°F. i suggest keeping the oven open for about 1 minute when lowering the temp to make sure the temperature decreases quickly enough.

waaaaay too many cracks in this one. the temp was perfect, but what i did wrong here was over beat the filling. i used a beater to mix the entire time instead of using the whisk and spatula i mentioned under the tips. the reason this causes cracks is that when you overbeat too much air gets into the mixture.

and that's why i like the mixed fruit topping!

kefir shake

this is my favorite type of shake. kefir is a great source of probiotics, which is essential for good digestion. the only problem is that it doesn't exactly have the kind of flavor that people are drawn to. it's like a sour yogurt type of flavor and i have trouble drinking it unless i mix it with something. so, the 8 oz. kefir shake is one of my favorite treats. i'll have this with breakfast or as a snack during the day and i think it's around 250 calories give or take. i enjoy yogurt as a snack as well, but i can't really have the same snack every day, so these shakes are definitely something i look forward to once or twice a week.


the ingredients: 2 small scoops of vanilla ice cream...i prefer breyers, about 6 oz. of helios kefir i prefer berry flavor, and a handful of fruit...i prefer an assortment of berries especially blueberries with lots of antioxidants. kefir comes in different flavors even plain i think, so definitely try and experiment with different ice cream flavors and fruits.

just before the blender does its magic. i like mine to be somewhat liquid and not too thick and i blend it just enough for most of the fruit to be puréed with some small chunks left.

poached eggs

one of the few things i would eat as a child were my grandmother's poached eggs. every time i spent the night at her place she would make me one in the morning on a piece of buttered toast. i couldn't eat any other kind of egg and even now poached eggs are my favorite. my grandmother had this egg poaching pan that could cook three eggs at once in little trays that sat suspended over the boiling water. you can still find this type of egg poaching pan in stores, but the trays are usually plastic, not metal, and they don't cook as well, especially if the pan holds more than three eggs. so, the only method that i use is boiling them directly in the water...which can be a tricky business.

first of all altitude is a big factor, so if you live at a high elevation, this will be virtually impossible and you'll have to buy an egg genie, which will make a mediocre poached egg. i truly believe that the exact time and temperature will vary depending on where you live, so i will give you the info for where i live and you can tweak it from there. you'll have to try about a dozen times before you get the perfect system for your stove and location.

eggs
toast or english muffins
butter
salt
pepper

1. bring water to a vigorous boil in a medium sized pot.

2. lower temperature to where the water is boiling with medium sized gentle bubbles.

3. crack egg and gently drop egg white and yolk into the water as close to the surface as possible to prevent the egg from separating.

4. after the first 30 seconds make sure the egg isn't sticking to the pot by gently stirring the water. one or two times around the pot with a spoon should do the job.

5. my total cook time is 3 min. 40 sec. i prefer my poached eggs medium, so that will be a factor as well.

6. remove egg from water with a slotted spoon.

Tips: it is important to keep the boiling under control because an overly vigorous boil will separate the egg. dropping the egg in from too far above the water's surface will also separate the egg. once the egg is in the water it will be important to stir the water gently every once in awhile to minimize damage to the egg from the boiling and to ensure even cooking throughout the egg. for our medium sized pot we limit the eggs to 2 at a time, so they have enough room to swim around while they cook...3 at a time seems to create some collision issues and also too much of a change to the temperature.

this guy turned out perfect! i started my husband making these and he has truly become a master egg poacher...better than me probably :) i like mine on either half a slice of whole wheat toast or half an english muffin with a tiny bit of butter and salt and pepper on the egg. i eat this for breakfast or a snack at least 3 times a week. it's low cal and keeps me satisfied for at least 3 hours.

this one is on an english muffin...thomas' of course!...but i wanted to illustrate how perfectly evenly it's cooked. the best thing about poaching eggs in water versus using an egg genie or the suspended trays is that the whites are fully cooked, but not rubbery and the yolk is partially cooked all the way through and not too runny. so overall the egg is very soft and still able to hold it's shape.

wish list: i would love to try this old fashioned egg poacher gadget. i've never seen one before, but with my egg obsession i think i should own one of these.

kara's cupcakes

i think what i enjoy most about cooking is watching people eat and enjoy the food i've made. i especially love watching my kids eat...everything from the goofy faces they make when you first put a new flavor of mashed up baby food in their little mouths to how they wolf down one of their favorites without even tasting it...with the intermittent 'tastes good mom'. desserts at restaurants are always fun!...sweets of any kind really.

when we're in san francisco we usually always stop by ghirardelli square because we love chocolate, and it really is a nice little plaza. the last time grandpa zizak visited we treated the kids to some cupcakes at kara's cupcakes. it was an expensive treat, but the cute pics and happy faces were well worth it. cupcakes aren't really something that i have a taste for, so i can't give a taste review...but i will say that they are beautiful and the shop is adorable and with the huge dollop of frosting on top i think anyone with a sweet tooth will find them worthy of their $3.00 a piece price tag. in this picture suki is enjoying her 'vanilla chocolate' cupcake.

kara's cupcakes at ghirardelli square, san francisco

the grape debate

so one of the many 'discussions' suzanne and i had on my last visit was regarding grapes in fruit salad. the issue was whether or not the grapes should be cut in half or kept whole. as you can see in the picture of this gorgeous fruit salad...suzanne's 'keeping the grapes whole' philosophy was clearly in the right. the reason it works so well here is because of the melon baller technique, which i haven't ever used because i don't own a melon baller. so, as it turns out everything looks gorgeous because of the many round pieces of fruit. my fruit salad on the other hand is quite different than this one and i will make it soon, so i can post a picture for everyone to see. in my fruit salad i slice the grapes in half because it drives me crazy when i'm trying to eat the salad and the grapes are rolling all over the place...but this only works if the other fruit is sliced and not balled.

suzanne's super easy quiche

this is better than any quiche i've ever had at a restaurant! my friend suzanne got a basic recipe online and tweaked it to make it even better. she's definitely a natural at cooking. i can't wait to share more of her recipes with you because her dishes are fancier than mine, but just as easy to make. so, keep your eyes peeled for recipes i post from suzanne because they'll be the ones you want to impress your friends with. the quiche pictured above is the mushroom cheddar version.

2 cups milk
4 eggs
3/4 cup biscuit baking mix
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cloves of garlic
1/3 cup minced onions
salt to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Lightly grease a 10 inch quiche dish.

3. In a small pan, sauté mushrooms in a small amount of butter. Put cloves of garlic through a garlic press, and add to pan. Add minced onions. Add salt.

4. In a large bowl, beat together milk, eggs, baking mix, butter and parmesan cheese. Batter will be lumpy. Stir in mushroom and garlic mixture and cheddar cheese.

5. Pour into prepared quiche dish.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes, until eggs are set and top is golden brown.

Tips: This recipe is very flexible and easy---you can pretty much add any ingredient to the quiche base. A good variation is to replace the mushrooms and cheddar cheese with spinach and swiss cheese. Sauté about 2 cups of frozen or fresh spinach with garlic and onions in a bit of butter, add salt. Replace cheddar with 8 oz. shredded swiss cheese.


This is a picture of the spinach swiss version. The amazing thing is that this recipe makes its own crust---you just mix everything up in one bowl, and pour it into a regular quiche dish or pie plate!

eating with friends

it's gotten to a point now where my friends are so aware of my food picture taking obsession that they always ask if i want to take a picture before we all dig in. here my hilarious friend suzanne has offered me her beautiful pickle vanna white style.

banana-zucchini bread

This is my favorite bread to make. I was skeptical because I wasn't sure about zucchini bread with the kids and all, but I had to figure something out because our zucchini plant was producing more zucchini than I knew what to do with. I think the zucchini flavor blends perfectly with the other ingredients. We like to slice it in the morning and spread butter on it and then toast it in the toaster oven...it makes a wonderful breakfast!

3 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Grease and flour two 8x4 inch bread loaf pans.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until light yellow and frothy. Add oil, brown sugar, white sugar, grated zucchini, bananas, and vanilla; blend together until well combined.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Gradually add dry mixture to the moist mixture and blend until just mixed...don't over mix.

6. Mix in the cranberries and nuts.

7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans.

8. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Allow to cool in the loaf pans on a wire rack before removing and serving.

Tips: I just use a regular cheese grater for the zucchini...two small zucchini is about the right amount. Our family is not a big fan of nuts in bread, which I've determined is more of a texture thing than a taste thing. Since we love the extra nutty flavor what I do is just use my chopper and chop the nuts up until they're almost dust...about the texture you find on tops of cinnamon muffins. I also measure out all the ingredients before I start mixing...I feel like the mixture stays more consistent that way.

a fancy turkey burger dinner midweek...

every once in awhile i get the thrown together dinner soooo very right...to where i feel slightly gourmet. a couple weeks ago this happened and i just had to take a picture. it all started with some left behind vegetables from earlier in the week...

7 mushrooms
2 russet potatoes
a quarter bag of broccoli coleslaw mix
one head of romaine lettuce
half a head of red leaf lettuce
half a yellow onion
one tomato
half a cucumber

i was feeling very lazy and was trying to decide whether or not to head to the grocery store when i remembered i had some hamburger buns frozen in the outside fridge and a pound of ground turkey. so, turkey burgers it is i thought...even though they usually turn out really dry, at least i wouldn't have to go to the grocery store for one more day :) this is where i need some help because even though i tried something new with the patties, they still came out just a little dry...so please let me know if you have any good tips to make moist turkey burgers.

what i ended up doing was taking my chopper and chopping up 2 of the mushrooms until they were super small bits. then i chopped the onion and mixed it in with the ground turkey with some garlic powder, salt and pepper. i divided the turkey into six balls and stuffed each ball with some of the chopped up mushrooms and some gorganzola i had found left over in the fridge. i squished them into patties and handed them off to my husband for grilling.

i peeled and chopped the potatoes into bite size chunks and boiled them in water until they were just tender enough to poke a fork through. i strained them and put them in a mixing bowl. i splashed some white vinegar over them...while still hot! then i chopped up the hard boiled eggs and threw those in. chopped up the cucumber and threw those in. threw in a big scoop of mayo and a small scoop of dijon mustard. sprinkled in salt and pepper and a generous amount of dill. mixed it all together and threw it in the fridge to chill.

next i got out another little bowl. chopped and rinsed the small amount of romaine lettuce i had, threw in the remainder of the broccoli coleslaw mix. tossed it with some dressing and put it in the fridge.

handed off the buns to my husband to be buttered and toasted on the grill. and got some butter melting in a small frying pan, while i sliced the remaining mushrooms. i threw the sliced mushrooms in the pan and sauteed them for a few minutes and then took them off the heat but left them in the pan.

the burgers came off the grill and i set everything out on the counter along with some condiments, and the left behind tomato sliced up, rinsed big pieces of red leaf lettuce, sauteed mushrooms and what was left of the gorganzola and voila!...dinner was served. and the best part is i used up a bunch of random left behind items.

here's a list of the other ingredients i found in the fridge...

hamburger buns
1 lb. ground turkey
gorganzola cheese
thousand island dressing (or ketchup, mayo, relish)
3 hard boiled eggs
white vinegar
mayo
dijon mustard
dill

tips: don't be afraid to over stuff the patties with the cheese and chopped mushrooms...it helps with the moisture. make sure you have plenty of condiments in case the burgers come out a tad dry.

i'm happy to say this one turned out so good it made it into the regular rotation!

yummiest street tacos ever!

one thing margot learned within hours of our arrival in guatemala was that daniel and i have some not so productive traveling habits in common...it's a form of adhd...just about anything can distract us from getting to the originally planned destination...and we don't have any problem with that or sense of urgency about it whatsoever. so the burden of getting to where we needed to go layed entirely on margot. so, our destination for the first day was the mayan ruins in tikal...how far did we actually get?...oh...about half way. but if it weren't for being half a day behind schedule by the end of the first day we wouldn't have had the pleasure of tasting the yummiest street tacos ever! the magic is in the marinade the meat is soaked in for over a day and the green sauce, which i have no idea how to make...i will definitely try my best to find out how to make this sauce...it's phenomenal.

the nice young man who cooked up these delicious tacos...and his portable grill.

scrambled eggies with fresh veggies

so this is one of my standard breakfasts during the summer. the bell peppers and tomatoes are from our garden. the veggies taste amazing! i'm kind of picky about my scrambled eggs and i rarely like anyone else's. i think when it comes to scrambled eggs everyone likes their own way the best, but i will share how i make mine in case you want to try them. basically i whisk together the eggs, a splash of heavy whipping cream or whole milk...only a splash!...a dash of salt and pepper. i grate a small handful of medium cheddar cheese before i start cooking. i use a nonstick frying pan...size of pan depends on how much i'm making, but egg mixture shouldn't be more than half an inch deep. i first melt a little bit of butter in the pan over 'just under' medium heat. then i cook the egg mixture until it's almost dry...about the moistness that the french would consider scrambled eggs to be done...and that's when i sprinkle on the grated cheese (be careful not to use too much!). i completely mix the cheese in with the eggs, so you can't see that there's cheese in the eggs and cook until dry with the slightest shine on them...the shine actually is from the oil in the cheese. then i top it with my chopped tomatoes and thinly sliced peppers and sprinkle on a dash of pepper.