“The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.”
~Abraham Lincoln
Mmmmmmmmmmm…Delicious!! Saturday, Oct 18 2008
recipes cheesecake, delicious, food, parties, pumpkin, pumpkin cheesecake, recipe, yummy 5:16 am
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
YUM! (Picture from BankingandBooks.com)
This recipe was in Bon Appetite Magazine and when I saw it I couldn’t help but get excited! I love pumpkin and I love cheesecake so this was a heavenly combination!
Ingredients: Makes 12 servings
For crust:
- Nonstick vegetable oil spray
- 2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 9 ounces)
- 1 cup pecans (about 3 1/2 ounces)
- 1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
For filling:
- 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Grind cookie crumbs, pecans, brown sugar, and ginger in processor until nuts are finely ground. Add butter; using on/off turns, process to blend. Transfer mixture to prepared pan; press onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake crust until set and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool completely.
Filling:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in pumpkin. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating on low speed to incorporate each addition. Add flour, spices, and salt; beat just to blend. Beat in vanilla. Transfer filling to cooled crust. Bake until filling is just set in center and edges begin to crack (filling will move slightly when pan is gently shaken), about 1 hour 20 minutes. Cool 1 hour. Run knife around sides of pan to release crust. Chill cheesecake uncovered in pan overnight.
Happy Would-Be Birthday Ryan! Thursday, Oct 16 2008
life and love appreciation, death, friends, learning, living life to the fullest, love, ryan hoffa, sadness 7:24 am
Today is a good day overall– it’s beautiful outside and I have a lot to be thankful for. On the other hand, it is a difficult day for me.
Today would mark the 26th birthday of my friend Ryan Hoffa, who passed away in an unexpected accident on a Sunday morning in August. He was too young and it shocked everyone; I still find myself forgetting that he’s gone. While I think of Ryan every single day, I am trying my best to learn something from all of the sadness. Everyone has heard the “life is short” lecture a million times; and while it is true, I think there’s a lot more beneath the surface.
The main thing I have learned from Ryan’s life ending so abruptly is that I shouldn’t be afraid of death. I have always secretly been a little bit scared and have pushed the idea that I could suddenly die at any moment to the back of my mind. I didn’t like to think about it. I have always thought, I’m young… I’ll think about all of that later. I can’t do that anymore. I need to live a life that I am proud of, and know that at any point in time I am happy with the choices I have made and the way I have treated others. This is the way I should be living anyway– but now I realize this more than I ever have.
Ryan helped make me a better person. He helped me realized that I should thank people for the things they do for me, let people know I appreciate them, and tell people how much they mean to me and how they make my life special. I have found myself transform into a more sentimental person than I thought I was before because I appreciate the events and situations that make me happy a lot more. This is really what life is about.
It’s easier for me to step outside, take a deep breath, smile, and realize how lucky I am– to be alive and to be living a life that makes me fulfilled. Thanks Ryan. I miss you!
- This is a silly picture my friend Andrew took at my wedding that ended up being one of my favorites. If you look in the background to the right, you can see Ryan studying his lines before he presented a reading at our wedding. He did a wonderful job and I am proud that he was a big part of the day.
…Because you can learn a lot from friends even if they are no longer here to teach you…
A Quote I love… Saturday, Oct 11 2008
quotes control of your life, daydreamers, daydreams, dreaming, gloroia steinem, imagination, mike jones, planning 2:57 am
I also love this picture. It happens to be called "Daydream" by Mike Jones...
I have always been a dreamer. I could spend hours thinking about the hundreds of potential ways a day can unfold or a conversation could play out. I think it’s always important to dream about things that excite you and realize that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.
“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”
~Gloria Steinem
…Because the world is more beautiful when you know you are in control of a small part of it…
Don’t Count Down Too Much… Thursday, Oct 9 2008
life appreciate life, count-downs, enjoy your time, rushing, ticking time, time, time flies, wish it was Friday 9:18 am
Today I woke up and really wished it was a Friday and was disappointed to remember that, well, it certainly wasn’t. I thought in my head…”okay, only 2 days left until Friday…”
I have found myself getting in the habit of counting down the days to important things in my life. I had a Facebook countdown before my master’s degree graduation ceremony (I think I started it when there were around 100 days left until graduation) and always like to count the days before anything major happens in my life (I most definitely had a wedding count-down).
While this is fun and enjoyable sometimes, I have realized that wishing for my precious days to go by faster than they already do is sort of dumb. Why not enjoy every day? There’s no need to rush through life because there will always be something count-down-worthy coming up.
I should have realized this earlier when I ran into a little old lady in the elevator after work whom I had a brief conversation with a couple of years ago (she had to have been at least 80). She asked how I was and I said “I’m not glad it’s Monday!” She said to me, “Don’t ever wish for the days to go by too fast. Look at me– I feel like I was your age yesterday! If anything, wish for the days to go by slower.”
This is something I am working on. Enjoy every day, never wish for time to fly by, and always remember the fun times– they will get you through the not-so-fun times.
…Because all time is precious; regardless of what event is coming up in your life…
Yummy Yummy! Saturday, Oct 4 2008
recipes bbq, chili, delicious, dinner, food, grill, grilling, healthy, on the grill, recipe, shrimp, skewers 6:13 am
It’s starting to get a little bit colder outside but that won’t stop me from throwing something on the grill if I can!
While I am always excited about a big juicy burger, I also am a huge fan of shrimp and know it’s much healthier for me than the burger option. This shrimp skewer recipe is wonderful because there are very few ingredients and the food tastes simple– yet delicious. This would go perfectly with some grilled pineapple and some grilled corn on the cob! A feast!!
They look amazing! (Picture from www.figandcherry.com)
Sweet Chilli Prawn Skewers
serves 6
12 wooden or bamboo skewers
36 large raw prawns (I used King, but any large variety will do)
1/2 cup sweet chilli sauce
2 limes, juiced
4 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1. Soak the skewersin cold water for at least an hour to prevent them burning and disintegrating.
2. Thread 3 prawns on to each skewer making sure you pierce the body of each in two places to firmly secure.
3. In a small bowl whisk togetherthe sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil.
4. Brush the mixture over all the skewers on both sides evenly. Don’t let them sit too long after applying the marinade or the lime juice will start to ‘cook’ the prawns.
5. BBQ or grill briefly, turning once. As soon as the prawns go from green to pink on both sides, remove them from the heat. Take care not to overcook or they will be dry and rubbery. Serve immediately with leftover marinade for dipping.
…Because grilling warms the soul…
Financial Tips I love! Friday, Oct 3 2008
financial advice, borrwing money, expenses, financial decisions, how to get rich, investing, money, saving money, secrets, tips, warren buffet 8:00 am
Warren Buffet shared his secrets, 10 Ways to Get Rich and I thought a few of them were really great.
My favorites:
1. Reinvest your profits.
2. Be willing to be different. Don’t base your decisions upon what everyone is saying or doing.
5. Watch small expenses.
6. Limit what you borrow. His advice: Negotiate with creditors to pay what you can. Then, when you’re debt-free, work on saving some money that you can use to invest.
10. Know what success really means. “When you get to my age, you’ll measure your success in life by how many of the people you want to have love you actually do love you. That’s the ultimate test of how you’ve lived your life.”
…Because learning from really, really rich people is always a good idea. They’ve obviously done something right.
A Quote I love! Friday, Oct 3 2008
quotes quote, happiness, fulfillment, what makes you happy, understanding, understand, change your life, be happy 6:59 am
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”
-Steven R. Covey
I thought this quote was wonderful as soon as I saw it because I often find myself getting wrapped up in what others think or the way I want to come across. Ultimately, none of this matters; spending your time making sure people understand what you meant by something or explaining things that are your business (and your business alone) is often not worth your time.
I am starting to realize that knowing something in your heart and doing things that make you happy are really what you should focus on every day. It’s YOUR life and you should start each day fresh with excitement and understanding that you have the power to change whatever you want. Negativity and the need to analyze everything does not create a feeling of fulfillment– that only happens when you really evaluate what makes you happy and you go for it with everything you’ve got.
Take the time to be in tune with yourself and get rid of your worries by making smart changes. Everything is a work in progress, but you can start today.
…Because it’s your life; and it’s too short to look back later and regret things…
