Monday, June 20, 2011

A-1 Cheese Cake Pie

This is from a cookbook published I believe sometime between 1976-77 by the Tarzana Aides in California. The recipe was submitted by my grandmother’s sister-in-law, the daughter of a United States Senator (at the time of submission, I believe he was a former US Senator). My grandmother reminisced that when they were having company, Marjorie would volunteer to bring this cheesecake for dessert, and the best part was she always left the extras. But my grandmother did wrap up a piece to send home with her.

I’ve done a little clarifying on the original recipe since apparently graham crackers used to come in a smaller size, the equivalent of half of the current size, so I edited it to half the amount and now it is 9-10 of the modern day size sold. I did a little more editing on some other measurements as well, just to make it a little easier to follow.

The interesting thing about this “cheese pie” is that it is cooked at a higher temperature for a shorter time, something I think is unusual with cheesecakes, but it worked very well; moist, no cracking and simple. Bake this pie the day before you intend to serve it.

A-1 Cheese Cake Pie

9 – 10 Graham crackers, made into crumbs
3 Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ lbs. pound butter (1/2 cup!)
Mix all, pack firmly into a 10 – 12 inch pie dish.

Filling:

Beat 4 eggs until creamy, add:
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
Crumble in 2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, beat until creamy. Pour into crust and bake 25 minutes at 375°F. Cool 5-10 minutes.

Topping: Mix-
1 large (16 oz.) carton sour cream
6 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Spread on pie and bake at 400°F. for 5 minutes. Cool and refrigerate. Serves 12 – 16.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Oh, the luxury...

My grandmother and I got a Caribbean Spa Manicures this morning at James (thanks to a Christmas gift to her from one of my cousins!) and it was lovely! I chose a beautiful color that is somewhere between burgundy and purple with a nice silvered overtone.

I would love to go again.

That being said, here would be my problem: I really enjoyed the lady that did my manicure and she did a lovely job, except, she didn't get the polish right up to my cuticles, which I'm rather particular about. The lady that my grandmother got did an amazing job and when I complimented her, she said that she was a perfectionist and loved doing nails considering it an "art form." Now, I think the actual coating the lady did for me ended up with a better finish. So my problem would be, should I have the same lady do it again and ask her to try to get right up to the cuticles, or would it be better to request the girl that does a good job at applying thorough coverage and just make sure she applies a treatment that would smooth out any imperfections in the nail surface?

I wouldn't want to hurt "L.'s" feelings if she realized I had requested the other girl, and I did enjoy her and we had a common problem that made her a bit of a "kindred spirit", so I would have a problem deciding. Which is why it is probably good that I'm not likely to be going back.

On a slightly different note, I don't make a practise of going to Salons and find the idea a bit intimidating, however I was perfectly relaxed at this Spa and really enjoyed the experience, and the coffee, but I still think I'm not sure about the idea of going to get a massage. (I didn't, in case that isn't clear.)

A little cold in the coffee shop, it's

T.W.

Happiness

When I see pictures of my nieces and nephews, it makes me smile....all the way down to my heart. I love being an aunt!

Happy June!

T.W.