Monday, Monday...

 

 

 

Daylight Savings hits the Bay... Getting pretty dark in the woods.

 

Cottage Life

Twas a busy day for me. It wasn't intentionally so. I pulled down the long driveway and found the cottage warmly lit and waiting my arrival. I love this time of year. The Bearded One had classical music playing in the background... a nice hot cuppa' joe and here I sit... Still sitting. It seems odd to have all the drama of babies, hospital stays, and not knowing behind us. Life tends to not stand still for very long and then we are catapulted into off and running again. Took Ken to the doc's this morning to get checked out and things look good. I'm so grateful to have her healthy again. I did manage to get a little knitting done while waiting at the doctor's office...

Tomorrow as they say is a new day. I am determined to make a plan. I don't really follow plans but I like to make them. I think that that's one of the reasons I like the planning seasons, rather than the doing seasons. In the fall I can forget about everything that I didn't accomplish in the summer and move on to planning for the holidays. Then comes early spring when I plan for the summer stuff... by mid summer of course it's quite evident that my list will not get done and I'm looking for my chance to start the cycle over again. A constant mulligan of sorts. A do over.

I'm going to sharpen my pencil and start making my holiday list. Move over Martha Stewart.

Before and After

I thought I'd show what you can do with a so-so landscape shot

Before

A shot of Taylor's Seafood across the bay

The view from our little dock. It's a little dull, and a tad bit crooked.

After

Same photo just re-cropped a bit to straighten with a little boost and definition. I think it brings it to life, almost multi-dimensional.

Healthy Choices

What's not healthy about pumpkin :-)

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

Photo: Almost-Famous Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Total Time:

11 hr 55 min

Prep

10 min

Inactive

9 hr 0 min

Cook

2 hr 45 min

Yield:

12 servings

Ingredients

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 3/4 cups sugar
• Salt
• 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin
• 6 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups sweetened whipped cream
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

Directions

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Brush a 10-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter with the crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, packing it tightly and evenly. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a rack, then wrap the outside of the springform pan with foil and place in a roasting pan.

 

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups sugar and beat until just light, scraping down the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Beat in the sour cream, then add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, 1 teaspoon salt and the spices and beat until just combined. Pour into the cooled crust.

 

Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out) and pour the boiling water into the roasting pan until it comes about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake until the outside of the cheesecake sets but the center is still loose, about 1 hour 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the door briefly to let out some heat. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 more hour, then carefully remove from the roasting pan and cool on a rack. Run a knife around the edges, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.

 

Bring the cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Unlock and remove the springform ring. To finish, place a dollop of the whipped cream on each slice and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.

 

Hmmm... Pause for Thought

Getting a head start on the holiday season...

Until next time...