Sweet Victory

"Victory is sweetest when you've known defeat..."

Pumpkin Cheesecake Success

Pumpkin + Cheesecake

I wouldn't call myself a big pumpkin fan, but every Thanksgiving I start to yearn for a slice of pumpkin pie, with ample whipped cream. Something about pumpkin creeps me out a little. Maybe it's its close connection in my mind to squash or any other gourd. Their textures are a little too much for me to handle, but pureed pumpkin... I can handle it once or twice a year in the Fall. Don't you think it seems a little sacrilegious or un-American to harbor any negative feelings toward pumpkin? I'm working on finding other recipes that use it to a lesser extent.

For the last few years I've become a pretty big fan of cheesecake and over the last year I've tested my baking skills by making a few. It really feels like an accomplishment to successfully bake a cheese cake. Call me crazy, but there is something empowering about a crack-free cake slipping out of its springform pan that just makes one feel capable.

When I saw this recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake, my heart went pitter patter. I tested it out last night to bring into my office, and...well...something (or several things) went terribly wrong, so today I have no cheesecake to share with my coworkers. Like I said, I've made cheesecakes before and they were success stories. I think several things went wrong. I think I over-whipped the batter. I think I opened the hot oven once or twice and shouldn't have. I think I shouldn't have set it in a water bath while baking, even though that is a standard cheesecake procedure (I think that the pumpkin puree provides enough moisutre?). I think my springform pan malfunctioned. In the end, I had a gooey cheesecake that had a wet crust and a center that was barely cooked. Two and a half hours of loving work, down the drain. Look at this disaster:

What a mess. I vow that this ruin will not be the end of my cheesecake baking aspirations. I shall try again and overcome. I've baked them before and will bake them once more! I plan on making it again tomorrow for my lovely family to be devoured as one of this Thursday's many desserts, this time altering a few of the pitfalls I ran into last night. Justice will prevail and I will not concede defeat to this monster. Mark my words, after I eat my turkey on Thursday, I will bite into a delicious piece of pumpkin cheesecake, put a feather in my cap, sit back, and enjoy the fruits of my labor.

Turtle Power

Isn't she a cutie? I'd seen the pattern for this little turtle in Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing, but was inspired to try it out when Allison, a member of a Facebook group, Sew and Tell, started making them. I am testing out some patterns for an artsy boutique that I'm planning on participating in this February, so why not make a toy turtle, right?

For the life of me, I couldn't figure out how to actually turn her tiny tail inside out to stuff after sewing it, so she's tail-less and loving it. Don't you love those sad eyes and that droopy head?

November 2008 Martha | Felt Slippers

As a lover of all things November, this month's Martha Stewart Living was an extraordinary issue. The pictures alone were enough to throw me into a pre-Thanksgiving tizzy, the likes of which are rivaled only by my pure elation and excitement of listening to Christmas music. Turkeys, stuffing, pilgrim villages... it was all in there.

Rest assured, I plan on forcing some of Martha's recipes unto my dear mother who is hosting our family's Thanksgiving festivities this year. However, I couldn't resist the felt slipper craft found on page 104. Apart from a few times in grade school or summer camp, my experience with felt is limited. And so, as an aspiring crafter, I was delighted to give it the old college try. I printed out the templates, enlarged them to my shoe size, and got out my trusty scissors.

Though they were a small exercise in patience, I think they turned out well and look so pretty! I made the original pair based on the template's suggested enlargements ratios which were a bit off, so I gave them to my friend Amy whose feet fit the bill. If you typically wear an 8.5, base your template on size 10.5. Also be sure to secure the back seam of the slipper with several rounds of a zig-zag stitch, as one swipe of the machine will not render a very secure heel.

Click here to link to the directions and templates needed. They're not super warm and toasty, but they are easy on the eyes.

Getaway

I could have gotten used to that. Sitting on the beach, constantly eating food that wasn't prepared by yours truly, spending quality time with my man, swimming every afternoon in the ocean without a care in the world. Ahh... the luxury we savored last week was sweet and delicious, and we were grateful for the chance to get away.

Most days, TK listened to his iPod and I played Sudoku. These activities combined with a secluded Caribbean beach are a dream come true for the both of us.

The chance to be together for an uninterrupted week on the beach was glorious. In reliving our memories since our return, I've come to realize even more how much fun we had being away on this late honeymoon/ birthdaymoon. What a relief to getaway with the one you love!

Click here for more pictures of our trip.

Vamos a la Playa

We're off to the Dominican Republic tomorrow for a late honeymoon. This coming Thursday also happens to be both TK's and my birthday, so we've been calling this much anticipated trip our "birthdaymoon" as well. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am to be sitting on the beach or poolside soaking up all the rays and loving a week of leisure.

Our fortune cookies tonight from Panda Express bestowed wise counsel for two travelers, don't you think? Wish us luck!

Love At First Bite

TK and I have a new favorite dinner stand-by that we're both madly in love with. Sometimes you just don't have time to cook. Sometimes you don't want a healthy meal. Sometimes you need to throw caution to the wind. Sometimes... you just need a corn dog.

We're particularly taken with the State Fair brand which can be easily acquired at Target or other retailers for an everyday low price. Get the 16-count box (or higher) or you'll run out before you know it.

I'm all for preparing homemade meals that are healthy, hearty, and take time and effort to make, but there are some nights when we just don't have the energy to whip up a culinary masterpiece. Those are the nights when we cast a glance at each other from across the room wondering what to eat, stare knowingly into each others eyes, and know that a hot dog covered in honey corn batter is in our near future.

Sing it to Me!

Some of you might despise me for admitting this, but I'm such a sucker for Christmas/holiday music that this past weekend on (November 1) marked my annual foray into listening to solely Christmas music until December 26. I don't decorate for or really delve into Christmas until Thanksgiving is over, but there is too much good Christmas music out there to only have less than 30 days to listen to it.

My husband thinks otherwise and therefore refuses to listen until he's finished his last bite of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day. I can respect this decision and totally approve of those of you who want to save the tunes until after Thanksgiving. In the meantime, however, I listen to as much as I can in my office and in my car.

Since temperatures were in the high 60s this weekend and for the last couple of days in Chicago, I held off listening, but now I can't wait for one more second!!! I think I'll start with perhaps one of the best Christmas albums ever made, Mariah Carey's Merry Christmas, followed by some Andy Williams. If you have a suggestion of a much-loved album I need to add to my collection, please don't hesitate.

Patchwork Baby Blanket

A while ago I was commissioned to make a quilt for a friend of a friend who is having a baby in December. I'm toying with the idea of pursuing a little business of my own on the side, so I jumped at the chance to work with her to provide the quilt she was hoping for.

We chose the quilt pattern from Amy Butler's new book Little Stitches for Little Ones, since she wanted it to have a high loft and not be too heavily quilted. She also wanted the quilt to be larger than a traditional crib quilt, so I adjusted the pattern to increased the size. Because the baby's gender is a surprise, we picked out neutral fabrics that I think will work just fine for a boy or a girl.

While I've mentioned before that I don't enjoy the quilting part of quilting, finishing a quilt always feels remarkable. I think for me, the thrill of completion sends quilting stimulants racing through my veins, compelling me to start up another one. It's like a drug, I tell you!