Holiday Cheesecake

A little recipe...                          

      

      

24 2 Inch sized mini bake cups

2 Packages 8oz cream cheese

2 Eggs

1/4 Teaspoon salt

1 Can 14oz sweet n' condensed milk

1 Teaspoon vanilla

1 Teaspoon lemon juice

1 21oz Can cherry pie filling

1-2 Tablespoons almond flavored liqueur (optional)

24 Nilla Wafer cookies

In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Beat in eggs, salt, milk, vanilla and lemon juice. Insert 24 bake cup liners into muffin pans. Place Nilla Wafers flat side down into each cup. Next, fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake @ 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until filling is puffed and set. In a separate bowl mix cherry pie filling and almond liqueur. Once cakes are cool top with filling. Keep refrigerated until serving.

                  

The 3/50 Project

A couple of months ago I came across an article in a magzine discussing the virtues of buying locally. The statistics that they presented were basic and eye opening. Not typically a supporter of big causes I do appreciate and enjoy supporting and when I can promoting, local charity. While the 3/50 Project  is not a charitable organization by definition its core message is one of giving back to the community. The message is simple as is the solution that they present, and while it may not be feasible or necessary to spend fifty dollars a month on local purchases I think that buying local is the spirit of the thing and in that vein very feasible. If you're interested in this movement I'd suggest reading their FAQ page. You'll find a few suggestions that are easy, but also easily overlooked. Remember this rule applies to local coffe vendors and sandwich shops too! Adehering to the practice of buying locally takes some practice and concious effort, but eventually, I hope, will become a practice of second nature. My pledge to the 3/50 Project this month has been to purchase my pumpkins locally instead of picking them up at Home Depot. Suprisingly, the local pumpkins which by far rivaled Home Depot's selection in variety were also competitive in their pricing. To get some great pumpkins check out: Polk's and *Savannah State Farmers Market (701 U.S. Highway 80, West (912) 966-7800 Open Year Round).

My 3 from 3/50:
The Book Lady
Nourish
The Sentient Bean

*My #1 recommendation for pumpkins

Harvest Crafts

                       

I have lived in my current apartment for two years; and with every holiday season that passes by I find myself thinking that it would be nice to put something on my front door to represent the festivities of the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. My neighborhood doesn't do very much in the way of decorating for any of the holidays and it was my secret wish that if I started doing a little something, than maybe the house next to mine or across the street would get inspired to put up some festive adornments of their own and from there the whole street might somehow find themselves placing pumpkins and hanging horns of plenty and other holiday wreaths outside their homes. This year I was finally motivated enough to make a pretty cool wreath.

I didn't want to do something obscure, nor did I want something that looked too country crafty. I found some faux Japonsese cherry blossoms in a fall pinkish maroon color and went from there. The style I tried to achive was Asian, Harvest, Halloween. In the end after spending some time and not a lot of money I hung the wreath, inside at the entrance to my immeadiate apartment. Ironically when all was said and done I knew how sad I would feel if my wreath got stolen and decided not to take the chance. There's still loads of time to make another wreath for the Harvest season and I just might. If it gets stolen at least I'll still have this one to make me smile.

Summer's Final Harvest 2008

A little late in posting, this was the end of my first Savannah Harvest.

Summer Reading List

The Alienist Caleb Carr
Children of Hurin J.R. Tolkein
The Brief and Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Diaz
Miss Wyoming Douglas Coupland
American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis

What I'm Watching this Fall

House Mondays @ 8pm on Fox





Inspector Lewis with host Alan Cumming Sundays @ 9 on PBS

Savannah 2009 Saint Patricks Day