I was a little sad for Valentine's Day with the closing of the sale of my childhood home last week (a blessing with Dad's assisted living expenses that we've had - but still hard to see) and watching so many things of my Mom, Dad, and brother's go to auction or charity We just don't have room for it here, and shipping items more than a few items back to Chicago via UPS was out of the question financially. I do have some great small glassware pieces of Moms and a few things of my brother's including his favorite shirt which still smells like him (at least in my memory).
I did get my husband a couple of things to celebrate the day though. His French Press for coffee at work had broken so there was a replacement. It was just a Tardis one.
With some SERIOUS coffee for those Monday mornings.
And there was a handcrafted card - not by me as they usually don't let me play with sharp things around people that are still alive (sorry, forensic humor) but I got this AWESOME card for him (he's a train buff) from
www.etsy.com/shop/katescardcompany Check out her etsy store, Kate has some wonderful and beautiful cards and the prices are very reasonable for the quality you will get.
My husband did do his best to cheer me up. I had told him NOT to get me a fancy Valentine's gift, as we're putting a new roof on as soon as the weather warms up and that's $$$. I said, "just take me out for Thai Saturday and I'll cook us Valentine's dinner after work" (including the Oreo/White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake above).
But he surprised me with something he put together for me with an online find and some hobby paint.
My very own redheaded Kung Fu Bobblehead with a homemade card.
He got the belt color right (Shao Lin Twin Broad Swords - Get Off my Lawn!)
Dinner was wild caught salmon from https://wildalaskancompany.com/ (seriously worth the price - as good as what Dad and my brother used to catch and cook the same day) poached in white wine with herbs, garlic cheese bread, and peas with the cheesecake for dessert. (Sorry for the low light, not the best photo).
I was smiling all evening.
Whether you had a Valentine with you or not we hope your day brought a smile.
Here's the cheesecake recipe: Fresh
ReplyDelete6 oz. raspberries
5 Tbsp. butter, additional for greasing the pan
1-1/2 lbs. cream cheese softened
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup sour cream
Pantry
1-1/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
25 Oreo cookies
1/8 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. white chocolate
Make cookie crust
Melt 5 Tbsp. butter and set aside. Use additional butter to grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan and place pan in the refrigerator while making the crust. Separate the Oreo cookies and scrape off the white icing filling, discard the filling. Place the cookies in a large, sealed Ziplock bag. Use a rolling pin to crush the cookies to fine crumbs, should yield approximately 1-1/2 cups crumbs. Combine cookie crumbs, 1/4 granulated sugar, salt, and melted butter in a small bowl and mix to combine. Pour cookie mixture into the chilled greased pan. Press crumbs into the bottom and half-way up the sides of the pan. Cover the outside of the pan with two layers of aluminum foil in preparation for the water bath during baking. Place the pan in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the cheesecake.
Make raspberry sauce
Dissolve 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and cornstarch in 1/3 cup water in a small pot. Add raspberries to the pot and heat over medium heat, bringing to a boil and reduce heat. Stir constantly while mixture simmers and thickens ( approximately five minutes) Push raspberry sauce through a fine sieve and discard seeds. Set mixture aside to cool.
Make cheesecake filling
Preheat oven to 325 degrees-F. Beat cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Melt the white chocolate in a double boiler. Reduce mixer speed to low and add melted chocolate, mixing for an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup granulated sugar and beat the mixture for 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl after each eggs. Add vanilla, heavy cream, lemon zest, and sour cream, and mix on low until incorporated.
Assemble cake and bake
Transfer 2 Tbsp. of raspberry sauce to a container that can be used to drop raspberry sauce on top of cake such as a medicine dropper or frosting decorator and set aside. Place springform pan in a roasting pan and start a kettle of water to boil on the stove. Pour one-third of cream cheese filling into the filled cookie crust. Pour remaining raspberry mixture on top of cream cheese layer. Pour another one-third of cream cheese filling the top of the raspberry layer. Use a toothpick to swirl the mixtures together. Carefully pour the final one-third of cream cheese filling to completely cover the raspberry mixture so the top of the cake is cream cheese only. Use the raspberry sauce set aside for decoration to drop circles on top of the cake in a spiral, starting in the center and gradually increasing or decreasing the size of the circles as desired. Use a clean toothpick and start just above the circle and drag through the center of the circles in a continuous line through the spiral. Transfer roasting pan to the preheated oven and carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan for the water bath.
Bake
Bake for 60 minutes or until sides are set and center jiggles slightly. Turn off oven and prop the oven door open with a long-handled spoon. Leave cake in the oven for an additional 60 minutes. Transfer cake to a cooling rack to cool to room temperature in the pan, about 2 hours.
Chill and serve
Cover cake with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to set overnight. When ready to serve, slice and serve immediately. Store cake in the refrigerator.
Hari OM
ReplyDeleteI am glad you anticipated requests for recipes!!! I am going to have a go at this when over with dad in a couple of weeks. I already know this is going to be popular!!! YAM xx
You two make the perfect couple - great ideas for Valentine's Day. That cheesecake looks really good to us. Mom loved the poppyseed dressing chicken!!!
ReplyDeleteWoos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Your gifts to each other were so thoughtful. The Man brought me home potatoes and hummus from my very favourite shawarma place, that I ate while doing a work consult.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to begin that transition and say goodbye to things that represent your past and the people who are important to you. When mom cleaned out her parents' house the only thing she wanted was a saucepan her mother often used. She remembered her mom always heating bottles in that pan.
ReplyDeleteYour Pals,
Murphy & Stanley