Chocolate Cheesecake

Happy Father's Day to my husband! This was his Father's Day dessert this year because he loves chocolate and he loves cheesecake. So yummy!

 

Chocolate Cheesecake

crust

1 1/2 c. chocolate graham cracker crumbs

1/3 c. melted butter

Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter together in a small bowl. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for ten minutes.

Filling

4 8 oz. packages cream cheese

1 1/3 c. powdered sugar

3 Tbsp. cocoa powder

4 eggs 

10 oz. semi sweet chocolate

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl and set aside. In a medium sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa and mix until combined. Add in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition. add in the melted chocolate and mix in. Scrape the sides and bottom, then mix. Pour the filling into the springform pan and smooth out. Bake at 350 degrees about one hour or until the center is set.

ganache

8 oz. semi sweet chocolate

3/4 c. cream

Melt the chocolate and cream together in a small pan over medium heat. Stir until smooth. Pour over cheesecake and cool. Refrigerate.

*** I used a vegetable peeler to make some chocolate curls for the top of the cheesecake from a milk chocolate bar. My boys don't care if things look pretty, but it's nice to do sometimes. Plus, well, it's more chocolate.

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

When I was growing up my mom would complain about me heating up the house when I would bake in the summer. Or I was just banned from baking. So I had to find some no-bake treats that I would still be allowed to make. Now, I am glad I have a bunch of them because, well, my mom was right! Baking in the summer really heats up the house and I am pretty heat intolerant! But the heat doesn't stop me from baking, so sometimes you need a few no-bake goodies to make instead. Plus, they are great to have when teaching your children to cook! I have some boys that really enjoy it and they love these easy recipes!

 

Cake Batter Rice Krispie Treats

3 Tbsp. butter

10 oz. bag of marshmallows

2/3 c. dry yellow (or white) cake mix

6 c. Rice Krispies

Melt the butter and marshmallows together in a large pot over medium heat. When the mixture is melted and smooth, turn the heat off and add the cake mix. Stir in. Add the Rice Krispies and stir until all are evenly coated. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and press together. Id you want, you can add cake sprinkles to the top. Press gently so they stick. Allow to cool, cut, and enjoy!

Caramel Honey Crisp

This is a fun treat I make occasionally on Sunday afternoons. I love caramel so this is great for me! And I have lots of helpers to unwrap all the caramels for me. I hate unwrapping them for some reason. Somehow, I figure that if I unwrap them all I ought to eat them all, which doesn't help out in this recipe...

 

Caramel Honey Crisp

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. honey

25 caramels, unwrapped

8 c. corn flakes

Melt butter in a large pan. Add the honey. Heat over medium-high heat until the mixture is boiling. Boil for one minute. Turn the heat off and add the caramels. Stir until they are all melted and the mixture is smooth. Add in corn flakes and stir until they are evenly coat. Pour out onto a greased baking sheet and bake 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool and cut into squares.

Zesty Potato Salad

We had a cook-out the other day so I made my favorite potato salad to go along with it. What are hamburgers and hotdogs without potato salad? However... seeing as how I am a super picky eater, this can't be just any potato salad. It must be potato salad WITHOUT eggs. One of my friends humors my weirdness when we go over to there house and will always take a bowl of potato salad out for me before she adds eggs to it - which I LOVE! But my potato salad is egg-less. Because, well, yuck.

I got this recipe from my sister-in-law years and years ago. I still love it. Not all my kids are potato salad fans, but the ones who are also love this version. Which is too bad for me because I would eat all the leftover myself if I could, but they get to them first.

 

Zesty Potato Salad

3 lbs red potatoes

1/2 c. Zesty Italian dressing

1/2 c. sliced green onions

3/4 c. mayonnaise

2 Tbsp. dill

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/8 tsp. pepper

 Wash the potatoes and chop into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Boil until tender. While the potatoes are boiling, combine the Italian dressing, onions, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, and pepper in a large bowl. Mix to combine. When the potatoes are done, drain the water and add the potatoes to the bowl. Toss to coat. Cover and chill until serving. This is good warm, but is better cold after the flavors have had time to meld. Which doesn't mean I don't eat it warm... or hot.

Smore's Cheesecake

This was a request for a nursing school graduation from someone at work. I take a lot of food to work so I can share it- and not eat it all myself! People are used to me taking stuff in and eating it. This cheesecake turned into "cheesegate" as a result. Everyone "helped" the person it was made for - but without asking if they could have some. Oh dear! This was all that was left for her. Oops!

 

S'mores Cheesecake

crust:

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5 Tbsp. melted butter

3/4 c. chocolate chips

1 c. mini marshmallows

In a small bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter until well combined. Press into a greased 9 inch springform pan, going half way up the sides with the crumb mixture. Sprinkle the chocolate chips and marshmallows on the crust, evenly covering it. 

Cheesecake:

4 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1/2 c. sour cream

2 eggs

3/4 c. cream

3/4 c. sugar

2 Tbsp. corn starch

2 tsp. vanilla

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Scrape the bottom and sides. Add the corn starch and sugar and beat. Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the sour cream, vanilla, and cream; mix well. Scrape bottom and side and beat until very well combined. Pour filling into the springform pan, covering the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Spread out evenly. Bake at 325 degrees for an hour. I put a pan of water in the oven under my cheesecakes as they bake. It helps to keep them moist and not crack. Check for doneness by shaking the pan to make sure the center is set or insert a toothpick about 2 inches from the center to see if it comes out clean. Cool for an hour.

topping:

10 oz. hot fudge ice cream topping

2 c. mini marshmallows

Warm hot fudge topping and spread over the top of the cheesecake. Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over the fudge topping. Turn on the broiler of your oven. Place the cheesecake in the center of the oven. Leave in for about 30 seconds - watch this carefully! The marshmallows with burn very easily! Remove the cheesecake when the marshmallows are golden brown. Cool completely and refrigerate.

Taco Empanadas

This is a fun and easy dinner that my family loved.  And it was perfect this week since my husband and boys were hurrying out the door to help some people move they could grab their seconds and eat them in the car. Worked out great! You can top these with whatever you like on tacos We used lettuce, cheese, and salsa but sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, etc. would also be good.

 

Taco Empanadas

2 cans Grands biscuits

1/2 can refried beans

1/2 lb. hamburger

1 Tbsp. taco seasoning

cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan, brown the hamburger. Drain off the grease. Add the refried beans and taco seasoning and stir to combine. Flatten the biscuits using the palm of your hand or a small rolling pin. Divide the hamburger and beans onto each of the 16 biscuits. Sprinkle with cheese. Fold one side over the other and press to seal the edges. Use a fork to press the edges together and leave the tine marks in the dough. Bake at 375 degrees about 15 minutes or until the tops are gold brown. Sprinkle additional cheese on top and serve with any taco toppings you like. 

Strawberry Banana Jam

This was my second batch of jam for the year all from the strawberries we picked a few days ago. We always seem to have bananas that are getting over ripe so this was another way for me to use them and not waste them. I hate wasting food!

 

Strawberry Banana Jam

1 box Sure Jell

3 1/4 c. crushed strawberries

1 1/2 c. smashed bananas - the way you would use for banana bread

6 3/4 c. sugar

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

This is pretty much the same as my strawberry jam, which is here.

This is something of a process. You will need to wash your jars, I use pint sized jars most of the time for my jam and this recipe made 4 jars plus about 1/2 jar that we ate immediately. You can also use the smaller jars and plan on 9 of those. I put the jars and screw bands in my dishwasher and let it run on quick wash and heated dry. The jars need to be HOT! Put your lids (with the rubber) in a small pan on the stove and boil. Start your canner heating. I use a steam bath canner, not a water canner. My jars are never submerged. Either works fine. Use what you have.

While all this is happening... It's time to get to the fruit. I wait to start that until the dishwasher has just began the heated dry cycle. Crush the strawberries and measure out 3 1/4 cups into a large saucepan. Do the same to get 1 1/2 c. banana and add it to the pan. Turn the heat on to high and stir in the Sure Jell and lemon juice. Stir constantly. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for one minute. Add the sugar all at once - it's helpful to have it measured into a bowl so you can just pour it in. Stir and break up any sugar clumps. Bring to a rolling boil again and boil for one minute. 

So now you need your hot jars. Make sure they are hot. Bring them to the jam and pour into the jars using a funnel. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the top of the jar. Wipe off the lip and neck of the jar so there is no spilled jam there. Add the lids, then the screw bands. Finger tighten the screw bands. Put in canner and process 10-15 minutes. Remove carefully! I really recommend buying a canning kit that comes with a magnet to remove the lids from the hot water and a tool to move the hot jars from the canner. Put the hot jars on a towel to let them drain and dry. Leave them alone for 24 hours, then store in a cool place. 

If your jam does not set you can reprocess it. I don't bother. We use it as pancake and waffle syrup.

 

Strawberry Jam

We try to go to a u-pick place each year and pick strawberries. Then I turn them into yummy things like pie and jam and so forth. Here is how I make my strawberry jam. I also freeze a bunch of strawberries and will use them when I make applesauce in the fall, turning it into strawberry applesauce. Yum! And it looks pretty when it is pink.

 

Strawberry Jam

1 box Sure Jell

5 c. crushed strawberries

7 c. sugar

1 tsp. butter

This is something of a process. You will need to wash your jars, I use pint sized jars most of the time for my jam and this recipe made 5 jars. You can also use the smaller jars and plan on 9 or 10 of those. I put the jars and screw bands in my dishwasher and let it run on quick wash and heated dry. The jars need to be HOT! Put your lids (with the rubber) in a small pan on the stove and boil. Start your canner heating. I use a steam bath canner, not a water canner. My jars are never submerged. Either works fine. Use what you have.

While all this is happening... It's time to get to the fruit. I wait to start that until the dishwasher has just began the heated dry cycle. Crush the strawberries and measure out 5 cups into a large saucepan. Turn the heat on to high and stir in the Sure Jell and butter. Stir constantly. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for one minutes. Add the sugar all at once - it's helpful to have it measured into a bowl so you can just pour it in. Stir and break up any sugar clumps. Bring to a rolling boil again and boil for one minute. 

So now you need your hot jars. Make sure they are hot. Bring them to the jam and pour into the jars using a funnel. Fill to within 1/4 inch of the top of the jar. Wipe off the lip and neck of the jar so there is no spilled jam there. Add the lids, then the screw bands. Finger tighten the screw bands. Put in canner and process 10-15 minutes. Remove carefully! I really recommend buying a canning kit that comes with a magnet to remove the lids from the hot water and a tool to move the hot jars from the canner. Put the hot jars on a towel to let them drain and dry. Leave them alone for 24 hours, then store in a cool place. 

If your jam does not set you can reprocess it. I don't bother. We use it as pancake and waffle syrup.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Every year we go to our local farmer's market on Saturday mornings. Oh, the fresh fruits and vegetables! One year, my dad came to visit and we took him along with us. He saw the strawberries and rhubarb just sitting there, waiting for someone to take them home, and asked me to make him a pie. So I did. Now, I make one every year. The strawberries are ripe now this year so it is the perfect time to indulge!

You can make this with one crust or with two. I have never had much success in making my crust, so I buy them. If you want to do the one crust pie with the crumble topping, I have the topping recipe below. If you prefer a two-crust pie, simply use the second crust to top the pie. Be sure to cut slits in the crust for venting!

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

pie crust

2 c. sliced rhubarb

2 c. sliced strawberries

1 c. sugar

1/3 c. flour

Line a deep dish pie plate with one pie crust. Mix remaining ingredients together in a medium sized bowl and allow to sit about 15 minutes. Pour into the crust. Top either with a second crust or the crumb topping. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Crumb topping:

1/4 c. cold butter

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. oats

In a small bowl, mix the flour and sugar. Thinly slice the cold butter in, then use a pastry blender to combine until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Add the oats and mix.