So today I took a stab at making a trifle. This is the first time I ever made, or tasted, a trifle. I’m pretty impressed that something so simplistic can be so delicious. It also helps that it looks pretty and makes people think that you spent HOURS preparing it, just for them.  Someday it would be nice to own one of those huge trifle bowls, but a glass storing bowl works just as good for now.

I love the fourth of July. All the Americana, fireworks and patriotism. I love how on that day I feel so lucky to live where I do. Not a lot of people know this, but I am very patriotic.  I love my country dearly. Now, I don’t always agree with what we do or the people we vote into office, but I still love her none the less. I love for what we stand for, for the principles we were formed from. There is a reason why the revolutionary war is my forte. To me nothing says “I love the United States of America!” than taking your favorite hobby and making it represent your nation. So, America, this trifle is for you!

Now on to matters that have NOTHING to do with the fourth of July, or trifles.

I’m sorry for the lack of posts lately. I’m still here guys, I promise. Honestly, sometimes I get a bit discouraged seeing all these awesome food blogs with these professional looking photos. I just keep trying to remind myself the facts. A lot of these bloggers have been blogging for years, own very expensive cameras, and make a career out of blogging. I have a full time job and do not plan to make a career out of blogging. It would be nice though, and a girl can dream. I have decided to change my blog from a step-by-step blog to just discussing my recipes and other recipes that I try. I can’t commit the amount of time I would need to make a good step by step recipe blog. Maybe in another life, where I didn’t have to work 40 hours a week! I promise there will be a lot more posts in the future…like..tomorrow!

Here is the strawberry cheesecake that I happened to make. Everyone needs a good cheesecake recipe. There’s something about cheesecake that just makes people feel better. Did you know that the women in the show, “The Golden Girls”, consumed over 100 cheesecakes during the show’s 7 year run? I wonder if their cheesecake tasted anything like mine. I have made my cheesecake many times for co-workers and friends and everyone agrees that it is one of the best cheesecakes they have ever had. I chose to share my really simple cheesecake recipe with you all. I like to add strawberry sauce to mine, but be creative…add whatever you like!

Here’s what you will need:

• 1 1/4 cups of graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1/3 cup of butter or margarine, melted (be bad, use the butter..everything tastes better with butter!)
• 3 (8oz) packages of cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup of lemon juice
• 3 eggs

Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a mixing bowl. Mmmm butter. I can feel like thighs getting bigger just by looking at this picture.

After you mix the crust, press it onto the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch springform pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, don’t fret. You can use a regular round 9 inch baking pan. The only thing a springform pan does is let you take the cheesecake (or whatever you are making) out of the pan with ease, without taking the chance of messing up the cheesecake. When you are done, refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl (or a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese until it is light and fluffy.

Gradually beat in the condensed milk and then add the lemon juice. If you want to experiment, add a little lemon or orange zest. Yum yum!

After everything is mixed, add the eggs and beat the mix on low until it is just combined.

Pour the mixture into the pan. It looks sooooo creamy and good! Bake the cheesecake at 300° F for 45-50 minutes. 49 seemed to work just fine for me. You want the center to be almost set, which means it jiggles a little still.

Let it cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes then carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the sides. You don’t want the cake to cool to the edges of the pan or it will rip when you pull the pan off. Cool the cheesecake for an hour longer and refrigerate overnight while it is still in the pan. This cake needs to be stored in the fridge, so make room. As you can see, I added a strawberry sauce into mine.

How to make the strawberry sauce:

In a blender combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 2 (10oz) packages of frozen sweetened strawberries that have been thawed.  Process the strawberries and cornstarch until it is smooth. Pour the mixture into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, letting it boil for 2 minutes afterward. Let the sauce cool before mixing it into the cake.

I love sugar cookies, especially chewy ones. These sugar cookies are perfectly chewy from the moment you take them out of the oven, to the moment you eat the last one. This is the first sugar cookie that I’ve ever had that has almond extract in it. I think it gives them the perfect flavor. Did I mention they are easy to make and only have to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes?

Here’s what you will need:

• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp salt (use 1/2 tsp if using unsalted butter)
• 1 cup salted butter, softened
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp almond extract

Sift together your flour, baking powder and salt. If your sifter doesn’t come with a compartment where the product sifts into, just put it in a small bowl. I love this sifter though. It is, almost, mess free!

In another bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar together until it is light and fluffy.

Add one egg and stir until it in incorporated, then add the next egg and do the same thing. Now is the time to stir in both your vanilla and almond extracts. Did I ever mention how much I love almond extract? I don’t think I have ever ate anything with almond extract in it, and not liked it!

Gradually add the flour into the sugar and egg mixture, stirring until well mixed. Do not be afraid to over mix this recipe. This type of dough needs to be mixed well, that’s how it produces really chewy cookies! When everything is stirred together well, the dough will be somewhat sticky and heavy. Now just cover it up and pop it in the fridge for 30 minutes. Now is the time to go find something productive to do for 30 minutes. If I get “waiting time” in recipes I usually spend it cleaning the kitchen from the mess.

Preheat your oven to 350° F. When the dough is done chilling scoop out balls that are about the diameter of a quarter. I like to roll it together to form a more uniformed shape before placing it on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place the dough balls about 2 inches apart from another.

Grease the bottom of a flat glass and use it to press down on the dough balls. You want them to spread out until they are about 1/3 inch thick. This will help the cookies spread evenly and making them have less flaws.

Before baking add sprinkles, if you wish to do so. I love sprinkles and have a pretty impressive collection. I choose the colored sugar and my hearts that I mostly use for brownies. You can also use plain granulated sugar if you don’t have sprinkles. If you really want you can leave them plain, but you don’t know what you are missing!

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the edges slightly turn golden-brown. Immediately remove them from the oven and let them sit on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes. Taking warm cookies off their baking sheets immediately is a big no-no! Of course  if the recipe says to do it, then it’s ok. After the 2 minutes are up take them off with a spatula and let them finish cooling on wire racks.

These cookies look good enough to eat. Oh wait, you can eat them…you just have to make the recipe! Sugar cookies are as old as time, yet they are still a favorite. Don’t you think it’s time to show someone that you love them today? What better way than to make these cookies! They are chewy, yummy and take half the time of normal sugar cookies. Everyone should have a “go to” sugar cookie recipe, so try this out! They are sweet, but not overly sweet.  You won’t be disappointed!

~ Ai