Cheesecake

Cheesecake is my sister's forte.

The number and variety of cheesecakes she has made is innumerable and every one is heavenly.

This is one of her basic recipes ~ it's so creamy and delicious.

Carol's Cheesecake

Crust:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 cup flour
pinch salt
1/2 cup butter
1 large egg yolk
1/4 tsp. almond extract

Pulse together in food processor.  Press by hand into greased springform pan.  Bake 8 minutes at 400 degrees. (Carol bakes for just 2-3 minutes)

Filling:
5 pkgs. Philadelphia Brand cream cheese
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
5 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tsp. Amaretto
1 Tbs. flour

Beat cream cheese then sugar for 3 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time; add remainder ingredients.  Increase temp to 500 degrees and bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce temp to 200 degrees and continue to bake for 1 hour (or more until center no longer wiggles).  Cover with foil if browning too quickly.  Turn off oven and allow cake to remain in oven 30 minutes longer.

Top with strawberries or favorite topping
Linking to Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum!

With this Ring

a very sweet couple

a picture perfect day

a happily ever after!

 

Rosemary Scones

When I saw this recipe on Julie's blog,
A Little Bit of Everything,

I was intrigued by adding a strong herb like rosemary

to a breakfast scone.
(Julie got the recipe from Giada De Laurentiis)

John LOVES Rosemary and he LOVES scones
but I wasn't sure what he would think about them together.

It was early Sunday morning and the house was quiet so I headed out the side door to snip some of the highly aromatic herb.

Well, we both really liked this recipe! 

Strawberry Rosemary Scones

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

Scones:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (I used Kosher)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup strawberry jam

Glaze:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from 1 large lemon
2 cups powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons water
Special equipment: a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter (I used a round cutter)

Directions
For the scones: Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, salt, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough into a 1/2-inch thick, 10-inch circle. Using a 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart-shaped pieces of dough and put on the prepared baking sheet. Gently knead together any leftover pieces of dough and roll out to 1/2-inch thick. Cut the dough into more heart shapes and add to the baking sheet. Using an index finger or a small, round measuring spoon, gently make an indentation in the center of each pastry heart. Spoon a heaped 1/2 teaspoon of jam into each indentation. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Transfer the cooked scones onto a wire rack and cool for 30 minutes.

For the glaze: In a medium bowl, mix together the lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add the water until the mixture is thin enough to spread. Using a spoon, drizzle the glaze over the scones. Let the glaze set for about 30 minutes. Serve or store in an airtight plastic container for 2 days.

Cook's Note: The dough can also be made by hand by stirring together the flour, sugar, baking powder, rosemary, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Gradually stir in the cream until the mixture forms a dough

NOTE:  Julie thought the glaze was more than she needed and suggested cutting the recipe in half.  I followed Julie's suggestion and it was plenty.

~*~

 My Rosemary plant was a gift from a friend.  I grew it on my kitchen windowsill for a couple of years then transplanted it to an outside container where it has been for several years.

I read that Rosemary won't survive winters that get below 30 degrees F but even in our cold and snow, the plant continues to thrive.

 Up close you can see the woody stem

Here is my new raised bed where I have divided and transplanted my herbs that were growing in pots.  I added a few vegetables where I had space.

I have:

chamomile

oregano

basil

Flat leaf and curly parsley

sage

common mint

spearmint

Rosemary

lavender

Excerpts from Wikipedia:

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family Lamiaceae.

The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea" because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live.

It is considered easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and is pest-resistant.

Rosemary grows on friable loam soil with good drainage in an open sunny position, it will not withstand water logging and some varieties may be susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions pH (pH 7–7.8) with average fertility.

It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Remembering

Today we visited the cemetery where my father is interred.

On Memorial Day weekend thousands of American flags decorate every grave.

It is a beautiful and moving sight.

Everywhere, on every hill, at every grave site, American flags are gently waving in the breeze.

The most recent information I found as to how many flags fill the

Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans

Memorial Cemetery

was from 2010

 The Story: More than 900 Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts and Brownies from troops throughout New Jersey will be decorating the graves in honor of Memorial Day at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery. The Scouts will begin arriving at 4 p.m. and start placing a flag on each grave at 5 p.m. After the nearly 41,000 graves have been decorated, the scouts will enjoy a cookout style dinner. This community service will be commemorated with a scouting patch.

 

My dad served in the Army Air Force and worked in Weight and Balances for aircraft during World War II.

 ~FSW~

Less than a year before he passed away, my dad was honored along with other township veterans at a Veteran's Day Ceremony

~JHH Jr.~

John's dad was in the China Burma India Theater during his service in World War II. 

~HHR~

My mother's father served in World War I

~*~

John's great-grandfather served in the Civil War and was wounded in the Second Battle of Bull Run.  He lost his life and is buried in the Nashville National Cemetery in Tennessee.

I also have a direct ancestor from York County, Pennsylvania that fought as a Minuteman during the American Revolution

~*~

Giving thanks and honor to all who have served and are serving in our military.