Picture-A-Week 2017 - Week 50

Pictures taken between Monday, December 11 and Sunday, December 17.

Cream cheese warming by an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Not traditional lyrics but descriptive of the conditions as I was leaving the Texas family's dwelling for home on Saturday. Dan was providing the cheesecake for that day’s Displaced Californians’ Christmas Party and had neglected to put the cream cheese out to soften overnight. The pictured arrangement would result in gently softened ingredients by the time he returned from dropping me off at the airport. This small sample of creative problem solving has little impact on the great problems that humanity faces but as a holder of an advanced FSO degree, I appreciate clever, simple solutions.

Cream Cheese Warming By An Open Fire

Dave

Hope he doesn't get stuck in traffic on the way home, or he could have a mess to clean.

Allan

Very clever.

I have often put cream cheese -- butter -- etc., in a metal bowl and set it near a heater to soften up quickly for various recipes.

I did some rare Monday birding last week as I had gotten back from my Disney trip that morning and decided the weather was too nice to miss an entire weekend at the wetlands...so I ran out for a few hours that afternoon to catch some of the bird action:

Tricolor heron flying right at the water's surface trawling for fish:

Great blue heron returning to the nest with a branch:

Another strongly backlit great blue heron flying back out with some admirers watching in the background:

A flock of black-bellied whistling ducks flying past in a nice formation:

People with binoculars and cameras looking for a bird, while the bird sneaks past right behind them:

Hope he doesn't get stuck in traffic on the way home, or he could have a mess to clean.

Allan

He said it turned out to be the best cheesecake he ever made. I told him to add that step to the recipe. :)

Pastor Dan's Hearthfire Cheesecake?

Dave

Wonderful pictures, thanks for posting.

How about giving us the recipe for his "Hearthfire cheesecake"?

Wonderful pictures, thanks for posting.

How about giving us the recipe for his "Hearthfire cheesecake"?

Ask and ye shall....

Pastor Dan's Hearthfire Cheesecake

Crust:

1½ cups - Graham cracker crumbs. (Best consistency if you crush the Honey Maid crackers yourself.)

5 tbs - Softened butter

Mix and press evenly into the pan (springform or standard) and bake for 5 minutes at 350°.

Filling:

6 - 8 oz. packages plain old cream cheese (not light or whipped) allowed to reach room temperature*

2 cups - Regular cane sugar. Please, no Splenda or other substitute. It's a Holiday recipe for Heaven's sake.Live a little.

6 - Whole eggs (Probably L or XL. Jumbo may be a little too much egg)

½ to 1 tsp - Vanilla (to taste)

Blend filling thoroughly until there are NO lumps. Seriously. Take the time to make it lumpless.

Scoop the filling into the crust and bake at 350° for one hour. Place in a microwave to cool for one hour (the small volume in the microwave lets it cool slowly and evenly). Chill in the refrigerator for eight hours.

*While the recipe is excellent if the cream cheese is allowed to reach room temperature by sitting out overnight, it needs to be softened by placing it on the hearth of a fireplace to qualify as a true Hearthfire Cheesecake – Explanation here: https://goo.gl/7bc4b9

Ho, ho, ho...

Dave

Thanks for the recipe, maybe we'll have it for New Years Day.

Interesting comment about letting it cool in the microwave, I'm going to try that.

Thanks for the recipe, maybe we'll have it for New Years Day.

Interesting comment about letting it cool in the microwave, I'm going to try that.

Should I share our recipe for Sous Vide Creme Bruleé next week?

:)

Dave

Looks good, but unfortunately I don't have a sous vide machine.

Thanks again.

Merry Christmas.

Looks good, but unfortunately I don't have a sous vide machine.

Thanks again.

Merry Christmas.

We picked up an $99 Anova circulator and use it in a regular large food container. It really opened up a whole world of "cooking with science" to us.

Never been farther off topic! :)

Dave

Beautiful pictures Justin.

Ask and ye shall....

 

Pastor Dan's Hearthfire Cheesecake

 

Crust:

1½ cups - Graham cracker crumbs. (Best consistency if you crush the Honey Maid crackers yourself.)

 

5 tbs - Softened butter

 

Mix and press evenly into the pan (springform or standard) and bake for 5 minutes at 350°.

 

Filling:

6 - 8 oz. packages plain old cream cheese (not light or whipped) allowed to reach room temperature*

 

2 cups - Regular cane sugar. Please, no Splenda or other substitute. It's a Holiday recipe for Heaven's sake.Live a little.

 

6 - Whole eggs (Probably L or XL. Jumbo may be a little too much egg)

 

½ to 1 tsp - Vanilla (to taste)

 

Blend filling thoroughly until there are NO lumps. Seriously. Take the time to make it lumpless.

 

Scoop the filling into the crust and bake at 350° for one hour. Place in a microwave to cool for one hour (the small volume in the microwave lets it cool slowly and evenly). Chill in the refrigerator for eight hours.

 

 

*While the recipe is excellent if the cream cheese is allowed to reach room temperature by sitting out overnight, it needs to be softened by placing it on the hearth of a fireplace to qualify as a true Hearthfire Cheesecake – Explanation here: https://goo.gl/7bc4b9

 

 

 

 

Ho, ho, ho...

 

 

 

 

Dave

Sounds delicious -- going to make it for New Years.

should i share our recipe for sous vide creme bruleé next week?

 

 

:)

 

dave

yes!!

Some pictures from our whale watching excursion in Cabo San Lucas on December 13th. We had spotty rain and overcast skies that day but the whales put on quite a show.

Great whale pictures!!