Oreo Cheesecake Bars and Alayna's 11th Birthday!

This latest dessert is compliments of Alayna's birthday treat!

When I asked her how she liked them, she said
"They were great, if you like cheesecake!"
And, apparently, she doesn't.

Oh well…
guess the next time she asks for Oreo Bars,
I'll have to figure out a way to make them without cream cheese.

You all know how birthdays are…

Alayna on her 6th birthday in 2010.

You just can't help but wonder where the time has gone!

Alayna on her 11th birthday, last week.

At her soccer game yesterday,
I literally didn't recognize her on the field.

I saw this tall young lady with such long blonde hair…
I was honestly wondering where my daughter was! 

After doing a double-take,
I came to the realization that, yes,
that was my not-so-little girl.
(Warm fuzzy/heart sinking moment!)

And while she makes me so proud to be her mom day after day,
it is still so bittersweet to realize that our babies are growing up before our eyes.

Enough nostalgia,
let's get on to the goodies.

Started with about 30 Oreos in a bag,
being pulverized manually
because my mini-chopper has seen better days. 

And, it's not the end of the world to have the kids put a little elbow grease into it
from time to time.

The crumbs were topped with 1/2 stick of melted butter
and combined.

Then pressed into sprayed 10x14 baking dish.

A pastry cutter was used to press the crumbs into the pan
for a good pressing and if some chunks were broken along the way,
even better.

The crust was baked at 325 F for 10 minutes.

While the crust was baking,
3-8 oz bricks of cream cheese were blended with 1/2 cup sugar, 
1/2 cup sour cream and 1 tsp of vanilla extract.

Three eggs were added and mixed well.

Before the batter was added to the pan,
another dozen crushed oreos were mixed in.

Spread out by the birthday girl, herself.

Topped with a few more crushed oreos
and baked for another 40 minutes.

When it was done, the edges were slightly browned
 and the middle was slightly firm.

The pan was covered with foil and cooled overnight
before cutting.

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Bake Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 24-30

Ingredients:

1 large package of Oreos - divided (especially if there is going to be any tasting going on)

1/2 stick of melted butter

3-8 oz bricks of cream cheese 

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3 eggs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. 
• Crush about 30 oreos and combined with  melted butter. 
• Press Oreo crumbs into sprayed baking pan. 
• Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, vanilla and eggs. 
• Mix in about a dozen crushed oreos. 
• Pour onto crust. 
• Top with crushed oreos, bake for 40 minutes. 
• Allow to cool before cutting. 

• 

What I've learned…(A Birthday Reflection)

Most of my family, the morning after my brother's wedding.  

Please pardon my belated greetings, but Happy 2015!

I certainly enjoyed a few weeks off with my kids and family, it was a nice blend of festive and relaxed.

Now, I'm ready to get back on the 2015 Food Blog bandwagon and provide you with all sorts of inspiration for delicious and healthy foods!

Before I get to new recipes though, I want to share with you some brief thoughts as to some of the lessons that I've learned and am continuing to learn as I embrace this adventure called life.

During this recent hiatus, in addition to the holidays that y'all celebrated, I also get to throw in the anniversary of my birth.  Which is what really prompted this list of learnings.

So, without further ado, please enjoy my own personal What I've learned…. one lesson for each year I've successfully completed.

1. I'm naive
2. Sometimes ignorance is bliss
3. Ultimately, we are responsible for who we trust
4. Don't over-think things
5. Own the consequences of our decisions
6. Respect other opinions, even when I don't agree with them
7. To hug more
8. To be thankful for everything
9. To always look for the silver lining!
10. To (try to) be content with what I have
11. To be present today, not worrying about yesterday or tomorrow
12. That I have the best of friends
13. That great neighbors make all the difference
14. If something makes you unhappy, make a change
15. And then, let it go...move forward
16. True love is worth the wait!
17. Taking a risk is hard, but always worth it.
18. Learn from everything and everyone.
19. Read more.
20. Don't forget to laugh
21. Collect memories, not things!
22. People matter the most
23. Try new things…
24. Go new places…
25. The world does not revolve around me.
26. Slow down to cherish each day!
27. Always believe that the best is going to happen.
28. Together is the best place to be.
29. Tomorrow is always a new day!
30. Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened!
31. Honesty is always the best policy!
32. You will never go broke being generous. 
33. The world doesn't owe me anything. 
34. Be cautious as to what you allow disturb your peace of mind. 
35. Everyone we meet is for a reason, season or lifetime. 
36. Actions speak louder than words. 
37. Always believe in yourself!  

Since a new year of my life as well as a new calendar year both start around the same time every year, it is a great time to dually reflect on where I've been and where I'm going.

Thanks for joining me for the journey!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I don't know about you, but I have always been a big fan of cupcakes.

Not sure why, but in my mind, those individual serve cakes taste so much better than a full size cake.

Perhaps, eating with my hands gives me a license to lick my fingers.  Maybe, the individual serving size carries less guilt.

For whatever reason, they are my favorite form of cake and I am elated when anyone asks for cupcakes in place of cake for their special occasion.

This year Alayna wanted her cupcakes in an ice cream cone for her 10th birthday.  The last time I did that, she was two, so this was the first time she will remember them.

Not only that, she is practically old enough to do it all herself, especially since we took the easy way out and used a box mix.

I do find a certain sense of accomplishment in pulling together all of my own ingredients, especially so that I can hand select them and adjust as I see fit, but sometimes these cake mixes are just the most practical option, especially when I may have left all of the details for the day of.

The real novelty in this recipe was a new process.  Rather than the obvious approach of pouring the batter into the cones and struggling to keep them upright while loading them into the oven, we used the cupcake tins, well sprayed, I might add, filled them with batter and then topped them with an inverted cake cone.

Despite being slightly lop-sided, they still stood just fine and were much easier to manage than the last time I made them, using the more conventional method.

So, she whipped up the batter, according to the box instructions.

Sprayed the cupcake pan well, to ensure the easy release out of the oven.

Placed an inverted cone over the half-filled reservoirs.

Baked according to instructions.

Cooled, frosted and served.

Thankfully they are almost all gone so that I'm not tempted to eat anymore of those tasty little bites.