Rock Your World - Key Lime & White Chocolate Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust

For those of you who follow my blog, you may be surprised to see a dessert posted here. You’ll note that I never said I don’t know how to make desserts; it’s just that I’m not a big dessert maker/eater. Plus, since the youngest member of the family can’t have wheat, desserts in my house usually boast sliced fruit or some such thing.

However ...

Youngest member deserves a huge “shout out”. You see, my petite 9 year old bambino auditioned for and then performed in the school talent show this week. There were about a dozen “acts” that performed including unbelievably talented piano solos and duets, Irish dancing, tap dancing, team dancing, and lots of singers. My little gal just wanted to sing. Unlike some of the other kids performing, she doesn’t take singing lessons or anything like that. She just wanted to give it a shot. Kind of like her version of American Idol. So, up she went in front of the student council, other performers, and the vice principal to audition. Oh the guts it took to do that, especially since she was getting over a bad sinus infection, and her voice was very weak and Elmer Fuddish. To her delight, she found out the next day that she got the thumbs up to perform at the talent show to be held the next week.The day of the big event, my hubby and I as well as my son decided that we would go and show our support for her. I admit I was a tad anxious about her performing because my little miss has been dealing with some anxiety issues this year. She’s loads better, but being the mom I am, let's just say that my protective radar was up and running. The talent show was held in the community center with the entire student body in attendance, as well as all the teachers and staff, plus parents. It was packed ... standing room only ... with about 350 people there. So, they introduce her and she walks up to the stage area and stands before the microphone. Despite all the people there, it was perfectly quiet. As soon as she began singing, I could see everyone’s jaw drop open in amazement. All the other singers sang along with prerecorded music or the actual cd from the original artist or at the very least with a piano accompaniment. My little gal performed a cappella. She totally ROCKED the house down. No one expected that rockin’ voice to come out of that tiny package, especially those who had been at the audition when she was still getting over her cold and you could hardly hear her. She sang the song, “Girl Put Your Records On” by Corinne Bailey Rae.At the end, the crowd roared their appreciation with clapping and hooting, and gave her a standing ovation. She was the only performer to get one. I, of course, had happy tears and kept getting hugs from parents and teachers who came up to offer congratulations. Ah, it was a very proud parent moment. Later that night, when we were having our end of day snuggle time, I was telling her how proud I was that she followed her heart, took a chance and did something new. She confided that there were two older girls at the audition who snickered at her cold-affected voice when she was auditioning. She said that those same two girls were dancing in their seats when she sang at the actual show. I told her how persevering and being brave doesn’t mean that it’s easy but rather it means that you keep going even when it’s tough. Having two older kids snicker at you would intimidate most kids, and how immensely proud I am that she didn’t let them rain on her parade. Way to be the change, baby girl. This will be a great memory that she’ll hold onto forever. Not bad for a little gal who uses a hairbrush for a microphone!

So, in honor of her awesome debut, I figured she deserved a yummy dessert, gluten free of course. I remember seeing this recipe in a National Parks Cookbook, and it fit the bill perfectly.The pistachio crust is AWESOME. It’s salty, sweet, and crunchy. The cheesecake ... no bake I might add ... is both tart and sweet. We served it with additional whipped cream and strawberries. AWESOME!Key Lime & White Chocolate Cheesecake with Pistachio Crust (Adapted from the recipe served at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Nat’l Park)

Crust:
2 cups shelled pistachios
2/3 heaping cup of sugar
¼ heaping cup melted butter, more if needed

Filling:
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, whipped into medium peaks
1- ½ 8 oz bricks cream cheese, softened
6-1/2 oz white chocolate, melted (I used Giradellli chips)
6 tablespoons Key lime juice
1 packet gelatin (I used Knox)
1 tablespoon water

Finely grind the pistachios and sugar in a food processor. Add the melted butter and process briefly. Mixture should hold its shape. If not, add more melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a springform pan. NOTE: I used juice glasses and a pie plate.

In a clean food processor bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar. Pour in the melted white chocolate and combine. Scrape the bowl and mix again.In a small bowl, combine the gelatin and water. Stir to soften. It will clump up fairly quickly. In a heavy weight sauce pan or a double boiler, combine the lime juice and gelatin, and stir until gelatin completely melts. I did it in a very heavy small sauce pan on low heat. Cool slightly and add to the cream cheese mixture. I did it by pulsing a couple of times. Next, add the whipped cream mixture and pulse until just combined. Pour into the crust and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with additional whipped cream and fruit.So, to all those kids out there who are following their heart, taking chances, and making their dreams come true, this dessert is for you. It'll rock your world!

13 Big Ones .... Times Two!

At 8:21 pm and then again at 8:22 pm, I became a mother for the first time thirteen years ago today! Yep, that's right! My babies are now officially teenagers! As the old saying goes, it seems like yesterday they were born. I remember when we bought this house (before we started our family), my first thought when I looked at the gorgeous staircase was that I hoped one day little toes encased in feeted-pajamas would race down the stairs Christmas morning. We lived here for six years before having the twins, and every Christmas I thought that maybe next year would be the year. The kids were only 4 months old when their first Christmas rolled around, and so obviously they weren't racing down the stairs just yet, but I remember thinking how lucky and blessed I was to have such amazing, little people to call my own.

Those stairs hold many memories ... teaching the kids how to climb them, how to hold the railing, how to navigate going down the stairs, sledding down the stairs feet first, sledding down the stairs head first, falling down the stairs (yep, be thinking "ouch"), racing up the stairs, and of course, my initial wish of racing down them. There are sixteen steps and I know each of them quite well ... I would count out loud in a very exaggerated voice each step and the kids would laugh and laugh! It's how they learned to count. I love those stairs.

And ... I love those teenagers of mine, too! Teenagers!!! For their birthday, the kidlin's wanted a chocolate cake. They didn't care what decorations were involved, just as long as it was chocolate. Over the years, I've made some pretty darn impressive cakes for their birthdays. They were impressive for several reasons, the first being that I'm not a baker at all, so the fact that the cake turned out was cause for celebration. My personal favorites include the "Treasure Chest" cake that involved decorating the cake to look like a, well you know, Treasure Chest! It came equipped with a propped up lid as well as gold foil covered chocolate coins, candy necklaces, and other edible jewels! Another favorite cake was their "Sleepover Cake" when the kids had two of their friends spend the night. It was a sheet cake and I placed Twinkies (yeah, you read that correctly ... the Twink-miesters were used) on top, and then frosted the whole thing. I decorated the Twinkie portions to look like kids in bed (bedspread, pillow, etc.) and made each one resemble each of the kids here (hair, face, pj's). It was a lot of work, but I approached it like a craft project, and if I do say so myself, it turned out pretty darn good! Oh, and it tasted good, too!

This year, I purchased the cake and it was "wow" good! It was a Cookies and Cream cake that consisted of chocolate cake with whipped cream for the icing as well as in between the layers, and a chocolate ganach over the top. Then there were Oreo cookies on top of that. The kids went nuts over it, and that includes my hubbyman. For my gluten free baby, she got her own gigantic piece of bakery cheesecake (minus the graham crust) that she garnished with strawberries. I'm surprised we are not all in a sugar coma tonight.

Here are some "then and now" photos. Don't they look magnificent all rolled up? And, yes, despite the obvious blue and pink blankets, I did get asked which one is the boy and which is the girl. I still get asked if they are identical twins. Uh, nope. One's a boy, and one's a girl. I made it to 37 weeks before they made their arrival (after 18 hours of labor which ended in a cesarean). I had a tough recovery and stayed in the hospital for five days, but they did great the entire time. I just love those noisemakers. They are my sun, moon, and stars, and I really do thank the good Lord everyday, several times a day, for blessing me so greatly with them.

Here they are in their little "fish tank" at the hospital. They are a day old here.


Here they are today, on their special day. The young man is the older of the two by a whopping '1' minute!

All of my kids are close with each other, but we are not a squabble free zone. My son is the most mellow of all my kids, and tolerates his sister's antics with extreme patience. He's so much bigger and stronger than both of his sisters; he could squish them if he chose to. Luckily for them, instead, he just shrugs stuff off ... which probably drives them crazy!

I enjoy reading blogs where folks share their day to day lives, and allow me glimpses of who they are and who is important to them. So, in return, here's a glimpse at my kids on their special day.

My son is amazing. He's blessed with an astonishing memory, is a loving brother and son, is handsome and thoughtful, is a talented artist and budding writer, and has taught me the meaning of cherishing every moment. When he was six years old, he developed epilepsy, and continues to deal with it. Luckily, his seizures are mostly nocturnal, and if you were to ask him, he'd tell you enthusiastically that he has a GREAT life. This kid possesses the most positive attitude ever. In his 13 years, he's dealt with more than most will in a lifetime, including being critically ill and in true peril with something called Steven's Johnson Syndrome a year and a half ago. His SJS was caused by a toxic reaction to taking Ibuprofen and it's the most horrific thing you can imagine. He was covered head to toe, outside and inside, with horrible, enormous blisters. He lost his vision for a couple days due to the raging blisters. All the skin in his mouth and inside his nose shed off, his lips turned black and shed off, every membrane and vein in his body was enflamed, developed pneumonia and vasculitis, and endured off the charts pain that could not be dulled with medications. You know it's bad when the nurses cry outside his room. Still, he persevered on, showed amazing strength of character as well as physical strength, and high integrity and character. Today, he's fully recovered, his vision miraculously returned unmarred, and although we were concerned that he'd be scarred head to toe, the only physical sign to indicate his suffering is that his lips have lighter shading where the new skin grew in, and a couple spots on his face. Every one tells him it gives him a rugged look. He plays soccer and basketball, and lives to draw his cartoons and write screen plays. He's a trooper for sure, and is destined for greatness in life.

His twin, who thinks that she should have been born first, is a total package girl. She's an academic over achiever, naturally athletic, beautiful yet shy, curious and interested in everything, and ready to discover the world. She's a gifted learner, and is the most determined child on the planet. When she was a baby and was learning to stand up, she didn't follow the path most kids take. Most kids will position themselves next to something and pull themselves up. Not this child, oh no. She would sit in the middle of the floor and try to stand up un-aided. Thank goodness for puffy diapers, because she plopped many a time on her bottom. I'd ask her over and over if she wanted help, and she's say "I do it, I do it" over and over right back at me. Sure enough, she did do it and felt so proud of herself. That was the first of many ventures where she wanted to achieve some task herself, and keeps at it until she masters it. She has her dad's competitive drive, yet has a very sensitive soul. Coaches and teachers love her because of her work ethic; I love her big heart. She possesses a stewardship consciousness not commonly found in kids her age ... she's interested in conservation, the well-being of the planet and those who live on it, and she's a huge animal lover. She's very protective of her brother and sister, and is very much her momma's girl. We even call her "the little mama". She loves getting hugs, and isn't embarrassed to get one from her mom in front of her peers. Someday in the future, she's going to make a huge mark on the world. She'll be one of those people who make a difference.

And, here's a pic of my wee one ... just to keep her in the loop. Soccer season has started, and they had their first game on Saturday. Um, the score was not in our favor, unfortunately. In fact, toward the end of the game, the other team took it easy on our girls because they were sooooo much better than our team. My little mite is the only girl on our team who even made it to their end of the field to shoot a goal, but alas the other team's goalie blocked her shot. Still, she had a great time, actually all the girls did, and she's ready to get back out and play again. My girl is the one in the purple jersey, with the black shin guards/socks, and blue glasses. I just love this action shot!

So there you have my family, plus hubbyman. How do you celebrate birthdays? Join me in wishing my babies a gloriously happy 13th birthday! We are a happy little group of people, especially today celebrating the 13 big ones --- times two!

Roll Me Up Shrimp Spring Rolls

I just returned home from a couple days of R&R at the beach. (Imagine sea gull and surf sounds.) I feasted on some succulent seafood while I was there. A typical breakfast for me at home is on the small side ... either some fruit, or some cereal, or my favorite ... eggs. Caution was thrown to the wind on this trip as I dined on ... ahem, prepare yourselves ... dungeness crab cakes benedict with creole hollandaise sauce for breakfast. Then there was the spiced calamari plate at dinner. As if that were not enough, I had a bite of my girlfriend's fresh oyster gratin ... and went into a cream coma. Good food, great company, wonderful accommodations, and relaxing atmosphere. It was all gouda, folks.

I came home still craving seafood, but wanting something lighter. Thumbing through a cookbook, I saw a photo of Vietnamese Spring Rolls with peanut sauce and knew that I had found a way to satisfy my inner beast.

I love Spring Rolls! Since I had to go to the store anyway, it was easy to pick up the ingredients required for these bountiful bundles. You can put just about whatever you want in them; I don't know how authentic this version is, but it was really good and hubby man literally snatched it off of this plate the moment the camera shutter clicked. These little rolls are delightfully refreshing on a hot day because they are served cold. Personally, I think they make a nice light lunch or an appetizer at dinner. And roll me up baby, these are gluten free, too!

Ingredients:

Rice Paper Wrappers
Shelled Cooked Shrimp - Cocktail Dipping Size - Sliced in half long length size
Cooked, Sliced Pork - (I used a sliced pork chop) Optional
Bean Sprouts
Cooked Rice Vermicelli Noodles
Carrots - sliced in super thin matchsticks
Cucumber - sliced in super thin matchsticks
Lettuce - your favorite kind
Basil Leaves
Cilantro Leaves
Large shallow dish with warm water - needs to be large enough to hold the Rice Paper Wrappers.

Sauce:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I used tamari wheat free sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste - this gives it a bit of heat, not too much
  
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/3 cup hot water

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together, adding more water if it's too thick. Set aside.

2. Take one rice paper and submerge it in the water for about 20-30 seconds, or until it has softened. Remove from the water and set on your work station.

3. Just as you would fill a burrito, layer your other ingredients. Start with three shrimp halves, cut side up, in the middle of the wrapper. On top of the shrimp, layer the other ingredients: bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, basil, cilantro, lettuce, and noodles. Then just as with a burrito, fold the sides over, and then tightly but gently roll up the wrapper. Place on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel. Serve at once, shrimp side up, with the peanut sauce. They are crunchy and chewy, and bursting with flavor. I like to cut them in half so the pretty layers can be seen. Don't these look pretty?

If you are making them in advance, wrap each roll in plastic wrap or else it will get gummy and disintegrate. The rolls should be nice and tight ... which can be kind of tricky. The wrappers are very delicate and can tear easily. Don't be deterred by that; these are sooo tasty. Don't want the meat? Prepare yourself a strictly vegetarian version. If you want it spicier, you could add some hot chilies to either the rolls or the sauce or both! Some people like to put mint in them, but I don't like mint in my food. Makes me feel like I'm eating toothpaste. Blech. These roll, though, are the opposite of blech. Give everyone their own peanut sauce bowl ... double dipping is sooooo allowed with these babies. That peanut sauce rocks!


Here's where I was the past couple of days. If you get out a magnifying glass, you can see Yaquina Head Light House in the distance. I love this photo with the wee little people in it because it gives you a truer sense of glorious, gorgeous mother nature. The tide has just gone out in this early morning photo (taken from my balcony -- oh yeah, it was an awesome way to greet the day.) Do you like to get away? Do you have a favorite get away location?

Prior to my roll of motherhood, I enjoyed a fast paced career where I met two of my dearest friends ever. These are amazing, strong, inspiring women who encourage me to be my best, and still love me when I falter. Over the past 19 years, we've been together for sickness and health, marriages and divorces, births and deaths, and our commitment to friendship remains steadfast. Oh, we don't talk everyday nor do we see each other every week, but no matter how much time passes in between our get togethers, it's always as if no time has passed at all. Prior to my having children, we used to go away for a "girls wild weekend" every year. (Wild being a relative term here ... but it doesn't sound as exciting to say "Girls Getting Away From It All So They Can Sleep In", so we add the word wild for flavor!) Once kids came on the scene, though, the weekends came to a halt. We revived our tradition last year, and were committed to making it happen again this year. We decided to include the kids this year, and boy oh boy did we have fun. Our "wild weekends" have taken on a new flavor and as usual, the time went by way too fast. Better to leave wanting more, than leave thankful it was finally over!

Here's a photo of my littlest beachcomber. (Marjie: Notice her necklaces?) The Oregon coast is unlike other coastlines. First, the ENTIRE coast line is public access. You won't run into fences keeping you out and mother nature in. The beautiful Pacific Ocean remains COLD all year, so the beaches are not swimming magnets like Florida or California. Certainly there are brave souls who swim, and my kids do enjoy getting soaked, but I'll only stick in a toe. Maybe. Mostly, the beach is a place to hang out and relax. Build sandcastles. Dig tunnels. Race the tide. Nap. The kids partake in lots of kite flying, playing in the sand, and kicking back.

The farther south you go in Oregon, the warmer the water becomes, but we were more north and true to form, it was cool yet comfortable. The morning fog lifted to brilliant sunshine and temperatures in the upper 60's. Don't be fooled by the cool temperatures, though. Sunscreen is a must unless you want a lobster colored nose.

Here's a pic of my beach beauties playing together. I never get tired of seeing them together. I took only my girls with me, and they had fun getting to know the other kids. We were lulled to sleep by the sounds of the surf and the gentle breezes swirling in off the water.

In our absence, Hubby man and son decided to have a "stay-cation" at home where they went bowling, played arcade games, went to the movies, and rented videos. We try hard to spend 1:1 time with each child, but it's tough. :-( We tend to do a lot as a family which is great. Still, 1:1 time is nice. Most 1:1 time comes when we have errands to run, and we grab one kid to go. Or at bedtime. Although I missed my men folk, it was great to spend time with the girls. How do you spend 1:1 time with your kids?

******************

A special thank you goes out to Jan and Ohio Mom for giving me this award. Be sure to check out their websites. I really enjoy reading Jan's Range Warfare website. In addition to her witty writing, great posts, and yummy food, she's also an author. Ohio Mom's site is also fun to visit. She's got some great recipes, and it's fun to read her exchanges with her grown daughter.

The rules for receiving the award are as follows:

• Post the logo on your blog.
• Add a link to the person who nominated you.
• Nominate 5 other people for this award and add links to their blogs.
• Leave a message for the people you've nominated

There are soooo many excellent blogs, many of whom have already received this award. It would be easier to nominate 10 blogs! 20 blogs! I'll have to check to see who's already rec'd this and follow up in another post. Thanks again, Jan and Ohio Mom, for your kindness.