Pumpkin Cheesecake

All I know is that when I used the knife around the edges before it went in the fridge, it tasted just like Pumpkin Pie. MMMMMMMmmmmmm

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Yes, mostly organic ingredients :) I think the thing NOT organic was the alcohol I added and the spices. I need to work on getting organic spices :) (and ironically, I felt bad about buying Annie's because I know that company sold out to a large crappy company recently)

So I decided that since I have the house to myself to attempt to make cheesecake, from scratch.

First off, I should have probably used a better grade mixer than my poor little hand held one. I tried to not over tax it. Secondly, I need a bigger mixing bowl! The batter was to the edge basically (I think I will ask the boyfriend to use his freaky large mixing bowl - if I make this again) oh and I should really have a roasting pan, because you're supposed to give it a water bath while it's cooking (if, like me, you are confused by this terminology, it means to have it cooking in another pan than holds it and water - which is how I actually make my bread pudding). So, yes I am adding things to my Amazon Wish list. Again.

Anyways, I have it on a cooking sheet, with the hot water in that. Ahem. Will see if this actually works or not...

I did modify the recipe, following what someone else did and still tweaking it a bit.

Learning lesson: Graham cracker crumbs?? Hmmm. Maybe crushing them in a bag would have been smart. Not attempting it by hand.

Lesson #2: Soften cream cheese does not get light or smooth so much as softer and stuck to the mixer.

Lesson C: Make sure you have your spices grounded already so you don't feel so rushed to get the clove into the damn batter.

Also, I have quite a bit left over batter, so I will see if I use them in some form of muffin/waffle thing this weekend. I hope.

Random Also: Here is my basil (grown from seed!) Working on another now :) I plan on taking this one to the boyfriends!

And yes, I am doing laundry, drinking wine and the only thing I've read tonight has been the recipe. And dinner? Ha, I forgot about it until the cheesecake was in the oven and laundry started. It was a bagel, and a cheese sandwich. Bad I know, but whatever. My period is almost over so there.

Friday Freakiness

Well, I accomplished getting signed up for college today, 1 class in my program is available (I'm kinda late in starting for Fall) which is a management 103 class. I'm getting my residency stuff worked out since they had me as an out of state student and I'm really really not. Class starts 10/1 though, all on line, which is awesome. Associates of Science in Business Administration is a start. I will try to figure how many classes I can handle each semester. Thankfully some of my old college credits will transfer over :)

It's exciting and scary. Not freaky bad scary. It's just - I mean, it's been almost 20 years since I was college (holy fuck) and I am not nervous about failing, I know I won't, it's more of this - shit I am getting this done and it's really happening. Oh wait, that almost sounds like when you go into labor !!

My kid is bringing his french horn home today, so we get to practice on Sunday, which is awesome. I love playing still and it gets me back to that :)

Tonight, I don't know what I'm doing lol. Maybe I will attempt to make a cheesecake. And try out this organic sugar wax thing (on my legs, ahem) and see if it works to any degree. Maybe I will read (hahahaha, of course I am reading tonight) and definitely doing a load of laundry.

My period is hopefully winding down. I certainly am not in any back pain today (hey, I even did 1 walk so far and some squats!).

I am not, repeat NOT, thinking about my shower appointment tomorrow.

This is me, not thinking about my shower ;) (I hear her saying, in my head, 'whatever bitches'!)

Bits and Pieces (again)

So I have another company coming in on Saturday to look at my shower and try to quote me something I can't afford. I was really hoping Home Depot wasn't going to be "We're part of Home Depot, but a different part." Because this guy just told me that the showers the rep will show me are NOT the ones that Home Depot sells. Ummm, what? I mean, seriously? They are ones more on the higher end. To which I said, I am really looking for something simple, I don't need one all blinged out. He said then tell the rep that and the rep won't show me the blinged out ones. Well. Hmmm. I asked if they do have someone that does installs of things bought at Home Depot. He's all, yep and here's their number. So, in a nutshell, if Home Depot can't sell me this on Saturday, Home Depot can let me buy it from them and they still install it. Oh ok then. Isn't that what I was asking for in the first fucking place when I got this damned appointment set up? Because, hello, single mom with a tight budget here! But I need and want my stupid ass shower fixed!!

I am hoping they have something in my price range that won't require a 2nd car loan payment. Because, damn.

My lovely monthly lady friend is visiting. I am inhaling chocolate at an alarming rate (hahaha, I wish I was) and I've been a bit crankier this time around. Probably because I was really bad about not taking my supplements this month and those do make a difference. I know I'm bloated like a cartoon whale right now. Ugh.

I ordered some books and am really excited about reading Visions from Anne Bishop. I am hoping, hoping, I can read tonight and drink some wine. I seriously doubt that will happen though because I just freaking remembered the Kid has more classwork to finish (oh, what a long story that is) to be turned in on Friday.

Otherwise, work has been keeping me busy. Oh but I will be baking one way or another this weekend. Either cookies or lemon bars or maybe attempt a pumpkin cheesecake :)

Also: I seem to have an obsession with...socks. Don't ask...I will explain later.

Awesome Moment

We went to this incredible park not too far from me. It was so beautiful. I got a couple of pics of the place :)

Ahem, gotta include sexy 

Some things accomplished, others being worked on

I finally got another one of my wall decor sayings up :) Thanks to the boyfriend helping :)

And this monster sunflower, is finally and awesomely ready :) We cut it down tonight and I just had to take some pictures because damn this thing is just freaking huge.

 You can see I don't have model type hands, but it at least gives you a better scope of how fucking large this thing is. Oh and it's taking up the whole damn chair it's sitting on.

A carrot. The only carrot that survived (I planted several seeds but wasn't too concerned about ANY of them surviving, it was just an off chance thing) and it was a monster carrot. Seriously, my backyard is a place of mayhem in sizes for growing things!

I know, it looks a bit weird. I will be feeding it to the horses at my job tomorrow :) Yes, I cleaned it off already because it would not be nice to fed someone dirt. We didn't even find ALL of it !!


The thing being worked on? The sunflower. I have it hanging up in the attic with the other ones. I need it to dry out further so that we can take the seeds out :) Seriously, just this ONE sunflower out scopes all the others. It was a huge head, a huge stalk and it has a ton of freaking seeds. YAY.