Monday, March 21, 2011

Tasty Tuesday Link Up - Papa's Cheesecake





For this tasty link up I'm going to share with you a recipe I have not had the guts to try. I finally just got the recipe from my mom, and I'm thinking about trying it some time soon.
This is the recipe for Papa Sliker's NY Style Cheesecake

That would be the cheesecake mentioned in my post Where are my tears? The incredibly awesome makings of my late Papa "Slyke."

It was one of the best cheesecakes in the world. When I was young, I didn't realize the cheesecake was his. It was lined up along the table with the cakes and other deserts, so I always thought it was Grammy's.
When I found out it was his, I was in love with the fact that he could bake. It may have been the only thing he could bake, but it was awesome seeing Papa in the kitchen.

Anyway, you get the option of baking this before I even attempt to!

Here are the ingredients:
4 large cream cheese
2 16-ounce sour cream
1 Tbsp. vanilla
6 eggs
2 cups sugar

Instructions:
Soften cream cheese (do not microwave). Add sugar gradually to cream cheese and beat til light n fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each egg addition. Add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Pre-heat oven to 350. Pour mix into springform 10" pan after putting in graham cracker crust (see recipe below). Bake until lightly brown, about 50-60 minutes. DO NOT open oven (he meant this). Let cool in oven at least 3 hours.

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 3/4 cup crumbs
1/3 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sugar
(Make first and refrigerate while you're making the cheesecake)

Press into springform pan and a little up the sides using back of tablespoon. Pour in cheesecake batter and bake.

I hope you enjoy this cheesecake recipe as much as I did growing up! Maybe it can be one of those "special recipe's" for your family as well.

If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
And if you want to share a Tasty Tuesday recipe, link up with us!




Saturday, March 19, 2011

Welcome Spring! and friends...

This warm weather has got me chillin'.
Listening to my Bob Marley radio station on Pandora, sitting out in the sun, tanning, spring cleaning... the works.

Today I spent the whole day procrastinating, rather than studying.
which lead to a laundry basket full of clean clothes, new found jewelry,
and a really clean bathroom.

It also lead to the realization that with this lovely weather coming back, there are also other things to welcome back. Not-so-good things, such as, critters.

When I was spring cleaning I decided to put fresh sheets on my bed, I threw the pillows across the room and stripped the bed.
I was feeling good, feeling responsible, feeling mature..
When all of a sudden
there came this huge cockroach running across my mattress!!

So of course I screamed in hopes that my roommate would come save me.
But she didn't even hear me.

So I screamed louder as I ran and got my brand new super cute boots.
I hopped on the bed and got in attack position.

Feet apart, knees bent, eyes on the enemy.

The cockroach stopped in its tracks, looking up at me like Dr. Grant in Jurassic Park. You know what I'm talking about, when he comes face to face with the dinosaur.

"Don't move, it can't see us if we don't move."

But I've got to be honest I didn't know who was who in this situation. Am I the dinosaur? or is the cockroach the dinosaur? We both could attack at any moment.
But we both stayed frozen.
"His visual acuity is based on movement like T-Rex - he'll lose you if you don't move."

But then it became clear to me, as I gained my balance on the bed and pounded my Justin boot down on the critter - I am the dinosaur!
and I wanted to shout:
I Am Woman. Hear Me Roar.

Unfortunately I did more of a girly screech as I ran to get toilet paper to scoop him off my super cute boot.

Also I had completely moved the mattress in this battle with the cockroach and ended up standing on the box spring causing my foot to rip through the fabric, leaving me to look a whole lot less graceful in the attack. It was actually kind of pitiful.

So here begins the welcoming of spring time, and so starts the war with the cockroaches.
Bring. It. On.
[angry face]

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Tasty Tuesday Link Up - Chocolate Dipped Pita Chips

No biggie.





Today my tasty little snack is so easy.
Chocolate dipped pita chips.

yumm

These little snacks are perfect for when you are having a few friends over, a cute, semi-formal little get together, taking snacks to church, etc.
They are typically served as a garnish on ice cream or fruit. (ice cream is my choice)
And ALL it takes is
  1. your favorite chocolate bar
  2. Stacy's® Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips
  3. And ice cream or fresh fruit, or whatever you so choose to garnish.
Instructions:
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave. Dip the pita chip about 1/3 of the way into the chocolate. Place the chip on wax paper and put in the freezer until hardened. (about 15 minutes.)

And Waddabing! You got yourself a fancy little garnish with almost no effort.

I know, you can thank me later.

And now I present to you, my Tasty Tuesday Linky! It's a little late notice, but I hope you can join me and give us some blogs to hop!




Sunday, March 13, 2011

Hometown Blues

I don't get it.
It's spring break,

and where am I?

right. here.

Doing the same old thing that I do when I'm in the city and stuck in my apartment.

What should I be doing? you may wonder.
I don't know. I should be, playing in the fields. Swinging on the front porch swing. Driving down the road with my windows down. Laying on the beach. Riding a horse. Fishing, hunting, skeet shooting...
SOMETHING where I am using energy, having fun, and enjoying the outdoors.

I mean I get so sick and tired of the city sometimes, because the only time I get to be outside is when I go lay by the pool, or when I'm walking somewhere (ie. to class, a job interview.. that's pretty much it)

Which, don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy both activities.

But I miss the days of playing catch in the front yard, or basketball at the park. The days my brother and I would head out to Mr. David's pond and fish, and when we could gather a group of friends and head out to the golf course.

I miss the days of putting on my shorts and tank top and heading out to the high school baseball games, the local mud runs, or just the BP.

I miss being able to do these things by myself knowing that when I show up, I will be surrounded by people I know and I will be socializing for hours.

This spring break, I went to the mud bog and did not recognize anybody.
I made plans to go golfing with some friends, who canceled on me.
I even revisited the high school for a baseball game and found out that everyone I used to know and associate with have either
A) forgotten all about me, or
B) moved away.

It is just crazy how much things have changed in the past 2 years. I used to be able to drive to town and stay there for hours, because everywhere I went I would see a friend. But now? I drove through town today and it literally took me 30 seconds to get in and out.

It's depressing to me.
But I guess it's a part of growing up. And it's going to make going back to the city a whole lot easier.

Now I get why people who move away never come back.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Welcome to the new generation.

A few weeks ago, my grandpa came down to visit me in small town, South Carolina.

I love it when I get to see my grandparents - they are so on the same page as me.
I'm an old school kind of girl, conservative - keepin' it classy. you know.

So we decided to go to Subway for lunch, one of the few restaurants in my town.
yes, I just called Subway a restaurant.
and yes, it is connected to a gas station.

On the way home from Subway, Papa looks at me. He says, "Alright Marj, let's get down to business."
And I couldn't tell you what went through my head as he said this. What kind of business??
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
ohhh. that kind of business.
"No." I told him. "I don't."
He said, "Why not?" I gave him that same old same old... I just can't find anybody I can put up with.
He says, "Well, are you dating anybody? Do you go on dates?"

I wanted to say, "A date? Papa, what is a date?"

Seriously, this generation is not a dating generation.
Is it because we're all broke? Is it because we're all insecure? Is it because nobody wants to man up and ask the other person out?

I read this quote in one of my books one time and wrote it down because I loved it so much:

"Guys today appear to be gutless, and it takes far too much hinting to get them to wake up. Basically this is an indication that their masculine character has been watered down. We want MEN back! Not the androgynous creatures created by our godless environment." - Catherine


I don't remember which book it came out of, unfortunately. But it made me laugh.
I think this is pretty funny, fairly sad, and relatively true. Our society has watered down the role of men.

But that's a different topic for a different time. I could go on and on with my feelings on that. From a conservative stand point, which would drive half of you up the wall.

Back on topic.. I don't think I've ever been on a real date.
These days, if you are "dating" someone, you generally hang out at their house, or go to a party together.
You rarely go out one-on-one. That is only special occasions.

But before you get asked to go to a party, or asked to come hang out at the house, you have to pass the texting test.

He'll text you, and if he likes talking to you, he'll text you again a couple days later. If he still likes talking to you, he'll start texting about every night, at the same time, every night.

If you continue to text each other, after a while he will text you "Hey, we should hang out." This is when you do the happy dance because the past week of aggravating texts and struggling to find a response to "yeah." and "lol" have finally paid off.

And you'll go hang out. And if enjoys your company, he'll text you the next weekend, "Do you wanna go do this?"
And it just grows from there.
Eventually Valentine's Day or your birthday will come and he will be forced to take you on a date. But that involves putting up with somebody for that long.
Which, I, have not been able to do.

BUT, instead of going through all of this with my grandpa, since we were almost home. I just simply said, "No, I haven't been dating anyone."