Blog of the Day

Pinterest

Follow Me on Pinterest

Google Friend Connect

Networked Blogs

Categories

Archives

Jodi

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

I had this today at my MomsNext meeting, and oh my, heavens! So yummy!! This will be a must have dessert for some upcoming family functions!

Photobucket

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping, recipe follows
1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9×13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

Streusel Topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. I like to really combine it by using my clean hands to thoroughly combine the butter into the mixture.

Socks complete

I finally finished the socks I was making for a friend. I hope he likes them. I am now onto making some baby hats, and a pair of baby flip flops. I want to get going on some towels/dish clothes, to get some gift sets together to have on hand for up coming parties/weddings I have to go to.

For now, here are the socks
Photobucket

Sharing Responsibility

This guest post from Doris Dillon

I think my husband and I have a good marriage. We’ve been together for a long time, and we have a routine that works for us. We aren’t perfect, and we have our issues, but for the most part we work as a team and only fight when it’s absolutely necessary. We split all of our household responsibilities down the middle, and it works for us. I take care of paying our utilities and adt monthly fee, and he pays the mortgage. He takes the kids to school in the morning, and I pick them up in the afternoons. He cooks dinner three days a week, I cook dinner three days a week, and one night we go out to dinner at a place the kids choose. I am lucky to have a husband who takes responsibility for what goes on in the home. He understands that I work just as much as he does, and that if we don’t work together, our family will suffer. Some of his friends give him a hard time and call him Mr. Mom, but he is proud of how we operate.

Easter 2012 dessert

This was our dessert… a simple angel food cake, topped with whipped topping and strawberries.

Photobucket

Now I am ready to veg for the rest of the evening.

It never fails

Why is it that when I need a battery there is never the one I need!?!? All I could fine was a duracell procell c size battery. I really need a triple A one! I so hope John remembers to pick some up when he is out picking up Trent from work.

For now, I will start the grill the same old way I have been doing in the past, turning on the gas, and then throwing in a match. Yikes! So far, I haven’t blown myself up or cinged any hair, so its all good.