Believe it or not, I've been working hard since September and have gradually been losing weight and inches. Sadly, the inches seem to be in the feet and chest area. What gives, universe? I've been having talks with the thigh/stomach area about stepping it up a bit.
Both of us felt re-invigorated and recommitted to our health goals. We held hands and skipped through a rainbow-arched field. I wore a sundress and a flowers in my hair. "Crimson and Clover" played softly in the background. I'm getting way off track here, and besides, none of that really happened. The skipping and the "Crimson and Clover" and rainbows, I mean. But it's not to say I didn't try.
So anyway, after we talked a lot and felt great about our commitment to healthy eating, I promptly made cheesecake. What can I say? I'm multidimensional. I'm complex. I always keep you guessing.
Maria Cheesecake (because if you say it softly, it's almost like praying. I'm probably misquoting it. I'm good at that.)
Preheat an oven to 350. Spray a pie pan with cooking spray.
Graham Cracker Crust:
1 package graham crackers (not a box, a package. Just so we're on the same page)
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
Open up the graham crackers and put some or all of them in a large resealable baggie. (No more plugs until I see some dough, major name brands. Except Mazola. Because it's more like a public service announcement.) Seal the bag and crush them. Roll over them with your rolling pin. But don't get Rick-rolled.
Never gonna give you up. . .
Anyway, next, measure out 2/3 cup of those crumbs, and put in a bowl, and mix with the sugar and butter. Pour into your prepared pie pan. Next, try this nifty trick. I've actually done this, so it's not merely rumor. Take some plastic wrap and lay it loosely over the pie pan with your crumbs; then gently press said crumbs together and up the sides of the dish as far as they go. Try to keep it even, so that you don't have two inches of crust on one side and a bare spot on another. After you've pressed it in, put it in the fridge. Then make your filling!
2 packages cream cheese
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cups sugar
Put these in your mixer and mix them until very smooth. I put mine in my mixer and then ignored it for about 5 minutes. Medium high. Still lumpy after 5 minutes? Keep whipping it. When it's ready, pour into crust.
Here's where it's tricky. Originally my recipe said to bake it for 20 minutes. However I've noticed that my oven has mood swings and quite frequently it withholds its heat and love from whatever I'm baking, so sometimes I have to increase the baking time. I hope it's not an electrical problem.
Anyway, my cheesecake baked for about 40 minutes. Which begs the question; how did I know to keep it in there?
Here's how: when the timer goes off, open the oven, put on your oven mitts or grab your stained, ragged and unravelling pot holders and start taking the cheesecake out. Does it jiggle in the middle like my middle does when I try to jog? It needs to stay in a little longer, just like my jogging sessions should be. I do it in 10 minute increments until it is set in the middle.
Once it is set in the middle, you can let it cool. Mine got a crack or two in the top. The edges were golden brown and puffed. You can put it in the fridge and let it set overnight. Congratulations. You have both more willpower and patience than I do. Or you can do what our health-conscious household administration does: cut right into it. Offer a slice to the constituents but once they hear it's cheesecake, they won't take a bite. All the more for you! Top it with some berry sauce that your sister made.
What? You don't have a sister that makes triple berry jam/sauce? I feel for you. Be sure to lick the plate when you're done. Nobody will judge you. In fact, they won't even see you because they'll be too busy licking theirs.
"Never gonna give you up" is totally blasting through my mind right now. And it's nobody's fault but my own.
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