adventures in baking- pumpkin cheesecake

A few things led to today's adventure...
1. Mr. J has been having a horrible week (year) at work lately.
2. I try to do little things that make him happy. (Like replacing the toilet paper when I use it all, so he doesn't have to do the walk of shame- too often.)
3. He loves pumpkin pie.
4. I do not.
5. Well, I like the taste. I just don't like the texture.  But you know what I do love? CHEESECAKE.
Sweet, smooth, velvety, melt in your mouth New York cheesecake.
6. mmm cheesecake.
Sorry! I'm distracted. Drooling on the keyboard, dreaming about cheesecake.
7. Then it hit me! Why not combine cheesecake & pumpkin and have a PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE?

The following recipe is adapted from Cook's Illustrated.

Wine Rack

Awhile back I found this beautiful wine/bar/rack at yard sale for $25. Sadly, I don't have room for a wine rack of it's size.  OK, so I probably would have found room and loved it to pieces had it been able to fit in my tiny car.  However, it was steel and glass and definitely not, under any circumstances fitting into my car. Bummer. So, I started looking a thrift shops and other yard sales for a smaller, counter top version.  I found one that held 3 bottles at GoodWill, so I scooped that up for $1.99 and my baby sister found one for $1.99 at a consignment shop, that held two bottles.  However, neither of these held enough wine for their size.  Then, I went to St. Vincent's thrift store, and found one of the ugliest wine racks for $2.99. I, of course, brought it.   

Check out this beauty.

Even Sion was cautious of this.

But! it was just what I was looking for! It holds *9* bottles of wine.

It's compact in size.  

and, unfortunately blessed with this.  What do you even call this?

Miss Lyssa, who was with me at the time, didn't quite approve of my purchase. But it was my $3 to spend, so she let me bring it home. 

January

I've been in a rut about this whole New Year Resolution Business. Last year I made the simple resolution to see my best friend once a month, every month. We named it best friend therapy and we actually kept it.  It was a sort of necessary resolution, in 2010, we hardly saw each other at all. Although we live in different cities, 17 miles isn't that far at all.  Especially when we both have reasons to visit each other's city (aside from our sexy selves, that is).

I mean, who could resist this sexy beast? I know I can't!

So, for 2012, we promised to keep best friend therapy a tradition, except to photo document, because for an "I love you, you're not celebrating Christmas this year" gift, mom & dad gave me a camera. A very, very nice camera. So, I will be taking lots of pictures again. Some of them good, some of them not so good as I try to figure it out. But that also gives me the excuse to go and visit my parents more too.

Because this little guy lives with parents, and he's pretty cute.

But as far as a REAL New Year's Resolution, I'm not sure.  I don't know what I want to achieve this year.  Well, that's not exactly true. I know I would like to become a better photographer, a better person, become more active, more fit, more in love with my life, myself, my family, my friends. I would like to finish my kitchen, dinning room and possibly redo my bedroom.  I want my car fixed. I want to build a beautiful flower garden.  All in 2012. But are any of these resolutions?  No, not really. They're just desires.  Maybe it's not about necessarily making resolutions as it gives people just a mental clean slate to do the things they've been desiring.  Guess we'll give it time and see what I really do accomplish this year.