Cheesecake Factory's Carrot Cake Cheesecake

I found this online and I highly recommend it. I'll give you the website but also post the recipe itself. I made
this for my Mother-in-law's birthday because in this house everyone loves cheesecake and her favorite dessert is carrot cake. This was the PERFECT combination!


***Cheesecake***
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon flour
3 eggs
***Carrot Cake***
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 can (8.5 ounce size) crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained well, reserve juice
1 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
***Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting***
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon reserved pineapple juice


In large bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in flour, eggs and vanilla extract until smooth. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare Carrot Cake.

Carrot Cake:
In large bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in dry ingredients; mixing well. Stir in drained pineapple, carrots, coconut and walnuts.

Spread 1 1/2 c. carrot cake batter over bottom of greased 9- or 9 1/2" springform pan. Drop cream cheese batter over carrot cake batter by spoonfuls; top with large spoonfuls of remaining carrot cake batter. Repeat with remaining cream cheese batter, spreading evenly with a knife. Do not marble with a knife. Bake in preheated 350  F oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake is set and cooked through. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. When cake is cold, prepare Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Pineapple Cream Cheese Frosting:
In a bowl of electric mixer, combine cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and reserved pineapple juice. Beat until smooth and of spreading consistency. Frost top of cheesecake. Refrigerate 3 to 4 hours before serving.

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/512/Cheesecake_Factorys_Carrot_Cake_Cheesecake31427.shtml

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 c. chocolate wafer crumbs
1/3 c.) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
12 oz. semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
24 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp van extract
1 c. sour cream

2 c. Cherries, diced(ish)

Combine crust ingredients and press in bottom of 9" spring form pan.  Combine filling ingredients and pour over crust. Bake on 350 for 50-55 minutes. Let cool.  Refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight. 

When I made this recipe I cut it in half and made 4 mini cheesecakes! 

Chicken with Pineapple Marinade

This is an absolute favorite of mine that my dad makes! We generally call it Baby Crap Chicken because of the way the marinade looks when it's done. Never fear though! It's excellent! I do not like cillantro at all, but this recipe has it and I don't even mind! Just try it. I usually serve it with corn on the cob and rice. I'm making it for my Mother-in-law's birthday dinner because she loves pineapple so I'm excited to see how she likes it. :)

1/2 med. pineapple, peeled, cored, and chopped (or 1 can pineapple)
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. unsweetened pineapple juice (or reserved juice from can)
1/2 c. lime juice
1/4 c. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. lime zest
4 chicken breasts
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 T. honey

In large blender, combine all but chicken breasts and puree. Pour marinade over chicken, either in a large bowl or in bags(which I prefer) and let marinade in refrigerator for 6 hours or overnight. Grill for 30 - 40 minutes, turning frequently.

Clarifying Measurements

Cup = c.
Tablespoon = Tbsp. or T.
Teaspoon = tsp. or t.
Pound = lb
Pint = pt.
Quart = qt.
Gallon = gal.
3 t. = 1 T.
Ounces = oz.
Cup = 8 oz.
Pint = 16 oz. or 2 c.
Quart = 32 oz. or 4 c. or 2 pt.
Gallon = 128 oz or 16 c. or 8 pt. or 4 qt.

Note: Solids and Liquids are not always the same when measuring. It something asks for 8 oz by weight, it's different than throwing that ingredient into a cup. You really do have to weigh it out! Not always, but be aware of these small indications in recipes.

So those are the general measurements you will see in my posts that have been asked to be clarified by a reader. There are so many more. You really can just look things like this up on the internet my friends. :) Any other questions, please feel free to ask.

Morning cooking rant & Cocktail Meatballs Recipe #1

All I have been craving for the past 3 days, are cocktail meatballs!!! I haven't really had any pregnancy cravings until now. My only problem, my mother keeps telling me she will get me the stuff to make things, so I count on her, and she FAILS me! This is one of the reasons why I hate cooking at my parents house. (mom already knows this so I have no problem posting this) It's so frustrating. That, and no one ever wants to do the dishes, ever. Like, "Hey let's have Megan or Walt cook and then refuse to do the dishes!" It kind of pisses me off that everyone thinks it's okay to reap the rewards or me and my dad's awesomeness and not contribute anything in return. Especially because right now, I'm ready to pop and would really appreciate a little support if I'm going to be cooking for 8-9 people! Anyway... I like cooking at my inlaws because my mother-in-law is the best sou cook ever! She's always asking what she can do, keeps me company, and cleans up as I cook if I haven't gotten to it yet. They have a dishwasher, mind you, but still... at my parents, no one ever wants to be in the kitchen to keep you company. I think they are all always scared that they will have to do something. Ugh. Alright... There's my rant for the morning, now on to the recipe.

Cocktail Meatballs #1

1lb precooked frozen meatballs
1 can jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 c. chili sauce
1 T. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Combine all except meatballs in crock pot, blend well. Add meatballs. Simmer for 1 hour or until meatballs are hot through.

Applebee's Fiesta Lime Chicken (copycat)

One night I was at home craving this recipe. I decided to make it at home. I highly recommend it! I have made it twice and absolutely love it. I like to play with the different amounts of toppings and the order of topping. One time I did not put the chips under the sauce. Instead I waited until after the baking process and placed the chicken breast over the chips when plating. It looked good and was good but the chips were a little crunchier than I preferred. Try it! Love it!

Fiesta Lime Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups tortilla chips, crumbled
1 cup Montery Jack, colby, or mild cheddar cheese, shredded (I use a mexican blend)

Marinade
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1 cup water
2 1/2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp garlic
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Sauce
2 cups sour cream
1 pack Hidden Valley fiesta ranch dips seasoning packet
   (If you can't find this, Hidden Valley makes a Spicy Ranch that works just as well. Mix 1 cup sour cream, 1 cup Spicy ranch, and 3 Tbsp taco seasoning. Do this to taste!)

Combine all Marinade ingredients in a bowl or bag. Put chicken breasts in marinade and leave for at least 1 hour. (The longer you leave the chicken, the stronger the flavor!)
Cook the chicken breasts in a skillet until done, pouring the marinade over periodically.
When finished, place breasts in a baking pan cover each one with crumbled chips.
Spoon sauce on top of the chips, as desired.
Top with cheese, as desired.
Bake at 350 until cheese is melted and heated through, about 10 minutes.
Serve!

I like to serve this dish with a vegetable and either noodles or seasoned rice.

Buttermilk French Toast w/ Strawberry Compote

How about a breakfast recipe?! I say yes. This was my dad's idea and I had never made french toast with buttermilk before. The dip for the bread was runnier than normal french toast mix I have made in the past, but it had a wonderful consistency and texture when it was finished and I personally think it was easier to work with. They were go good and I made a Strawberry Compote for on top. The only thing that could have made this better would have to made a cream to make them stuffed! I froze the leftover pieces for a quick breakfast for my son in the mornings. Even reheated, this was still good.
NOTE: Vanilla extract can be used instead of almond in this recipe!

Buttermilk French Toast
12 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 loaf bread

Beat eggs.
Beat in buttermilk, almond extract and seasonings.
Dip bread in batter, turning to coat both sides, and cook on a lightly oiled skillet until both sides are golden.

Strawberry Compote
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
If Needed: (1/8 cup cornstarch, mixed with cold lemon juice)

Combine in small pot. Stir occasionally. Boil until mixture thickens slightly