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White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

I wish i had gotten a better picture before everyone dug in! but it really is amazing cheesecake! Enjoy!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake:

Ingredients:
1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs (oreos, choc. teddy grahams, or choc. Graham crackers)
3 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (10 ounce) package frozen raspberries
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups white chocolate chips
1/2 cup half and half cream
3 (8 ounces) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix together cookie crumbs, 3 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.
In a saucepan, combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and water. Bring to boil, and continue boiling 5 minutes, or until sauce is thick. Strain sauce through a mesh strainer to remove seeds.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt white chocolate chips with half-and-half, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Blend in vanilla and melted white chocolate. Pour remaining cheesecake batter into pan, and again spoon 3 tablespoons raspberry sauce over the top. Swirl batter with the tip of a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake for 50 min. or until filling is set. Cool, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours before removing from pan. Serve with remaining raspberry sauce.

Banana Cream Cheesecake

For the crust:

20 vanilla cream-filled sandwich style cookies
1/4 cup margarine, melted

For the filling:

24 ounces cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 eggs
3/4 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
shredded coconut, for topping (optional)

Use a blender to finely chop the cookies.
Add margarine and blend until they are well combines.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 10" springform pan and smooth it out.
Refrigerate the crust while you make the filling.
Beat cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy.
Beat in sugar and cornstarch followed by the eggs (one at a time).
Beat in bananas, whipping cream, and vanilla.
Pour mixture into crust.
Place pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees and bake an additional 75 minutes, or until center is almost set, adding coconut for last 20 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before removing rim of pan -- Before removing the pan, run warm water over a knife and slide a knife around the edge of the cake to separate the cake from the pan cleanly.
Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered, at least 6 hours.

5 things that Made me Smile..

1. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! I used to be one that would get so irritated when the stores would have Christmas stuff out and start playing music before Halloween, but not this year! I am so over the "rules" of it all. I say decorate, celebrate, and enjoy as early as you want to! Austin and I have been listening to our Christmas music for over a week now, and yesterday I talked Tim into pulling down the decorations. We started putting up some things last night and it just makes the house feel so beautiful! Austin has his own little tree in his room this year and I got a new table runner and ornaments for the dining room. This is defiantly number one on my Smile list! I love Christmas! Pictures of the house soon =)

2. Austin Dancing. Austin loves music and any chance to dance! He does this funny dance..its really like a swat..yeah that's the best way to describe it lol! It is too funny, Tim and I turn on music just to get a good laugh and smile because if Austin is in the room its a dance party!

3. Family! I am so excited to see all my family for Thanksgiving this week! I am even more excited about going shopping on Black Friday with my Mom, Aunts, Best Friend, and hopefully my mother in law if I can talk her into it ;) Starbucks opens at 4 am!

4. New Moon. Yes I saw New Moon at midnight on Thursday with some of my girlfriends. It was so much fun to see a movie on opening night! I will say the character Jacob also puts a smile on my face =)

5. Twins??! One of my friends is having Twins! This really put a smile on my face..and kinda freaked me out! The first time I met her she said "Hi, my name is Eve and I want Twins" Ok...well it wasn't quite like that haha! but she has always said that next time she gets pregnant she really wants twins. I am so happy that her dream is coming true, and I wish her a safe and happy pregnancy!

Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

Both my boys are feeling under the weather! Tim has a massive ear infection (ouch!) and Austin has had a high fever along with a runny nose. So needless to say our weekend plans have changed a little, but that's OK. Tonight I made Chicken Tortilla soup, a recipe I got at our recipe swap this week. SO YUMMY and so EASY! Tim ate two bowls and Austin enjoyed it as well! Perfect dinner for this weather! Yummy dinner and family time tonight and tomorrow. Hope everyone gets to feeling better for Turkey day!

Easy Tortilla Soup
1 can refried beans
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn (shoepeg corn is good if you can find it)
1 can Rotel tomatoes & green chilies
1 can chicken & liquid (Or buy the rotisserie chicken and chop about 2 cups, this is the best way!)
1 can chicken broth
2 c. shredded cheese, divided
¾ c. salsa
tortilla chips
sour cream,
cilantro (optional)

Mix canned ingredients and salsa in large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add 1 c. cheese.Heat till melted. Serve soup with cheese (and broken chips) on top, plus sour cream & cilantro, if you like.

Indian Boy!

The last two days have been great! Yesterday we had some of our friends over for a coffee playdate. It was a nice day so the kids played outside and us moms got to drink coffee and chat. Today we had more friend over to do some fun fall crafts! We made Indian Headbands and Turkey Prints! They turned out soooo cute!

I love this fall outfit! My little Old Navy model! lol

Miss Sydney the Indian Princess!

Miss Sullivan and Mommy Heather

Kamy and Mommy Jessica making their Headband

Turkey Cookies! Thank you Julie!

No idea why it wont turn the right way lol Austin's Turkey print

Our Headband! we made one for Cousin Brooklyn to wear on Turkey Day

My Little Indian Boy

hello???

Smile!

My new coffee carafe wahoo!