The Vacationing Baker

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

Note from the shore house: If Abbey's cake is "infamous," isn't that a bad thing? Wouldn't Abbey want her cake to be famous, and not one that has an extremely bad reputation? Food (literally) for thought.

Despite that, I baked up this devilish little concoction for Easter. There was a lot of talk on The Daring Baker message boards about cheesecake cracking, and many bakers said that no matter how hard they tried (water bath, cooling for an hour in the oven, etc.) it still cracked. I have to say, this is only the second time I baked a cheesecake and neither cracked. I think...and I could be wrong...it may have to do with my low fat substitution. I used neufchatel, that 1/3 fat variety of cream cheese. Mostly because every time I read the ingredients used in cheesecake, I feel like I need to have preventative angioplasty! So I trim the fat, so to speak, where I can. The cheese has more of a creamier consistency than full fat cream cheese, and when you pour it into the pan you can almost tell it's not going to crack from the texture of the batter.

We also were instructed by our Daring Baker leader to do something funky (not sure that was the words they used) with it to make it our own. So, I went for a margarita. Ole!

I used my favorite spelt pretzels in lieu of graham crackers for the crust. I crushed up about half a bag (3 to 4 ounces) of them along with a tablespoon or so of sugar. I used 6 tablespoons of melted butter to bind it together. I thought the pretzels would be a nice salty rim for my cocktail-themed dessert.

Then, in place of the lemon the original recipe called for, I used the juice of one lime and its grated zest. When I'm using zest, I go organic by the way. Just seems prudent.

I also omitted the vanilla and added a tablespoon of tequila and a tablespoon of triple sec.

I did bake it in a water bath, something I hadn't done before, and the message boards were right on this one -- no matter how tight you wrap your springform pan in multiple layers of aluminum foil, there will be seepage. Which makes for a soggy crust. My crust wasn't too bad at all (apparently my springform has a nice, tight seal) but wow was there a LOT of water in the foil. Next time, I think I would trying buying a deep, disposable pan and putting the springform inside of that, then placing that in the pan of water.

As you can see, after following the directions (for a change!) the cheesecake came out 100% crack-free. I took a picture just in case she decided to crack overnight.

The next day I gussied her up for showtime:

Isn't she beautiful?

I actually baked something that I would buy!

I "plated" my whipped cream in a margarita glass. I debated adding more lime zest to that, but was glad I didn't. The one lime's juice and zest made the cake very limey -- almost like a key lime pie taste. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I was just surprised how much one pretty small lime affected the flavor.

The full recipe is on Jenny Bakes' blog...just click over to give it read.

I'd be happy to email you mine with my modifications if you want to give my Happy Hour version a whirl.

Vacation update: After a weekend of Jazz Festing in New Orleans, we're heading out later to Vegas. Good times are being had by all...

See you soon!

Apparently...

...I'm very popular in the south.

I'm on a bit of an American road trip right now...so checking in with y'all (spoken like a true local) will be sporadic for another week. That said, The Daring Bakers wait for no (wo)man so I'm going to wow you with my skills (tongue firmly planted in cheek) once again this week.

Have a wonderful week!

Canisters a la Paris.

These canisters traveled back from Paris with me several years ago...on my lap. In a box the size of a toaster oven. In my tiny (coach, mais oui) airplane seat. Ahhh...to be young and stupid.

But I love them. In fact, when I went to Paris I was obsessed with finding kitchen canisters en francais at the famous Clignancourt Marché aux Puces (flea market). They made it from my Pad du Bachelorette to their latest home in the shore house kitchen, on the built in shelf we inherited.


It's funny...When we first looked at the house, we were like "Ewwww...kitchen!" We DEFINITELY needed a new refrigerator off the bat, and planned on "living with" the rest of it for a while. But you know what? After some SERIOUS elbow grease (did I mention, "Ewww?"), mini DIYing, and the addition of some fun art...we kind of dig it. As in, I think we're keeping everything pretty much as-is. And aside from the refrigerator and dishwasher we needed and bought (on sale, of course) all of our improvements and furnishings to-date have cost well under $500.

You'll meet our kitschy kitchen in my next post, but today I'm guest blogging over at Fifi Flowers' blog as part of Paris month. Click over to learn more about my quest for the canisters, and to see Jean Martha's photos from her very recent trip to the Clignancourt flea en Paris.

And since it's Earth Day, be sure to get out and smell (or plant) the flowers...or clean the beaches...or buy from your local farmers. The Iris bulbs I planted last Earth Day bloomed for the first time this weekend...I cannot believe how huge they got in one year! This beauty's over three feet tall...

Spring Fever

That's what I thought I had. Turns out I had an actual fever. Ick.

I think it's pollen related (A-CHOO!) but I've been laying low. And apparently losing my mind. I have misplaced more objects this past week than I can remember. (See...I can't even remember how many objects!) One of them is my camera cord which I now remember where I placed...and that place is not the shore house. Oh well.

The other thing I've managed to remember is that I'll be guest blogging over at the fabulous Mlle. Fifi Flowers' online home on April 22! I'm tres excited...I've never guest blogged before...and need to get that finished tout de suite. It’s all things Paris right now over at Fifi’s, and I’m happy to be a part. I even baked Fauxssants for breakfast this morning to celebrate (more on that later, since my photos are presently being held captive in my camera).

In the meantime, while I pull myself together mentally and physically, I wanted to share some photos I've taken over the past couple of months of memorial bench plaques scattered throughout town and on the boardwalk. What a great way to memorialize a loved one. Some are sad, others poignant, and many quite funny (I think I would have liked “pancake man”). Enjoy...

Orchid love.

I'm not a trendy person. So I don't much care if the orchid trend is over. I love orchids, and am proud of it.

So when I stumbled onto Neptune, New Jersey's, Silva Orchids last year (via the Union Square Farmers' Market in NYC), I was immediately smitten. Brothers Joe and Tony Silva run the business their father Augusto started in 1957, bringing, "the dedication to quality and a love of the business learned from our founder and hope that some of this passion helps to inspire the awe of the beauty and majesty of these horticultural treasures of God’s creation."

Last week, with blog post in my mind and camera in my hand (and orchid in need of triage), I went back for a visit. I also figured that the cheery flowers would distract me from the 30-degree "spring" temperatures in our neck of the world.

Down a winding suburban road just a handful of miles from the shore house lies this tropical paradise. The greenhouse is filled with varietals an amateur like myself can't even wrap her head around.

But along with the amazingly knowledgeable brothers are helpful signs to guide you along your journey...

And they are everywhere you turn...


Don't forget to look up...More roots than Britney Spears' hairline!

And the COLORS. The day I went to Silva the sun was barely poking from behind the cumulonimbus, and yet the flowers were still stunning. Even the man of the shore house was impressed. And usually he falls asleep in the nearest chair when I take him places like this.

In fact he was so infatuated, he picked one out for me. All by himself! Here she is, back at home...

(Note: I could have taken the power drill and dog bone out of the background, but it is shore house chic after all.)

I bought an orchid at Silva about this time last year that is (somewhat shockingly, even though I showered it with love all year) about to bloom again. Yay! It was just looking a little...well, sad...so I brought it back to get a professional opinion. Not only was Tony helpful in assessing and recommending (tweezers to pull out any nasty bits around the base of the foliage, followed up by a gentle peroxide mist at the leaf base to prevent infection), he actually did all this for me and tucked Penelope (seems like a good orchid name) into a bag and back in my car.

June 5th and 6th will be the opportune time to visit for their annual Silva Orchids Culture Day and Sale. More info is coming soon on their web site, but if I remember the flier from last year it's an open house with potting and growing seminars, a hands-on culture planting tutorial, and a BBQ. Visit their web site at silvaorchids.com for more information as it becomes available.

Go ahead...make my day.

Well YOU all certainly know how to make a gal's day! I had fun taking a "trip down bloggy lane" for my last post, and was amazed by how much this past year has brought me. More amazing were the comments you left. I took an online sabbatical for three (!!!) days...you know, the whole reducing my carbon footprint, reducing the dust bunnies on my long-neglected floors, etc....and returned to some of the nicest things people have ever said. As my mom says, "if you're having a bad day, just read your blog comments."

Speaking of bunnies, the ones of a non dusty variety made their way into the shore house living room. I have a new addition, thanks to the amazingly artistic Tina at The Artful Life. Isn't Gentleman Bunny fabulous? I won him in an auction...

Tina is one talented and crafty (and super sweet) lady, and has an Etsy store with some of her treasures.

Gentleman B joined the bunny my mom bought me last year...the first decoration to make it past the shore house threshold...and another bunny she bought me this year, who unfortunately arrived to the party APO (After Photo Op). They currently live together in my wildly eclectic (EGGclectic? Har har.) display...

And while we're on my china cabinet (well, not ON it per se, so much as on the topic of...) as I was snapping away I decided to take a look at the living room's evolution in Year One at the Shore House. To review, here she was last winter on closing day:

Here she was one year ago this week, our first room done, or at least the first one RFPO (Ready for Photo Op):

And here she was this weekend:

That antique china cabinet has replaced the faux foliage, and was one of the deals of the century (or at least of the year). There was also the addition of that long-awaited round dining table, direct from the old stand-by Pottery Barn after I bailed on the local store that kept screwing up the order/delivery/everything (incidentally, they went of business this year. Shocking, I know...). Thank you, PB. Your round table that expands to seat six comfortably (seven...we've done it) kind of rocks my world.

I also had to head to the Home Goods this weekend to buy another area rug. Sand-colored sisal + black dog = big mess. So this darker one, scored for a mere $49 at the Asbury Park Home Goods, will do a better job.

And you kind of, sort of make out the orchid on the dining table. I don't care if they're falling out design favor...I puffy heart orchids. Wait until you see the orchid grower I went to on Saturday during my online sabbatical! (It's amazing what the world has to offer when you turn off your computer...)

So...next stop: Silva Orchids. See you there!

"It all started one day last summer..."

That was the headline for my blog post one year ago today. My first ever!

I started this blog last April 2 to tell the story to friends and family about our new house. Frankly, I was sick of telling the story! So I thought it would be easier to just jot down an abbreviated version. Plus I was excited to show off the first room we completed to them, and was hoping to update the blog every now and then with photos of new projects, the crap treasures I picked up on my Jersey Shore adventures, and the random musings of my (admittedly plain) life.

And a blog was an easy way for me to do all that.

And I started visiting more blogs, and leaving comments. Then, those people would find me here.

And, here you all are!

You got to see shore house rooms made over...

...many (most!) times on the cheap.

We had a visit from Cat Woman:

Dear Laura:

Thanks for the glorious compliment. You're right about sharing garden ideas. A half-hour walk in my garden is like a two week vacation in Hawaii.

With generous love.

Julie Newmar

I planted my very first seeds.

And experienced my first gardening successes.

And then those friggin squirrels came around and stole my corn.

I learned that wisteria grows really, really fast. Then tries to eat you.

I’ve taken you shopping with me. Many, MANY times.

And a lot of those times, we found some GOOD deals.

I’ve taken you inside the famous Ocean Grove tents (I think that was my favorite post of the last year).

We’ve baked.

We’ve burned.

You’ve helped me raise money for a cause very, very dear to me.

We’ve celebrated holidays together.

We’ve shared smiles.

And some tears.

But all in all, it been a pretty fabulous year of discovery for me in so many ways.

Nesting Instincts was one of the first blogs I happily stumbled upon, and Courtney was super supportive of me from the get go. So it seems only fitting to welcome the newest chick to her nest this week, her gorgeous son Caleb. I actually got a little misty when I saw his photos on her blog. Because this woman clear on the other side of the country has come into my life and my home -- through a BLOG! And now she's a little part of my extended family out there.

As are you all.

Because of a BLOG!

Wow.

I can't thank you enough for making the shore house a part of your day.

With love from "the shorehouse,"

Laura