The one with all the New York cheesecakes...

 'It was cheesecake. It was fine. It had a buttery, crumbly, graham cracker crust, with a very rich yet light, cream cheese filling… Wow! My whole mouth just filled with saliva.' Rachel Green!

Today I am posting about our love (my husband and I) for the New York Cheesecake! Our love for the NY Cheesecake began while watching Friends repeats. We are avid fans and no matter how many times we watch it we always laugh! Anyway, remember the scene above where Rachel and Chandler are eating a cheesecake off the floor? Didn't they make it look so tasty? Didn't you want some of it? We did!

We weren't really cheesecake fans but we set out to try an authentic New York Cheesecake during our trip to the Big Apple in 2009. We wanted to see what the fuss was about between Rachel and Chandler from friends! Lol. I know so sad...but it was sooooo good, we both fell in love with the cake.

Of course back in the land of Oz trying to find a NY cheesecake that actually tasted like a NY cheesecake was impossible!

So I tried a few recipes then combined and altered them all and until I got this one!
Enjoy! 

Oh I even did a “Chandler and Rachel” and accidentally dropped the Cheesecake that you see in the photos. Somehow it didn't touch the ground but it did end up lop sided! So I was actually not going to blog about it as it was hard to get good photos, but my husband insisted I post about it.

Remember Chandlers line, "I’m full, and yet I know if I stop eating this, I’ll regret it." Well that is my husband’s feelings towards this cheesecake! lol

My New York Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients

Crust

145gm plain arrowroot biscuits

¼ cup of coconut

100gm unsalted butter melted

Filling

2 packets x 250 gm cream cheese

1 1/4 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon butter

3-4 tablespoons tapioca flour

400 ml sour cream

5 eggs

Topping

1 cup of sour cream

2 tablespoons or (to your liking) of white sugar

Preparation

• Pre-heat oven to 150c
• Spray a cheesecake tin with baking spray. Then cut some baking paper for edges and base of cheesecake tin, making sure that the baking paper around the edges is at least 1.5 cm higher than the rim, so when the cake rises it won’t spill over the sides.
• Boil kettle of water.
• Put biscuits in a food processor and blend until finely ground. Add the butter and coconut and mix until well combined. Spoon mixture into the tin, patting until crust is evenly flat. Refrigerate.

• Wrap aluminium foil around the cake tin, so no water will get in the tin.

• In a bowl of an electric mixer beat the cream cheese with the butter for a few minutes. With the mixer on medium speed gradually add the sugar and tapioca flour until well blended. Add sour cream and mix well.
• Reduce mixer to low speed setting and add one egg at time, until each one is just combined.
• Pour the filling over the prepared base.
• Place the tin wrapped in aluminium foil in a large tray with boiled water. The water should reach halfway on the sides of the cake tin. 

(The aluminium foil is to prevent surface cracking, although when using flour or cornstarch it shouldn’t crack, but I always cook cheesecake like this just in case!)

• Cook for 1 ½ hours.
• Cool with oven door ajar. (Another tip to prevent surface cracking.)
• For the topping, mix sour cream and sugar and spread evenly on cake while still slightly warm.
• Cool completely while in baking tin.
• Refrigerate overnight. 

Trying to straighten the fallen ones!

Chandler Bing - "I can't seem to say goodbye."

Blessings Friends

Anita X

Tasty Beef Wellington

Hello lovely ones,

Don’t you find that time just flies! One minute I am singing bedtime songs to my son like, ‘He’s got the whole world in his hands or Jesus loves me this I know,’ now he is requesting, ‘Everybody wants kung fu fighting, your mind because fast as lighting, although the future looks a little bit frightening, its the book of life that your writing...’ Does anyone even know how to sing that as a lullaby? Lol! It is too much of a fun song to sing soothingly! :) He has been watching Kung Fu Panda (minus the scary scenes) and now this is the only song he wants me to sing! It’s so funny I had to share it. Does anyone have funny kid’s stories to tell? Would love to hear them!

Well speaking of time flying, winter is upon us again! I know that many people don’t share this sentiment, but I love winter. The rain, the cold, the overcast sky, being cosied up with my family at home and of course the warm winter foods - meat pies, sausage rolls, soup... the list goes on but one dish I have been craving since the cold weather started is a nice beef wellington.

After searching through heaps of recipes, and not finding one I liked I made up my own.  This recipe has been a hit with my family and I am sure it will be with yours. Hope you get a chance to try it, if so let me know how it goes. : )

Beef Wellington Recipe

• 500 gm Lean Beef (I buy a lean cut rump or blade steak and mince it. )
• ½ Carrot grated
• 1 Onion chopped
• 1 Garlic chopped
• 1 Swiss Mushroom chopped
• 3 Tbs tomato sauce
• 2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tsp Parmesan Cheese
• 3-4 Sheets Puff Pastry 
• 6-8 Slices of Prosciutto sliced thinly
  Salt & Pepper 

• Pre heat oven to 200 decrees

• Lightly fry the onion, carrot and garlic until soft. Then mix in a bowl with minced meat, mushroom, tomato sauce, dijon mustard and parmesan cheese.

• Once the puff pastry has thawed, lay slices of prosciutto to cover sheet.

• Add the meat mixture on the prosciutto forming a sausage shape then roll the pastry around the mixture wrapping it to form a log.

• Lightly brush egg over it.

• Press the ends with a fork and cook for 30 minutes in fan forced oven.

• Cover with aluminium foil and let it stand for about 5-10 mins.



It will look like a massive log...

but so tasty I promise! :)

Anita X

Tahini and Almond Milkshake

So recently I rediscovered Tahini and I love it! It’s great to have something that I like and can tolerate with my condition!  I was looking for another energy boost the other day and thought how nice would Tahini be in a milkshake? Yes I’m addicted  :)

And well I made this milkshake. You either love it or hate it, my husband does not like it ;( And while I usually value his opinion about what not to post, I couldn’t resist with this one because I love it! I don’t get that yucky feeling in my belly once I have it like I do with other shakes and the almond meal gives me a good energy boost. So enjoy if you are interested! 

Tahini and Almond Milkshake

2 cups of Almond Milk

5 Tablespoons (Roughly) of Almond Meal

4 Tablespoons Chocolate Chip

6 Tablespoons Tahini 

3 Tablespoons Almond Milk
Crushed Ice (optional)

• Melt the chocolate chips, tahini and the three tablespoons of almond milk in microwave for 20 seconds in 10 intervals.
• Blend the 2 cups of almond milk and almond meal in a blender just until combined. With the motor running low, pour the chocolate and tahini mixture in the centre and blend until combined.

These are my favourite ingredients at the moment!

Blessings Baby Blessings

I have wanted to use this saying when I saw it on Bobbie Houston’s twitter for a Colour Conference. ;)

LOVE Anita x

Chocolate & Tahini Oat Bar Recipe

'I don’t have to know everything that happens, since I know God is good, He loves me and life on earth isn’t the whole story.' Rick Warren

This quote really inspired me especially after a recent scare with my health. I love knowing that this life isn’t it.

In 2005, I was told I had severe Crohn’s condition and after a year of trying different medicines and experiencing worst symptoms, I began to manage the condition watching my diet for five years. Although I read two great and informative books, ‘The Makers Diet,’ by Jordan Rubin and ‘What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You,’ by Dr Colbert, I didn’t follow any particular diet. Instead I avoided foods that I was intolerant to such as dairy, sauces and gluten, as well as foods or drinks that would aggravate the condition like soda, alcohol and nuts etc. That is not to say I didn’t have the occasional treat I just avoided them most days.

My health declined again after a stressful period of having a baby, moving interstate and moving houses (twice) all in the same year. The condition literally became a thorn in my flesh! Taking several medications also kept me unwell and low in energy. So after being hospitalised recently I decided that I would be very attentive about foods I eat. My naturopath advised me to keep every meal simple, having either steamed or poached meals. Which is fine, but it’s in between meal times that worry me.

The loads of unhealthy convenient snacks that shops fill their aisles with! That’s what I go for when I have just told my gorgeous two year old for the tenth time that day not to jump on the couch, or when he has been crying for an hour and I desperately need an energy boost. Tasty instant fast foods - chocolate bars, biscuits, fruits, breads, and the more I have the more I want. So two minutes later I always find myself with another dangerous snack in my hand thinking it will give me the energy boost I didn't get from my previous snack!

So I wanted to make a snack that actually would give me an energy boost when required. That was tasty and healthy with ingredients that I can tolerate. Something easy that involved no baking, with minimal ingredients and doesn’t spoil quickly. That’s when I adapted this recipe from the blog averie cooks and they are delicious.

Hope you enjoy them as much as my family does.

        Chocolate & Tahini Oat Bar Recipe

• 2 1/2  Quick Oat 
• 1-5 Teaspoons Tahini (Hulled)
• 9 Tablespoons Almond Milk
• 10-12 teaspoons Dark Chocolate Chips
• 6 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• 3 Handfuls of Rice Bubbles

 Almond Meal is high in protein and good energy booster.

• Melt the tahini, almond milk and chocolate chip cookies in microwave for 30 seconds in intervals of 15 seconds.
• In a bowl combine the quick oats, rice bubbles and maple syrup.
• Add the melted tahini mixture and stir with spoon until combined.
• On a flat tray cover with baking paper. Pour combined mixture.
• Cover the mixture with piece of baking paper and being to flatten with hand and then roll with rolling pin until it is spread evenly on the tray.
• Keep covered with baking paper and freeze for 10 minutes
• Cut to prefered size.
• Eat immediately or store in zip lock bag in the freezer.
• I get about 12-14 muesli size bars out of this recipe. 

I cut baking paper in small squares fold it around the bar and roll the ends. Then I store them in a freezer bag  and take them out on the go. They can get a little sticky when they have been out of the freezer for long periods so baking paper helps when eating them.

Be inspired – this recipe is great to substitute and add ingredients. Coconut flakes, chocolate chip oats, nuts, barley flakes, list of healthy ingredients goes on... Enjoy!

I like the idea of giving a healthy gift box when visiting friends and family.

God is Good Always!

LOVE Anita X