So much to do at the moment and so little time to do it in. Today, I am going to make a Strawberry Cheesecake as well as some cookies/brownies for the children. The cheesecake will be to celebrate the start of “Wimbledon Fortnight”, packed full of strawberries, a luscious cream filling and a crunchy biscuit base. A delicious treat for teatime on a very dismal day.
I love my cheesecake recipe right now. I used the same recipe for my Oreo Cheesecake the other week but I have just changed the flavours to suit. I have swirled [amazon_textlink asin=’B010NGQ0FE’ text=’strawberry sauce’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’wwwlovetobake-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’e0830aec-60de-11e7-976b-43638059545c’] in which the children use on their icecreams and I have edged the cheesecake with fresh sliced strawberries. It looks really nice and I can’t wait for it to be set enough to eat. It doesn’t have [amazon_textlink asin=’B0170CDNTU’ text=’gelatin’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’wwwlovetobake-21′ marketplace=’UK’ link_id=’bcd06671-60de-11e7-b6f0-af276cc5362e’] in the recipe which really impresses me as I don’t particularly like cheesecake which you have in restaurants – too much gelatin. Yuck! I have used digestive biscuits as the base which compliment the strawberries perfectly. I will be adding this recipe with lots of pictures to my all recipes.com page and on my blog later today.
I have been decorating this last couple of weeks but don’t seem to have got very far. Instead of painting today, I am going to prepare some areas of the house ready to start painting again tomorrow. I feel like I have so much to catch up on and finish before the children break up for school holidays. Before we know it this week will have gone by – feel like I am getting old.
Back to food, for tea, last night, the children made Homemade Chicken Nuggets with Potato Wedges with my help. Something quite simple after a busy day at home for myself. I think children eat a lot more when they are involved in the making of a meal. This meal would have been great for the 4th of July celebrations if I had some little flags of USA to decorate their plates with. I might run to the shop and get some flags and make the cheesecake a celebration for UK (Wimbledon Fortnight) and USA (Independence Day).
For the chicken nuggets and potato wedges the only equipment I needed was scissors, baking trays and a few plates. I use sunflower spray to oil the trays for the nuggets and wedges. I cut the chicken breasts into nugget size pieces with the scissors and I use three plates one for the egg, one for the flour and one for the breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are usually homemade from stale bread mixed with some which I have bought from a shop. I have even been known to crush up cracker biscuits if I haven’t got enough breadcrumbs. For the wedges, I chop up the potatoes, skins left on, into chunks and place them on the tray. Season with salt and pepper and that is it. Perfect every time.
Questions which I need to find the answers to this week are what to make as a birthday cake for a friend this week? What can I use a bunch of radishes in this week? What can I add to quinoa to make veggie burgers as a change? What flavour bread to make this week to go with bacon and sausage with mushrooms and onions smothered in brown sauce?
I find baking quite a calming pastime which I really enjoy. Sometimes I take myself off into the kitchen to bake just to have some time to think. Painting and decorating can have the same effect but is more strenuous. It is time to think about what I am going to bake this later today when the children get home.