Finally, Cheesecake!

It has been a very long time since I was able to make myself cheesecake that was safe for me to eat! So, when I found a cream cheese substitute that I liked, I needed to find a way to use it! I found a recipe to make GF graham crackers, but was hesitant to try it.

 

Finally, I found S'moreables! I knew they existed, but had never found them in the store. I was very nervous about how they would taste, but I've had great experiences with this brand. I decided to buy a bunch of them so I would definitely have enough for a graham cracker crust.

 

 

 

I ate one cracker just to test it out and I was so happily surprised. So I got started with the crust by crushing the rest of the package in a ziplock bag. They are thicker than graham crackers, so I had a harder time getting them crushed up as much as I would prefer. I let MMM try one of the bigger chunks left and he was also surprised at the similarity to glutinous grahams!

 

 

 

 

 

I added sugar and melted DF butter to the crumbs to make the crust. I did the best I could to make the crust evenly spread out in the springform pan, but the larger chunks unfortunately did make it more difficult.

 

 

 

With the crust ready, I started working on the filling. "Better than Cream Cheese" is the cream cheese substitute I mentioned earlier. It is made from tofu! I was so surprised the first time I tried it with bagels. I was thrilled to get one thing back on my food list. I was, however, less than convinced that it would make a decent cheese cake. Lo and behold, I actually found a cheesecake recipe specifically using this brand!

I used two containers of Better than Cream Cheese. I really could have used at least four, but it is pretty expensive so I opted for a thinner version for my first try at this recipe.

 

 

The website I found with the recipe really just gave general concepts without specific measurements. So, according to the website, I added some lemon juice, vanilla extract, sugar, and a little salt and mixed it all together with my blender. I tasted it quickly and was so beyond happy with the result. It was sweet without being overwhelming. And so light and fluffy!

 

 

 

 

 

After 30 minutes!

With the filling in my springform pan, I put it in my toaster oven for just over 30 minutes at 325 degrees. I could see it gently bubbling through the oven door.

 

I let the cheesecake cool on the counter for a few minutes before allowing it to chill in the refridgerator for an hour.

And here is the result! I am so pleased with the outcome. Both MMM and my mom were delightfully surprised as well. It has been such a long time since I've eaten real cheesecake, it would be impossible to say if it tastes relatively similar. My mom declared that while it might not taste exactly like a cheesecake, it was still a delicious dessert! I think I'll be doing a happy dance for the rest of the night.

Earning Points

I have been working on my 'domestic goddess' points lately. Mostly just for my own fun. So I have been working on my projects, which I've already showed you. I finally finished Thor's sweater!! Hurray!

Here he is proudly wearing his new sweater. When I first finished it the sweater was way too big. So I altered it for my little guy and it fits perfectly.

I've started on my third blanket because I just enjoy it so much.

Yesterday i was given the opportunity to gain some more points. I invited two guys to come and eat supper with us! So, I made two soups:

Vegetable Beef (ooh so yummy!)

and Pureed Carrot.

 ( I experimented with this by putting cabbage and rice in before pureeing it)

I also made a lemon cake. I did experimenting with all of the food for yesterday, but the cake was the only one that didn't turn out for the best. It ended up being a bit too dense. So I called it my lemon pound cake! I added a lemon glaze and some blueberries.

It didn't end up being terrible, but I am hoping next time will be better.

I had fun setting up the table with nice napkins and all ready for a nice meal together.

I had a lot of fun playing Susie homemaker. It was a great night with great friends.

We ate good food and played fun games. I hope to keep hosting friends as we continue to make new friends. Oh this is so much fun!

Me in my cute apron.

Dayton - Day Eighty-Five

Tonight is our last night in Dayton. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone. And so much has happened! The day was very busy for me with all the packing. We brought stuff to Dayton that we knew we'd use regularly, and that being the case, I couldn't pack it up until we wouldn't have time to use it again. 

For a while I just blasted some music and got to packing, and then I took a break to chat with one of the greatest friends! It was absolutely the best being able to chat with her. *waves* I steadily continued on with the packing until another chat with a different friend, which was also fantastic! 

MMM got home a bit early (just when I laid down to take a nap, of course) and got busy packing up his things. The afternoon flew by with all the last minute things. We packed up the car and so far it's looking pretty good. Hopefully the last things that go in tomorrow will fit well. 

We walked to the store for the last time to grab some munchies for the road. It is just so strange to be leaving this place. At first it seemed so foreign, but we've both gotten so comfortable here now. It is sad to be leaving our new friends too. 

Now we are preparing the last of our food for our late night supper! :D Maybe a movie too. Our last night here has arrived. Now we just hope for a good graduation, and safety driving home tomorrow! It will be a long weekend of driving for sure. 

Dayton - Day Eighty-Four

Today began normally. MMM left for work, and I wished I could sleep longer. :P I did get eventually and got going. At the meal with his classmates last night, I was asked if I could bake something for their informal class gathering tonight, and their formal gathering tomorrow. I agreed as long as they knew I'd be experimenting. They were eager to be my taste testers.

I got all ready to bake when I realized that I didn't have any eggs! And since we're leaving in just a couple days, I definitely didn't want to buy a whole dozen. So, I walked to the store and chatted with Grams. The store didn't have cartons of 6 eggs which was a big surprise. So I decided to take my experimenting one step further and bought "egg beaters".

After getting home, I got started on the baking. The egg beaters seemed to do well enough. My next experiment was how to put marshmellows into the cookies. I tried several different ways. I was never quite satisfied. The cookies definitely weren't awful, but I'm hopeful to improve them some day. So, I made one experimental batch of cookies, then I made a normal batch with my left over chocolate/peanut butter chips, and then on top of that, used all the rest of my marshmellows to make a huge batch of rice krispie bars! I was a baking machine! It was great because I got to use up a lot of my ingredients, which means there's less to pack and bring home! Woot.

After baking and eating lunch, I was pooped. So I laid on the foot of our bed, in the direct line of sunlight, and got to take a cozy nap! It was fantastic. MMM got home shortly after and we had a nice couple of hours together. We just chatted about our trip back home and what all we need to do. Then he grabbed all the goodies for tonight and headed out.

I have spent the night working on all the dishes, watching Netflix, and talking with one of my all time favorite families! It was so great to catch up with them, and I'm so excited to see them again in November. Now on to more web surfing for things to do on our honeymoon/vacation in Arizona! Toodles!

Dayton - Day Eighty - Two

Well, last night was interesting. I only got about 3 hours of sleep with a 5 hour break in between those measly three hours. I tried to sleep, but it just didn't happen. So, I watched netflix and chatted to my pastor who is currently several hours ahead of us.

I did finally fall asleep for about an hour, but then I had to wake up, which was extremely difficult. I decided to go to the store in order to keep myself awake. I chatted with my sis at the same time, which was nice.

I am starting to feel better! So, I put together I actually got some dishes done and got a start on packing back up for our trip back home. It feels nice to have a head start, and to have a plan for all the food we need to eat. I don't think we'll be able to eat it all.

MMM and I hung out after he got home from work. And soup was the first thing on the menu. We watched some tv, and played some games together. I just enjoyed chatting with my husband. We even watched the Presidential debate...which was less than amusing. But, I enjoyed chatting with a friend from home at the same time.

Now, I desperately need to get some sleep. Goodnight!

Dayton - Day Seventy-Nine

I was feeling a bit better this morning. So, I brought MMM to work and continued on with my day. I met him on base just after lunch to rehearsal their graduation! I'm really excited because I am singing the National Anthem! I've always wanted to sing the National Anthem for some event, and it's even better that it's a military event, and the best part is that it is for my husband!

The rehearsal took a long time, but it was fun. I enjoyed hanging out with some of the guys. By the time we left, it was raining and very cold too. Unfortunately, at this point my head was starting to hurt again. Because of that we spent the afternoon and evening mostly relaxing.

We did run to the store (while it was still raining) to grab supplies to make rice krispy bars which were seriously calling my name. So we worked together to make those tasty snacks and then got to work on supper. We had chicken marinated in Italian dressing with rice and broccoli. I thought it was quite tasty.

We cuddled on the couch to watch a very strange, kinda scary, movie. It was very unique in how it was filmed! The friend who previously visited us called again to say he was coming through again. It was decided that he would spend the night again and we began describing the movie to him bit by bit in order to keep him awake. He did make it safely here, and we are heading right to bed!

Dayton - Day Seventy-Six

We all woke up bright and early today. I got an eggbake in the oven as soon as possible, but it still wasn't ready for MMM to eat before he had to go to work. So sad. :P I brought him to work and there was a crazy long line of cars to get into the base.

Going home, our friend was kind enough to take out the egg bake for me. We ate some and chatted about life in general. Then we headed to a car parts place to figure out for sure what's going on with our car, and also to get a part for him to fix his own car! We spent the next while taking car of both cars. Well, he was taking care of both cars..I was learning how he was doing it! :D

We ate some lunch and enjoyed more great conversation! Then he needed to head out to continue his journey. I left shortly after to go to my Bible study at church. We've been working through Leviticus and Numbers. It has been very interesting!

Then the ladies gave me directions on how to get to the base a new way. This was important, because they are doing construction that will connect the rec area (library, grocery store, etc) to the other portion of the base. This has resulted in the usual entrance being closed. So not only was I driving through a new place, but I had to find a new gate, and manage my way inside this massive base! I was a bit nervous, but I did make it through just fine.

MMM got home and I made supper. I even got to chat with a good friend of mine! Then we headed to the store to get a treat before sitting down for supper and a movie. That's all for now.

Dayton - Day Seventy-Two

MMM had a test this morning, so he didn't have to go in early like he normally would on Friday's. That was nice for me! I got up shortly after he left and got started with my day. My days have consisted mostly in doing research about places to move to once we get back home. It has been a frustrating search, but I see a light at the end of the tunnel!

I had a wonderful chat with my Grammy (*waves* Hi Grammy!) while waiting for MMM to get home for lunch. And I had the food ready to go by the time he arrived home. Lunch was good, and then a walk was very much needed. Mhmm. It was a perfect day today. The weather was gorgeous, and just chilly enough to want a light jacket. I love this weather.

MMM had to go back to school for his physical training (which today meant flag football), so I just hung out at home and worked on baking brownies and cookies!

We were seriously considering the house my friend looked at, but knew there was one thing we needed to negotiate on. We decided that would be the determining factor. So, when MMM got home, we gave the owner a call. It was a nice conversation, but ended up being a dud. Hmph. At first I was pretty frustrated because it was the only good lead we'd had for a place to live. But, in the end, I'm at peace with it. I know if God wanted us there, He would have worked it out the way we needed it. We'll find a place eventually.

We had another game night with the crew. My biggest complaint was that the building was frigid!! I was sooo cold. I'm glad to be back in our cozy room. Now, just hoping for the best in our house search tomorrow.

Dayton - Day Seventy-One

Today was good! I brought MMM to work, and then proceeded to fill the car tank and headed to PT for my final appointment! It's great to be done with PT, but I will miss going there. I really enjoyed getting to know the staff there.

I got back home and immediately set off for the store (with a quick stop at Starbucks) to grab a few things. It was a chilly walk, but not terrible. :) I put together a soup in the crockpot and let it cook on its own (the benefits of a crockpot are so great).

I had small group in the afternoon. It was really great! I felt like God was truly speaking to me about some issues, which is awesome! I enjoyed chatting with the ladies and getting to know them better. It was really fun. I'm glad to have the group of people to interact with.

I decided to explore and go on an adventure on my way home, instead of taking the boring interstate. I drove the back roads and it was very pleasant. I enjoyed my little adventure and found my way home with no trouble at all! I took some very lucky turns (without knowing where I was going) that brought me right where I needed to be.

Once MMM was done with work, we took a walk back to the store! While in the store, an older gentleman approached us and started sharing with us about the ways of life and marriage, and how we should drink pomegranate juice instead of milk. It was interesting, and a pleasure to chat with him.

Supper was tasty! But it was even better after supper because I got some good news about a house a friend looked at for us! It was great to hear her news about the house and potentially our future house. We'll see!

The night got even better with a date night with a blues concert! We got to see the same duo that we saw when we first got to Dayton. They were just as good as always! And this time they even sat down with us and chatted during their break! It was great fun!

Now the night will be ending with MMM studying for his exam tomorrow, and I think I'll help him. :) Ciao!

Dayton - Day Sixty-Nine

Today was interesting. We slept in, which was glorious. Unfortunately, we slept past breakfast with the co-workers, but to be fair, we both thought it was for tomorrow, not today. We were got off guard by MMM being called to work a bit early, but it gave me the chance to bake some cookies!
The cookies were a bit complicated. I did some improvising, and then when it came to how long to bake them it got very difficult. Basically, they weren't cooked all the way through unless the edges got burnt. A frustrating scenario to be sure. But all in all, they did taste pretty good.
They took a bit longer than expected, so I ended up being a bit late for the Bible study. The study was good! We're going through Numbers now and it is really interesting. There are a lot of stories I didn't remember. I really enjoyed being around the older women. They have a lot wisdom that I can learn from.
After the study, I practiced piano and my special music in the sanctuary. It was excellent fun! By this point I was starving, so I grabbed some food for both of us and headed on base.
I met up with MMM where he was playing D&D and we both ate. We were there for about 4 more hours. While they were playing I got to chat with a few different people, which was nice!
MMM decided to go to dance once we got home, and I stayed behind 'cuz I have another headache. Oh well. Hopefully it'll be gone by tomorrow.

Dayton - Day Sixty-Six

It's the weekend! And it's a very long weekend too! We hung out at home for half the day, watching tv, and doing work on the computer. We went out to one of the local parks to go biking, and what do you know? There was a special event going on! It seems that whenever we go out we are coming across some unexpected event. Thankfully, the event today was really fun!

It was the Outdoor Experience event. It included vendors, competitions in kayaking, dog tricks, slack lining, and they had tree climbing (using belays) and they had a BMX show, which was awesome! I really enjoyed our time there, even though it wasn't what we had planned.

The night concluded with us watching Rain Man while eating our supper of brats and potatoes! I remembered it from all the times I had it in Germany, and I really just wanted to have it again. It didn't turn out quite like I expected, but it was good. :)

Dayton - Day Sixty-Four

I have had such a hard time waking up lately..I'm not sure why. I drove MMM to work again, even though I didn't have PT today. I got to work on the lasagna some time before lunch. I am not sure how it will go this time because I didn't use as much sauce as last time.

I knew I was going to a small group over by our church at 1pm, so I went to the church early to play the piano, and practice playing the guitar on stage. MMM and I will be doing special music this Sunday! We still haven't decided whether it will be him playing guitar, myself playing guitar, or I will play piano! Of course, I will be singing as well. Practicing was really fun! And I just barely made it to small group on time!

Small group lasted about two hours, and I really enjoyed getting to know the women there. They had a lot of good things to share. It was so helpful to get some directions from them as well, since they've been here a lot longer than I have. They mentioned many things that would be cool to see with my mom! I'm excited!

I got home just in time to scarf down some lunch before picking up hubbie from work. He told me that he has a lot of free time in the next few days, which we're both excited about! :D We went to a bar with some of the guys for a little while before heading on base for a game night! MMM and I played Pandemic with one other guy while the rest of the crew was playing Dungeons and Dragons (which we might join). It was an interesting experience to watch DnD!

We got home just a little while ago, and now it's time for bed yet again. It seems like the days go way too fast.

Oh, and the lasagna turned out okay, but the top was a little overcooked. :P

Dayton - Day Sixty-Three

It was my day to stay home...well, that's every day isn't it. :P I let MMM have the car today, so the furthest I went was to the store across the street for a few groceries. I decided to remake the Lemon Chicken only this time I made it with oranges. I did like it better than the lemons, but it was still too dry. I forgot from last time that it cooks a lot faster than I expected.

The day was spent journaling, and craigslisting for a house. Neither were incredibly productive. I did leave the house tonight to go to choir, which was fun, as always.

The rest of the night was spent just watching tv with the hubbie and chatting. But we are both very tired, so to bed we go!

Dayton - Day Forty-Seven

The time here has gone quickly! Today I was watching the older daughter again. The biggest thing we did today was bake cookies! We had so much fun doing that. She kept wanting to try the cookie dough, and I just kept saying, "oh, it's not yummy yet, you have to wait!". She is so cute.

It was a rainy day this morning, so making cookies was the best thing I could do to make the day exciting for the little girl. This unfortunately, meant we couldn't go on a walk. One of the many things I have learned being here is that in order to keep everyone happy you need to make each day interesting! I feel like I've learned so much being around my sister's family.

The days are all running together with doing generally the same thing every day. One really sweet thing I did today was take a little nap with the baby sleeping on me! She is such a cuddle bug, and just loves to be held. It was super cute.

I have absolutely loved watching the second season of Downton Abbey! It is pretty dramatic, and has some scandals, but it is SO good!

The only other thing from today was just the frequent texts from MMM which make my day so much happier. I have loved the realization again and again of how lucky I am to have married this guy!