Please welcome Heather Gray! She’s sharing her yummy Cheescake Recipe with us! Take it away Heather!
Christmas cooking is always tricky at my house. My husband loves pecan pie. My son can’t stand it. My son lives for pumpkin pie. I love HIM enough to have taught him how to make a mean pumpkin pie, but you’re not going to ever find me taking a bite of the stuff. I’m the only one who likes apple pie, but I don’t like it enough to go through all the work of making it only to then be stuck with all the calories of eating it. I’ve only found one thing that we all like and agree on. So, no matter what else graces the dessert table at Christmas, there will always be cheesecake. This is my mom’s recipe. Though I’ve occasionally tried a different just to experiment, I always come back to this one. I’ve been baking this cheesecake almost as long as I’ve been married, which is just south of twenty years. Whatever you do, though, don’t ask me about the crust. You’re on your own for that! I’ve done everything from grahamcracker crust, to chocolate crust, to pecan caramel crust. I like them all, but crust doesn’t come naturally to me. It never turns out quite the way I want, and I often end up buying the pre-made ones in the grocery store. Don’t judge me. Until you’ve tasted the cheesecake, that is. :)CheesecakeIngredients2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened. (Leave at room temperature to soften. Do NOT take the microwave shortcut.)2 eggs3/4 c. sugar2 tsp vanilla (If you’ve got a less expensive imitation vanilla, you’ll want a generous tablespoon instead)DirectionsPre-heat yoru oven to 350.Beat cream cheese slightly.Add egg, sugar, and vanilla.Beat until light and fluffy. (You might be tempted to eat it by the spoonful at this point, but I’ll remind you of all the salmonella warnings about uncooked eggs and that you will not have enough left for your cheesecake if you go too crazy with that spoon right now.)Poor into crust. (This makes a fairly generous serving. If you have a shallow pie crust, you’ll definitely end up with leftover filling. If you’re craftier than I am, you can make little mini-cheesecakes in a muffin tin with the extra filling.)Bake until firm (not jiggly), usually 25 minutes — although this will vary a lot depending on your oven.Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving. (Don’t skip this step. You do need to bake and then refrigerate. I always bake it the day before so there’s less stress on Christmas Day.)Now check out Heather’s Christmas Story!
Back Cover Blurb:
Anything can happen on the road to Nowhere…
A journalist and single mother, Avery is used to being in control, though she tries to remind herself to let God take lead in her life. Eli, her teenage son, is happy as long as he has his music, plenty of food, and the occasional adult on which to practice his rapier wit. Gavin, a virtual stranger, is a photojournalist who mysteriously disappeared from the scene a few years ago.
The trio ends up together for a Christmas road trip to the small town of Nowhere. An eight hour drive in a rental car turns into two days of misadventure and calamity as bad luck stalks them. They get a flat tire, the bumper falls off, the car overheats – and that’s only the beginning! Along the way they meet some interesting people – from a bait shop owner who moonlights as a mechanic to a chatty preacher’s wife and a highway patrolman whose wife and mother can’t agree on the best way to remove a skunk’s stink.
Hungry, cold, and tired, the three finally arrive in Nowhere only to discover the town is nothing like they expected. Reaching their destination, it turns out, doesn’t necessarily mean the journey has ended.
Author Bio:
Aside from her long-standing love affair with coffee, Heather’s greatest joys in life are her relationship with her Savior, her family, and writing. Years ago, she decided it would be better to laugh than yell. Heather carries that theme over into her writing where she strives to create characters that experience both the highs and lows of life and, through it all, find a way to love God, embrace each day, and laugh out loud right along with her.
Buy Links:
Amazon
Smashwords
Where to Find Me:
My Website – http://www.heathergraywriting.com
My Blog – http://www.heathergraywriting.com/blog
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/heathergraywriting
Twitter – http://twitter.com/LaughDreamWrite
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051662.Heather_Gray
