Archive for the ‘turtle cheesecake’ tag
Gifts for a Friend Down on His or Her Fortune
Many of us are faced with a time in which some of our close friends and family are enduring tough economic times. We want to help, but we also don’t want to embarass them by extending unwanted charity. Especially in those types of cases, we want to be sure that the gifts we give them for special occasions are put to good use, needed and enjoyed. I have a few suggestions:
A gourmet fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, delicious and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your local super market. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered to the recipient’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill on their next trip to the super market.
A special meal is another way to remember a birthday or holiday. One possibility might be to take the friend or family member to a popular local restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to recommend a couple of the more expensive entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering what they want. For example, you might say something like, “The crab legs are wonderful here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the tender and tasty filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.)
You might also consider a tasty dessert. No person should have too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves an opportunity to indulge a sweet tooth. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a freshly baked pie or turtle cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.
You may observe that all my recommendationinvolve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, that’s just a bonus. To make it even most festive, invite yourself to share in the delights with them!
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Happy Birthday Cheesecake
My husband is going to be celebrating a major birthday soon. I would like to commemorate this event by having a surprise birthday party for him. A quiet, composed man, he certainly would not enjoy a large affair. The guest list will remain limited…our immediate family and a few of our dearest friends. Because my birthday boy has whatever he truly needs and since he would be extremely embarrassed by opening gifts, I have asked everyone to bring a funny card for him and, if they wish, to make a donation to their favorite charity in his honor.
I plan to host this surprise birthday party at our home. We have a spacious back yard which is well suited to entertaining. There is plenty of room for our parents and brothers and sisters to sit comfortably on the patio, as well as a nice grassy area for the younger children to cavort. Decorations will consist of strings of colored patio lights, which will also illuminate the area sufficiently. Easy-listening music will be heard via speakers from our outdoor CD player to create an ambience of serenity.
In the past, finding suitable birthday refreshments has been a challenge because my husband is not a lover of cake. I have substituted with various treats like pudding cups, chocolate chip cookies, and candy bars. Since this birthday has such significance, I have chosen a decadent turtle cheesecake to take the place of the traditional birthday cake. The crunchy, salted pecans and rich chocolate and caramel swirls which drizzle over the creamy cheesecake will be a treat my husband will find scrumptious. It’s a delicious alternative that will satisfy all of our guests’ cravings.
Flash forward: With all of the planning of this surprise birthday party accomplished, the day of this celebration finally arrived. Mother Nature provided a gorgeous evening. Our parents, siblings, children and friends were in our back yard, waiting to shout the customary “Surprise!”, as I led my husband outdoors to enjoy the delightful weather. Cards were opened, read, laughed at, and passed around for all to enjoy. “Happy Birthday” was sung as I presented the turtle cheesecake, complete with a few lit candles, to my husband. As I predicted, my husband and our party guests thoroughly enjoyed this birthday cake substitute.
The surprise birthday party I planned for my husband turned out to be exactly what he likes most…a simple get-together with our family; enjoying the easy banter among loved ones; appreciating the time spent in each other’s company. He laughed at the funny cards, romped in the grass with the children, teased his brothers, and especially savored his birthday cheesecake.
When the party ended and everyone had gone, my dear husband thanked me profusely for having the kind of party he truly appreciated. I asked him if he had any suspicion about the surprise. He replied, “I kind of suspected something was going to happen”. At least the exceptional turtle cheesecake was a surprise!
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The Top Choice of the Cheesecakes: Turtle
Making a cheesecake can be hard when you are making your first one. You need to make sure that you have a great recipe. This is the real trick to making a great cheesecake. Make sure that your ingredients are fresh, also. There are really two types of cheesecakes. One type is made with cream cheese and one is made with ricotta cheese. Cream cheese will make the cake much more rich and dense. Ricotta will make the cake fluffier. Most people chose cream cheese because it is easier and they like richer cheesecake. A turtle cheesecake is made with cream cheese.
Go online and look for recipes that look good. You will find that there are hundreds of different recipes to chose from. It can be difficult to chose which one to use. Generally, using the one that seems easier is the best one to start with. Use these steps below and you, too, can make a delicious tasting turtle cheesecake.
o You will need packages of cream cheese, sugar, salt, flour, white vanilla, melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, cocoa, cinnamon, whipped cream, eggs and egg yolks to make the turtle cheesecake.
o A springform pan will be needed to bake the cheesecake in. This is the easiest way to make it.
o For the butterscotch sauce you will need brown sugar, evaporated milk, butter, cornstarch and pecan halves.
o There are some things that you need to remember. Make sure that your ingredients are at room temperature.
o You will need to run the tip of a knife around the edge after you bake it.
o Before you refrigerate make sure it is cooled to room temperature.
o When you combine ingredients mix on low so it does not over mix.
Once you have all of the ingredients then you can begin making the turtle cheesecake. Most turtle cheesecakes till need to be baked at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and then temperature reduced to 250 degrees for 90 minutes. To make the butterscotch topping you will need to put the brown sugar, milk and butter into a double boiler. Then stir until it gets thick. Put in the cornstarch and a little water into the mixture. Cook for 7 minutes and then cool. Then stir in pecan halves.
Making a turtle cheesecake can be difficult. Take the suggestions listed above to make a great cake. Pretty soon everyone will be wanting you to make a turtle cheesecake at different functions that you go to. It takes practice but you will learn. Just don’t give up and have fun.
Of course, you could always decide just to drive to your local bakery or cheesecake specialty shop to buy one!
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A Unmarried Man’s Perfect Gift
You know that guy in your life who never seems lucky in love or in life, in general. Certainly you have such a friend; it seems that all of us do.
The gift recommendation that I’m about to make for him is rather expensive, so be prepared. I assure you, though, that you will discover it’s a very good investment on your part. Maybe it’s your son, or nephew, or uncle or your roommate who just refuses to leave.
Try giving him a truly romantic dinner without having to leave the house or apartment. Hopefully he’ll be able to find some date with whom to share it. Let’s face it, nothing sweeps a potential partner off his or her feet quite like a private, romantic, home made dinner. I really do have a particular friend in mind as I write this, and he needs all the help I can give him, and I’m sure your similar friend does, too. You may need to be very specific when you give him your gift and the instructions to go with it. Remind him to light candles, choose the music for him and suggest he pick up his dirty socks.
Start with a gift of a gourmet cheese for the beginning course If he is capable of slicing a couple pears or apples, suggest that as well. He can serve this course as a finger food or at the dining table as the formal beginning of the meal.
The second course should be a fine, gourmet lobster dinner a different seafood dinner or perhaps a combination of steak and lobster. Since this man needs so much help, you will want to be certain that the lobster is as fresh as possible.
Tell him to cap off the evening with a magnificent, gourmet turtle cheesecake. Or, if he does not like chocolate, then select the more traditional New York cheesecake, decorated with a sprig of fresh mint.
If he drinks alcoholic beverages, do not trust him to choose the wine for the dinner. Lobster is sufficiently robust that it is perfectly safe to offer a bold wine. He might consider a Burgundy or Merlot, although if he is not very adventurous, then perhaps a Chardonnay would be better for him.
Now, sit back and wait for the inevitably coming wedding invitation. If it doesn’t arrive within six months, just find another friend. That will be much easier.
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A Unmarried Man’s Ideal Present
We all have at least one friend who is completely worthless in the kitchen. Actually, if you don’t have a friend like that, read on, because I have enough friends who meet that description to share at least one of mine with you.
I probably should tell you in advance that you better be very fond of this friend, because the gift idea that I’m going to offer is a bit on the costly side, although worth every penny. Perhaps that nameless man is your roommate, your cousin or even your own son who you can seem to get to move out of your house, even after you paid for four years of college.
Try giving him a truly romantic dinner without having to leave the house or apartment. Hopefully he’ll be able to find an appropriate date with whom to share it. Let’s face it, nothing sweeps a potential partner off his or her feet quite like a private, romantic, home made dinner. I really do have a particular friend of mine in mind as I write this, and he needs all the help that I can provide, and I’m sure your similar friend does, too. You may need to be very specific when you give him your gift and the instructions to go with it. Remind him to light candles, choose the music for him and suggest he pick up his dirty socks.
He can begin the evening with the first part of your present, a fine gourmet cheese for the beginning course If he is capable of slicing a couple pears or apples, suggest that as well. This course can actually be a nice appetizer, before they are actually seated at the dining table.
For the main course, present him with a certificate for a fine lobster dinner a different seafood dinner or perhaps a combination of steak and lobster. As noted, this guy needs plenty of help, so the fresher the lobster the better.
End the evening with a delicious, turtle cheesecake. Or, if he does not like chocolate, then select the more traditional New York cheesecake, decorated with a sprig of fresh mint.
You might also recommend a fine wine, if he consumes alcoholic beverages. Lobster is sufficiently robust that it is perfectly safe to offer a bold wine. He might consider a Burgundy or Merlot, although if he is not very adventurous, then perhaps a Chardonnay would be better for him.
Now, sit back and wait for the inevitable wedding invitation. If it doesn’t arrive within six months, just find another friend. That will be much easier.
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Tough Times Gift Ideas
A few days ago, I talked with a family friend who recently learned that his huge manufacturing company was closing his plant. He is actually luckier than most of the people working for that company. He very recently reached the magic age at which he qualifies for early retirement, so he will continue to have a steady income. Those who did not reach that milestone of the specified number of years with the company will get a small severance package and be left to search for a job in that difficult market. That got me thinking about giving gifts for special occasions to those people who are finding themselves in tough situations. I came up with a few ideas that make more sense than a piece of home decor or a new tie. Here are some of them:
A fruit basket is healthy, beautiful, yummy and always enjoyed. If you live near your gift recipient, you can find a lovely basket or other attractive container and fill it with fruit that is in season in your region of the country, obtained at a farmers market, and then fill it out with a few exotic fruits picked up at your neighborhood specialty store. If your loved one is farther away, you can arrange for any of a large range of beautiful fruit gift baskets to be delivered directly to the person’s home. It will help them to reduce their grocery bill that month.
A unique meal is another way to remember a special occasion. One alternative might be to take the friend to a special restaurant. If price is no object to you, be sure to suggest some of the pricier entrees on the menu, so that your guests know that they should not worry about ordering whatever they prefer. For example, you could say something like, “The crab legs are perfect here, but, if you don’t like seafood, try the filet mignon.” If they live too far away for that, you can actually find delicious, gourmet, chef-prepared meals online that arrive frozen and can be heated in almost no time. (I actually keep my freezer stocked with these.) Or you might send a gift certificate to a special place in their town.
A final recommendation is a scrumptious dessert. Now, lets face it, nobody should indluge in too many desserts, but on a birthday, anniversary or holiday, everyone deserves a chance to feel a little pampered. Bake cookies, if that is a skill of yours, and hand deliver or have them delivered. For something a little more special consider giving them a delicious pie or a New York cheesecake. Whether you make it yourself or have others do the work for you doesn’t matter. It will be appreciated and definitely enjoyed either way.
You may observe that all my recommendationinvolve food. Someone who is going through a difficult time may not want to accept charity, but nobody can reject a genuinely special gift. If it reduces the grocery bill by a bit, that’s just a bonus. To make it even most festive, invite yourself to share in the delights with them!
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