Are you confused about who to vote for in the 2012 elections? You are not alone. After talking to many of my friends and family, I can tell they are in a turmoil as to who will be the right candidate for our country. I am not a political-minded person but I do try to pay attention to what is going on within our government and with the people who are running it, especially since they are the people we have voted into office.

I have never seen our country so divided and so angry with each opposing party. It reminds me of my Kindergarten teaching days when I had to break up the bickering between 5 year olds. Get my point? These candidates this year sound like those little five year olds vying for attention and wanting to be chosen as the Farmer in the Dell.

My husband ,George, who is an entrepreneur and has been active in politics for years, has been very attuned to what the media is saying about the candidates who are running plus their spin on how our President has been performing in office in the last three years. He has authored an interesting eBook that explains a conservative’s view of this coming election. If you are undecided and are interested in hearing facts that you don’t get in the mainstream media, I think you will find this book very informative, easy to read, perhaps make you more aware of the issues that we face from both sides of the aisle.  Right now, I am listening, watching, and reading what both the Democrats and Republicans have to say and for a non-political person this has been an eye-opening experience into how our government runs and how our media can influence our everyday decisions whether it’s political, economic, or social.

I recommend you read George’s book to get a different perspective on what is happening in our country right now and where we might be headed. This is your time to take charge by making sure to get out there and vote this election year.

America’s Reluctant Transformation

“To water bath or not to water bath, that is the question”

Some of my readers who baked my fluffy cheesecake using all the helpful suggestions have written to tell me that they had some problems while baking. The problem was usually the same one for all; they encountered cracking at the end of baking and during the cool down cycle. Well, I have also experienced that problem with either a small crack in the middle or several around the edges but never cracking completely through the cake.

When Aunt Mary passed down this family recipe to me, she did tell me that cracking can happen and it’s something that never concerned her. Being the Martha Stewart of her day, she would say, “Just top it with powdered sugar or make a nice fruit glaze to cover the top”.  Thus, that is what I have done. The cracking doesn’t happen all the time but it can occur and I have tried to see how we bakers can avoid this problem. There are some helpful suggestions posted at the end of the original post on Fluffy Cheesecake so make sure to always read those before starting:

Cheesecake Post Comments

I have also done some research on water baths for baking methods and many chefs use a water bath when baking cheesecakes. However, none of their recipes were similar to mine so I was leery of trying the water bath method especially after one of my young cooks (age 10-13 competition) baked my cheesecake recipe and won first place in a baking contest. And she didn’t use a water bath but just followed my instructions carefully!

Today I was determined to try the water bath method on my original recipe. I did not want to fuss with the foil method, so I devised an easier technique than the one in the link below:

Cheesecake Baking Steps

My Cheesecake Water Bath Method:

After preheating to a 320 degree oven, I placed a 9×6 loaf pan on the same rack I would use to bake the cheesecake. I boiled 4 cups of water and after placing the prepared cheesecake in the oven; I carefully filled the loaf pan with the hot water, closed the oven door and set the timer for 1 hour. It was completely cooked after 1 hour and I turned off the oven for another 1 hour, and remember DON’T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR. Follow the directions for cooling down in the original recipe.

PERFECTION, NO CRACKS!!

Aunt Mary would be very pleased with the final results and my using a water bath. Thanks again Aunt Mary for a fabulous recipe and good baking to all of you and enjoy a marvelous, fluffy cheesecake!

However, coming from an Italian-American family we were not familiar with pumpkin pie for dessert. More likely we would serve pastries, cheesecake or cannoli. So when many of my readers asked for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe using my original Aunt Mary cheesecake formula, I was stuck.

When George and I moved to Texas, we became familiar with pumpkin pie (George’s favorite) and learned from native Houstonians how to make a perfect pie. Not until a few years ago has pumpkin been introduced into cheesecake.

I have tried a few pumpkin cheesecakes in various restaurants and bakeries, but never would compare them to the light, fluffy type that I make. But the requests for using my recipe with pumpkin added was something I felt I needed to answer. Using suggestions I have received from others and with a few other changes, I was able to incorporate pumpkin into my family recipe while retaining the consistency, flavor, and texture of the original. I think the following recipe I have developed meets that standard.

For those that are not familiar with my original fluffy cheesecake recipe, give it a look – it offers a printable recipe plus a video on preparation. Also, be sure to read the Helpful Suggestions posted at the end of the recipe for help in baking the perfect cheesecake.

Ingredients:

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Crust:

• 9” springform pan
• 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ¼ cup melted butter
• 2 TBS. granulated sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 320 degrees

In springform pan, with fork stir graham cracker crumbs with melted butter and sugar until blended and moistened. With hand, press mixture onto bottom of pan. Set aside.

Filling:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese – softened
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin (not pumpkin-pie mix)-preferably Libby’s
• ½ cup sour cream
• 6 eggs separated (whites in mixing bowl, set aside)
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup light or dark brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 TBS. pure vanilla extract

1. In large bowl, with mixer at medium speed beat cream cheese with milk until smooth; slowly beat in sugar and brown sugar until blended, scraping bowl often with rubber spatula. Beat in pumpkin, sour cream, egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla.

   

2. In separate bowl beat egg whites until stiff and stand in peaks. Carefully fold whites into mixture until well blended.
   
3. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for 1 hr 10 minutes or until center barely jiggles.
   
4. Turn off oven and let cheesecake sit for 1hr in oven. Do not open oven door!
5. Remove cheesecake from oven and set on wire rack. With thin knife, loosen cheesecake from side of pan. Cool cheesecake completely.
   
6. Do not remove rim and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
7. Remove side of pan to serve. Garnish with powdered sugar.

Happy Holidays to all! – Mary

Child psychology was my major in college along with Early Childhood Education as my minor. However, I do not consider myself an expert in the field of psychology, but I had a strong desire to be a good teacher and a good mother. I enjoyed every minute of raising my two children, a boy and a girl. I read every recommended book on the best-seller list on raising children, child behavior from birth to teen years, and all the health information available on feeding and childhood illnesses. I did this reading prior to having children and felt I would be well prepared when my first child arrived and then would have that experience to help when my second child arrived.  Reading books on child rearing is one thing but the actual task is another! 

Now, as a grandmother and senior citizen, I am seeing a change in how women and men approach parenthood. They are finding it more stressful than they originally thought.  Being generations away from new parents, I can see how their lack of knowledge prior to giving birth has left many a new parent doubting their ability to raise their child with as little stress as possible. Also, some who succumb to social pressure to be parents may tend to oversimplify the issues involved.  Crying babies, sleepless nights, poop in their diapers and fussy eaters is nothing new in what all babies have done for ages. This can be very frustrating to many a new parent. However, I would like to ask women contemplating motherhood some questions and give them some things to think about before they embark on this life changing journey:

• Ask yourself if you enjoy children, especially infants now and when you were growing up.
• Did you babysit when you were young? Did you enjoy those times or was it only the money that interested you?
• When you were a child did you enjoy playing with dolls, playing house, and always playing the mother role?
• Prior to getting pregnant and during your pregnancy are you reading all the literature on child bearing, care, and feeding?
• Have you talked to other mothers to hear their everyday experiences in raising their children?
• Is social pressure from friends, relatives, or co-workers on having a child affecting you?
• Do you enjoy cooking, cleaning house, being organized, and planning your awake hours to the fullest?
• Is your mate interested in having children? Will he be a help in parenting along side of you or would all the responsibility rest on your shoulders?
• Did your mother do the entire child rearing when you were growing up or did your Father help? Are you pleased with how your parents raised you and would you emulate them?
• Do you admire women who have children and work outside of the home? Do you think that is something you could easily do or do you see it as being a handicap to have a job and support a family?

These are just a few questions to ask yourself and to realize how much of your upbringing, your   knowledge of children, mainly babies, will play a big part in your enjoyment of starting your family. It’s not easy to raise a baby just as it was not easy to give birth, but once the baby arrives all the pain is forgotten. My prayer to a new mother is to be patient, loving, and to remember those days when it seems the baby would not stop crying, or not sleep throughout the night, or eat the healthy food you prepared for it.  They always outgrow it. I remember when I had my first child who would not give up his pacifier and it seemed like ages before he was potty trained and I anxiously mentioned this to our pediatrician and his answer was: “Believe me he will not be using a pacifier when he goes to kindergarten and rest assure he will not be carrying an attaché case and still not be potty trained”. In time, all things pass! 

For expectant mothers and those contemplating motherhood, I have some tips I will pass on in my next post.  In the meantime, relax and enjoy this time to prepare.

Being the Seller is a whole different bag. You have your work cut out for you even before you sign a contract with a realty agency. So let’s go through these step by step:

1)      Be prepared to accept that the value of your home is likely to be below what you think it is worth or what you think you can get for it.

2)      Make sure your agent knows the lowest price you’re willing to accept.

3)      Study the comparables in your area and read the latest housing trends.

4)      Pick the realty agency you feel will meet your needs and has a good track record in selling homes in your area.

5)      Interview an agent from that office and make sure you can work comfortably with him or her.

6)      Let your agent know how you want your showings scheduled. However, be flexible.

7)      Be prepared in advance for a showing by doing the following:

• Unclutter: remove all family and personal photos, toys off floors and neatly stored away; magazines and newspapers out of site, arrange books neatly in book cases or stacked neatly, or put in cabinets, remove religious items as not to offend any religion; remove items that show a political preference.



• Closets: Neatly hang and arrange clothes, organize shoes, handbags, belts, ties, etc. Now is the time to donate your unused, non-fitting clothes to charity. Make closet space appear larger.
• Linens and towels should be neatly folded and arranged on shelves or drawers (imagine a store display).
• Carpets, floors, tiles cleaned. Remove loose carpeting that could be tripped over.
• Bathrooms sparkling and counter tops cleared off.



• Basement: if storing in basement arrange items neatly and put in containers or plastic cartons.
• Clean or repaint if there is staining, mildew, or signs of aging. Recaulk where needed.
• Open windows, air out house and turn on ceiling fans if you have any. A light spray of a room deodorizer is alright, just don’t overdo. Fresh baked cookies give a homey touch.
• Outdoors: clear grounds of all fallen tree limbs, rake leaves, keep pathways swept, grass mowed/snow shoveled, hedges and flower beds trimmed and mulched. Fresh mulch is always impressive. Power wash or touch up mildew or mold. Lysol Mildew and Mold Remover  spray works very well.



• Once a showing is scheduled, be prepared to leave the premises, take your pets with you, remove any signs of pets on the premises i.e. food dishes, litter boxes, pet toys and beds, vacuum/remove any animal hair (people with allergies will be very appreciative).

You are now on your way to selling your home. Good luck. Stay calm even when the offer is not what you expected!

It didn’t’ take long for us to realize that planning vacations and time with our grown children and grandchildren was not as easy as it appears. Adult children have their own life and work schedules, their children have school and may live far away, so those times together are limited and were not as frequent as we thought. So we changed our outlook and want to simplify our life with less space and clutter. However, there will always be a guest room available.

Downsizing was the way to go. So here we go, trying to sell two houses in the worst housing market ever. It is an eye-opener with many lessons to be learned.

In our 50 years of marriage we have moved several times mainly due to career requirements, and prior to 2005 the real estate market was very favorable for the Seller. In our past moves we have worked with many real estate agents and learned the process of selling or buying a home.

In those days you didn’t object if the Seller was in the home at the time you were viewing the house or if there were children or pets in the house. Whoever thought that family or personal photos were not to be seen? And thank goodness it wasn’t proper to mention you smelled any household odors.

It’s a whole different bag today. It is definitely a Buyer’s market and the poor Seller must meet the demands of realtors today. They will insist you remove yourself, your children and even your pets from the premises when showing your home. Not to mention, that you don’t spray, put out incense, or anything to make the buyer think you are masking any “odors”. But it would be nice if you baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies before they arrive. Sure, as if they didn’t know that is a set-up aroma to make you think “doesn’t this house smell homey”?

We have been going through this experience as a Seller and a Buyer and believe me it ain’t fun. In my next post I will provide you with some tips that will make this experience a lot easier for you.

I never gave this much thought until I viewed Christopher Lowell’s latest Ask Christopher innovation on Too Many Gadgets. I have kitchen drawers filled with many gadgets that I probably can open a kitchen gadget store. Thanks to Mr. Lowell, I plan to become a more efficient cook in my kitchen.

Christopher Lowell, an interior designer and celebrity, who has received Emmy awards and accolades for his television shows now shares his decorating and home improvement ideas online. Through the new technology of mobile social media we can now view six- minute videos of unique ideas on lifestyle topics only the way Christopher can do it. He blends comedy with his creative advice in an informative and fun format.

In the video Too Many Gadgets, he shows us how we have overstocked our kitchen with useless items which do nothing but take up space. I was so impressed by his demonstration of the microplane zester, something I have, and never quite grasp the proper usage. I have been zesting lemons and grating garlic to test CL’s method. It works great!

Christopher will post a new video weekly. Aside from the Too Many Gadgets video he has posted five other very informative demonstrations on home design. You can even sign up as a member and submit a question to Christopher. His website  offers many options to learn about design and décor plus an insight into his personal thoughts on life.

Right now, I am going to rearrange my kitchen drawers and give my gadgets a new grade.

When purchasing for a gift be sensitive to the person’s cooking capabilities.  There are also excellent “coffee table” cookbooks on the market that are enjoyable to read.  However, a helpful cookbook, with photographs or not, is one you will use over and over again. Some of mine are so overused that I had to replace them with new copies.  I even purchase revised editions of a favorite book. The books that I recommend for gift giving cannot only be purchased at your favorite bookstore, but also online and downloaded to an e-reader. Maybe you will find one from my list to give as a gift or purchase for yourself:

1. Joy of Cooking (The All New All Purpose) – Irma S. Rombauer, Becker and Becker. The first revised edition was published in 1953. There have been many revisions of this edition to meet the needs of changing public tastes. I refer to this book as my Bible Cookbook. I use it constantly and whenever searching for a recipe I can always find it in Joy of Cooking. There are no photographs but a few drawings to illustrate techniques in preparing a recipe. The recipes are easy to follow for a beginner and will also please the gourmet chef. This is my #1 suggestion. A must in everyone’s collection!
2. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook – Gloria Bley Miller. This is an excellent book for cooks interested in Chinese recipes. Every Chinese dish you can imagine can be found in this book. Techniques in preparing the food, variations of regional differences in preparation and ingredients, and easy to follow directions. A great book!
3. Mastering the Art of French Cooking – Julia Childs et al. I recommend this book for collectors, experienced cooks and lovers of French cuisine. A classic!
4. The Food Processor Bible – Norene Gilletz. Many cooks love using their food processor but are limited as to recipes, techniques, and the usage of the different blades. Easy to follow instructions and excellent selection of recipes. A valuable book!
5. American Wholefoods Cuisine – Nikki & David Goldbeck. This book was first published in 1983 and is an excellent cookbook for those interested in good health, organic foods and vegetarian recipes. No illustrations, easy to follow instructions, and ingredients that are easy to find. Very informative book!
6. Weight Watchers New Complete Cookbook – Weight Watchers. I have found all Weight Watcher cookbooks are excellent for dieters and non-dieters. Great illustrations, portion sizes for small servings, healthful cooking techniques, and ingredients make this book an excellent Weight Watcher edition. Book has a spiral cover making it convenient to lay flat when reading a recipe. Any person on a diet would love this book!
7. Rocco’s Italian American – by Rocco DiSpirito. Mr. Dispirito is a chef who owns two restaurants and had a TV reality show, The Restaurant. He features many of the Italian recipes he grew up with and some of his Mama’s favorites.  I found these Italian recipes to be easy to follow and typical rustic Italian cooking. The stories of his youth and family, plus the illustrations, make this a very enjoyable book along with easy and delicious recipes. Don’t miss this one!
8. Now Eat This – Rocco Dispirito. In this cookbook Rocco has converted delicious and popular comfort dishes into healthy lower fat and lower calorie recipes. Easy to follow and ingredients can be found in any grocery store. Each recipe includes a Fat count before and after. Beautiful photographs and in paperback edition. A dieter’s delight!
9. Cooking with My Sisters – Adriana Trigiani.  Fans of Ms. Trigiani novels and Italian cooking will enjoy this book. Adriana writes about her family and the memories she and her sisters shared in growing up in an Italian household. Each delicious and beautifully photographed recipe has a story included plus comments from the sisters. It’s a collection of her family recipes collected over the generations. Not just a cookbook but filled with delightful stories. A book to consider!
10. How easy is that? – Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten). Who doesn’t know the Barefoot Contessa from the Food Network? This is her latest book and made the top best seller list shortly after its release date. It’s beautifully photographed and the recipes are easy as the Contessa promised. I put this in the coffee table category and one that everyone will pick up to read. Good recipes!

Well, I hope my choices for gift giving have been helpful. I wish you a Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring you much happiness, fun shopping, and good eats.

I first cooked on a gas range when I was very, very young. My Mother, who I’ve previously mentioned, was a fantastic cook, used a gas range and thus taught me how to cook on that same range. In fact, I started in the days when you needed to use a match to light the burners and the oven.

All of the meals cooked were delicious and I attribute that to:

1. Mom’s recipes
2. We were cooking with gas

However, over the years, gas range technology has changed. There seems to be a difference in the quality and taste of the foods cooked with my gas range versus those Mom cooked on her simple gas stove. Could it be that gas stoves of the 20’s to 50’s were very different? Did design play a bigger part in the sales of the recent gas ranges?

So what do I see that’s different you might ask?

Today’s ranges are larger, no need to use a match, just turn a knob to ignite the gas. That’s good. Also, the grates on the cooktop are larger and heavier than those of Mom’s stove. Not so good. I find that I am cleaning the top of the stovetop more than I have when cooking with electric. Everything from oil to water splashes on the top even when using a splash guard.  The enamel is nice and shiny but a bummer to clean. I spend more time cleaning the top than I do cooking. Electric ranges cool down faster than a gas range, thus one cannot clean spills or splatters immediately on a gas range. It also takes muscle to handle the heavy grates for removal.

Many cooks have complained that they can’t regulate the temperature quickly enough when cooking on electric. I find gas less sensitive to relative heat settings, while electric provides tighter control over the range of temperature options.

Mom was the cook, but I can hear Dad saying, “What’s the fuss, a stove, is a stove, is a stove”. Well, I’ll take electric anytime!

Gosh, 50 years. It seems such a short time ago when we were young, naïve, and just out of college. I would be leaving my parents home for the first time to start a life with the man of my dreams and would be continuing my teaching career. George was completing his doctorate degree in chemistry and would be starting an exciting job with Exxon.

We were on our way!

Everyone is surprised to hear we have been married for 50 years. “How did you do it?” is the usual question. I guess it’s surprising to this generation since they realize the divorce rate in America as of 2009 is >50%. We have become a society where extended families are a common phenomenon.

Falling in love is easy, making it last is hard!

Looking back on our marriage we both agree that certain factors helped make our marriage a lasting one. George especially feels that communication is the key part of our relationship. Sometimes the communication can be soft, or at times noisy, but it eventually cleared the air and led to compromise. Also, we never tried to change each other, and were supportive of whatever the other wanted to do. We accepted the faults…as well as the virtues. Patience was never one of my virtues, but it was one of George’s, and that’s why it worked.

We always enjoy each other’s company from the time we met until this day, but we don’t always like to do the same things or are attracted to the same people, thus we learned how to sacrifice. Our relationship is based on honesty, and openness, and we don’t keep secrets. It was funny to hear my female friends wonder why I always told George everything. My Mother always said that secrets will “eventually catch up to you”.

George has always been my best friend, my confidante, and my soul mate. If I had to do it over again, I would be saying the same vows to the same person. I thank God everyday for bringing him into my life and giving him the patience he needs to be married to a woman like me.

May God keep him healthy, happy and in my life for 50 more years. Happy Anniversary, George!