Terri

This past weekend we celebrated my friend's birthday in back yard barbecue style. I had dibs on supplying desserts for all of the party goers and my devilish plan was to make individual cheesecake cupcakes, the very same heavenly dessert my mother would make for all of her get togethers. I started baking the night before and ended up with 30 supremely delicious mini cheesecakes in three assorted flavors, cool whip cherry, drizzled milk chocolate and plain-jane. The next day I had a panic attack as the whipped topping melted quickly while we drove to the party, and as I walked into their house I had to take one for the team and make silly jokes about my hideous cupcakes but still hinting at how wonderful they were. By the end of the night the tray was empty, each and every person who had tasted one was ohhhs and aahhhhs. The birthday girl, ate 3 herself!

They were an absolute hit. So I feel the need to share:

Ingredients:

- 4 (2 lbs) packages cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

   1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
   2. In a large bowl, mix together room temperature cream cheese, sugar & vanilla. Stir in the eggs one at a time, making sure to beat thouroughly between eggs.
   3. Place foil w/paper baking cup liners into cupcake pan and fill 3/4 full with mixure.
   4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden.
   5. Remove from the oven and let cool.
   6. Spoon the topping of choice onto the individual cakes. Get creative with toppings, cherries, strawberries, oranges, blackberries, meleted chocolate, cool whips or sour cream.

Tip: if using whipped cream, wait until serving to add.
   
Bakes: 30 cupcakes

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I'm never going to be able to concentrate with a woot-off going on.

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Submitted by Sean J. O'Rourke.

How about 4 + Banjo

What are you most looking forward to this weekend?

The Kentucky Derby!
We're going to derby party at a friends house w/ yummy appetizers, mint juleps, silly hats and $5 bets. Saturday is Kentucky's day to shine and we'll be there cheering our horses on with the rest of the world.

My money is on #20 on Big Brown, keep your fingers crossed!

Show us a picture of the pet you'd most like to have in your life.

Luna my sweet Labrador

7 comments

My meet-up last night went unbelievably well. We hit it off and talked for hours about everything under the sun, we really share a laundry list of hobbies and interests, so we chittered and chattered away. I got there at 7:00 and by what felt like 9:00 I was getting tired, she yawns and checks her cell phone for the time, only to find that it was actually 12:00 and she had missed six calls from her husband. Midnight! We had sat in the coffee shop and talked for five hours straight! Stunned we grabbed our coats and headed to the parking lot in the dark of downtown. As she asks where my car is, I look over to see an empty parking lot. Heart pounding I say "It's gone!" I went through the possible situations, I locked it, even double checked as I walked away, I then realized it had been towed. I parked in a private parking lot with a sign barely visible and hidden within a hedge. I wrote down the towing companies info and she graciously drove me the five minutes down the road to my house.

I came home to Jon asleep, cellphone next to the bed, and a worried tone in his voice. I can only imagine being in his place, his wife goes off to meet someone online and does not come home, does not answer her phone. I'd have been a bundle of nerves. I tried my best to tell him I'd lost track of time and that the car had been towed but everything was a little foggy to him, still half asleep. This morning I gave him a quick review of the night and we've made plans for him to take me to pick up my car at lunch.

I've called the towing company and the fee will be $114 cash. I cant help but be upset with myself for not reading the sign, its a costly mistake. But having had my car towed before I can honestly say I'm relived at the price, its half of what I had to pay the last time while living in Orlando.

All in all even after the car and lack of sleep, I believe the night was a real success and I had a great time getting to know someone, in real life.