Almond Cheesecake with Nut Crust Recipe

Cheesecake is a sweet dessert consisting of one or more layers. The main, and thickest layer, consists of a mixture of soft, fresh cheese (typically cream cheese or ricotta), eggs, vanilla and sugar; if there is a bottom layer it often consists of a crust or base made from crushed cookies (or digestive biscuits), graham crackers, pastry, or sponge cake.

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Almond Cheesecake with Nut Crust Recipe

Nut Crust:

• 1 9 inch springform pan
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened

1. Preheat oven to 400ºF
2. Place all ingredients in mixing bowl and blend thoroughly
3. Press firmly the mixture into the bottom and partially up the sides of a greased springform pan
4. Bake for about 6 minutes or until the crust is a light golden brown. Cool before filling

Almond Cheesecake Filling:

• 1 pound cream cheese, softened to room temp.
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds
• 3 cups sour cream

1. Heat oven to 375ºF
2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until fluffy
3. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating thoroughly after each egg
4. Add extracts, almonds and sour cream. Mix until well blended
5. Pour mixture into prepared crust and bake for 1 hour, or until set. Turn off oven, open the oven door slightly and

cool to room temp. Chill.

Top with whatever you like or plain. Cherries go great with almonds and so does chocolate. I whipped heavy cream, added vanilla and almond extract, powdered sugar, until the whipped cream was thick. Stiff peaks.

Enjoy

Photographer: James from Boulder, USA / 2.0 license /

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Holidays To Remember:

National Cheesecake Day / July 30

National Pie Day / January 23

National Nut Day / October 22

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The Benefits Of Pistachio Are

Pistachio nuts are also called green almonds. . According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), it is packed with fiber, vitamins and nutrients, and also contains more anti-oxidants than green tea. Pistachios are also rich sources of protein and fat, but mostly “good” unsaturated fats.

This post is in honor of 

WORLD Pistachio Day - Celebrated February 26

National Nut Day - Celebrated October 22

Benefits of Pistachio Are:

• Reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases by lowering LDL cholesterols. Pistachios help regulate and reduce LDL or bad cholesterol, which is dangerous for the heart. They also increase the levels of HDL or good cholesterol. Since these nuts contain antioxidants like Vitamins A and E, they help fight off inflammation and protect the blood vessels. This helps in reducing the risks of heart disease. Within a short period of consumption, the benefits of pistachios are seen through an increase in lutein level, which helps protect the heart against oxidized LDL.

• Combat Diabetes : Type 2 diabetes can be prevented by regular consumption of pistachios. As per a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, both pistachios and walnuts help in better endothelial cell function. Those who consumed around 56 grams of pistachios were found to be more immune to Type 2 diabetes and heart diseases.
• Strengthen Immunity : One of the main health benefits of pistachios is a stronger immune system that helps fight off infections, which is again due to the presence of vitamin B6. This vitamin helps the body create healthy red blood cells and strengthens the lymphoid glands such as the lymph nodes, spleen, and the thymus. This in turn produced white blood cells, which protect the body from infections.
• Protect The Nervous System : Pistachios contain high levels of Vitamin B6, which influences the nervous system in many positive ways. This vitamin facilitates the development of amino acids and helps in the formation of the insulating sheath (myelin) around the nerve fiber. Both these functions are necessary for carrying optimal messages from the body to the nerves. Vitamin B6 also helps in producing serotonin, epinephrine, and melatonin, which work to calm the nervous system when the transmission of nerve impulses takes place.
• Promote Healthy Skin And Vision : Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant found in pistachios. It helps in preserving the cell membranes, ensuring healthy skin. This is one of the benefits of pistachios that protects the skin from UV damage and prevents skin cancer and premature aging of the skin. Lutein and zeaxanthin are two carotenoids present in pistachios. These antioxidants defend the eye tissues from free radical damage, reducing impairments such as age-related macular degeneration and blindness. wikiwell.com

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Disclaimer: This post is not made to replace a doctors care.

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Shop:

• Roasted Salted Pistachios, 5LBS
• Sincerely Nuts Pistachio Nuts Mix (6 Sectional) – Turkish, Chili Lemon, Salt n Pepper, Garlic, Jalapeno & Unsalted Pistachios Variety Gift Tray – 100% Kosher Certified
• Shop everything Pistachio Nut

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Awesome Outside Links:

http://www.worldpistachioday.com/

https://www.punchbowl.com/holidays/national-pistachio-day

http://www.americanpistachios.org/about-apg/news/world-pistachio-day-february-26

https://foodimentary.com/2017/02/26/february-26th-is-national-pistachio-day-2/

https://nationaltoday.com/national-pistachio-day/

http://nutritiontwins.com/673-its-national-pistachio-day/

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Mother's Old Faithful Fresh Apple Cake

For as long as I can remember Mother always made Fresh Apple Cakes from a stack of recipes she collected over the years. I'm not really sure why she collected so many of them because it seemed she always tweaked each recipe so much that it always ended up looking like and tasting like her old faithful apple cake. giggle~  (Recipe at bottom)

Every Month she baked a cake 

You would think this apple cake was just a holiday cake but Mother made it all throughout the year. This cake is the moistest cake you will ever put in your mouth. It all because of the oil that's in the recipe. Lots and lots of oil! A whole cup of it too! Wow! Oh and the icing.... well it's a simple brown sugar icing that's just brown sugar, milk and butter that's cooked.

Mother tossed this cake together without measuring. 

Sometimes she used a whole cup of oil and sometimes she used a cup 1/4. Sometimes she added a cup of pecans and sometimes she used a cup & 1/2. It always amazed me how she just pored it all from the bottle or bag and said..... that looks ah-bout-right. LOL! When she made this cake she always grated the apples instead of chopping or dicing. She said it tastes better if you do. In my photos I wanted the readers to be able to see the apples so I just chopped them. That was a mistake. Mother was right. It tastes better with grated apples to me. I even held back on the oil with this cake but I will never do that again either. ha ha ha!

I loved to eat this cake for breakfast: 

When ever Mother knew I was coming for a visit, there would always be a fresh apple cake waiting on me. As soon as I walked in the door I knew immediately she baked it. The smell of apples, nutmeg and cinnamon would slap me in the face. Mother had a habit of hiding the cake so she could surprise me with it for breakfast the next morning. This cake was ALWAYS better the second day. I would ask "did you bake an apple cake Mother?" Noooo she would say. I would bust out laughing and go searching through the house. She would always say "I didn't bake one this time." My Mother was never good at lying. ha ha! She just couldn't do it. I would keep looking until I found it because my nose told me different. I remember one year I found it hidden in the piano stool. HA HA HA! Anyway.... I could never wait until breakfast to cut into it. I would come walking back to the kitchen with it in my arms as I watched my Mother reaching into the drawer for a knife- grinning ear to ear. Yep a Mother knows when her daughter can't wait till morning. :)

Cinnamon French Toast Bake Recipe

November 28  is National French Toast Day so I wanted to find a recipe that celebrated this food holiday but not with a traditional french toast recipe. This year I've picked cinnamon french toast bake. Pillsbury says "This easy breakfast bake features refrigerated cinnamon rolls that make quick work of favorite French toast flavors." Soundsss good to me!

Cinnamon French Toast Bake Recipe
Originally uploaded by Pillsbury.com

Now let's talk about it....  
I think you should keep this recipe in mind for an Easter breakfast, brunch or lunch. The ingredients (like cinnamon) make you think of Christmas I know but truth be told- this recipe is made a lot for seasonal meals in Spring, like Easter. In fact I've seen it served with chocolate Easter Eggs on top.

Perfect as a Breakfast Dessert: 
This recipe is not just for a holiday. Nooo! It's perfect any day of the year. The maple syrup in it makes you think of breakfast and what husband wouldn't want this with a cup of coffee as a breakfast dessert. Yep I said it. A savory Saturday breakfast followed by a breakfast dessert is beginning to be the norm. It's a casual dish that's perfect for the family. wink~

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
• 2 cans (12.4 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 6 Eggland's Best eggs
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup Fisher® Chef's Naturals® Chopped Pecans
• 1 cup maple syrup
• Garnish
• Icing from cinnamon rolls
• Powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup maple syrup, if desired

DIRECTIONS

1.Heat oven to 375°F. Pour melted butter into ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Separate both cans of dough into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 8 pieces; place pieces over butter in dish.

2.In medium bowl, beat eggs. Beat in cream, cinnamon and vanilla until well blended; gently pour over roll pieces. Sprinkle with pecans; drizzle with 1 cup syrup.

3.Bake 20 to 28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove covers from icing; microwave on Medium (50%) 10 to 15 seconds or until thin enough to drizzle.

4.Drizzle icing over top; sprinkle with powdered sugar. If desired, spoon syrup from dish over individual servings. Serve with the additional 1/2 cup maple syrup.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 25 to 30 minutes.

National Pecan Month

Hey yall it's me Pam. The month of April is National Pecan month and do you know what today is??? Well the calendar says it's National Pecan Day. The calendar also says there a Pecan Day on March 25th as well. Could there be 2 of them?

Pecan Pies are really big in my family especially at Christmas. In fact my research shows that pecan pie is the pie of choice for Thanksgiving and Christmas for most people. Wow..... I would of thought it would of been pumpkin pie or potato pie for Thanksgiving. Which do you choose?

Most all my family has pecan trees growing in their yard so they never have to buy any during the holidays. Maybe that's why we ate pecan pie so much as a child and continue to eat it all year round. The family gathers up the pecans and freezes them until they need them. (National Pecan Pie Day is July 12th.)We also ate a lot of peach cobblers since we had peach trees too. In case you didn't know, yesterday was National Peach Cobbler Day.

Nutrition

Pecans Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 690 kcal 2890 kJ
Carbohydrates 14 g - Dietary fiber 10 g Fat 72 g - saturated 6 g - monounsaturated 41 g - polyunsaturated 22 g Protein 9 g

Wikipedia says Pecans are a good source of protein and unsaturated fats. A diet rich in nuts can lower the risk of gallstones in women. The antioxidants and plant sterols found in pecans reduce high cholesterol by reducing the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.

Read more about National Pecan Month

April 14, 2008 / Fun Holiday Fact

It's Black Day in South Korea when single people come together and eat noodles with black bean sauce.

Crocodile Sophism

A slim crocodile living in the Nile took a child. His mother begged to have him back. The crocodile could not only talk, but was also a great sophist and stated, "If you guess correctly what I will do with him, I will return him. However, if you don't guess his fate, I'll eat him." What statement should the mother make to save her child?

Discuss this sophism