Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

I got this recipe from a good friend of mine and I had to try it (and you should too). They are so easy to make and so delicious. Here are a few pictures of the process

Allison (my sister-in-law) helped me out

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

1 pound large strawberries

8oz. block cream cheese – soft

3 – 4 tablespoons powdered sugar (depends on how sweet you want the filling)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or use almond, lemon, etc. )

Graham cracker crumbs

Instructions:

Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out inside with a paring knife if necessary. I found most of the strawberries already had a nice hollow center so that step was not necessary. If you want to stand your strawberries upright (like in the picture) slice a bit off the bottom. One strawberries are prepped set aside.

Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla with a mixer or by hand. Add cream cheese mix to piping bag and fill strawberries. Once strawberries are filled dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. Devour and fall in love.

You could also drizzle or dip strawberries in chocolate if desired.

Pineapple upside down cake

Okay, so I don't usually like pineapple upside down cake, but its my dad's favorite so of course I had to make it for our make up father's day. Now I have to say... it's the best cake I have ever made! You have to make it! Here is the recipe, with some helpful pictures.

• 
  
• Pineapple Topping
• 1medium fresh pineapple (about 4 pounds), prepared according to illustrations below (about 4 cups prepared fruit)
• 1cup firmly packed light brown sugar (7 ounces)
• 3tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cake
• 1 1/2cups unbleached all-purpose flour (7 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2teaspoon table salt
• 8tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), softened but still cool
• 3/4cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)
• 1teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2large eggs at room temperature
• 1egg white at room temperature
• 1/3cup whole milk at room temperature

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Lightly spray 9-inch round, 2-inch deep cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. 2. For the pineapple topping: Combine pineapple and brown sugar in 10-inch skillet; cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally during first 5 minutes, until pineapple is translucent and has light brown hue, 15 to 18 minutes. Empty fruit and juices into mesh strainer or colander set over medium bowl. Return juices to skillet, leaving pineapple in strainer (you should have about 2 cups cooked fruit). Simmer juices over medium heat until thickened, beginning to darken, and mixture forms large bubbles, 6 to 8 minutes, adding any more juices released by fruit to skillet after about 4 minutes. Off heat, whisk in butter and vanilla; pour caramel mixture into prepared cake pan. Set aside while preparing cake. (Pineapple will continue to release liquid as it sits; do not add this liquid to already-reduced juice mixture.)

3. 3. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl; set aside.

4. 4. In bowl of standing mixer fitted with flat beater, cream butter and sugar at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, add vanilla, and beat to combine; one at a time, add whole eggs then egg white, beating well and scraping down bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low; add about one-third of flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Add half of milk and beat until incorporated; repeat, adding half of remaining flour mixture and remaining milk, and finish with remaining flour. Give final stir with rubber spatula, scraping bottom and sides of bowl to ensure that batter is combined. Batter will be thick.

5. 5. To bake: Working quickly, distribute cooked pineapple in cake pan in even layer, gently pressing fruit into caramel. Using rubber spatula, drop mounds of batter over fruit, then spread batter over fruit and to sides of pan. Tap pan lightly against work surface to release any air bubbles. Bake until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool 10 minutes on wire rack, then place inverted serving platter over cake pan. Invert cake pan and platter together; lift off cake pan. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours; then cut into pieces and serve.

Family Beach day

Reesie went to the beach for the first time today and she loved every minute of it! She was yelling in the car all the way there... BEACH!!! BEACH!!! she was very excited to say the least. Here are a few pictures from beach day.

Playing with nanny and papa

She was all about getting lots of water for her sand castle

My wonderful parents

Playing in the waves with her auntie

Anna's first trip to the beach. (she slept the whole time)

Contact for Info

I heart my (amazing, smart, funny, stunning, generous..) Aunt*

*Contact info available upon request.

It was just so cute and way to appropriate to leave it in the store... so we bought it!

Pool Day

The weather in California is a bit different from Seattle. It was a whopping 82 degrees today so we spent the afternoon in the pool! Here are a few pictures!

Bouncing with Nana

She fell on her face... hahahaha

Pikes Market Place

I went to Pikes Market Place and did a little fish catching and shopping. Here are some photos!

Pasta :)

cheese for days!

Catching a fish!

gross hands

Hanging out in the back with the cute fish guy :)

Underground Tour!

I went on an underground tour the other day while in Seattle. I went with my new friend Ange and we had a blast. Here are a few pictures from the day!

Gum Wall!

So gross!

I walked around half of the tour with chocolate on my face!

Underground crapper

There was so many cool things underground! Here are just a few pictures

Fremont Troll

Im a little to lazy and way to busy to write anything, but here are a few pictures from the past couple of days

Fremont Troll