So, last week I did something that I haven’t done in FOREVER. I made a cheesecake! I used to make this recipe all the time for a cheesecake fan friend of mine but it has probably been at least three years since I've made one. I’d say it was about time. This recipe is super simple and easy and tastes amazing! So if you like cheese cake, here’s the recipe! Full List of Ingredients at the very bottom of the post. :-) So preheat your oven to 300 degrees and lets get started!! The first thing is the crust. Supper simple. Just combine 2 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs, 2 tbs of sugar, and 6 tbs of melted butter. Mix it until the graham cracker crumbs are sticking together a little, then press it into a 13" by 9" pan and set it aside. Now for the cheese cake part! Beat together 5 packages of cream cheese with 2 cups of sugar. Make sure that it is fully incorporated and nice and fluffy before you move on. The reason I say this is because once you start adding your wet ingredients, you are going to want to do as little mixing as possible. Over mixing a cheese cake will make it crack in the middle once it is finished cooking. So, once you've mixed the cream cheese and sugar completely together, add 2 tsp of lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of vanilla, and 1 egg. Beat them in well, and then beat in 5 more eggs, one at a time. If you add more than one egg at a time, believe it or not, it requires more mixing to incorporate them all. The next step is to transfer your cheese mixture into your 13" by 9" pan. Put it in the oven for 40 minutes. My oven takes about an hour but because each oven is different, it's best to check it at 4o minutes to make sure it isn't burning. To test to see if it is done, take your hot pad and gently shake the pan. Don't shake it to hard because again, it will crack. If the middle is still kind of liquidy at 4o minutes, go ahead and cook it for another 20 minutes. You can expect some cracks around the edges, and it isn't the end of the world if you have a big crack in the middle...it'll still taste the same. Let the cheese cake cool completely before you put the topping of your choice. I personally put it in the fridge over night so that it is completely cool. If you put your pie filling on top before it cools completely, it will ferment the fruit. So, just don't do it.... lol
I usually top mine with 2 cans of either blueberry, or cherry pie filling. You could also do apple, or chocolate syrup, or what ever your heart desires! Here's the full list of ingredients. Crust: 2 1/2 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs 2 tbs of sugar 6 tbs of melted butter Cheese cake: 5 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese. 2 cups of sugar 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 tsp vanilla 6 eggs Topping: 2 cans of pie filling of your choice. Enjoy!!!!
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Over the past couple of months I’ve been thinking about how, over time, things change. God constantly brings new things into our lives; new people, new places, new goals, new challenges, new struggles, joys, sorrows, truths, tears, and laughter… The year 2016 brought all of these things into my life. Looking back over the last year made me realize how much my life has changed from January of 2016 to now. 2016 started off with a change that that was so hard that I just felt like the entire year was ruined. That would be the loss of my dog. It sounds trivial, and I get that some people will not understand why on earth I would get so upset over an animal. All you pet lovers might have more of a glimmer of what I mean when I say that I was, in fact, absolutely devastated. That was just the beginning…everything just seemed to spiral out of control from there. There was more than one time I thought “Man, there’s nothing like kicking me when I’m already down. Why are You doing this to me, God?” The Devil loves when we allow things such as this to come between us and God. And, for a while, that’s exactly what happened. Over the following 3 or so weeks, I started becoming bitter. I couldn’t understand why God would take some of the things I treasured most away from me. It didn’t make sense. I was angry, and wanted to punch something, or someone as hard as I possibly could. (Like that would help anything.)
So now you’re probably wondering why on earth you even came and checked my blog today…I mean COME ON. No-one wants to read a sad sob story about a girl, and her broken heart over her dead dog and other various roughs and toughs of life. But the reason I’m writing this is because I am on the other side of that fire, stronger than I would have been if nothing had ever happened. It definitely isn’t an overnight thing. It is a process. A long and hard process. I think back to all the nights that I would cry myself to sleep, or just be so angry that I couldn’t speak, and then Jesus would remind me that He was in control and that He had a reason for everything. I can’t explain everything that happened because you’d be here all day, but one thing led to another, and God’s plan started playing out. At the time everything seemed so dark and seemed to be getting even darker. I couldn’t see any light in the situation at all. God constantly brought the verse in Jeremiah that says "I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future." He gave me a renewed desire to want what He wanted for my life, and to trust Him even if it didn't make sense. Now at the beginning of 2017, I can see a picture of what my year was like. In that picture I am walking down a long winding path. All around me the ground is singed from where the Enemy shot his fiery darts at me. There are parts in the path that are clear, full of beautiful foliage, but then other parts are desolate, scorched beyond recognition. I, by God’s mercy, love, and grace, have come through that fiery pathway unharmed, stronger, filled with hope for the future, and able to rest in the fact that God’s plan is always best. Even if it takes you through a dark valley, seemingly lit only by the fires of Satan, God’s plan is sovereign over all. 2016 was no walk in the park for me. It was probably one of the toughest years ever, but God opened my eyes to so many new things. He brought me to a new and deeper relationship with Him, and taught me lessons that I know will guide me through tough spots later on. It is at our weakest moment, when we have hit rock bottom, when we are completely broken before God and have no where else to turn that He heals, restores, and brings joy again. So yes, it was a tough year, but also one of the best years simply because I learned SO much. Isaiah 43:2 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. |
About Me
Hi! My name is Bethany. I'm so glad you've stopped in at my little corner of the internet! By way of introduction, I am a wife, musician, teacher, coffee lover, baker, nature lover, writer, and most importantly, I am a follower of Jesus. I'm super thankful that the Lord has given me this little outlet to share some of the things He has taught me, things that have inspired me, changed me or just gotten me excited about living life. My prayer is that what you read and see here will be an encouragement to your heart, bring you joy, and maybe even inspire you! Archives
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