Wait a second.... ACTUALLY... that wasn't me at all. Not even close. Growing up, I used to pretend that my stuffed animals were people and I would spend copious amounts of time asking them about their problems, giving them solutions and helping them find their way back into bear-happiness-land. I was also always outside, running around with my brothers, exploring new things, taking risks and jumping off anything high I could find. I used to climb onto my tall roof at night with a notebook and pen in my backpack, writing poems and stories and journal entries and being utterly fascinated with the world around me.
One my favorite pictures from childhood is set at the Grand Canyon: a nine year old Julie with one leg over the fence, leaning toward the canyon right below a sign that says "DANGER: DO NOT CROSS" and my (understandably concerned) dad, a blurry figure in the foreground, running toward me, trying to keep me from "exploring" the edge of the cliff. So naturally, when I got married, I was a little behind in the "domestic" skills department. I was much more interested in exploring my surroundings and other people's hearts and minds than exploring my kitchen.
However, over the past year and four months, some things have changed. I've decided to give this whole "cooking and baking" thing a try. And just in case you are interested in giving it a chance as well, I'm posting three desserts and a dish I made over Labor Day Weekend over the next few blogs... Like I said, I'm a novice, so these are EASY to make but they absolutely DELICIOUS. Think of it as an adventure in cooking, if you will...
MY FIRST CHEESECAKE (BAKING) EXPERIENCE....
Strawberry Cheesecake Shortcake
Ingredients:
8 ounce pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
Store bought shortbread crust (see picture below)
Strawberry Topping
1 package of fresh strawberries, sliced into small pieces
1 package of strawberry filling (usually in the produce aisle or near the strawberries)
Instructions:
Make sure cream cheese is softened to keep pie from being lumpy.
Place cream cheese, condensed milk, sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in mixing bowl.
Beat on medium until filling is creamy and smooth.
Spread into pie crust and cover.
Refrigerate 45 minutes.
While refrigerating, add 3/4 chopped strawberries to bowl with full package of strawberry filling. Keep about 4 strawberries (approximately 8 large sliced pieces) aside for decor. After 45 minutes of chilling and strawberry filling made, retrieve pies and top with filling and strawberries for garnish.
Return to refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Serve cold (don't expect it to get really firm- serve it straight from the fridge).
Standard Picture of my first homemade cheesecake
Cool Instagram Picture:)
