Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake a la Olive Garden

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground gingersnap cookies
1 1/2 cups toasted pecans, finely ground
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine ground cookies, ground pecans and sugar in bowl; add melted butter and mix until combined. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of a 9-inch diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Filling:
4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
9 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon caramel sauce

Reduce oven to 350.
Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until light.
Transfer 3/4 cup mixture to small bowl; cover tightly and refrigerate to use for topping.
Add pumpkin, 4 tablespoons heavy cream, cinnamon and allspice to mixture in large bowl and beat until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until combined. Pour filling into crust (filling will almost fill pan).

Bake until cheesecake puffs, top browns and center moves only slightly when pan is shaken, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 10 minutes. Run small sharp knife around cake pan sides to loosen cheesecake. Cool. Cover tightly and refrigerate several hours or overnight.
Bring remaining 3/4 cup cream cheese mixture to room temperature.
Add the remaining 5 tablespoons heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture and stir to combine.
Press down firmly on edges of cheesecake to even thickness.
Pour cream cheese mixture over cheesecake, spreading evenly.

Garnish with whipped cream, cookie crumbs, and caramel sauce.
Release pan sides from cheesecake and serve.

One Year Ago Test

Stop right now and think about yourself one year ago.

What has changed?

Are you better or worse?

It's your fault either way.

Napoleon Dynamite

I've kept myself from writing about this for some time.
I wanted to wait until the initial phenomenon wore off, and until I gave myself a chance to step back from it a little.

At first, I was completely taken in by the movie. No movie I have ever watched had ever made me laugh out loud as much as this movie. Yes, I have laughed or even smiled through the biggest part of some movies like School of Rock and the Holy Grail, but I have never laughed this much during a movie. Even with Elf, I smiled alot, but I didn't laugh out loud.

I guess there is a place in storytelling that supercedes normal reactions and just gets you. I say all this to say, Napoleon Dynamite got me, and I'm not exactly sure all the reasons why.

...but just for my own sake, I am going to list a lot of the reasons I loved this movie.

phone calls from the school office * home made nachos * chapstick * new kids * weak bike jumps * physical comedy * chat rooms * bad haircuts * vain challenges * physical comedy * hand made * crafts and glamour shots * your mom jokes * llamas * tae kwon do * lyle * 2% milk * awkward situations * home videos * business opportunites * bowling * gold bracelets * building cakes * physical comedy * impossible bragging * drawings * chicken farms * getting a date * bragging * cheap suits * waiting * hook ups * awkward situations * class elections * skills * free gifts * wigs * challenging the enemy * pinatas * lafawnduh * bling * purpose * physical comedy * dancing * bass * happy endings * tetherball

There's more but, that's all I am writing today.

That's it, I'm done.