Biggest day ever.

So big that I couldn't even do this post last night! I was wondering why my legs hurt, after going through the pictures of my day's projects, I knew why! Started the morning off with a huge trip to town, we hit walmart for dog food, home depot for wood and dremmel bits, sars for groceries, and safeway for sandwich stuff. Upon returning home, I realized that I had only bought one pack of cream cheese when my cake recipe called for 5! Kim saved the day and took a much needed break from her homework to run to the store for me. Thanks Kim! Then it was finally cheesecake time! I didn't have the luxury of tried and true recipes at hand, so I had to wing it. Both Kim and my Dad were Shocked at how long the thing took to cook, but I was excited to finally be able to do one right! Never, ever, ever, ever in a restaurant can an oven be at 200 for 3 hours. Usually my cheesecakes have just had to suffer through the same baking temps as everything else, hence the invention of the water bath. Not this one. It got prime treatment, an oven all to itself. All day.

My mom had brought blueberries from Bham, Shannon let me have
half of them- here they are!

This baby will be wrapped and waiting to come to the birth center with me. Much to the serious shock and disappointment of the people who watched me make it all day. Sorry, dad, it's not your birthday cake! It's Rainbow's!

Next was lunch, and then a small rest before the woodworking project begun. My dad had been dreaming of jalapeno bagel burgers evr since he saw the bagels at safeway. And he got them!

Mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, pickles, onions, avocado, tomato, lettuce.
 Jalapeno cheddar bagel.

Off to the garage! I have been planning this project for at least a month now, the idea came to me while working in the classroom with all the little wooden toys. Just like Tonia would say- I can make that! So I decided that I would. I found myself a nice scroll saw on craigslist, got some wood, and after a few disheartening attempts, brought the whole thing up north with me to get some help from my dad. The other night he busted out the building blocks on his big saw- the ones we were sanding in pics a few posts ago- because I had bought wood too thick for my little saw. Today my goal was to finally make a little wooden duck, and oh did I! It's freaking hard, but I got better and better. We eventually branched out to other critters, more to come....

Kim drew the duck outline on a piece of paper and I traced it onto the wood.

I actually cut them out on the band saw, not the scroll saw,
due to saw complications and the lack of serious detail,
 which would have required the little saw.

Two little ducks went out one day, over the hills and far away....

Papa gives new life to this duckling, with a round cutter drill bit and a bit of glue

He made a bunny!

 I made a whale, but somehow there isn't a picture of it. Next time, I guess. All in all, a very successful woodworking day, more ducks to come! We called it a day when Kim brought to my attention that it was after 7 and I hadn't even started the dinner pie. She got the ball rolling by making a crust while I finished sanding, her mom's recipe- we shall see if she shares it!

Spinach and pork

That's one of my farmer's market onions!

This was definitely one of my favorites, I love corn and tomatoes! It was very, very good. Finished the day with strawberry cheesecake ice cream and then it was bedtime! Oh, what a day!

Rosemary Corn Pie

Marilynn Franklin's Pie Crust

2 cups flour, sift with 1 tsp salt. 

Cut in 2/3 cup crisco until it's in "peas"

Make a paste with 1/3 cup flour and 1/4 cup water,

 add to flour mixture until dough is in a ball. 

Roll out and lay into pie pan or tart pan, crimp the edges nicely, it's not getting a top!

Filling:

1 pork tenderloin, or any pork of your choice, sauteed, salt and pepper

1 red onion, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 sprigs fresh rosemary, taken off the stem and chopped

glug of white wine

pat of butter

2 t lemon juice

1 ear of lovely, sweet corn, kernals cut off

a head of spinach, with tough stems removed, rinsed, torn up a bit

1 ripe tomato, an heirloom would perfect here, or if you have one from your garden! I used a medium ish vine tomato. Sliced thin and laid out of a paper towel, salt and peppered, left to dry a bit.

1/2 c or so grated ramano or parm

Cook the pork first, transfer to a bowl, set aside. Wilt the spinach in the pork pan, little salt and pepper here, just until it's all hot, put into colander to drain. Press it a bit with the back of your spatula, it needs to be pretty dry. In a seperate pan, get some olive oil hot, throw in the garlic and rosemary with some salt and pepper, add the onions, cook until onions are beginning to look soft, pour in the wine, let it get hot, then add the lemon juice, and butter. Only reduce this a little, it's the only sauce going in the pie. 

Ok, spinach in the crust first, pull it apart and spread it out as best you can. Put the pork on top, corn on top of that, then add the onion mixture on top of the corn. sprinkle on half of the cheese, lay on your tomato slices, then top with the rest of the cheese. 

400 for 35-40 minutes. 5 minutes to rest. 

Perfect (if you have time) Cheesecake

1.5 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c + 2 T melted butter 

1/3 c white sugar

t of salt

5 8 oz packages of cream cheese, room temp

1 1/2 c white sugar

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 t vanilla

2 t lemon juice

1 t salt

Mix the crust up and press into the bottom of a spring form pan. I used an 11 inch pan because that' what we had on hand.

Get the cream cheese going in the mixer, beat until it's nice and smooth, add the sugar, beat another 2 minutes or so. Plop in the eggs one by one with the mixer running, add the vanilla and lemon and salt. Beat for 3 or 4 minutes, until it's nice and mixed and fluffy. Pour into the crust, flavors can be added here- i put blueberries in- whatever you like.

Bake at 200 for 3 hours. Seriously. After 3 hours, turn the oven off and crack the door. Let the cake sit right where it is in the oven until it reaches room temperature. Hours. Just leave it alone. When you can reach in and pick it up with your hands, do it, then refrigerate for at least 24 hours. 

When I have pictures to post of the cheesecake being eaten, they will no doubt take second stage. Come on baby!