Smith Family Weblog

I love making cheesecakes–they’re deceptively simple. This is one of my favorite recipes–Raspberry Cheesecake Swirl from Martha Stewart.

Despite employing a number of supposedly preventative tactics, I almost always have trouble with cheesecakes cracking. The nice thing about this recipe is that the cracks occur along the swirls, making them a bit less noticeable!

Ever since Bryan and I visited Louisville, Kentucky, for our friends’ wedding, I’ve been completely enamored with the area. My two favorite stops were Churchill Downs and the Maker’s Mark distillery. Fortunately, the Kentucky Derby presents an opportunity to celebrate both—with a drink, of course. What could be better?

Here’s my favorite recipe for mint juleps. There are thousands out there, but I prefer one that muddle the leaves instead of boiling them into simple syrup. Maybe you can stir up a batch before the race this afternoon.

Here’s all you need–sugar (preferably superfine, but you can spin regular sugar in your blender or food processor if you don’t have it on hand), mint and bourbon (I like Maker’s; Bry loves Wild Turkey).

Pour a teaspoon of sugar into a glass and add six mint leaves and a couple of teaspoons of water, then smash it all together with the back of a spoon. Traditionally, mint juleps are served in cold silver cups, but who has those on hand? I found this glass worked pretty well.

Then, fill the glass with crushed ice and top with a shot of bourbon and sprig of mint. Cheers!

Right?

While I thought the transition from one to two children was relatively easy, it became a logistical nightmare once I threw in a full-time job. It seems that no matter how early we get up, mornings are still rushed and hectic. Breakfast is no exception–Ava wants mac and cheese, Bryan won’t use the milk because it expires in two days, and I usually forget the Kashi bar I set aside because I didn’t have time to sit down.

Tomorrow morning, though, is going to be completely different.

Tonight, I’m making oatmeal in the slow cooker. I’m following a recipe for overnight oatmeal from Eatingwell.com. It makes enough for eight, so I’ve quartered it and implemented a bain marie (water bath) to prevent overcooking.

The trick seems to be steel cut oats, as opposed to rolled oats. I’ve never used them before, but as you can see, they’re pretty coarse. I guess this is what makes such a long cooking period possible.

I mixed a half cup of the oats with two cups of water. I tossed in diced dried apricots and a handful of raisins, too. Tomorrow, I think we’ll add a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg (hopefully) in lieu of sugar. Here’s a “before” shot–I hope the “after” looks a bit more palatable.

I’ll let you know!