I Have Perfected My Cheesecake

It's true. I used to make that jello cheesecake mix before gluten free came along. I missed cheesecake (who wouldn't?), so I started making my own. After finding some recipes on the internet and tweaking them I've got the best one down so I think I should record it here (you know, for posterity) so I don't forget what made it so good. Yes, it will have gluten free crust, of course. But if you wanted to try the recipe you could just substitute your standard graham cracker crust or whatever you like. I have to give credit to this blog.
This crust is so awesome! It's good for cheesecake, the layer bars I used to make (you know, the bars with the graham cracker crust and chocolate chips/butterscotch ships, coconut and sweetened condensed milk) and I tried it without the sugar and used it for my quiche and it turned out pretty good too. It's not a super rich, dense sort of cheesecake but it's the way I like it.

Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup Pamela’s Gluten Free Baking Mix

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup cold butter (or Smart Balance spread like I use), cut into pieces

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix it all together and press into the pan

Cheesecake:
 3-8 oz bars of cream cheese, softened
1-8 oz bar of  neufchatel cheese ('cause it cuts the fat a wee bit)
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla

Mix it all together well and pour in pan. I don't use a cheesecake pan because, well I don't have one. So I just use an 8x8ish glass dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Then, turn off the oven and leave it in there for another 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for a while then refrigerate overnight. Top with whatever you like, I like cherry pie filling or just plain is good too.

*no picture right now but maybe I'll use that as an excuse to make it again so I can add a picture.

Coming Back?

I've been thinking about starting up the blog again. It's been a while since I've posted anything and an even longer while since I posted regularly. Honestly, I don't know if I have much to say right now. A quick update would be: I'm in month 8 of my medical assisting program. I regularly let people stick needles in my arm just for the heck of it. I hope soon to stick needles in their arms just for the heck of it. I should be there soon. Just have to memorize the order, color and purpose of the blood tubes and twenty other quick and easy steps. Easy??? Last week we went to Arches National Park for the first time and stayed in Moab. I could post some pictures of that. All I can say is it was beautiful- the Delicate Arch is even more majestic in person than in photos, walking up a mountain of sand looks super strange but is actually fun, and polenta lasagna is more tasty than it sounds. I've also come to the conclusion that I have big, Mormon teeth. There, I said it. It's true. They aren't quite white enough for Mormon teeth though. Though that may be an unnatural state of whiteness.