Tag Archives: baking

Did I hear Baking Season?…Making Gluten Free Lemon Cheesecake!

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Hi Y’all! It’s been a busy and hectic Summer, but I’m so excited to write this post. I must say that we’ve had the best Summer in 11 years here in North Texas. Usually, we hit temperatures between 115 -117 F, but this year, I think 107 was the highest in my neck of the woods. There are no complaints from this blogger. They say climate change is a hoax, but the climate has ‘indeed’ changed this year.

A quick update on the garden: if you are new to the blog, welcome. However, I have struggled to grow things over the years, and the more I try, the better it gets. This year, I planted okras, sweet mini bell peppers, and tomatoes. And I will say that I was not disappointed.

Getting back to the topic, I absolutely love lemon cheesecake, and I would always get it for dessert if it were on the menu when going out to eat. I know there are so many cheesecake recipes out here, and I have tried a few of them, but I always come back to the lemon cheesecake every time. So fast forward to a couple of weeks ago, and I’m getting groceries, and I see this Gluten Free Kinnikinnick Graham Style Crust box in the baking aisle, and it’s specifically for making cheesecake. So I buy it and forget about it in the pantry. I’m literally at the grocery store and walking through the baked goods aisle and eyeing some cheesecake slices when I remember I had wanted to try making it myself. So I buy a few items and head home, and voila! I officially made Lemon Cheesecake for the first time!

Disclaimer: A lot of folks complain that they can’t bake. And in my opinion, that is not true. Just look at my journey. I don’t care what you believe about your baking skills. If you can follow instructions, then you can bake.

To get the Lemon Cheesecake recipe, go to http://www.kinnikinnick.com.

Recipe
9″ Springform Pan
Basic ingredients
Prepping the graham crust
Incorporating the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and eggs
Lemon zest prep – I used 2 lemons 🙂
Incorporating the zest into the mix
I have a dutch oven filled with a water below the pan for humidity
Checking after an hour
Letting it rest with the oven turned off for an hour.
Sitting on the counter for another 30-45 minutes before refrigerating.
The morning after 🙂
Transferring to a stand
Cannot believe I made it.
Looks delish with all its imperfections.
My first slice
Whipped cream…for luck!
It is so good!!!

Folks, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here, for following, for reading, for liking, and for being you. It’s not Thanksgiving yet, but I want to let you know that I am so thankful for you. I hope that the remaining months of this year go extremely well for you, your family, your loved ones, and everyone you hold dear.

Until I come your merry way again, I remain

Periwinkle Starr

Massive Let Down… But Summers Already Here.

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Hello Y’all. I hope you are doing well in your corner of the world. The Fourth of July holiday is a day away, and it’s going to be a nice, long weekend with cool temperatures and fun. But if you’re in the States, you have been hearing of massive layoffs and cuts going on recently across the board. It’s hard on people, and it’s even harder on families. But what are they going to do about it? Summer is already here, there are things to do, vacations to take, and plans to be executed. If you’ve lived long enough and worked for any length of time, you should have experienced at least one layoff. We’ve all been there, and the first reaction is panic.

Questions like ‘What will I do? How will I live? How will the bills be paid? Vacations are already planned?’ runs through your mind, and some immediately start putting out applications in panic mode, which isn’t the worst thing to do, but I’d love to share some tips on a better approach to dealing with this than what I’ve experienced and witnessed in the past.

Helpful Tips from Yours Truly.

Try to decompress and get over the initial panic – know that layoffs happen.

Realise that companies will always put themselves first, no matter your loyalty or dedication. In this day and age, most companies aren’t like they used to be. Many view their employees as numbers and not people with families and responsibilities. So be shrewd, take your breaks, have boundaries; if you work for a ‘taking company’, return the same energy.

Do a quick snapshot of your current financial status, including bills, savings, debt, investments, etc. If you have been responsible in the past, financial institutions are more likely to work with you on certain commitments and reduce some of the initial stress.

Let your immediate family know. This is a tricky one because sometimes, the affected individual doesn’t want to panic the other members of the family. But this doesn’t always help. Communicating effectively helps with better decision making, especially incorporating cutbacks and conserving existing finances.

It’s OK to have rollercoaster emotions and down days. Take time to feel your feelings, but don’t stay there.

Reprioritize. Being laid off is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it brings families together or gives birth to a new business idea that may provide better stability.

Be optimistic. Life is full of ups and downs, and sometimes the down times are where we really get to reflect; and we don’t have the noise around us to distract us. Some of the best decisions I’ve ever made were made during down times, when I was able to chart the course of my next steps as I emerged from the rut I was in. Once things returned to normal, it was smooth sailing. I already had a plan and a charted course and was not distracted by the passing frivolities that tend to distract us along the way.

Find a way to enjoy your Summer break. It doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom. You are alive, you’re healthy, and have people who love and care about you; that’s more than enough to give you the boost to get up and make it in life. There are so many fun things to do that are great if you’re on a budget. Finding fun and cost-effective ways to get through the tough times makes you stronger, not just mentally but all around in life.

Folks, I have been spur-of-the-moment baking these past weeks and haven’t had time to share some of the pictures. I made a very simple GF Carrot Cake.

I hope you enjoy. Until I come your merry way again, I remain,

Periwinkle Starr

Its Fall! Let the Baking Begin.

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Hello Y’all! All the way from North Texas. I hope this post finds you well in your corner of the world. Summer is gone and Fall is here. Where has 2024 gone? My neighbor put out a pumpkin at their front door and I just thought to myself, we are getting closer to Thanksgiving. But it’s been a busy Summer as usual and coordinating my schedule has been likened to herding cats so I apologize for not being as consistent as I would have liked. Today is Sunday and I was up early trimming back the vines from my sweet potato plants. I recently learned that the leaves are edible and a great source of antioxidants so, I have decided to try a sauté style recipe and see if it’s worth the hype. This Summer was mild compared to last year and I am so grateful for it. If you live in Texas, you know that there’s a huuuge (huge) difference between 94 degrees and 115 degrees. It’s expected to drop even lower beginning tomorrow and I cannot wait to begin layering.

I was craving bread and decided to bake a loaf of gluten-free sweet bread that’s made with five ingredients: 2 tbsp active yeast, 2 tbsp sugar, about a half cup of water, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cups GF flour, and 1 small pack of raisins.

Prepping.

Heat about 2/3 cup of water and pour it into a mixing bowl. Ensure it is medium temperature. Add sugar, stir, then add the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes. Add the flour and mix with a spatula. Please keep in mind that GF flour doesn’t have the same consistency as regular flour so kneading in this case isn’t required. Using a perforated cover, cover the bowl and let it sit in a dark place for about 30 minutes.

After it has risen considerably, add the raisins and mix. Cover and let it sit until it rises the second time. Spray your loaf tin and get ready to bake. Turn on your oven to 350-325 F and bake. GF bread doesn’t rise like regular bread so constant checks ensure that it bakes just right. Serve with jam or butter and enjoy!

Folks, its Fall season and as the weather cools down, I look forward to trying new recipes that are scrumptious and great for my waistline. Until I come your way again, be safe, upbeat and positive. I remain,

Periwinkle Starr

Finding You Again!

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Hello Y’all! Summer is officially here and we’ve just hit a cooler front with temperatures dropping about 12 degrees overnight. It has been an interesting couple of months, sometimes hectic and other times not as much. But in everything, I’m so glad to be sitting on my overstuffed couch with a zillion pillows and writing this post. It is planting season, so if you love to garden, this is the perfect time to get on with it. Yesterday was the Fourth of July, and I must say that this year was a bit lowkey than the last couple of years. The fireworks weren’t as loud and didn’t last as long. Still, I was glad for the holiday. Today’s post is one I’ve been meaning to write for two months now. I started it but just now getting to finish it. It’s been a journey I have been on for a while and felt now was the time to share it with you so, grab a comfy spot wherever you are and read on.

As time goes by, we change. Whether the change is by our surroundings, life events, circumstances, or through the people in our lives or those we interact with daily. We are a product of these factors. Thinking back to when I graduated and had my first internship, there were so many dreams and things I had planned that I wanted to do and be…but you know how it goes – there’s what you want to do and be then…THERES LIFE. Depending on what side of the coin you’re looking at, some things could be good and other things unpleasant but the goal is to never lose yourself completely. I liken it to holding onto your hobbies, love, hopes, dreams or ambition… even if it’s by a thin thread because if we let life, circumstances, people, or events take that from us, we begin to die albeit little by little.

Now, there are things that are considered wishes. There are things that are likened to literally digging for fool’s gold. What I am referring to here are the simple things that make your soul happy. The things that brought joy to your innermost being without a huge price tag. Those things my friends, are the things we must never lose no matter what life brings or throws our way.

I love to bake. I’m not a master baker or an expert. I just love baking. My love for it was inspired by my grandmother who was a regional chef/competitor/winner when I was little. She put a lot of love into baking and cooking, you could taste it in the food. It was different. Baking is something I do for close friends and family and not on a large scale but it’s a part of me and what brings little flutters to my heart whenever I make anything from a simple recipe to something complex and unknown.

Life Happens!

I liken life to the sea. Its waves are strong when the tide is high, it could be still when the tide is low but be rest assured, it’s always moving. The goal is to know when to fight and when to let the waves do their thing. To know when to be flexible and adjust and when to brace for impact. To know how to watch the tide, how to time it just right, and when to make a run for it.

As we mature, we attain a layer of sophistication which is part of maturity and a positive on every front. But never losing touch with who I am is one of the things that anchor me to the ground despite life’s roses or shenanigans. If you are reading this post and you’ve got this far, thank you for being here. Take a moment and think deeply. Liken your life to an onion with layers. As you peel back the layers, the wins, the losses, whatever it may be; when you get to core, are you still that person you were? Can you still indulge in the simple things that make your heart flutter? Can you still connect to that person? Is there any semblance between that person and you?

Folks, never let go of who you were born to be. Never stop finding ways to do the things you love and things that really fulfill you. Only then will we feel anchored, only then will we not forget who we are or lose sight of why we are here. If you’re far removed from your authentic self, you can always retrace your steps and find you again. It will always be a balancing act but without any of the pressure…just focus on the simple things. Until I come your way again, let me know your thoughts and comments and if this is a journey you would like to embark on.

Periwinkle Starr