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Recipes
New York-Style Cheesecake with Fresh Strawberry Topping

By lauramae
1. Make the Cheesecake Crust: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 300 degrees F
- For the Cheesecake Crust:
- 8 whole graham crackers, broken into pieces
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- For the Cheesecake Filling:
- 40 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 egg yolks
- 6 eggs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- For the Fresh Strawberry Topping:
- 2 pounds strawberries, hulled and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3 cups sliced strawberries)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 cup strawberry jam
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
PULLED PORK IN A CROCK POT

By lauramae
INSTRUCTIONS 1. In a medium size mixing bowl, mix together the first six ingredients (all of the spices) with a fo...
- INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons paprika
- 2 tablespoons salt (if desired, you can cut back on the salt by only using 1 tablespoon)
- 2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if desired, you can cut back on the pepper by only using 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3 to 3 1/2 pounds pork shoulder, cut in half
Parmesan Scalloped Potato Stacks

By lauramae
These little individual portions are intensely delicious with creamy parmesan and fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 shallot
- 2 cups half and half *
- 1 cup + 1/2 cup Parmesan, freshly grated
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 to 4 small to medium baking potatoes
Crème brûlée french toasts

By lauramae
Cut bread into 1 1/2-inch thick, generous slices; a 9-inch loaf should yield 6 slices
- Toasts
- 1 loaf unsliced white bread, brioche or rich bread of your choice
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt or table salt
- 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier or another orange liqueur or 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Topping
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
STARBUCKS FRAPPUCCINO

By lauramae
Instructions Make double-strength coffee by brewing with twice the coffee required by your coffee maker(that shoul...
- Frappuccino ingredients: makes 2.5 cups (590 mL)
- 1 cup double-strength Starbucks coffee OR 3/4 cup fresh espresso (cold)
- 3/4 cup milk (low fat, 2%, whole or whatever)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or to taste) or Starbucks Vanilla Syrup or Homemade Simple Syrup
- 2 cups ice
- 3 Tablespoons Hersheys Chocolate
- Secret ingredient: Pinch of xanthan gum OR 1 teaspoon dry pectin (keeps Frapp from separating)
Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Bark

By lauramae
Chocolate bark has a lot going for it – it’s easy to make, it’s quick, it’s no-bake, it’s highly customiz...
- 16 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon mint extract (NOT peppermint), optional
- Green food coloring
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 (4.67-ounces) box Andes Crème de Menthe Thins, unwrapped and coarsely chopped
Pita Bread

By lauramae
Here we go again with another thing that is so much better homemade, I will probably never buy it from the store ag...
- 3 cups flour, plus 1/2-3/4 cup more as needed
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. sugar or honey
- 1 packet instant yeast
- 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups water, roughly at room temperature
- 2 tbsp. olive oil, vegetable oil, butter or shortening
Basic Pepperoni Pizza and Four Cheese Pizza

By lauramae
For the pizza dough: Sprinkle the active dry yeast over 1 1/2 cups of warm--not lukewarm--water
- Pizza Dough:
- 1 1 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 4 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 1/3 1/3 cup olive oil, plus more for oiling bowl
- 3/4 cup store-bought or homemade pizza sauce, recipe follows:
- 12 12 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
- 1 1 1 CUP PEPPERONI PIECES
- Four Four Cheese Pizza:
- 2 2 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 3.5-ounce 3.5-ounce jar One 3.5-ounce jar pesto
- 12 12 12 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
- 4 4 4 ounces fontina, grated
- 4 4 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano
- Tomato Basil Salad:
- 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup olive oil
- 5 5 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 1 1 pint red grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 1 1 pint yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
- 1 1 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 16 16 16 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade, plus more if needed
- Salt and pepper
- Pizza Sauce:
- 1 to 2 1 to 2 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 3 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 1/2 1/2 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 15-ounce 15-ounce cans Three 15-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch Pinch sugar
- 1 1 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 8 to 10 8 to 10 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped
Fast Easy Breakfast Sandwiches

By lauramae
Toast english muffins or bagels, set aside
- 12 english muffins or mini bagels
- 1 pound bacon or 12 sausage patties
- 12 eggs
- 3 cups shredded cheese or 12 slices of cheese
Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley

By lauramae
This recipe of Shrimp with Garlic and Parsley is amazing
- 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 to 2 tablespoons dry white wine
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Lemon pepper pasta for serving, optional (I got the pasta from Trader Joe's)