Posts by Kerry Weisser
Candy Cane Oreo Cookie Cheesecake
Bekah found this recipe and we decided to try it. Our cheesecake connoisseur, Ashkon, said he would prefer to have the candy canes only as decorations on the top rather than mixed into the cheesecake because it change the texture of the cheesecake to have crunchy candy inside. So do what you prefer candy canes can be mixed into the cheesecake or just used as topping. The flavor of the cheesecake and the consistency are absolutely perfect. Here is the original recipe. Change it as you like…..
Ingredients
30 oreo cookies or Trader Joe’s chocolate JO-JO’s
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
25 candy canes crushed and divided
4 (8oz) packages of Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
4 oz Baker’s semi-sweet chocolate
2 oz white chocolate
Heat oven to 325 degrees
Pulse 18 cookies until finely ground.
Pour into bowl and add melted butter and mix and press into 9 inch spring form pan.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Crush up 20 candy canes. Cut up 10 cookies. Mix cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl of kitchenmaid or mix master at medium speed until whipped thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time and mix thoroughly. Stir in crushed candy canes and cut up cookies and pour over crust.
Bake 55 minutes until center is almost set. cool and refrigerate 4 hours minimum.
Crush remaining 5 candy canes. Cut up 2 remaining cookies. Set aside. cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt chocolates separately according to package directions. (I melted in the microwave stirring after each 15 second interval until melted). Spread semi-sweet chocolate on parchment paper making a thin layer. Spoon white chocolate on top by spoonfuls and swirl to make a marble effect. Sprinkle candy canes and cookies on top and refrigerate until hardened.
When …
Mint Brownies
Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without baking cookies and preparing delicious family traditional recipes. These mint brownies are one of our family favorites…..Rich and delicious dark chocolate with a creamy minty frosting and dark chocolate glaze…
Ingredients
6 squares bittersweet chocolate
1 ½ cups butter
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
3-5 teaspoons green food coloring
Melt 4 squares chocolate and 1 cup butter in the microwave. Start with 20 seconds and stir well them continue 15 second intervals stirring after each microwave until melted. Mix eggs, sugar, ½-1 teaspoon peppermint, flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Pour chocolate melted mixture into bowl and stir until blended. Add chopped nuts and stir. Pour into greased 9 x 13 pan for thin brownies or a 9-inch square pan for thick brownies. Bake in a 350 degree oven , 25-30 minutes for thin brownies and 40-45 minutes for thick brownies. Test with a toothpick to make sure they are done in the middle. Cool and frost.
Frosting
Mix 4 Tablespoons soft butter, 2 cups powdered sugar, ½-1 teaspoons peppermint extract, milk and green food coloring. Stir until soft and spreadable. Spread on cooled brownies. Melt remaining 2 squares of bittersweet chocolate with 4 Tablespoons butter. Stir until pourable. Drizzle chocolate glaze over frosting.
Chill and cut into small squares.
- 6 squares bittersweet chocolate
- 1 ½ cups butter
- 4 eggs
- 2
Christmas Crafting 101-Christmas Garlands, Super Easy, Super FUN!!!
Do you have a box full of Christmas fabric scraps? You have never had the heart to just throw them away and you are sure that someday you will figure out a cool Christmas crafty project to make with those scraps. Well today is the day!!! We are going to show you the 5 easy steps to making a Christmas fabric garland. Get out that box of Christmas fabric scraps and let’s get started. (IF you do not have a box of scraps, zip on out to your favorite fabric store and buy ¼ yard of 5-10 fun Christmas fabrics that look good together and buy a ball of twine and then zip on home and join in on this fun craft project. This is great to do with your kids or grandkids because there is something for everyone to do. Kids of all ages will love this craft project.
What you need for this project:
About ¼ yard of 5-10 Christmas fabrics that match or coordinate to create a nice arrangement of colors
1 ball of twine
fabric scissors
ruler
lots of excited participants to share in the fun
1. Cut your fabric scraps into fabric strips that are each 1 ½ inches wide by 7 inches long.
2. Cut a length of twine as long as you want your garland and add 12 inches(that leaves 6 inches at the ends of your garland so you have options to hang up your garland or use it for a hearth or table runner). 
3. Tie one end of your twine to a chair rail or something stable to make tying knots easier. Stretch out the twine and tie the other end to another chair or something stable.
Begin tying knots of fabric at one end of the twine and continue …
When we say YES!
What happens when we say YES to opportunities in our life? You will never know unless you step out a take a risk. I am so thankful each time I meet a new friend and say YES! Yes to possibilities…YES to trusting…YES to serving together…YES to believing in the potential I see in the heart of others……..
I am so thankful for all my friends, new and old, that God has blessed me with in my lifetime. I am thankful for stepping out and opening my heart and my home to encourage others in their quest for life and fulfilling their passions. When you link arms with friends and work together toward a goal, you never know how much you will be blessed. Today we had our second Gogo Grandmothers Holiday Boutique. A few dear friends and I joined together to share our resources to raise money for a great cause and I came away so full of joy and a vision. Gogo Grandmothers ministry will be so grateful for the proceeds that will go to help purchase maize and fertilizer for the gogos (grandparents in Malawi) as they plant their gardens to provide food for their grandchildren. Check out the new website www.gogograndmothers.com. You too can join in our passion by learning about the ways you can put your love in action during this holiday season. Here are some pictures of our event and the fun we had serving together.
So BLESSED by the YES!!!
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What if every day, all year long…….I remembered to be THANKFUL?????
What if tomorrow’s blessings and joy depended on today’s thankfulness…how much joy would I have tomorrow? This is just a hypothetical question because blessings are not necessarily a direct result of our thankfulness, but it is a great question to ponder. How often do I stop and give thanks for the beauty that surrounds me, the air I breathe, the home we have to give us shelter and security-a place to gather with family and friends. How often am I thankful for those I love the most? It is important to speak encouragement and blessings into the lives of the people we know and doubly important to show our thankfulness by communicating thoughts of life and love into the hearts of those we love the most. It brings me great joy to think of all the things I am thankful for, but I do not want to just remember to do this in November. I want to be a person that acknowledges my gratefulness by speaking words of encouragement and sharing my attitude of gratitude every day, all year long. Just think what my tomorrow would bring!!!!!
What if tomorrow’s blessings and joy depended on today’s thankfulness?
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Grateful for Gathering
Women love to GATHER!!! We gather for play groups for our children. We gather for coffee to catch up with friends. We gather to hike or exercise together. We gather for counsel, encouragement, advice and support from women who have walked the road before us-in dating, courtship, marriage child-rearing, caring for aging parents….the list is endless. We find every and any excuse to gather because together we are stronger.
I am so grateful for my women friends. Those who lead me and challenge me to be the best version of myself. I am grateful for those who trust me enough to follow when I invite them into my life and share my passions. As I grow in my relationships with other women I have confidence to do brave things. I have strength to go out of my comfort zone. I have courage to love those difficult people in my life that cause me stress and anxiety. When my girl friends are cheering for me in my balcony and praying for me, I can do the hard but RIGHT things, I can love without limits, I can accept the hard stuff in my life.
So this week I am grateful for GATHERING!!!
Tonight we had a gathering of women from our church. We have a new campus and have a desire for building community. We shared a meal together and we were encouraged to answer a few questions that helped us get to know one another better. We will continue this tradition throughout this next year, once a month, to help get our women connected, have a place to belong and learn how we can serve one another in our church, serve our family and make an impact in our community.
I offered to bring a crock pot of soup to …
Read MoreMy Grateful Heart
This is my greatest hope-that my faith will never falter and that my life can be a living testimony to “how GREAT is MY God”!!! Gratitude changes the way I start my day! Gratitude guards against an attitude of self centeredness and entitlement.
Colossians 4:2 tells us to be watchful with thanksgiving!!!
Psalms 9:1-2 encourages me to give thanks to God with my whole heart.
So grateful for 10 grandkids including our newest grandson, Hezekiah “Hezi” Ari Banihashemi. I have had the privilege of helping out this first week of his new life. His big sister, Sophie, is adjusting to his arrival with lots of love and enthusiasm. He is a blessing to us and his story will always be a testimony of God’s gracious compassion.
How are you being “watchful” this month so that you do not miss the things you should be thankful for?
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Apple Butter
One of my favorite things to do in the Fall is go to Apple Hill and pick or buy apples. When I get my favorite apples home, I love to make apple butter. This has been my tradition for many years. I have a special buddy that I usually cook with but this year she is out of town and I have a new kitchen. So I decide to do some canning to get a jump on our Christmas gifts.
Ingredients
1 gallon apple cider (I use Trader Joe’s unfiltered natural apple juice)
4 quarts apples (about 7-8 pounds)
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons cloves
2 teaspoons allspice
I double or triple this recipe…..Start by brining apple cider to a boil in a very large pot. Turn to simmer and cook down for about 1-2 hours. Place all canning jars in dishwasher and wash on light wash setting so they will be dry within the 1-2 hours while apple butter is cooking. Place tops in a large bowl and cover with boiling water close to the time you begin to ladle apple butter into jars.
Cut and core apples. (No need to remove skin because it cooks down but feel free if you prefer)
Chop apples in Cuisinart.
Add apples to large pan by batches. Continue to stir and simmer apple juice/apple mixture as you cut, core and chop all the apples. Keep on a low setting so apples begin to break down as they cook. Stir constantly so the apple compote does not stick to bottom of pan.
Mix sugar and spices in a separate bowl. When apples are glossy and mixture looks like applesauce, add the sugar and spices. Stir constantly on low heat so all the sugar dissolves. 
Turn off …
Apple Cake-Wellness style
This apple cake is moist and full of flavor. You can make it gluten free and it is full of fiber, so as far as a healthy dessert recipe goes, this is a keeper. Since I chop all the apples in a food processor with the peel on and I also chopped the nuts and raisins together in the food processor, it is a quick and easy dessert to make and take to parties.
Ingredients
2 cups flour (you can use gluten free flour here without changing the taste or texture)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 ½ cups walnuts
1 cup raisins
5-6 large tart apples (4 cups when chopped)
½ cup oil (I use coconut oil)
1 cup sugar (you can use honey, coconut sugar or brown sugar)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Sift dry ingredients and set aside. Chop walnuts and set aside. Peel, core and chop apples. You can chop the walnuts and apples in a food processor. (I actually do not peel the apples before I chop them in the food processor)
Cream the oil and sugar. add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in the dry ingredients until well blended. Fold in the apples, nuts and raisins. The batter will be very stiff. Turn into a well greased 9×13 pan or a bunt pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven. Bake 45 minutes for the 9×13 pan and 50 minutes for the bunt pan. Sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
A Grand Adventure (Part 1)
Three weeks of my life disappeared in a blink of an eye. Time is such a unique phenomenon. When you have a “to do” list a mile long it seems to hang over your head and creates stress and tension on a day to day basis. But when you have a deadline that includes leaving the country…..you power through that list in a day or two and get everything checked off-DONE!
That sensation of being free from the day to day commitments and obligations is a vacation in and of itself. Adding to that, a long awaited, much anticipated vacation to one of the spots on your bucket list is like a dream come true. Our 40th anniversary trip to Italy last month was all that rolled into one of the best vacations we have ever taken. It was far from “relaxing” but it was a GRAND ADVENTURE!
The planning and preparation was a bit more tricky than I anticipated because in the middle of planning our trip we had the unexpected kitchen disaster that dipped into our finances. But for me-the bargain hunter extraordinaire, it was a challenge that motivated me even more. Armed with my Rick Steve’s books, our Marriott points and our United mileage plus points, I began the process of planning. My goal was to provide the best trip possible on a shoestring budget and be able to see and do all the things we had dreamt about for years. Mission accomplished.
We began our trip in Venice. A very romantic city. Wandering the streets alongside the meandering canals was relaxing and fun. Although we had to navigate around the throngs of people who were there for the Italian Film Festival being held on the island of Lido and this prevented us from seeing the Armenian …