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I once helped my mom make a cheesecake while I was home on break during college.  It was the first cheesecake that I ever helped with, to my recollection, and I was nervous but proud to be making something so "difficult."  My mom used her food processor to mix the cheesecake filling,which I thought was a very good idea.  The only problem was that I was not then, nor am I now, very good at breaking eggs open.  I often end up smashing the egg more than cracking it, and then I have to stick my finger into the "crack" (or smash) and pull the eggshell apart.  This may or may not result in eggshell falling into my batter or dough.. it just depends what kind of mood I'm in.  So anyway, on my first cheesecake-making day I was a little nervous about the eggs because I had to break one at a time, and then send it down through the chute on top of the food processor.  My mom encouraged me to tap the egg right on the chute to crack it, and then drop the egg in.  It went well for the first two eggs, but on the third egg, my fingers shook a little and that caused the WHOLE egg, shell included, to drop down into the food processor.  This may have been a salvageable mission, had the food processor not been running!  We tediously and painstakingly tried to collect all of the pieces of eggshell from the filling, but worried that there were more than our probing fingers could find.  We held our breath as it baked, and sighed happily at its beauty after it cooled.  And then it came time to slice it, and eat it... and I promise you... each and every bit crunched.  Each and Every bite.  I couldn't bring myself to eat cheesecake, especially plain cheesecake, for many years.

So, today is my friend Lori's birthday-- HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Lori!!-- and I decided that I wanted to make her a cheesecake to top off our dinner last night.  I used that very same tried and true recipe from years ago, and stayed far, far away from my food processor.  (It sure took a long time to get it nice and smooth with a hand mixer!!)  This cheesecake looked exactly the same as the last one I made, but thankfully, it was satisfyingly un-crunchy! 

So, JP and I thank you, Lori, for having a birthday and restoring our faith in our cheesecake baking and eating skills.  Have a birthday any time you'd like- we'll gladly eat cheesecake with you.

And, look Mom, no eggshells!

Happy New Year, one and all!! 
I was just remembering last night as we watched the ball drop, that when I was a kid I always used to have a wild sensation inside me when I was waiting for the new year to begin.  It was like I wanted to hold my breath and let it out at the same time.  I didn't want to let go of the previous year, but I couldn't wait for the new one. It made me hyper and jumpy.  Well, I hope that you all have entered into the new year with eager, expectant looks on your faces, or a hopeful smile, or a giggle in your pocket.  You never know what's coming around the bend--  look for it! 

Thankfully, my new year has started in the best possible way for me... quietly.  I've had a bit too much rushing lately, and I'm talking long before the Christmas rush.  I feel like I've been on the go with no end in sight since about 2005.  I needed to start this year quietly, with the snow gathering in poofy cotton balls on the trees outside, and with a lazy frozen pizza for lunch that smell like popcorn, and tasted like simplicity.  JP and I took a long, long walk in the snow this morning because we're dog sitting for a dog who could walk for days.  It sure was a nice walk.  And now there's not much of a plan.  Thank goodness for a day to just be quiet.

I got swept up by a whirling-dervish this past fall, and didn't get dropped back down until... well, until now.  Whirling-dervishes are pretty exciting to be a part of, but they're also exhausting and leave no head space for writing blogs.  JP tried his best to be the heavy and force me to sit down and share my thoughts on life with you, but he's a little too sensitive and nice to be very effective at that.  He tried whining, whimpering, crying, and sulking.  He tried guilt.  He tried to leave me alone.  But, the very best attempt to get me to write was his desperate bribe.  The day after Thanksgiving, JP promised that if I wrote one blog entry per week, for one year, he would get me my very own mini-wiener dog!!  Tempting... We'll just see if it works.  I'm typically not one to fall for bribes.  However, I did clarify to see if he meant 52 blog entries, or one actual entry each week.  He was nice.  He said 52 entries total. 

So, Happy New Year!  Here's to quiet days, and wiener dogs.

p.s.  Here are some pics of recent days..
- Birds at our feeder!  (and notice our beautiful fence in the background!!)
- A few from Betsy's 30th Bday Dinner Party, with chocolate fondue
- Amy, Dad, and JP at home for Christmas