My take on a classic....

I have said it on here before I LOVVVVVVE baking…. 

well not just the baking, I love just as much the eating of the baked makes 

but that is a whole different subject for another day. 
New York Cheese Cake is one of my favourites at the moment.    
This cake is so super delicious!!!
A great simple rustic looking cake nothing fancy or complicated….  just what I like to bake. 
The only downside to this cake is you need to have a little patience with the cooling/setting time,
a minimum of 8 hours to be precise. 
I leave my cake always overnight before cutting in to it.
A big plus for this cake on the other hand is…. it is easy to adapt to what ingredients 

you have in the house.  Baking is not an exact science for me, 

I am definitely not a precise measurements kinda baker….

I'm more of a looks good.... tastes yummy.... smells great kinda baker.   

Using what is my cupboard and making it work, I don't rush out to buy ingredients.  

Fresh out of vanilla sugar  I just use brown sugar it changes the flavour of the cake a little but it’s just as scrumptious, lemon juice instead of vanilla extract,
double chocolate digestives instead of plain digestives,  a extra egg for more fluffiness…. 

you get the picture 

…long story short no two cheese cakes of mine taste the same.
There are a million and one recipes for  New York Cheese Cake out there 
for my take of this classic I used

125g soft butter I only have salted butter in the house

300g double chocolate digestives

900g cream cheese

220g fine vanilla sugar 

 I put a vanilla pod into a sugar jar, leaving it in there 

adding more sugar to the jar once it starts to run a little low 

2 table spoons flour (plain)
2 tea spoons vanilla extract

3 to 4 eggs depending on there size
2 egg yolks
I always use free range

300 ml double cream

♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Preheating the fan oven on 180C

Crush the biscuits for the base then add most of the soft butter,

(leaving a little for greasing the baking tin) 

mix the crushed biscuits & butter through thoroughly. 
The base mixture is tightly pressed into a well greased 25 cm spring-form cake tin

Bake it for about 10 minutes on 180C

After 10 minutes remove the tin from the oven and let it cool down on a cake rack
at the same time turn the oven up to 200C.

For the filling mix (preferably with a electric mixer) the cream cheese, 

the vanilla sugar, flour and vanilla extract into a smooth mixture. 

Then add the eggs and egg yolks one at the time.  

Whisking the mixture on a high speed until smooth & fluffy, finally the double cream is added.  

The finished mixture has a smooth, light fluffy consistency.

 

 Pour it over the cooled down base mixture.  

Smoothing over the top.

Now the patience bit begins, first place the cheese cake mix in the oven 

 bake for 15 minutes on 200C then reduce the temperature to 110C 

and bake for a further 45 minutes.  

After 45 minutes turn off the oven leave the oven door closed 

and the cake inside for about 2 hours to cool.

  

Then remove the cake from the oven, it now needs at least another 6 hours to fully set.

 I always cover the cake with a fresh tea towel to let it set over night. 

I know that is not easy…. 

it smells yummy and if your family is anything like mine it will attract them into the kitchen.

 My clan loves hovering over the cake for the rest of the day 

trying to convince me the cake is ready to be eaten.

Funny how quickly they disappear again when I mention the words "cleaning up".

Trust me though the wait is well worth it.

This cake is super yummy topped with fresh fruit like 

strawberries, raspberries or blueberries.
But if there is none in the house, try drizzle some melted chocolate over the top or like me

just opt for a generous dusting of icing sugar which makes it equally scrummy!

Give it a go it’s the perfect weekend bake!
I hope you enjoy my take on this classic.

XXXX

Taking stock….

There has been much I wanted to share with you over the past few weeks….

♥ some pretty makes ♥

♥beautiful blossom in the garden ♥

♥ a charity run ♥

♥ some yummy baking ♥

…. just my lives little pretties.

Things have been a little busy around here and this week will be just as chock a block.
But I have also come to realise writing doesn’t come easy to me.
It’s a real task, one I have come to dread a little.  I am a pleaser,  a little perfectionist
and a big self doubter by nature, believe me it’s not a great mix especially as a blogger.
The pleaser in me tries to conform…. the perfectionist is always striving for perfection
in all I do, never quite getting there and the self doubter is always questioning everything.
When I sit down in front of my Mac to type out a new post my struggle begins…
 I over analyse every word I write…. question the quality of my photos....
 doubt the worthiness of every post and my being on here.

Oh I so wish I was a “I don’t care what people think “ kinda person.

I so wish!

I ’m so fearful of rambling on boring every one, 
I start…. restart…. edit…. re-edit…. delete & restart every post.
By the end the finished post resembles nothing I had thought of writing about in the first place.
The really funny thing is when I’m busy doing the dull little jobs of my every day life
laundry, emptying the dishwasher, hoovering or just rushing from a to b,
I write the most amazing posts in my head, in next to no time putting them on paper
virtual or real just seems impossible.
It all ends in me usually pushing the writing to the next day then the next and so on.
Before I know it, weeks have past by with out a post being published making me feel a
complete failure on the blogging front.
It has made me question this whole blogging thing and I was ready to chuck it all in,
over the past couple of weeks.
Worrying about what others think and trying to please can be so very stifling!
Being selfish ever so often, even daring to saying “NO”, on the other hand can be quite freeing.

 I have decided to continue with this little space of mine, with a more selfish approach. 

It is OK if my blogging may be infrequent as long as I enjoy the writing of the post.
I know that my post will never read like the pages of a bestseller,  I may also occasionally
ramble on a bit that is also fine by me to, my spelling is a bit wonky at times,
 I will repeat words like LOVE & PRETTY over and over
and why not I like this words.  My photos will be of pretty little things,
sometimes meaningless to the post they are attached to, but they make me smile.
I started this blog for me to have my own little space where I am me,
where I can share what I enjoy & love not to feel pressured or guilty
finding myself say sorry all the time. 
It’s so lovely to know there are people out there that like to coming over here to share
a little of my life and I always love to here from them.
I just don't want to worry to much about the great big world and whether or not it approves.
I have to be happy with this space and it has to reflect me.
 After all this is my blog....

Have a beautiful week

XXXX

Happy at the Ranch....

Last August you may recall me giving you a sneak preview of the revamping 

of some old tired looking cushion covers for the garden furniture.  

The project got rather rudely interrupted when I was bitten by a tick 

and needed to spend a few days in hospital.  

I had hoped to finish the project once I got out, 

but one thing led to another and before I knew it the summer was over 

and with it the need for the garden cushions.  

When the beautiful weather started I was sharply reminded that the project was still unfinished. 

So finally in the first few days of the easter holidays I got round to finishing it all off. 

Ta-dah....

 I LOVE LOVE LOVE this 50’s style cowboy fabric.

At first I was only going to make the same plain covers again,

using the same fabric quick & easy.... so I thought.

But looking in my fabric stash I realised I had none of the white cowboy 

and only a little of the blue fabric left, not enough to remake all the cushions.  

The fabric has been discontinued for a while making it very hard to get any, 

and if you do find it online it can be rather costly.

  I didn't really want to spent any money on this project. 

A rethink of my plan was needed.

 Waste not want not!

Something my granny had often told me. 

So in memory of my granny and true make do & mend style 

I unpicked the old cushion covers 

as well as a skirt I made for baby paperdoll out of this fabric 

that she had long grown out of. 

Keeping the best pieces.

  
All the other fabrics I used came from my stash.

The pieces of white cowboy fabric varied in size, 

 patchwork was really the only option.  

For the patchwork designs I worked round the different sized pieces of cowboy fabric.

Make the most of each piece, trying to minimize wasting any. 

I quilted the covers to give them a more sumptuous finish.  

 I used different sizes paper template horseshoe and quilted around.  

On each cushion the layout of horseshoe is different. 

I love the mix of the blue & white cowboys, stripe, gingham, cowhide, 

little horseshoe fabric added with old denims.  

But for me it’s the paisley fabric with the roses that bring this patchwork to life.   

I wanted the cushions to look just as pretty from the back 

 I added a feature fabric strip at the opening on the back.

I have kept two old covers that are in good condition.

Having the denim and classic gingham in the mix, 

makes it much easily to make new pieces for this set at a later stage 

without them looking out of place.

I love being in the garden, playing board games, 

eating alfresco having the candles lit in the evening. 

Sitting long into the night chatting to friends or simply gazing at the stars.  

For those lovely but sometimes a little chilly nights, I made a little quilted lap blanket.

 Perfect to be cozy under. 
I quilted this quilt with a mix of the horseshoe design with a paisley pattern through it.

Mondays was my Granny’s washday, come sunshine or rain she would wash on that day.  

I remember her washday's very vividly she had a fully automatic all singing, 

all dancing wash machine, why she pre soaked and rinsed everything by hand, I never know. 

 It always fascinated me how much work the washday was in her house.  

I once pointed out to her that the wash machine had a pre soak program

and that rinsing was part of the main wash program.  

She only replied that no wash machine could ever wash as thorough as she could.  

I think it had more to do with her general mistrust of modern technology.      
Laundry is one of my pet hates and so I would not dream of making it more difficult for me 

then absolute necessary.

Peg bags are a great help if they are big enough to take plenty of pegs.  

I made this one from the legs of a pair of Mr Mac old denims.  

Making it nice and long for plenty of pegs.

I attached the pocket for a little fun!

As a little homage to my Granny and her fascinating wash day's I added the 

Howdy It’s Washday.

The revamping of a few cushion covers has turned into a full make over 

for the garden accessories.

Bunting for the parasol 

and a small patchwork tablecloth for the side table to finish it all of.

At the end of the day everything gets neatly put into this beautiful big basket....

I love how beautiful it all looks even when its all packed together.

I have caught myself just starring at the basket,  

smiling with a feeling of contentment.  

The basket was a unbelievable flea market bargain at only 8 euros 

and makes the perfect place to keep everything in.

Hip Hip Hurray!!!  

Another project I have finished....
Lets just hope the weather stays as nice as it has been for the past few weeks, 

so that the paperdolls, Mr Mc and I can get plenty of use out of it.

I wish you all a lovely Sunday!

XXXX