Patty Cake Patty Cake, Baker's Woman...

So most of you know that I do not cook. Well, I cook but I am not the fondest of cooking and I would much rather have someone cook for me. But I do love to make dessert every once in a while. I usually have to have a reason though - I mean, come on, I am still trying to lose weight and I am not good at saying no to sweets, especially ice cream.

Back on point...for family birthdays/events we usually get together for dinner. Assignments for food are given and inevitably, I am usually told "bring your own meat to BBQ, bring a green salad or veggie, and some ice cream." Seriously, I feel like no one thinks that I can cook. I never said I couldn't cook just that I am not the fondest of it. No matter how many times I feel like I prove myself, I am rarely assigned to cook anything.

So finally at Easter, I said something again. My brother, Eric, and his family were in town and I just wanted to cook something. So I got assigned dessert. No dessert in my family is not easy. I'm not a fan of fruit and my dad and some brothers are no chocolate eaters. BTW, who doesn't like a good piece of chocolate? So what to make for dessert under these parameters...

Well, instead of one dessert, I decide on two. First, sugar cookies for the kids and no fruit eaters (yes, I made them from scratch and of course, shaped for Easter). Now the adult dessert, I decided to try and make cheesecake from scratch (no mixes), even the crust was from scratch. After searching for quite a while through all my recipe books (now I may not cook a lot but I do like to buy recipe books. Weird, I know.), I decided on a blueberry lemon cheesecake. Eric said that he liked blueberries so since he was visiting that decided it.

I have to say, the thought of making cheesecake is a little stressful. But actually, it is not that hard. Just takes forever to cook (like 3 hours). So here is the final product, my first cheesecake...

It's a shortbread crust with lemon cheesecake and then blueberries are plunged inside the cheesecake and also on top. I know it's not the greatest (or any) styling but you get the picture. I've determined that I need a cake stand also.

So after that success! I was assigned once again to dessert for my brother, Jeff's 40th birthday dinner. Cheesecake again. Just can't get enough. This time I made vanilla bean cheesecake with a shortbread crust and a homemade raspberry sauce for fruit lovers and chocolate sauce for me.

My next attempt will be a strawberry and cream cheesecake that looks divine. I will keep you posted.