I need to do some traveling so I can do the name of this blog justice! I will still keep this for my un-healthy recipes, and just keeping you up to date on what I’ve been up to. I remodeled my kitchen and I am going to start doing some cooking videos, I will share some of them here as well. I have the funkiest home. I have collected the weirdest crap during my travels over the years. It’s safe to say it’s eclectic!

I’ve been wanting to start taking pictures again, so I will take pics. of some of the funky stuff I’ve bought over the years. Today’s little gem was bought in Oaxaca Mexico several years ago. I don’t want to throw it out, so it just sits on top of my bookcase.

Here is a soup I came up with on charter several weeks ago and forgot about it until twitter user Allison reminded me of it. It was a real winner with everyone, I’m sure you will enjoy. You can add more sugar if you like you squash soup sweeter. I top this with some lowfat sour cream.

Serves 4

Cook Time: 30 minutes

2 ea. Butternut Squash
2½ cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 cup coconut milk, light
¼ cup sweet chili sauce
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 ea. Lime, juiced
1 tablespoon curry powder
¼ cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in ½ and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 30-45 minutes until very soft. Scrape out seeds and scoop the squash pulp in to a soup pot with the other ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Either blend with a hand blender in the pot or puree in batches in a blender.

Serves 8-12

Cake:

8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, cut in pieces

6 large eggs- 2 whole, 4 seperated

1 cup sugar

Whipped Cream Topping:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled

3 Tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Cake:

preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan with wax paper. Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl set over hot water. In a bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs, and 4 yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar. Whisk in the chocolate mixture. Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer until foamy, than add sugar and whisk to stiff peaks. Fold in to chocolate mixture, and pour in to springform pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until puffed, and cracked (don’t over bake) Let cool (the center will fall), whip the cream with sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks, and fill the center. Top with shaved chocolate if you wish (i do).

Worlds Best cheesecake

Crust:
1/2 package digestive biscuits
melted butter

Filling:
3 packages philly cream cheese softened
1 container mascarpone cheese softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 vanilla beans
1 pint heavy cream
juice of 1 or 2 lemons

For the filling. pulse the digestive biscuits in a food processor until they look like sand. Move to a bowl and add melted butter and mix. Add just enough butter so it looks like wet sand. Press that in to the bottom of a springform pan. In a mixer, add the cheeses and mix to combine over medium speed. Add the sugar, eggs one at a time, and scrape the vanilla beans and add the pulp to the mixture. Add the cream, turn of the mixer and scrape the bowl down. Add the lemon juice and mix that in. Pour mixture in the springform pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 55-60 minutes. Run a knife around the outside of the cheesecake to prevent it from cracking. Let sit at room temp. for an hour and refrigerate for several hours to chill.