Sweet Potatoe Cheesecake

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Sweet Potatoe pie is an all-time favorite. I've taken it a step further and made the cheesecake version that is a hit with people who hate sweet potatoes. This pie will make a believer out of anyone! Everyone who told me they did not like sweet potatoes found themselves reaching for a second helping.

You will need:

2 large sweet potatoes
1/2 tsp of nutmeg
1/2 tsp of ground ginger
1 tblspn of vanilla extract
3 oz of marshmellow cream
3 eggs (medium) or 2 eggs (large)
1/4 stick of butter or margarine
1 tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Chop sweet potatoes up and boil them until soft. (hint, they usually start floating when they are ready.)

After sweet potatoes are soft, pour them into strainer and drain ou the water. You can also take them out of the water one at a time.

Mash the sweet potatoes, add butter.

Add eggs, mix with hand mixer or blender.

Add nutmeg, ginger, vanilla extract, and cinnamon, mix well with hand mixer or blender.

Add marshmellow cream, mix will

Pour batter into pie crust or graham cracker crust (whichever one you prefer.)bake for 40-45 mins.

Allow pie to cool down before refridgerating for 8 to 12 hours.





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Maraschino Cherry Cheesecake

If you love Maraschino cherries, you will love this recipe.

What you will need:

1 tsp of banana extract

1 cup of maraschino cherries, cherries cut in half

12 0z of cream cheese

¾ cup of sugar3 eggs (medium) or 2 eggs (large)

1 graham cracker pie crust

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Combine sugar and cream cheese in bowl and blend with hand mixer.

Adding one egg at a time, add each egg thoroughly blending until batter is smooth.

Add cherries (after they are cut in half) to mixture and stir with a spoon.

Pour cherry batter into pie crust and spread to sides if needed.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until middle is spongy.

Refrigerate for 12 hours (allow pie to cool down before refrigerating to prevent cracking.)

I like to use real fruit whenever I can. Feel free to try out different combinations. You never know what you might like.





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Pumpkin Cheesecake

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A few years ago I found a cheesecake recipe during the holiday season that was absolutely devine. After a few modifications, I created the best pumkin cheesecake recipe ever. According to dozens of people whom have tried it, they also agree. This recipe is a personal favorite and is really easy to make. Great for the holidays or anytime.

What you will need:

5 eggs (medium) OR 3 eggs (large)

(3) 8oz packages of cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

½ tsp of nutmeg

1 16oz can of pumpkin puree

½ tsp of ground ginger

1 ½ tsp of cinnamon

2 graham cracker pie shells (Large)


Preheat Oven to 325 degrees.

Combine cream cheese and sugar in large mixing bowl and beat with electric hand mixer, on high, until smooth.

Add one egg at a time to cream cheese mixture and blend. Continue until eggs are mixed in batter and batter is smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla extract. Mix completely

Pour pumpkin puree mixture into cream cheese mixture and continue to mix with blender completely combining both batters.

Pour batter into gram cracker crust.

Place pie in the oven and bake for 40-45 mins.

After pie is done, allow it to sit for 15 minutes or until cool to prevent cracking. Then refrigerate overnight. Don’t forget the cool whip!!





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Facts About Cinnamon

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You may already know that cinnamon is good for you, but did you know there is a mythological creature called the Cinnamon Bird? Here are some interesting facts and trivia about this extraordinary spice.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) is a tree belonging to the Lauraceae family. The bark of the tree is what is used as a spice.

True cinnamon, or Ceylon cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon).
Cassia, a related spice, is sometimes sold as cinnamon but it is not "true cinnamon." Cassia is sometimes called "Indonesian cinnamon" or "Chinese cinnamon." In fact, most powdered cinnamon sold in the United States is actually cassia. It is harder to find true Ceylon cinnamon.

Cinnamon gets is scent and flavor from a chemical compound called cinnamaldehyde.
The word cinnamon comes from the Greek kinnamomon.

Cinnamon is mentioned in Chinese writings as far back as 2800 BC. In the book of Exodus, God instructs Moses to make a holy anointing oil out of cinnamon, cassia, olive oil, myrrh, and hemp. (Exodus 30: 22-33).

There was an ancient belief in something called the Cinnamon Bird that supposedly lived in Arabia and used cinnamon to build its nests. Herodotus wrote that these birds flew to an unknown land to collect the cinnamon and took it back with them to Arabia. The Arabians got the cinnamon from the birds by tempting them with large chunks of raw meat. The birds took the heavy pieces of meat back to their nests, which caused the nests to fall and the cinnamon to rain down and be collected by the people.

Pliny the Elder wrote that the Cinnamon Bird did not exist and was a tale invented to raise the price of cinnamon. Pliny also wrote that 350 grams of cinnamon were equal in value to five kilograms of silver.

In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process.
The Egyptians also used cinnamon medicinally and as a flavoring in food and beverages.
Cinnamon was used on funeral pyres in Ancient Rome. In 65 AD, Nero burned a year's supply of cinnamon at his second wife Poppaea Sabina's funeral in order to show the depth of his grief.
In the Middle Ages, cinnamon was only affordable by the wealthy elite of society. A person's social rank could be determined by the number of spices they could afford.
From the 16th to the 19th centuries, there were power struggles among European nations over who would control Ceylon and the very lucrative cinnamon industry. In 1833, other countries began growing cinnamon and the need to control Ceylon diminished.

Hypocras is a famous centuries-old spiced wine that is spiced with cinnamon. It is named after Greek physician Hippocrates, who was believed to have invented it in the 5th century BC, though the exact origin is unclear. Hypocras is generally not produced commercially anymore, though it is still produced in small amounts in some regions of France.
Cinnamon has many health benefits. It has shown promise in the treatment of diabetes, arthritis, high cholesterol, memory function, and even leukemia and lymphoma.
Two teaspoons of cinnamon has about 12 calories.

10 Health Benefits of Cinnamon

1. Studies have shown that just 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day can lower LDL cholesterol.

2. Several studies suggest that cinnamon may have a regulatory effect on blood sugar, making it especially beneficial for people with Type 2 diabetes.

3. In some studies, cinnamon has shown an amazing ability to stop medication-resistant yeast infections.

4. In a study published by researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Maryland, cinnamon reduced the proliferation of leukemia and lymphomas cells.

5. It has an anti-clotting effect on the blood.

6. In a study at Copenhagen University, patients given half a teaspoon of cinnamon powder combined with one tablespoon of honey every morning before breakfast had significant relief in arthritis pain after one week and could walk without pain within one month.

7. When added to food, it inhibits bacterial growth and food spoilage, making it a natural food preservative.

8. Another study found that smelling cinnamon boosts cognitive function and memory.

9. Researchers at Kansas State University found that cinnamon fights the E. coli bacteria in unpasteurized juices.

10. It is also a great source of manganese, fiber, iron, and calcium.

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