Pre-Christmas Productivity! (2 recipes!)

I made Russian Tea Balls (cookies)! My grandma always had these on the cookie tray for Christmas and when she passed in 2010, I decided I would keep that tradition alive since it was one of my dads favorite cookies.

Russian Tea Ball Recipe:
1 cup butter softened, 1/2 cup powder sugar, 1t vanilla extract blend that together. Add 2 1/4 cups flour and 1/4t salt and blend. Stir in 3/4 cups chopped walnuts (the finer, the better). Form into 1" round balls and place on baking sheet. Bake at 400* F for 10 minutes. Roll in powder sugar right away. Once cool, roll in powder sugar again. Enjoy!

After cookies (and a round of dishes) we brought in the train set and set it up.

After lunch I made a Chocolate Cheesecake (my first ever cheesecake that I made solo)

Recipe: 1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs, 1/2 cup finely chopped toasted hazelnuts, 1/3 cup melted butter, 3 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese softened, 1 cup sugar, 12 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet baking chocolate (melted and cooled), 3 eggs (lightly beaten), 1 cup sour cream, 1 1/2 t vanilla extract, 1/2 t almond extract, dash salt
Glaze: 4 squares (1 ounce each) bittersweet baking chocolate, 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 t vanilla extract
Combine chocolate wafer crumbs, hazelnuts and butter, press into the bottom of an ungreased 9-inch springform pan.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, and sugar until smooth. Add chocolate (If you don't have 12 ounces of bittersweet baking chocolate like I found out, you can use unsweetened baking chocolate and add 1/4 cup sugar for every 4 ounces unsweetened and it will turn out the same). Add eggs; beat on low until just combined. Add sour cream, extracts and salt; beat just until blended. pour over crust. place pan on baking sheet.
Bake at 350* for 60-65 minutes or until the center is almost set. Cool pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate for 3 hours.
For glaze, in heavy saucepan or microwave, melt chocolate with cream, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Remove sides of springform pan. Spread gaze over top. Refrigerate overnight. Garnish with whipped cream and hazelnuts.

Instead of chocolate wafer crumbs, I killed these guys...I mean used these.

Fresh from the oven:

The finished product! (really rich and you will need a glass of milk to go with it)

Choo-Choo

As you may have guessed from the title, today is National Train Day ~ a personal favorite of mine. It all started back in 1869. The Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads were reaching the far corners of America yet they weren't connected, that is until the tracks that were laid became the first Transcontinental rail line. Once this was completed, the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans would be connected through the metal rail. The place they met was none other than Promontory Summit, Utah and a golden spike was driven into the final connection of the two tracks, making it one. The Continental Rail Line was 1,776 miles long and cities and towns soon spread with the rail way system helping create the America we know and love today. 

So here are a few ways you can celebrate today: play with your own model trains,

go for a train ride, or join a train club. You could even go around wearing a conductors cap (like the one I got my dad for his birthday last year).

Main thing is, go out and enjoy and be thankful for trains.