Palm Springs Day 2

Swimming, Food, Airplanes, Grapefruits, and Cheesecake = a really fun day and tired kids.

  We loved the pool and tried a Gluten Free popcorn microwave that we all loved.  We will be going back to get more to bring home.  After lunch and a shower we all headed to the Palm Springs Airport to view the museum and honor the anniversary of flight. 

Planes always make me think of Grandpa Wayne.  Nicholas loves flight and the planes.  The noise of some of the ones taking off today got to him, he just covered his ears.  He sat in several and Paisley liked them too.  There were numerous planes and very interesting retired military men to visit with.  Nicholas was able to paint on a plane and he thought that was really cool.

we got to see this plane take off!

On the way home we stopped to get dessert at the Cheescake Factory.  Oh boy, Nicholas got to try the new gluten free key lime and Jeff got the gluten free Godiva Chocolate.  Paisley picked the brownie cheesecake and it had 1258 calories, she took two bites and it is in the fridge.  I picked a vanilla bean, looks wonderful, I will try it after I am done blogging. 

now that is a grapefruit, Nicholas hand for size comparrison

Cheese!

While I was cooking shrimp stir fry for dinner, Jeff took the kids on a walk and they came home with a bag of grapefruits and a lime.  They are beautiful and a very sweet.  They are white grapefruit and Nicholas loved juicing a few.  We watched Life on tv as a family and Paisley fell asleep, real asleep.  We are  off the Sea World tomorrow and I am so excited and blessed to be able to go as a family on such a special trip!

Grandma turns 59!

We had a fun day and a great salmon dinner.  Jeff cooked the salmon and I made a verde pesto style sauce.  It was wonderful.  Jeff cooked the salmon on a cedar plank and we had a great reisling from Covey Run.  After dinner we went to Toni's for a fashion accessory party. It was fun. Our breath was horrible because  of the garlic in the sauce. It called for 5 heads and I would do 3 max next time. I highly recommend it and We all liked it better than a regular pesto with pine nut. 

The cheese cake is great and the crust was wonderful. You would never know it is GF.  The verde sauce mom found in Taste of Home.

Verde Sauce
6 green onions
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp lemon peel grated
3 cups loose pack basil and 3 cups parsley
1 jar sliced green olives with pimento
3 1/2 oz capers
3 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes opt
1 cup grated parmesan and romano cheese
1 cup olive oil.

Blend all ingred but cheeses. stir in grated cheeses and enjoy. Freezes well and makes 3 cups. Can be served warmed or cold. Great with fish and pasta!

White Chocolate Cheese Cake

Ingredients

For the crust:

1 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs gluten free
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

For the filling:

4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups white chocolate wafers or 8 ounces of white chocolate baking bars

Directions

Preheat the oven 325 degrees.

1. In a 9-inch springform pan, mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar together. Press the mixture across the bottom of the pan and up the sides to form the crust. Put the crust in refrigerator while you mix the filling.
2. With the paddle attachment of your stand-type mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Melt the chocolate. Drizzle in the melted chocolate while the beaters are running. Pour into the crust.
3. Bake for 50 minutes or until the cake is done. Let cool on a wire rack. After ten minutes, loosen the sides with a spatula and remove the ring. Refrigerate the cheesecake to cool completely.

Baker’s note: Drizzle in the chocolate while it is still warm. If the chocolate cools too rapidly, you will have clumps in the cheesecake.