I have been making cheese cakes for years...in fact, my friends and neighbors call me the 'cheesecake lady'đ which is really a nice compliment! I made this wonderful, not so dense, but just the right texture cheese cake, exactly 1 year ago when I was visiting my hometown in Cleveland, and I've never posted this, on my blog because I was juts 'anti-blog' and now, as I was browsing through my photos I came across it...so why not feature it?...and I'm doing so now!
Spring has really 'sprung' last year up north, and as you can see in the background the beautiful green grass, and flowers sprouting out everywhere. I will be leaving again tomorrow for my 2 weeks stay, but this year the weather is not as nice as it was last year. I love my hometown, and also my family there, as well, so it will be a nice visit again!
Served with marinated strawberry slices...it was 'heavenly'...I must admit! By the way, this time I omitted the sour cream topping, and baked it 15 minutes less, which was the extra time for the topping! The recipe is on my blog...going back to 'memory lane'...when I started to blog, a long time ago...so no wonder why I need to stay 'on board' and keep blogging! Check out the link to this amazing cheesecake, you won't regret it if you decide to try it out!
I don't know how you feel about homemade Banana Bread...but, as for me; I never get tired of it. I always buy a nice bright yellow bunch of bananas every week and look forward to leaving at least 3 or 4 bananas to ripen to a 'brown spackled' stage that is the perfect way to make banana bread, muffins, or switch it around and make a nice bundt cake with just about the same recipe...the basic for banana bread, just adding more ingredients to 'spike' it up!
It depends what you have on hand to add to the batter, but I do get excited when I find that I have at least 1 block of Philadelphia Cream Cheese, and as always...I do keep chocolate chips around when I'm in the mood to make Chocolate Chips Cookies. In this case I decided to add these yummy ingredients to the Banana Bread recipe...which in this case...became the Banana Cream Cheese and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake...wheww, that was a long title for this simple coffee cake or with your favorite tea...on a leisurely afternoon!
The recipe is too long for me to type, so I will guide you to the source where I actually got the idea from!
Ever wonder why would anyone want to call this colorful, healthy, and so delicious fresh salad mixed with black and green olives...and don't forget the pepperoncini, the artichoke hearts, and if you like, add some little cubed feta cheese, some vinaigrette dressing, some nice crusty bread, and you got yourself a meal that you will truly enjoy! It really is more of a vegetarian antipasto because there is no prosciutto, or salami in this...and that's fine with me!
The best part is that you can be so creative with this amazing salad, that you can first start off with the fresh salad part of it, fresh chopped Romaine lettuce, the best of the best red ripe tomatoes diced, I love fresh crunchy red radishes sliced, cucumbers if you like...which I did not use this time; I adore sweet onions like Vidalia or another brand if Vidalia is not avaiable, also sliced.
Not to be confusing the first version...with this version, which is the second, that in this salad, there is no 'lettuce'...just a simple Vegan Antipasto! This one has the artichoke hearts, which are already marinated, and comes in a cute little jar...made in Italy, some cherry or grape tomatoes, onions, garlic, and chopped Italian parsley. Both are mixed with the simple and the best extra virgin olive oil, and red, or white wine vinegar...no Balsamic at all for me, it changes the color, and for me it's too sweet!
I got the inspiration from Rachel Ray, whom I adore, ever since her old cooking show was featured on the Food Network, and I subscribe these days to her magazine as well!
Antipasto Salad adapted from Rachel Ray
Ingredients
Directions
Combine lettuce, salami, chopped hot pickled vegetables, olives, red peppers and artichoke hearts. Drizzle vinegar and oil over the salad. Toss salad and season with salt and pepper, to your taste.
