New York Cheesecake

I have been making cheese cakes for years...in fact, my friends and neighbors call me the 'cheesecake lady'😊 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!

New York Cheesecake

Linking to: Full Plate Thursday #380

Venison Stew with Potato Balls

After a long absence from my blog, I decided to return or just leave things the way they are...which is the wrong choice. Eight years have passed and things have changed so much on social media but I do feel proud to have accomplished so much not to give it all up!

I have several photos of great dishes I've made since my absence and would like to share them with you. While enjoying my Christmas vacation along with my daughter and grandchildren staying with family in Ohio, I did prepare some nice dishes since it's my second home and I enjoy feeling home and comfortable in the kitchen.

I must admit, venison is not on my favorite list of meat to prepare, but since I was asked to prepare something, I decided on a stew. There are three types of meats that I would rather stay away from cooking, is venison (poor 'bambi') lamb, and rabbit...each of these 3 I have witnessed being butchered, so I have a difficult time preparing them to be eaten! So that narrows things down to occasional beef, and pork...chicken is still on my list, and of course seafood as well! So, I will share the recipe with you how I prepared the Venison Stew...so northern style and for sure not something we make here in S. Florida for sure. We don't hunt...we fish!

Venison Stew with Potato Balls

1 large onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
3 carrots scraped and chopped
3 stalks celery diced
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
32 oz. vegetable broth
1 yellow hot wax pepper sliced (opt.)
salt, and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp Hungarian hot, and/or sweet
Paprika
3 - 4 1/2 lbs. venison cubed to 1 inch
pieces

In a large deep skillet, or dutch oven, on medium high heat, add oil and the chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrots, and yellow hot wax pepper, until onions are soft. Add the Hungarian paprika, and add about 1/4 cup of the broth. Stir and let it cook down until it thickens. Add the cut up venison cubes, stir and let it cook down until all is incorporated with the paprika mixture. Add the broth, cover with lid and let it simmer on med-low heat for at least 1 1/2 to 2 hrs until sauce is thickened, and meat is tender.
4-6 servings

For the Potato Balls

4 med potatoes peeled and diced
2 to 3 cups all purpose flour
2 eggs lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes until tender

With a potato ricer, or in a food processor, mash the potatoes to a fine pulp

Mix together with the flour and eggs (not shown)

Lightly form into a large balls and with an ice cream scooper, scoop out equal amounts and form into balls.

Shape the balls into about 2 or inches round. Bring water to boil in a large pot and drop the balls into the rapid boiling water.

Potato balls should come to the surface and simmer for at least another 15-20 but no longer than that, or it will fall apart!
Scoop potato balls unto a platter with a large slotted spoon, and serve with the Venison Stew!
4-6 servings





Please Note: I've been having some serious issues with my comment section. I had 18 comments, and missing 8. I feel so bad because I have no idea what happened to the last 8 comments. Also, I'm not able to comment on most blogs, so I did leave comments on Google + on some of the comments, hoping that you would see them. I think the problem started when I tried to change and upgrade to a new look and lost some apps and content. I will try to work out these issues and try to comment on your blogs and reply back on mine as well! So sorry for not being able to comment on your blogs, but I will be contacting you one way or the other!
Hugs,
Elisabeth ...aka Liz, Lizzie, Eli, Elisa...Food and Thrift

Cleveland Winter 2017

Hello my friends, I hope you all had a great holiday. I just got back from Ohio and I thought it would be nice to put together a post to show you all a series of snowy pictures, family gathering, and great food! I'll be back to post weekly, since that was my new year's resolution! I missed you all and I promise I will be more active on the blog (and at the gym ;) ).

Check out my granddaughter's post on Ohio!

This is my family property.

This is in Willoughby Ohio on Christmas Day

Standing Rib Roast sliced up by my nephew, Denes

This is a vintage ceramic tree from the 70's

These are various homemade Christmas cookies

Me and Santa Claus selfie

This is the first day of snow before Christmas

This is at my friends house

Family Christmas tree

Thank you all for visiting my post, I would love to hear from you!

Torta Soffice di Mele {Light Apple Cake}

Hello everyone! Just when I thought I was returning to my blog...my world have seemed to have fallen off a large cliff, and it was not so easy to climb back. Since the first week of last October of 2015, everything have seemed to change...sudden death of my beloved older sister Anna (Aniko) in Cleveland...who I have blogged about one year ago...my weird and bizarre (at home) accident, ripping my upper arm open...(due to falling over my simple little Pilates chair in the middle of the night...goes to show you that if you can't see to go to the bathroom...have a 'night light'...which I do have but did not turn on! (some of those exercise equipment do have sharp edges that can actually, certainly injure you. Got rid of it after having it next to my bed for six years!

Spending two weeks in the hospital, due to allergies to 3 different antibiotics did not help either for the wound to heal, instead...making it worst for infections. I ended up having to be hooked up to a wound vacuum machine, at the hospital, and using a smaller version of it at home...having a nurse come out every day to change bandage! So, October and November of last year was the worst 2 months of my life...I must admit honestly. December was slightly better, and I went back to my beloved home town re-visiting my family and painfully missing my dear sister Aniko who has left this world but her presence is forever there at the house, and in our hearts!

It seems like I have abandoned my blog...which actually I did, in a sense that I did not even want to peak in to see what's going on; not just with my blog, but with others' as well! I owe all of you friends, and followers a huge apology...not visiting, and commenting on your beautiful blogs. To make things worst...I have lost nearly 100 followers, not blaming them for leaving because I was a 'no show'...simple as that! Since then, my photos have show up regularly and 'thrift' blogs...yet, another 'food and thrift' blog...taking away from entering into my blog...which is totally different. I tried to change the name, but will have to really start all over, perhaps and have my own domain?! which will co-host it, not worth the hassle! Besides the familiar name I decided to chose close to the 'food' name is taken by another blogger some time ago...so I will remain with the same title that I chose close to 6 years ago, and that's ...that!

I made this Italian apple cake last September, and was going to post it, and I did not get a chance. Photos are not the best, taken with my cell phone camera, but then again...I was not anticipating to want to post about it, so I did not bother taking better pictures with my camera...and of course, cloudy and dreary day did not help either...although, the sun does peak out just about every day here in S. Florida, even if for an hour or less which is really nice! The cake is light, buttery, and so very moist and delicious!

Since the last few months, I have been quite active on Facebook, keeping up with some of my food blogger friends, and old and new friends, as well. As for family, not so active...for some reason, they don't want to associate with their own...due to 'exposure', I guess, not wanting the world to know 'who belongs to whom'?! My daughter never, ever posts anything about me, and has told me, she wants to keep her Facebook page, and friends private...knowing that her friends know who her family, i.e. (mom) is...I suppose it's better this way!

Now, I have totally gotten off the subject about the Light Apple Cake! I made this amazing cake withe the fresh apples, at my sister's house when I was there last October, and I was so thrilled that she absolutely loved it, and wrote down the recipe...but sadly she passed away one week later!

Torta Soffice Di Mele{Light Apple Cake}

2 1/2 cups flour
2/3 sugar
3 eggs
2/3 melted, unsalted butter
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1/3 cup milk
3 apples (golden delicious or granny smith work well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except the apples. Mix until smooth batter is formed.

Butter and flour a 9″ spring form pan. Pour in the batter. Peal and core apples, then slice thinly and arrange in a circle pattern on top of batter. Apples may sink slightly into the batter.

Bake the cake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove room oven and let cake cool slightly on wire rack. Remove the pan sides and slip the cake onto a serving plate. Serve at room temperature.

The only addition I made, I added 1 teaspoon baking soda, juice of 1 lemon as well, 1 tteaspoon cinnamon powder ( for me, cinnamon goes well with apples, and it's a must have. I also changed it to 1/2 cup of cup of milk, for softer texture!

Our last 'selfie'...together, one week later
on Oct. 7th, 2015
she collapsed and 'died'!

I made the Torta Soffice di Mele the second time a month later in Cleveland, for my sister, and I do think it turned out better than the first time. I added the sliced apples in half of the batter, and added the remaining sliced apples on the top, and also sprinkled it with a mixture of cinnamon, and sugar. The additional added ingredients made it lighter, and not like a pound cake batter, which is also good, but I prefer a light cake. Pound cake is...pound cake, but this recipe is supposed to be a (Light) version, which the title says so, therefore I had to adjust it. Not every recipe is 'true'...so you have to make it 'tried and true'

I did miss all of you dear blogger friends, and I will try my best to keep blogging, which is a good 'therapy'...and NOT to be occupied with thoughts of sadness...life has to continue, which is proper to say, and most importantly we all have families and loved ones that need us here, right now. Everything in it's earthly, and heavenly order must be decided and done to the best to our ability, and... capability. Heavenly matters are, and will be decided by a 'higher power' at the right time when it is decided by God!
Love, and Peace,
Elisabeth

My Cleveland visit...Part 2.

Here we are in the middle of summer, and I'm showing you winter photos...how silly is that!?
The reason for that is because I need to catch up over the last six months that I have missed posting.
Thank you so much for your sweet and kind comments that you left on my blog, and I truly appreciate that you care and have missed me...as I certainly have missed you!

So here we are, on our way to visit my parents' grave near by...me taking the beautiful scenery winter photos which I rarely get to experience since I moved away from Ohio decades ago to sunny S. Florida! One thing for sure, I don't miss the terribly cold winters, but I do love the snow when it's just like this, with a bit of sunshine, clear skies -minus- the snow storms.

We arrived at the cemetery, all the graves are covered with blankets of crisp fresh snow, glistening in the sun. It's about 27 degrees F. way too cold for me, but I decided to take a 'selfie' of us and my sister actually was happy to pose for the photo!
Now comes the good part...she thinks she recognized our parents' grave which is near that tree in the background (turns out it was actually in the next row) also near the tree!
In the meantime...she decides to say a prayer and have a conversation with our parents standing on the wrong grave...to say the least!

I must share this most amazing, super moist and sooo delicious Apple cake that Susan, (my nephew's wife) made for us, after a scrumptious Bolognese sauce with homemade gnocchi!
You probably recognize this famous Jewish Apple cake...a recipe which I also had from the seventies and eighties that is still very popular!

This apple cake is super moist, with all these wonderful apple chunks half of them in the middle of the batter, and the other half on the top which makes it so attractive...so pretty!

Mom’s Apple Cake
by: Smitten Kitchen 

6 apples, Mom uses McIntosh apples
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before running knife between cake and pan, and unmolding onto a platter.

Best Ever Chocolate Chip-Banana Muffins

I haven't been able to take decent 'natural light' food photos for the last 2 weeks for a new post, since we've been getting so much rain with heavy winds, and clouds every day...except for last Sunday for about half a day; sun was in-and-out, and we were able to enjoy the beach and the pool. I feel so bad for all of you who live up north and even on the east coast as well; below zero temperatures, and all the snow storms...brrrr!

In order for me to buy more cookbooks, which I still find a few at a different Goodwill store for their original $2.49, or I've been ordering them online from Amazon for 'dirt cheap'...of course, cookbooks do add up and I'm not about to have a huge selection which I used to have; so, I have donated a lot of books that I find...useless! While looking through some of my books for torn out pages from magazines tucked into them, I found this photo copy of a recipe of this amazing and perfect Chocolate Chip Muffins...but wait!...This recipe is from a Bed and Breakfast Inn, called the
The Signal House in Ripley, Ohio.

If you plan to come to Florida...which would be a perfect time now to get away from the freezing cold weather for a while...here's a local Bed and Breakfast, which I personally drive by just about every day. (it is only about 2 miles from the beach)
Sabal Palm House Bed and Breakfast



Best Ever Chocolate Chip-Banana Muffins
recipe from: The Signal House

3 large ripe bananas
1/4 cups sugar
1 slightly beaten egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 ounces chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mash bananas. Add sugar and eggs. Add the melted butter, then add the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into 12 or 6 cup muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 or 6 large muffins...I made 6, and I must tell you they were so moist, not too sweet, and so delicious with morning coffee, or afternoon tea!

Polar Vortex, 2014
Temperatures in all 50 US states dipped below freezing on Tuesday in a rare nationwide chill that will keep a grip on much of the country for at least another day, with cutting winds and blizzards posing the most danger.

Florida, a state that normally basks in its reputation as a warm winter escape, experienced unusually low temperatures. In the Midwest, northeast and eastern Canada, it was dangerous to venture outside. At some point on Tuesday, at least one location in each of the 50 US states recorded temperatures below freezing, with the highest point on Hawaii, Mauna Kea, recording a temperature of 21F (-6C).
The so-called polar vortex that funnelled an Arctic low pressure system into the upper US this week swung south and east on Tuesday. Polar conditions settled over two-thirds of the US.

It was colder in the southern state of Georgia than Alaska as Atlanta plunged to 6F (-14C) – the lowest temperature since 1966 – while Anchorage, Alaska, recorded 27F (-3C) . Wind chills were recorded around -60F in parts of Michigan, Minnesota, Montana and New Hampshire.
Read more...The Guardian New, York, Jan. 7, 2014

 Although we didn't get freezing weather here, in S. Florida...I took these photos this morning, and sure enough it looked like it was about to snow!

Wednesday, 8:20 AM...from my balcony. The wind-chill factor always make it at least 15-20 degrees cooler by the ocean, even in the summer time!

Usually, just about every day, the sun comes out...even if for a few minutes...for the last 3 days this is how our 'sunny Florida' skies looked...more like 'snow clouds'...I have not witnessed this kind of chilly wind, very damp, and cold...it just cuts through your bones! Not making excuses, because I grew up in Ohio, and I have lived through plenty of snow storms and freezing weather throughout my youth!