Cheesecake…and punch

I have not made cheesecake in forever!!!! But I splurged on some cream cheese  and so thought it would be a fun treat for New Year’s Eve. I had no graham crackers, but had some cheap chocolate sandwich cookies that no one wanted to eat. they were .50 a pack at the store…..that should have been a hint.

Anyhow, they made great cookie crumbs and a crust for the cheesecake!!!

Cheesecake recipe

3 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 pt. sour cream

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Graham cracker crust pressed in 9×13 pan

Cream cheese well.  Beat in eggs.  Add sugar and vanilla.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Mix sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Spread on top and bake another 5 minutes at 475 degrees.  Chill  a couple hours or until totally cold.

Freezing weather outside helps alot!!!

We also had a Christmas punch this Christmas….we had the leftovers on New Year’s Eve. It was the best we have ever made it!!!

VOGELS’ CRANBERRY SLUSH PUNCH

Martha Artyomenko 24 servings

3 (8 oz.) cans jellied cranberry sauce

2 (12 oz.) cans lemonade concentrate

1 (12 oz.) can cranberry apple juice concentrate

4 c. water

1 tsp. cinnamon

12 c. club soda

In bowl, combine first 6 ingredients; cover and freeze overnight or 8 hours. Remove 45 minutes before serving.  For each serving, mix 1/2 c. slush with 1/2 c. club soda. (Instead of defrosting it all the way, we blended some of it in the blender and added club soda that was part frozen too and it was amazing!!!)

This punch recipe was featured in Taste of Home a long time ago….when I sent it in….you can see it if you do a search for it!!!

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Cranberry-Slush-Punch

We had a nice New Year’s Eve. It seemed like midnight came awfully fast though!!! We all cheered at midnight and then continued to play games. I lost miserably at Scrabble due to not getting almost any vowels!!! Then we played Catch-Phrase, until I was so tired my brain refused to think anymore. For sure my age showing!!! Well, it is 2011 and I was born in the ’70’s!!!

So, life goes on!!! 2011….now with all the conspiracy theories out there and back in the ’90’s, who thought we would make it this far and not  be living in caves underground by now??? I am learning to be thankful for every day I have! Especially when I read how  people lost their  family members that were my own age……

So, this year…I think I should make another list of stuff to do!!!