Blueberry Cheesecake

Dad is the cheesecake man. He makes really fantastic cheesecakes that are ginormous. And that means they are really, really big. Since I don't get to see him very often, he made a huge effort to make every yummy treat he knew how to make.

It resulted in 4 cheesecakes and a key lime pie in a week. I gained 5 pounds. Mom and Hali counted the desserts in the fridge one night: 5 choices. Obviously I had one of each. Every night. Someone please save me from myself. Nobody should be so committed to dessert. (But it is really good.)

If you know Dad, give him a call. He is the cheesecake man. If you don't know him you will have to make your own cheesecake. Several other flavors will be coming soon.

Blueberry Cheese Cake

Crust

For 10 inch springform pan For 9 inch springform pan

1 ½ cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 cup vanilla wafer crumbs

¾ cup flaked coconut – toasted ½ cup flaked coconut – toasted

3/8 cup finely chopped walnuts ¼ cup finely chopped walnuts

3 T sugar 1/8 cup sugar

½ cup butter – melted 6 T butter – melted (a little less butter works ok) Combine 1st 4 ingredients in bowl – stir in butter Press onto bottom an 1 in up sides of springform pan Refrigerate for 15 min.

Cook Sauce

2 ½ cups blueberries

¼ cup sugar (combine sugar and cornstarch before adding) (little less sugar)

3 t cornstarch

1 T water

1 T lemon juice

Cook until it thickens.

Filling

3 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese – softened

1 (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat cream cheese and condensed milk till combined. Add eggs and vanilla; beat till combined Pour ½ in to crust. Add ½ of blueberry sauce. Add rest of filling. Swirl in the rest of blueberry sauce. Place pan on baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 50 to 60 min or until center is nearly set Cool for 10 min. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen. Refrigerate overnight

Kamikaze Pancakes

Early in our relationship, Kevin introduced me to The Egg and I, a restaurant in Uptown. I opened the menu and fell madly in love and may never recover. There in black and white were the words I had always fantasized about reading: "Kamikaze Pancakes." They are made with buckwheat flour and bananas, blueberries, and walnuts are baked in. Then they are topped with more bananas, blueberries, and walnuts.

One pancake is the size of the plate and leaves you stuffed. Never being much for moderation, I always get two. Come on now - we only go there once or twice a year, and all things should be taken in moderation, including moderation itself.

Since we sometimes need a kamikaze fix in between visits, I modified an oatmeal pancake recipe to include buckwheat. If you use the 1/4 C spoon to make them they will fit nicely in the toaster the next day.

If you don't have any buckwheat or buckwheat flour, go ahead and use rolled oats instead. If you are missing some fruit or nuts just leave it out or substitute a different kind.

Kevin likes to say, "You eat one," while holding a single finger in the air to illustrate just how dense these are. If you like light fluffy pancakes, don't bother making these. They are hearty and filling. (But really I eat more than one at a time. More like 2 on the first serving, 2 for the second serving, and several bites into the second serving I realize that I might explode if I take one more bite.)

Yum. I can hardly wait to dig in.

Is there even a pancake underneath all this topping?

Kamikaze Pancakes

1/2 C whole wheat (or soft wheat) flour
1/2 C rolled oats
1/2 C buckwheat flour (or more rolled oats)
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2 T sugar
1/3 C powdered milk
2 eggs
1 C water
2 T oil
1 mashed banana
1/2 C washed blueberries
1/8 C chopped walnuts


Mix all the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients and beat it a bit with a fork, then mix in the mashed banana. Make a well with the dry ingredients, pour the wet into it and mix until just moistened. Gently fold in the blueberries and walnuts and bake on a hot griddle. Top with more blueberries, banana slices, and walnuts, and also your favorite pancake toppings, such as applesauce or maple syrup.