No-Bake Cheesecake

A creamy no-bake cheesecake without heavy cream? You betcha!!!

When I grew up, a frozen Sara Lee cheesecake was cause for celebration. And then this recipe surfaced from wherever it is recipes come from . . . and then disappear to . . . (maybe with disappearing socks from the dryer, I just don't know.) Don't limit yourself to a "pie." You can also pour it in a 9 x 13-inch pan for cheesecake squares or, if you have molds, individual cheese cakes. You can also use a spring-form pan. In the summer, I place fresh berries in concentric circles on the top.

• 1 9-inch graham cracker crust
• 3 large packages cream cheese at room temperature (don't use a cheap brand)
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 packages Dream Whip*

Prepare your crust according to directions. If purchasing a prepared crust, be sure to get one that is "deep dish."

Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and milk. Mixture will be thick. Spread by spoonfuls all over the crust then smooth out. Do not attempt to "dump" it all into crust as it will pull up the crust as you try to spread it.

Prepare Dream Whip according to package directions. Spread over the cheese filling. Sprinkle with additional graham-cracker crumbs. 

Refrigerate until firm. If using fresh berries, be sure they are dry. Can also be served with cherry or blueberry pie filling. For Christmas, place holly around the serving plate with some fresh cranberries.

*Dream Whip can be difficult to find. It is light and low in calories. Feel free to whip up regular whipped cream with a bit of confectioner's sugar (about one tablespoon or so) or you could use Cool Whip.

Cranberry-Orange Muffins

These moist muffins are stored in a tin in the refrigerator.

This recipe hails from my oldest sister where it is a staple in their household and a "must do" for their older daughter's birthday. Store them in a wax-paper lined tin to ensure their moistness and to allow the flavors to meld. They are fine on their own, but a shmear of cream cheese ain't bad either! Yes, it takes some time to cut each berry in half, but you really don't want little "bits." You want bites!

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly-grated orange zest
• 2/3 cup orange juice
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 bag) cranberries (cut in half)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and zest.

In a separate bowl, mix the egg, oil, orange juice. Add to dry ingredients. Mix well by hand. Add cranberries and mix until combined.

Spray 12 muffin tins with Pam or equivalent. Fill about 3/4 full with batter. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes. Remove and cool on wire rack. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Yield: around 12

Roast of Venison

Do you have a hunter in the family? Venison is lean and healthy with a fine grain. But because of its leanness, it requires special cooking. This particular recipe requires some forethought since it is 4-5 day operation.

For the life of me, I do not remember where I got this recipe. The first time I made it, I lived in Michigan and my friend, Rick, a hunter, was my easy access to fresh venison.

The first time I made it was for Christmas. My mother wasn't too happy, but it wasn't the main meat or star of the show. It was something "different and fun" which is what holidays should be all about. If people had not known it was venison, they would have thought it a nice cut of beef. My Dad loved it.

Do not omit the sauce. 

Marinade:

• 3-4 lb. boneless venison roast, trimmed of fat
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed

Slow Cooker Ingredients:

• 6 medium carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 2 celery stalks, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (do not omit)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Put the venison, wine, water and garlic into a large zip lock plastic bag. Squeeze out air and close securely. Place on a shallow plate and refrigerate for 4 days, turning every once-in-a-while.

Drain marinade into a slow cooker. Preheat the broiler and brown the roast on all sides for about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker and add carrots, celery, onion, rosemary, cumin and bay leaves. Cook on low for 10 hours or until roast is fork tender.

Remove roast and keep in warm preheated oven--150 F. degrees. 

Transfer liquid from slow cooker to a saucepan and add the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Remove bay leaves.

In a small bowl or jar, mix water and cornstarch. Add to saucepan and cook until mixture thickens.

Slice meat and serve with generous amounts of sauce.

4-Hour Roast Chicken

I'm not the biggest fan of turkey, unless maybe it's deep fried. And if I make a chicken, this is now the only way I do it. It has never failed me. The birds come out juicy and tender with a crisp crust and it makes its own gravy, so be sure to have a bowl of mashed potatoes ready. The spices are great. Sure, you could just purchase a rotisserie chicken from the store, but it won't be half as good. And take it from someone who worked in a deli--do you really know how long those birds were sitting in the cooler before they roasted them.......?

• 1 chicken, about 4 lbs.
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 medium onion cut into fourths or large chunks
• Equipment: Heavy Dutch Oven
• 
  

In a small bowl, mix spices except for rosemary. Set aside the cut-up onion. Rinse chicken inside and out. Pat dry. Rub chicken inside and out with spice mixture. Place onion pieces in cavity and sprinkle the outside of the bird with dried rosemary. Place chicken in re-sealable plastic. Refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 250 F degrees. Place chicken in heavy dutch oven. I use a cast-iron enamel-lined oval Dutch oven. Pin cavity closed. Tie legs together (optional).

Bake, uncovered, for four hours or until bird reaches minimum temperature of 175 degrees, basting once-in-a-while during last 40 minutes or so. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Strain juices to serve as gravy.

Notes:  So, if you have a 3 lb. bird, figure roasting for about 3 hours. Because you're cooking at a lower temperature, I think it very important to take the temp. of the bird before removing from oven. BUT, because you are roasting at a lower temp., your bird won't dry out (did I just really say that?).