Pumpkin Cheesecake

For the last two years, I have made this pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving. It is a great alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie and a fun way to use up fall pumpkins. Not only is this cheesecake super easy, but it makes a stunning presentation that is sure to impress your Thanksgiving guests.

Crust:

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:

3 packages cream cheese (three 8 oz. packages)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree (or one 16 oz. can)
2 eggs
2/3 cup undiluted evaporated milk ( one 5 oz. can)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Topping:

2 cups sour cream (one 16 oz. carton)
1 /4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in medium bowl. Press into the bottom and sides of a 10-inch spring form pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 6-8 minutes. Do not allow to brown.

For Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and evaporated milk. Add cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg and beat until well combined. Pour into the crust and bake for 55 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees.

For Topping: While the cheesecake is baking, combine sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Once the cheesecake is done, pull it out of the oven and spread the topping evenly over the hot cheesecake. Return it to the oven and allow it to bake for another 10 minutes. I usually turn the oven off when there is about 3 minutes of bake time remaining. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool completely before removing the sides of the springform pan. Garnish with graham cracker crumbs and orange zest if desired.

Stress Free and Waste Free Holiday Wrapping

About 12 years ago, my mom and I were discussing the hassle and waste of holiday gift wrap. My mom wanted pretty presents under her tree that matched her color scheme, but, she hated the stress of gift wrapping. We also lamented the waste and the difficulty in reusing wrapping paper and finding boxes from year to year. In addition, we were looking for a way to store blown glass Christmas ornaments that I had recently brought from Germany.

Thinking about these issues, I came up with an idea. That year, I took the boxes we had and wrapped the top and bottom separately in silver and white paper to match my mom's Christmas tree. I then attached wired ribbon to the box lids with staples. This way, the box lids could be removed without undoing the gift wrapping. We wrapped our Christmas presents in the boxes and stored our ornaments in them, ready to pull out the next year.


For the last 12 years, we have reused these boxes; adding a few every year. I love to bring them out and see my favorites. Most of my family brings their unwrapped gifts to my parent's home to wrap in our Christmas boxes. Eventually, I added some homemade gift tags I made from reused card stock and gift wrap scraps. Since the family exchanges gifts with each other every year, we can reuse the same gift tags. We attach the tags to the gifts by tapping them to the ribbons. That way, the wrapping paper doesn't get damaged.


Although the Winter Holiday season is not here yet, I thought I would share this idea with enough time to plan your own stress free and waste free Holiday wrapping.