Bake Off Fail

I lost the baking contest to SEVEN LAYER BARS. AND she forgot a layer so they weren't even 7 layer bars, they were 6 layer bars. Doesn't that mean an automatic disqualification or something? False advertising? Something? Oh well, it was only a baking contest I suppose. Had I not gotten some really FABULOUS news today, that probably would've ruined my whole day. Yes I am that petty and shallow.

Breakfast today was my recent usual cereal and lunch was a sampling of all the desserts. Since I couldn't take pictures for you guys, below is a list and little description of all the items:

Chocolate Chip Cookies - No explanation needed
Striped Delights - Chocolate cake and vanilla frosting layers, with fudge thrown in
Cherry Things - I forgot the name of these but they had a cream cheese layer with cherries and top and actually would've been my vote if I could've voted and wasn't voting for myself (which face it, would NEVER happen, I am always going to vote for myself even if my cheesecake takes like shit)
Chocolate Frosted Cupcakes - Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting
Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies - No explanation needed
Seven (actually six) Layer Bars - No explanation needed, these are pretty standard

There was actually a seventh entry that I don't recall at this moment because it had coconut, which I despise.

After work, went for a lovely 4 mile run on the Waltham Bike Trail with Jimmy and actually remembered to bring my camera along this time to photograph it for you guys since it is really pretty :)

There's Jimmy running ahead of me as usual...

The loop I do is 4 miles, but you can shorten it or lengthen it, the actual bike trail is a total of about 20 miles I believe if you do the whole thing. It's a very picturesque trail with a mix of asphalt, packed sand, and wood bridges. It's great for variety and is one of my favorite trails that I've run on. After a nice easy run, Jimmy and I decided that the best way to end our run would be to finish it off with pizza! We decided to head over to the Upper Crust, where I have eaten before, but not the one in Waltham. We ordered a small wheat pizza, half broccoli and half pineapple. The half pineapple was all me...yeah I know I'm a little weird. I'm ok with it.

The pizza itself was good, not quite what I expected though. It was thin crust pizza, but the one I had before I ordered a wheat crust but it was light and fluffy with a thick crust, so I'm not sure if all of the chains are different. I will have to try ordering it again and see what happens. Aside from the pizza, I absolutely loved the ambiance of the place. They had a 90s alternative rock station playing that was soooo up my alley. I love me some 90s alternative rock! The ceiling was also made up of the silver pizza trays, which I thought was super cute.

Now I'm finally off to shower my stinky self after posting this. Have a good night friends!

Big Mouth Sandwich and Pumpkin Cheesecake!

Good evening bloggies! Tonight for dinner I was craving a big mouth sandwich, so that is exactly what I made.

I used that sourdough bread that I bought at the supermarket the other day. Best sourdough I have ever had...so good that I actually had that and only that for dinner last night (trying to own my poor food decisions on the blog). I used roasted chicken breast, avocado, tomato, and a thin spread of spicy mustard. Yum yum yum! It totally hit the spot. Sometimes when you are craving something, you just have to go for it because no substitutions will cure the itch.

After dinner I got started on the pumpkin cheesecake I told y'all about earlier. I do have a confession to make. I did use a pre-made graham cracker crust. I do not usually use the pre-made, but where this is for a work bake off, I tend to never get my dishes back from these things so a pre-made crust was the only way to go. The recipe (including the crust I usually make) is as follows:

Crust:

15 graham cracker sheets (you can use the regular, but in my experience the honey or cinnamon varieties add a special little something extra)
2 tablespoons of sugar (if you use the honey graham crackers, lessen this to one TBSP or it will be too sweet)
1 stick of unsalted butter

Combine ingredients. Using a 9 inch springform plan, press the mixture to the pan. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Filling:


Envelope of gelatin disolved in water
1 8 oz bar of cream cheese, brought to room temperature
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup of sour cream (don't use the low or fat free varieties, it alters the texture)
1/4 cup of sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon

Using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese until it's smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, combining well. Pour the mixture into the crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Whipped Cream:


1 cup of whipping cream
1/4 cup of whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat on a low setting at first, increasing speed gradually. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add whipped cream  to the cheesecake. On top, add a sprinkle of nutmeg and toffee chunks. Enjoy!

It was soooo hard not to take a piece for myself, but hopefully there will be some left over tomorrow that I can bring home and enjoy. Alright I'm off to bed, goodnight!

Upstaging Olive Garden

In case you didn't already know, I am a HUGE fan of all things pumpkin. In the spirit of fall, the fuzz and I hit up Olive Garden Sunday night since I had heard their delicious pumpkin cheesecake had made it's way back on to the menu. Indeed it was and of course I ordered it. Typically, the presentation is a little better than this...

There was a TON of whipped cream. All but two bites got eaten between the two of us and I have to say it was everything I remembered.

A few years ago, Real Simple published a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake that I have tweaked over the last few years, and if I have to say, my pumpkin cheesecake is just a tiny bit better than Olive Garden's. I will be posting the recipe and photos later tonight or tomorrow morning as my work is hosting a "bake-off" and I'm making the pumpkin cheesecake as my entry :) I hope I win :)

Breakfast this morning was Kashi cereal again (I cannot get enough of it these days) and am having leftover Olive Garden for lunch. I ordered the chicken parm with raviolis instead of spaghetti (I've always kind of hated spaghetti...or like the little girl in the commercial for Tyson chicken nuggets says, I hates pasketti because it looks like worms). I also brought along a banana for a mid-morning snack.

On a happy note, I am all moved in and settled into the apartment finally! Filled up the refrigerator yesterday, took the garbage out, and hung up all my pictures so now it's a home :) I will be walking around taking some photos tonight to show you guys the finished product. I know I  haven't talked about it much on the blog but my last living situation was a BAD decision and probably my biggest regret from the last few years. I only lived there for 2 months but it was some of the longest and most uncomfortable moments of my life. It even trumps in college when we were all labeling our toilet paper. I actually got a call from my roommate last night after I moved out accusing me of stealing a bookcase. Really? This experience definitely reminded me why I've chosen to live alone since moving out of my Southie apartment. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Have you had any bad roommate situations?