Baking cheesecakes are really easier than they sound but there are a few tips that will help make the end result even better.

I used to be in awe of people who could cook cheesecakes and I didn’t try baking them for many years.  Probably because I thought I would eat it all.   I just love a creamy baked cheesecake.

So here are some tips to help with your cheesecake cooking.

Cracking

One problem that is quite common when learning to cook cheesecakes is having the cheesecake cracking.   Here are some tips to help reduce or get rid of that problem:

• When beating the cream cheese beat it at medium speed so that it does not become full of air bubbles.  If it does the cheesecake will eventually collapse and crack
• add your eggs one at a time and beat each one in at slow speed before adding the next one
• place a bowl of cold tap water at the bottom of the oven and this will form a moist cooking environment which will help prevent burning and drying out the base
• avoid over baking – this is a skill to learn because a cheesecake is cooked when the cheesecake edges are slightly puffed and the centre part is resembling a custard appearance which should be a little soft
• Try a void opening the oven door but if you have to do it quickly so as to keep the heat, do it carefully and close the door gently

These tips should help if you are having problems with your cheesecake cracking.

Keep an eye out for further blogs about how to cook the perfect cheesecake.

For great cheesecake recipes go to http://cheesecakerecipes4u.com

With hydroponic growing they grow three times as fast as the traditional methods and are very prolific. 

The one drawback is that not everything is happy growing hydroponically so it would take a little bit of trial and error, but in saying that most of herbs do grow hydroponically if set up correctly.     A very simple hydroponic system in a sealed box would suit most families’ herb requirements and it does not take up very much room either.

Sticks – cut vegetable in lengths about 4cm (1 ½ in) long then cut into thin slices and then cut through again to make sticks

Julienne– much the same as sticks but cut even finer, these must be very thin – often used for decoration    

Sliced– slices of vegetables are usually about .5 cm (1/4 in) thick – used for baking, layering in certain dishes or on pizzas, or for frying

Chopped – usually about 1cm (1/2 in) thick roughly cut – when making a stew, a soup or a dish where you are after flavour rather than looks in the cooking stage

On the news today I was surprised to hear that a survey in England showed that most women had a basic 9 meals that they rotated and served nearly all the time for the family.

I was really quite amazed to hear that.  My mum used to do that but in her day there was not a lot of selection and certainly not the exposure to TV and the internet that there is today. 

I would have thought that in today’s era more women would have a much larger range in their ‘regular’ meal selection. 

Doesn’t that go to show how we do get wrapped up in our own ‘normality’ and think that most other people experience the same thing.  I have always had an interest in food – the growing process, cooking, catering and entertaining.  In my blindness I thought other people also had at least a reasonable range of interest in cooking.

Apart from my own point of view I guess I have always thought that if someone is going to do something nearly every day (cook a family meal) then they would want some variety to make it more interesting.  Huh, funny how that is not the case.

I know if I find something I really like, such as the Garlic Bread in my recipe book Easy Budget Meals 4U, I will cook it often.  Almost to the point that I don’t want to cook it any more.

What do you do with your meals?  Do you tend to make the same most weeks?

The ever so popular Sunday breakfast of boiled eggs and soldiers (fingers of toast).

If you have trouble boiling eggs here are a few tips.  This is assuming you keep your eggs in the fridge.

Put your eggs into water straight out of the tap.  Put on the stove and on 1/2 heat bring the water to the boil. 

For soft boiled eggs

As soon as small bubbles start appearing in the water time them for 3 minutes.  Take them out and put in egg holder.  Eggs continue to cook of the shells are not broken so if you are serving more than one egg per person, crack the shell on the second egg so that it does not keep cooking and the yolk go hard.

For hard boiled eggs

Bring to the boil as for soft boiled eggs but cook for 5 minutes.  Stand for another minute then cool with cold tap water and peel.

Another thing I do (hubby just shakes his head at this one)

I start the eggs as above and when the first bubbles appear I push the toast down in the toaster.  When the toast pops up I take the eggs off the stove.  This works a treat for me.

Points to Remember

• Don’t put the heat up to full heat or the water will heat too quickly and crack the eggs.
• If you use different sized eggs each time you will have trouble timing them as the small eggs will cook quicker than extra large ones.

Serve with finger wide sticks of toast for dipping in the egg.
Yummy!   Enjoy your Sunday breakfast.

My family loves fluffy omelettes and because they have them so often I use different herbs to change the flavor.

The herbs I used the most with my egg dishes are chives, basil and parsley.  Sometimes I will use them altogether but I do tend to nearly always use chives as I like the onion flavour and then I add some fresh basil herb or some fresh parsley.  I pick these straight out of my herb garden.

I like to quickly fry off the chives and parsley in the butter before adding the eggs, but with the basil I add it just before finishing the cooking.

For a lovely fluffy omelette recipe visit http://EasyBudgetMeals4U.com and for tips on growing herbs you can use in your cooking go to http://ALittleHerbGarden4U.com

1. Be organised before you start.  Have everything out and on the bench top before you start cooking the meal.
2. Speed up your cutting techniques so that you are cutting several items at one time, like a handful of beans as opposed to one

Cutting techniques can take forever if you do not make a concerted effort to speed up these skills. 

Having a razor blade shart knife is also important.  If you have never used a knife so sharp that it just slides through your food then you are in for a treat if you get yourself one. 

Using a brilliantly sharp knife cuts down on the effort you need to exert because a sharp knife just slides through your vegetables and meat without any effort at all.

Another tip is to use kitchen sissors.  I cut all my bacon with kitchen sissors.  It is so much easier than using a knife.

I hope these tips have helped in your food preparation techniques.

PUMPKIN AND BACON pasta bows in cream sauce

180 g Pasta bows

3 rashers bacon chopped

½ med onion finely chopped

4 roast pumpkin slices cubed

1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes

1/2 cup peas

1/3 cup Philadelphia cheese cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

250 mls thickened cream

Cook pasta as per packet until firm.  Drain.

Fry bacon and onions in olive oil, add pumpkin, peas and sundried tomatoes.  Warm through.  Pour in cream, add salt and pepper, and basil leaves.  Warm and add drained pasta.  Stir sauce through pasta and serve.
If you have the chance use the oil for frying from the sundried tomatoes as this will add just that little bit extra flavor.