Monday, May 28, 2012

Noisy Big Walk

Today I went on a walk across the GW bridge with my mom. It was very noisy. I am scared  of heights. When I looked down I was scared. It was a really hot day and I was tired. We also went to the Intrepid museum. I don't want to be in the Navy. The beds look uncomfortable. Even worse than sleepaway camp.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Cheesecake a la Kocot

Cream cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cottage cheese ... pretty much any white creamy substance that smells like sour milk,  is not on my food consumption list.  When I was a child, I couldn't even sit at a table with someone eating any of these foods. In fact, a cereal box separated me from the person eating the goo.

However, at 16 I became curious of the cheesecake. What was this love afair with cheesecake? And so many kinds, so many recipes. Italian style with ricotta, New York style from Juniors. One day I came home from school and opened the fridge. Nothing to eat except an Entemann's cheesecake. (In those days it was real Entemann's). I closed the door and went upstairs. Came back down and decided to try it. Not bad. So I had a piece and another and another.

After dinner mom pulled out the cheesecake for dessert. She said "Who ate the cheesecake?" I claimed "Don't look at me - I hate cheesecake". And so began my guilty pleasure.

Several years later I was working as an intern in Washington, DC. I played softball on the district of Columbia Law Clerks team. Teams with three-girl quotas are always looking for female players who can sort of play. And so I met Nancy Kocot. She brought cheesecake to a party.
It's over 30 years and I still have the recipe she gave to me. Since the Jewish holiday of Shavuot (a dairy holiday celebrating Moses accent to Mount Sinai to get the Ten Commandments) is coming this weekend, I thought I'd make Nancy's cheesecake recipe. I can barely read the recipe card anymore, I thought I should include it in my blog for A to have forever (or until the next tech thing happens).  Nancy, if you manage to read this. I just want to say thanks for the recipe and the memories.

Cheese Cake a la Kocot
3 well-beaten eggs
2 8oz packages of cream cheese, soften
1 cup sugar
1/4 t. salt
2 t. vanilla
1/2 t. vanilla extract (don't understand the difference between vanilla's just made it with 2 t. extract.)
3 c. sour cream (I only used 2 cups)

Combine eggs, cheese, sugar, salt, and extracts; beat until smooth. Blend in sour cream. pour into graham cracker crust in 9" spring form pan. Trim with crumbs. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 mins. or until set.
Cool well about 4-5 hours or overnight. Filling will be soft).

Graham Cracker Crust
Combine 1-3/4 c. fine graham cracker crumbs., 1/4 c. chopped walnuts, 1/2 t. cinnamon, 1/2 c. melted butter. Preserve 3T mixture. Press remainder on bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan.


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Whose blog is it anyway?

A is in 2nd grade and has a blog at school. Since, I can't access the blog AND because most of my blog posts are about her anyway, we thought we should do a blog together.

It's May, and school is almost over. Her school is closing due to demographics - mediocrity - whatever. Next year we'll be going to Public School. This is a big step for me since I'm not a fan of organized anything.  I also have no experience with PS so I have no idea what to expect. There's a program at her school that sounds so perfect for her.  It's called MAC -Multi-Age Curriculum . The children work independently in groups. They teach each other. There's little homework, leaving more time for skating (synchro, free, dance, tests), piano, sport du jour  Apparently, there's no criteria to get into the program.  I'm told I need to demand it. The problem is that the teacher who teaches the MAC class is leaving. I don't know what to do. But one year in 3rd grade MAC won't do any damage to her. I'm sending emails and A is writing cards. We are even enlisting parents with children already in the program to lobby on my behalf. PATHETIC. And I'm not even sure this is something we want!

Monday, May 21, 2012

Art for Friends

Today I gave Brooke the cartoon of the lizard she asked me to do for her. I didn't give Sam his clam, banana,snail. Why he wanted a clam, banana, snail I'll never know.

A