Toaster Oven Food: Cheesecake Bars

I cannot believe how fast time flew by.  This Friday marks the end of the first quarter of the school year.    Soon it will be time to buy Halloween candy (to be consumed before Halloween!).

Last weekend, The Help, D2, and I went to Honolulu.  I had my ophthalmologist appointment, and it was also a belated back-to-school shopping trip for D2.

We stayed at the Hawaii Prince Hotel.  This was our first stay there since the renovations.  I was very impressed with the transformation.  While the lobby had a more contemporary, open feel, the room transformation was nothing short of amazing:  lots of granite and very clean lines.  They bathroom even contained a Toto washlet!

In spite of going to Honolulu for the purpose of shopping, we seemed to spend a lot of time eating.  We arrived early enough to walk over to Tonkatsu Ginza Bairin, arguably the best tonkatsu restaurant in Honolulu.

I didn't realize how much D2 likes curry.  I expected her to order chicken katsu, and I was surprised when she ordered chicken katsu CURRY.

After an unmemorable lunch at Liliha Bakery, we knew we had to redeem ourselves with dinner.  We enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of ramen at Wagaya, one of the 9 best ramen places in Honolulu according to Thrillist.  Since we were done early enough, we decided to have dessert at a place we've been wanting to try for a while, Marion Crepes.

Marion Crepes Hawaii is located in Shirokiya Japan Village Walk.  They serve crepes with various fillings.  I'm quite sure I saw savory fillings on the menu, but since this was dessert, we had to go with sweet fillings.  The Help selected a yummy-looking-but-rather-uninteresting strawberry crepe.  D2 ordered a fruit crepe with a substantial scoop of green tea ice cream. 

I didn't realize how much D2 likes green tea sweets. 

I ordered a strawberry crepe with a piece of cheesecake.  It was absolutely delicious.  In fact, all of us enjoyed our crepes, but the prices are not for the faint of heart.  Our dessert cost nearly $30!

After a week back at work, I'm ready for another vacation. 

I am looking forward to Fall intersession and the adventures that await.  I'm hoping I won't forget to pack everything I need.  I have some sweaters, a shawl, and a new hat I can't wait to use!

Meanwhile, I need to concentrate on getting through this week.  I have progress reports and grades to do.  And I have to feed KikukatDad.  KikukatDad isn't too picky about food, but he likes to have dessert after his dinner.

Inspired by the yummy cheesecake in my dessert crepe, I wanted to make a simple cheesecake to serve KikukatDad.  Square desserts are so unfussy, and they fit nicely in the toaster oven...no need to heat the big oven to make this.

click on recipe title for printable recipe

Cheesecake Bars

     1 1/3-1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs

     1 tbsp sugar

     4 tbsp melted butter

     16 oz cream cheese

     1 c sugar

     2 tsp vanilla extract

     2 tsp lemon juice

     3 eggs

     1 c sour cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1 tbsp sugar, and 4 tbsp melted butter.  Press into an 8 x 8" baking pan (for easy clean up, line pan with foil before pressing in crumbs).  Bake for 10 minutes.  While crust is baking, prepare filling by beating cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually add sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Blend in sour cream.  Pour over baked crust and bake for 70 minutes.  Turn oven off, leave door slightly ajar, and leave cheesecake in oven for 1 hour.  Remove from oven and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Toaster Oven Food: Mandarin Orange Creamsicle Pie

Another shitty week in the books:

• Finished babysitting an incompetent charge.

• Got tattled on by some crybabis (adults).

• Let the boss raise his voice at me and not report him to the powers-that-be (yet).

• Watched my boy suck at the Russian Grand Prix.

• Consoled an even-more disengaged colleague.

I made a promise to myself that this week will be better.  It HAS to be.

After getting zuigui'd on Friday (to celebrate the wonderfully crappy work week), I decided my weekend was going to begin on the right foot.  What am I saying?  It began on the right foot from Friday afternoon!  My promise to have a good weekend continued on Saturday when I got my monster taco and curly fries for lunch!

After the monster taco, I was able to get some things done.  I had The Help take a bunch of pictures of my wips, and I decided to make a dessert, a dessert which can be made by people like OllieMama (and other only toaster oven-owning people).

BTW, I recently got a new toaster oven.  It replaced a toaster oven I had for nearly ten years.  Instead of just going to Costco and buying one, I did some research before deciding upon the Breville Smart Oven Pro.  It seems like I made a good choice, and the Breville Smart Oven Pro can even accommodate a 9 x 13" pan!  But no worries. . .my dessert this week is made in a square pan.  I suppose I could've doubled the recipe just to say I made it in a 9 x 13" pan, but I'd rather not end up eating the same dessert for the entire week (and most toaster ovens cannot hold a 9 x 13" pan).

This dessert reminds me of something I used to eat often as a kid. . .a creamsicle (frozen treat on a stick; orange sherbet surrounding a vanilla ice cream core).  I thought creamsicles were good (not as good as vanilla popsicle), and my grandparents must've thought so too because their freezer boasted an endless supply of creamsicle.  And on those rare occasions when they ran out of creamsicles, a quick run by UJohn to Murakami Store (on Manono Street)  solved that problem in no time. 

The creaminess (and calorie count) will depend on the milk you use.  I use what I have on hand (2%), but whipping cream would make it very decadent (and definitely more caloric).  And although I haven't tried it for myself, I think substituting melted vanilla ice cream for the milk would push it into the realm of decadence.

Now that I've had a moment to reflect, I thought of something I could do to make this work week much better than last.  I think I will stay home all week!  I must be dreaming.  There is no way I could stay out all week.  There would be just too much waiting for me when I return.  Maybe going to work doesn't sound so bad after all. 

Well, just in case I end up going to work, at least I'll have some of this dessert to come home to for the first half of the week.

 click on recipe title for printable recipe

Mandarin Orange Creamsicle Pie

Crust:  2 tbsp sugar
            1 c flour
            1/2 c butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine sugar and flour.  Cut butter into mixture until dough forms "pea" size bits.  Press into a 9" square pan.  Bake for 11 minutes.  Set aside to cool.

Filling:  2 tbsp cornstarch
              1/2 c sugar
              1 box (3 oz) orange jello
              3 cans (11 oz each) mandarin oranges
              3/4 c milk

Drain mandarin oranges, reserving 1 cup of juice.  In a medium saucepan, heat reserved juice, cornstarch and sugar.  Stir constantly until thick.  Remove from heat and immediately add orange jello and stir 3-5 minutes or until jello is dissolved.  Set aside to cool to nearly room temperature.  Stir in milk.  When completely combined, gently add in mandarin orange segments.  Pour carefully over cooled crust.  Chill until set.