That steak really looks good Alexa and the Bernaise held up great. I made the citrus cheesecake Sunday but we only finally got around to eating some tonight. It really was an excellent cheesecake. I'll make it again. I didn't put the sour cream on top of the cheesecake, in case I wanted to make the lemon curd for it. Also, instead of just zest I used the juice from the Meyer Lemon and the lime. I also added a tablespoon of cornstarch to make up for the added juice. Classic Cheesecake [modified] Serves: 8 to 10 servings This is a classic cheesecake -- velvety, rich, sweet and so satisfying. We are major fans of a thin sour cream cap on top of cheesecakes; it's the perfect balance to this rich cake. Ingredients Crust: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 2 tablespoons granulated sugar Pinch fine salt Filling: 2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar 1 1/4 cups sour cream 6 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon vanilla paste (see cook's note) or extract 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest [used zest from 1 Meyer lemon] 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest [zest from half an orange] [added zest from 1 lime] As said above I added the juice from the lemon and lime plus a tablespoon of cornstarch dissolved in the juices. Topping: 3/4 cup sour cream 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract Berries, optional Directions Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. For the crust: Melt the butter, covered in the microwave, in a medium microwave safe bowl, or a saucepan. Brush a 9-inch springform pan with some of the butter. Stir the remaining butter together with the crumbs, sugar, and salt. Press the crumb mixture over the bottom of the pan, taking care to get the crust evenly into the edges. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool. Wrap the bottom and up the sides of the pan with foil and put in a roasting pan. For the filling: Beat the cream cheese on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat just until light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl and beaters as needed. Slowly beat in the sour cream, then eggs, vanilla and both citrus zests; take care not to over whip. Pour into the cooled crust. Bring a medium saucepan or kettle of water to a boil. Gently place the roasting pan in the oven (don't pull the rack out of the oven). Pour in enough hot water to come about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Bake the cheesecake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes---the outside of the cake will set but the center will still be loose.[Mine took almost 1hour and a half] For the topping: Stir together the sour cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over the top of the cooked cheesecake and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Turn the oven off, cook the cheesecake in the residual heat in the oven for about1 hour. This gentle finish minimizes the risk of the dreaded crack in your cheesecake. Remove cheesecake from the roasting pan to a rack. Run a knife around the edges and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight. Bring cheesecake to room temperature 30 minutes before serving. Remove the springform ring. Dip a knife in warm water, wipe dry before slicing each piece. Serve with berries, if desired. Notes We love vanilla bean paste. It has intense vanilla bean flavor in a convenient paste form. It's a great way to add great flavor and distinctive vanilla flecks without having to use a whole bean. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My note: Do let it set in refrigerator for time suggested. It's a very creamy cheesecake.

Dear Olliesmom, I'm so sorry to hear about losing your Mom. I lost mine to lung cancer as well...coming up on 3 years in Feb. She and I were also very close, and her passing has torn a huge hole in my life...which I am gradually learning to mend. No one made me laugh as much as Mom did, and while I miss that terribly, I so appreciate her teaching me the importance of enjoying life. I always remember the words from Mitch Albom who said that just because someone dies, it doesn't mean your relationship with them ends...it's just that that relationship changes. Since Mom passed, I have learned things about her that I didn't know before from people who loved her. I have found things I needed among her things which are gifts that she's still giving me, and I have found ways to continue to feel close to her, including spending time doing the things we enjoyed doing together. At first, I couldn't do it. But with time, I am now able to, and bring her with me in my heart. So she is still very much a part of my life and will be for the rest of my life. I'm sure your Mom will be with you as well. And I'm always most thankful to have had a wonderful mother and such a close relationship to her...many people have not been so fortunate. So however soon it seems she was taken from me, I know I've been far more blessed than most. Don't question the why of her passing. It happened exactly as it was meant to. The universe is perfect as it is. If it weren't, it'd be different. So we have to trust that it is as it was meant to be. Grief is like waves. They first hit you suddenly, frequently and so hard that they toss you over. But with time, know that the waves become calmer, they come less frequently, and soon you will be able to stand when they hit. Eventually, they become almost gentle reminders of times and things you've shared in the past. But it takes time. And for each of us, it takes as much time as it takes. Miss her, grieve for her, and then let it go. I was very much helped by the grief guided meditation that meditation oasis provides. I'm posting a link below in the hopes that it will help you heal sooner as well. You have my deepest sympathies and my best wishes for courage, strength and comfort in this most difficult time. AnnieD Here is a link that might be useful: Grief Meditation: #26

SOunds like a grand evening Jo! Sharon, sending best wishes for Wolf's speedy recovery. I know you are taking wonderful care of him and your photos look just delish. Yesterday was Smokefest here, so we had a gracious plenty of all sorts of beast. I prepped pork shoulder, brisket, ribs, chicken and salmon and another friend who is a hunter and fisherman brought venison tenderloin, pheasant legs, a sea bass, and a bluefish. I dry rubbed the venison and pheasant and brined the bluefish and seabass. The salmon was also cured then dried before smoking as were the pork and beef. The vegetarian grill had peppers, corn, eggplant and vidalias. Other sides were quinoa salad with cranberries and pecans, spinach salad, cole slaw and pasta salad. Appys were taco dip, smoked salmon spread, Habanero Gold with cream cheese and crackers, chips & dip, etc Dessert was That D@mn Cake, Fruit in crust with cheesecake pie (Tracey Oh on the Pie thread) and an apple cake. It was all really good, but we did discover that there are not a lot of Bluefish fans AND home smoked salmon is far better than anything you can buy. Alexa

Thank you for the input from everyone. It's quite obvious that many of you have had similar issues and can relate from both sides. I did feel a little bad at the time (hence the reason I posted) so it's nice to know that many of you can relate in one way or another. As a clarification, this is not a "rule" for the dinner table, it was a one time instance. I have made several changes to dinner as well since we began our arrangement of living together including smaller portions (her dad used to give her larger portions so now I control it since I seem to have a better idea of what she can finish and I know she will eat all of her favorite thing and get full if she's allowed to) and earlier dinner time so that it's not a huge rush. FSD takes a shower after dinner and also calls BM which generally takes about an hour between the two. There is no rule that she has to clean her plate (I think that leads to poor eating attitudes down the road), but she can't ask for dessert unless she ate all of her meal. Also, she is no longer allowed to get her own snacks because she was sometimes eating too close to dinner and then wouldn't be hungry. I think the main problem (which I've observed a number of times) is that Dad feels guilty that she doesn't have any siblings to play with. His behavior often mimics that of a sibling rather than a parent. It pisses me off when I am expected to be the "parent" and scold both of them for bad behavior. He likes to tell her how she "got him in trouble" when I tell him to stop distracting her from her food. It's like a whole "us against her" game that not only leaves me feeling left out but is so completely inappropriate for a parent. I assume this is something that stems back farther in their relationship. As for the time that he spends with his daughter - he has 50/50 custody so we have her every other week and he talks to her on the phone every night when she is at BMs. I talk to him regularly (when she is not around) about the things I notice that bother me for the sake of her development or my sanity. Oh, and he asked her to apologize to me for not listening which I politely told him the next day was totally unnecessary since he was the one that I expected an apology from (after all, she was just following him), but I suppose that does mean he brought it to her attention that she should listen to me. pinkhill: Just because a child lives in my house half time was not in my body for 9 months prior to their birth does not make me a "guest" in my own home. I understand what you are saying regarding Dad making the parenting decisions, but to imply that I am a selfish control freak for asking my FSD one night to be quiet and eat her food (BTW, Dad generally asks her this every night and I think had asked her several times already during that meal) seems a bit harsh. If only every future step parent took your advice and allowed themselves to be completely steam rolled by their partner and their partner's children there would be a 0% chance of step parenting survival. Maybe that's what you're hoping for though...