Celeste Beatty of Harlem Brewing Company links cold beer with hot jazz - Daily News

Celeste Beatty of Harlem Brewing Company links cold beer with hot jazz - Daily News

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline topping

Ok, so Thanksgiving came and went, and yes im talking about 2012. Im sure you've noticed by now that this is only my second post since 2009. My New Years Resolution for 2013 is to write more in this blog. Which I forgot I had until my cousin used my computer to pull up his blog Fashion Addicts Daily Dose check him out he's a new designer coming very soon...like speed of light fast. Ok back to the Closet, I could go into a formal explanation about how my was just so hectic  and that is why I didn't post, school, my love life was in shambles and a neverending search to find myself. But I won't bore you with the details, lets talk food!

Thanksgiving one of the most celebrated holidays in the U.S., why you get to see your beloved family? Hmm no comment. You get to partake in all the rituals like watching sports all day until your eyes start seeing double. That may be a party for some but not all. No, you get to eat and for some you can try new recipes...who am I kidding...I CAN TRY NEW RECIPES!

So now that I've outed myself this Thanksgiving I made Pumpkin Cheesecakes, mini's, as you can see from the pic. They were great if I do say so myself. I used Paula Deen's Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe found on the Food Network website, and voila! Mini cheesecakes...except there was a problem once I was finished pouring the batter. I looked at them and thought "these looked bland" and that yellow milky color wasn't too appetizing either. So I began to hunt for a topping I thought fruits but none came to mind, then I thought nuts. YES!! But what?? Ahh Google will know, and sure enough after typing in a search for toppings I found the Pecan Praline topping on Epicurious.

It was excellent and the Gingerbread crust was the final piece in the construction of the perfect Cheesecake.

Did I mention I don't like Cheesecake? How about you, what additions or tweaks have you made to popular recipes to fit your liking??

Let us know by posting a comment on our board.

North African Spiced Shrimp

I found this recipe at the Chicago Tribune website. I've posted a link to the recipe, this looks like a good recipe to try this weekend. I love heat in a dish, but for those that don't I'm sure substituting a milder pepper wouldn't hurt the dish(figuratively). Don't mind the random self corrections...Occupational Hazard. Be back with the results...
http://mealplanner.chicagotribune.com/tribune_mealplanner/landing/recipe/c14