All grown up

 

This holiday season Thatboy, Thatbaby and I were very generously gifted giftcards to some of our favorite stores.  We decided to use this weekend as a fun "shopping spree" trip for the three of us to pick some things up.

I needed some things for my typical "mommy uniform."  I find that since having Thatbaby I tend to wear the same general thing every day. I wear all my old clothes - just your typical tops and bottoms.  But when I'm cold I have to top it with something that opens in the front - either a sweatshirt, jacket, or sweater that buttons or zips.  There are two reasons for this - the first is convenience for nursing. But more importantly, I wear Thatbaby a lot.  Pretty much every time we go out.  I'm not a big fan of strollers because they're hard to maneuver in stores and take up way to much room in aisles. 

So for the holidays I had asked for big chunky sweaters that I could wear with our carriers.  Large enough to close over the carrier for colder days to help keep little legs warm.  I didn't get any, but the gift cards were an easy way to fix that. 

This is obviously not me.  But it is the sweater I got.

In addition to the sweater, I wanted to pick up a new pair of flats since I'm wearing mine to death.  I'm usually a heels girl - I can use all the height I can get.  But flats are super easy to slip on and off when I want to tuck my feet up underneath me.  And they work equally well with my regular jeans, skinny jeans, and jersey skirts.

Both worked fabulously in action when we went to meet some friends for lunch.  The sweater is roomy enough for me to button it right over Thatbaby.

Earlier this week Valli claimed that cheesecake was very "80's."   Maybe it's because I wasn't around in the 70s, but for me, cheesecake is timeless.  But it also always seemed very grown up when I was a kid.  I mean, it's a cake with no frosting!  And it's made out of cheese - which doesn't sound like something very cake-like.  But I am, in fact, a grownup.  So I can obviously appreciate a good cheesecake.  My biggest problem with cheesecake however is the size.  A cheesecake in our house seems to last forever.  It's almost magical.  No matter how many slices you cut, there's always a ton left.  I decided to change around a cheesecake recipe to make a smaller, cheese-cake pie.  It's everything you love about cheesecake, just less.  Which means it disappears much faster.  And I made it chocolate because I'm not that grownup. 

Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 6 ounces)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter

8oz cream cheese

1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbsp

1/4 cup cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 375.  Mix the graham crackers with sugar and melted butter and press into the bottom and sides of 9 inch pie pan.  Chill while preparing filling.
2. In an electric mixer, cream cream cheese.  
3. Add in 1/2 cup sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
4. Add in cocoa, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and egg.  Beat until thoroughly combined.  
5. Pour into prepared crust.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool for 20 minutes.  
6. While cooling preheat the oven to 425.  Stir together the sour cream, remaining sugar and vanilla.  Spread over the cooled pie and bake for 10 minutes.