Thanks, Pumpkin

My mom calls me Pumpkin. I'm sure there are millions of mothers out there that call their children "Pumpkin" or some other endearing moniker.

Thanks, Pumpkin, for reading my blog. For this I am truly thankful.
This year, I am thankful for a great many things. I won't enumerate them here, but I will say that I am thankful to have this blog, and above all things blog-related, I'm thankful that you're reading these words right now, hopefully smiling, thinking of me and everything I post here on Nik Snacks.

Above all things in the universe, I'm thankful that I am able to share my talent of making this pumpkin cheesecake and sharing it here!

I am not a cheesecake fan. This is the first (and probably last) cheesecake recipe you'll see from me. I chose to make this because it's foolproof, easy and seasonal. It's a great recipe to make with the little people in your life. It's also great to make and take to a potluck or party. You can substitute the pumpkin for some other fruit (drained completely, of course), vegetable or even chocolate. Bananas, pineapple, sweet potatoes, peanut butter...the list could go on.

But I'm going to keep it seasonal, and stick with the pumpkin. Thanks, Pumpkin. You rock.







Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker (or other cookie) crumbs
3 Tbs butter, slightly softened
16 oz silken tofu
1 cup canned or fresh, cooked pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
8 oz. Neufchatel cream cheese, softened
3 tsp almond extract

1. Make the graham cracker crust: In a food processor or blender, process the graham crackers on high speed until they are finely ground. Add the Smart Balance and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pat the mixture into an even layer in the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan, or in 1 (9-inch) pie plate.
2. Make the filling: Have all the ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a food processor or blender, puree the tofu and pumpkin until smooth. Add the sugar, spices, Neufchatel, almond and process until smooth. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
3. Pour the tofu mixture into the prepared pie crusts and bake for 50 minutes, until the cheesecake mixture is firm.
4. Turn the oven off, leaving the cake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight. Serve slightly chilled.

Thanksgiving Hotline

Thanksgiving is a day where your culinary expertise is really given a chance to shine. It doesn't matter if you're a professional or not, everyone has a signature dish that makes an appearance during the holidays. Something as simple as making reservations, shows culinary prowess to the well-oiled machine that is your family, friends and loved ones.

You get to play your hand at butcher, baker,  pastry crust maker--You become an expert on all things potato and green bean, on methods of brining, basting, deep-frying and post-meal sleeping.

Mmm...

There is always the fear that something will go wrong. Your gravy will burn or turn out lumpy, the biscuits will be dry (or the can won't open), the pie will be gloppy or that you have forgotten to remove the bag of giblets or defrost the turkey.

Most likely you will glide through the holiday without experiencing any Thanksgiving day disasters, but just in case you run into a problem, I have put together an array of culinary resources that will help solve any of your meal related hiccups.

Is my pie going to be ok?

From cranberry sauce to turkey basting, consider your Thanksgiving questions answered.

From Wednesday, November 23, 2011 through Thursday, November 24, 2011 local chef and culinary instructor, Nikki Miller-Ka will be standing by to answer your holiday entertaining questions by phone, text, Twitter & email.

 These services are free, but any and all monetary donations for this service are welcome and appreciated. All donations will be accepted online via Paypal. Click the yellow tab for for details!

Call (336) 685-1230 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST on the dates listed above. Your call will be answered, unless all lines are busy. If so, leave a message and your call will be returned promptly.

Text (336) 685-1230 between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST (using 165 characters or less) on the dates listed above and receive a text back!

Follow @Niksnacks on Twitter and you can read others' questions, ask your own & get tips, tricks, & answers to your questions too!

Email turkeyhotline@gmail.com and your question(s) will be answered as soon as possible.

TV Dinner

The Fall lineup of new prime time shows is in full swing.
(Be warned. This blog post is full of words.)

Trailers have been run, preliminary "what-shows-do-I-want-to-watch" research has been done, and people have decided to point their DVRs to the shows that seem most intriguing. I have yet to point my DVR anywhere. I mean, I still DVR Gilmore Girls on SoapNet every weekend. What do I know about quality fall programming in 2011?

I do know that the one thing that millions of people also point during this time: the fork to their mouths--while in front of the TV.

Fried chicken with onion gravy, collard greens & succotash

Monday:
2 Broke Girls--I like Kat Dennings. The end.
Hart of Dixie--maybe, possibly. I want to see if Rachel Bilson is capable of carrying her own show and if the show portrays Southerners as backwoods rednecks who like to play in the woods. Sweet Home Alabama redux, maybe? I say "let's see", but as a fan of The O.C., I really have to look.
Mike & Molly--I saw this a few times last season. I love Melissa McCarthy & she's really come into her own since Gilmore Girls. She has always been a comic relief. And I plan on watching SNL this Saturday to see her.
I wrote down Castle, but I'll most likely be watching Hawaii Five-0 (they come on at the same time). It's one of my mom's favorites. I liked last season. But this season kinda sucks.

Tuesday:
Ringer and New Girl come on at the same time and lucky for me, I can DVR two shows at one time. Whew. Problem solved.
I can watch Glee on Hulu, if I really want to--but I probably won't.
I can't neglect Parenthood. I loved the movie, I love family shows with kids. And I need my Lauren Graham fix.

Wednesday:
Up All Night looks as if it will be great and long-lasting. I know so many new and soon-to-be new moms who are crushing hard on this show.
Suburgatory sounds sinful and delicious. I'm looking forward to this show most.
Modern Family: I feel as if I should watch this because everyone else is (damn you, peer pressure) but I never watched Arrested Development and we all know what happened to THAT.
Law & Order SVU stays DVR'd and has been for like 12 years, and even if no new episodes are made, this is America: there is a Law & Order on some channel on some network, somewhere in America 24 hours a day.

Thursday:
Big Bang Theory--my boyfriend watches it. I want to watch it because he does. This will precipitate bonding. Because that's what you do with your significant other. More fodder for the DVR.
The Vampire Diaries--I have been watching this show from the beginning and I can't tell you why. There's miniscule slivers of good acting, the plot is mediocre at best, and I don't do vampires. I think they're trendy now and in a few years, something else will take their place (zombies are coming up fast upon the horizon; I hear they can carry weapons now).
Grey's Anatomy--I watched the first season and then something shiny caught my attention and I have only seen a handful of episodes since.

Friday: I plan on painting my town red with my friends so the TV will be off and able to cool down and rest for a few hours before football on Saturday and Sunday afternoons :)