Cheesecake: A Slice of Heaven, Joy, and Pure Delight

Cheesecake heaven ... delight ... joy ... dressed up or plain.  No matter. It's the best dessert on the planet!!  Happy for any excuse to enjoy a piece of cheesecake! 😊

• FUN FACT:  Cheesecake is truly the food of love, and we can thank the Greeks. DID YOU KNOW? The Greek physician Aegimus wrote a book on making cheesecakes in the 5th century AD, and the oldest written cheesecake recipe is attributed to Athenaeus and dates back to 230 AD…. ❤️

Gourmet Cheesecake is the ultimate dessert gift for the ultimate dessert lover. There are many wonderful sites where you can purchase these fabulous gourmet food gifts online.

• The Cheesecake Factory
• Cheesecakes by David's Cookies
• The Original Cakerie

From classic New York Style cheesecake to Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake. Tough decision, huh? I know!  It's hard to decide if you want to be generous and buy it as a gift OR get it for yourself and eat it all? 😊

Hark!  Is that the voice of a diva?

What's that?  You're a domestic diva, and you prefer to make your own cheesecake instead of buying a gourmet gift online?  OK!  The listing of recipes below is for the Martha Stewart look-alikes. 

• Lemon Swirl Cheesecake — a classic baked cheesecake with homemade lemon curd swirled through the top. -  Mindees Cooking Obsession
  
• The Ultimate Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe – dessertsblog.com
• Baked Matcha Cheesecake – The Unlikely Baker
  
• Lavender Honey Cheesecake – Taste Of Home
  
• Mint Chocolate Cheesecake – Taste Of Home
  
• Bailey’s Irish Cream Cheesecake – Restless Chipotle
  
• Matcha Swirl Cheesecake – A Cozy Kitchen
  
• Rainbow Cheesecake _ A cheerful “pot of gold” dessert.  - Tablespoon

July 30th is the official date set aside for National Cheesecake Day.  But for me, it's an occasion to extend throughout the entire year. 

EES shares recipes, cooking tips and all things foodie!

Everyday Exotic Spices

Thinking of the winter holidays?
- Easy Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe

- White Christmas Cheesecake

glitter-graphics.com

Jam Heart Cookies for Valentine’s Day 💖 (Reblog) ~ Fun Recipe for Cooking with Kids

Every once in a while, I stumble across a recipe that’s so charming it deserves a little spotlight of its own. These jam heart cookies are exactly that — sweet, simple, and perfect for Valentine’s Day baking.

• Image created using free AI art tool

This recipe comes from Haley at If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen, a blog I discovered accidentally, while browsing for fun foodie recipes.  It looks like you can find a lot of well-tested baking recipes on this site. Haley's jam heart cookies are a buttery shortbread-style cookie, shaped into hearts and filled with bright raspberry jam. They’re festive without being fussy, and the ingredient list is refreshingly simple.

Newbie cooks or bakers will especially appreciate how clearly this recipe is explained. Haley walks through shaping the dough, filling the cookies cleanly, and baking them so they hold their shape and stay tender. These are the kind of homemade cookies that look impressive on a plate but are totally doable for home bakers.

A little cookie history.  DID YOU KNOW?

Jam-filled cookies like these are cousins of traditional thumbprint cookies, which have roots in Scandinavian baking (you might know them as hallongrotta, or “raspberry caves”). Over time, bakers have adapted the shape and flavors, and turned them into hearts, which feels like a natural evolution for Valentine’s Day.

If you’re looking for a thoughtful homemade treat, a baking project to share with kids, or just an excuse to work jam into dessert (always a good idea), bookmark this.

💖Find full recipe, tips, and step-by-step instructions here: Jam Heart Cookies from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen

Happy baking — and happy Valentine’s season?💖

A cute, hands‑on Sweet DIY Valentine’s Day Treat!
❤️ https://t.co/qxk2uYejFE
Fun #DIY Cookie Decorating Kit:
🍪 Two heart‑shaped cookies
🎨 Red & white frosting tubes
✨ Heart sprinkles💘 pic.twitter.com/ivqBJ5mnQz

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) January 31, 2026

Recipe Sharing: White Christmas Cheesecake That's Perfect For Valentine's Day (Guest Post)

Ever met a cheesecake you didn't like?  I haven't. This is a White Christmas Cheesecake that is also perfect for Valentine's Day.  Here's the recipe.  

ENJOY!

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A few interesting and fun facts tied to the idea of a “White Christmas cheesecake”, even though it’s more of a theme-style recipe than a single official dish:

🎄 Why it’s called “White Christmas”

• The name usually refers to the all-white color palette, inspired by snow and the classic song “White Christmas.”

• White chocolate, cream cheese, vanilla, and coconut are the most common ingredients used to keep the cake pale and festive.

🍰 A modern holiday twist

• Unlike traditional Christmas puddings or fruitcakes, White Christmas cheesecake is a modern dessert, gaining popularity as no-bake cheesecakes became trendy in the late 20th century.

• It’s especially popular in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, where Christmas desserts are often lighter and cream-based.

🤍 White chocolate’s role

• White chocolate isn’t technically chocolate (it contains cocoa butter but no cocoa solids), which helps:

  • Keep the cheesecake’s color bright

  • Add sweetness without bitterness

• This makes it ideal for festive decorations like snowflakes, curls, or drizzle.

❄️ Common festive add-ins

Many versions include:

• Coconut → mimics snow texture

• Macadamia nuts or almonds → popular holiday flavors

• Cranberries or raspberries → added sparingly for contrast, like holly on snow

• Vanilla bean → enhances the “clean” winter flavor profile

🧊 Often served no-bake

• White Christmas cheesecakes are frequently no-bake, which:

  • Makes them perfect for busy holiday cooking

  • Helps them stay light and creamy instead of dense

🎁 Presentation matters

• They’re often decorated more elaborately than everyday cheesecakes:

  • White chocolate shards

  • Edible glitter or pearl sprinkles

  • Powdered sugar “snow”

• The visual effect is a big part of the appeal.

🎶 Cultural crossover

• The dessert’s name is directly inspired by pop culture rather than tradition, showing how music and holiday nostalgia influence modern recipes.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

taste.com.au. “How to Make a White Christmas Cheesecake.” YouTube, 26 Nov. 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3I_y-Y_p84.

🎄🎄 Visit My Foodie Luv on Tumblr for more wonder-filled holiday recipes.

Spotlight on Food Bloggers ~ Recipes for the Holidays (or Any Day)

In 2015, I became a member of Bloggy Moms Network. It was a wonderful community, and in a previous blog post, I was happy to shine a spotlight on the members who were food bloggers. The BM Network was a great place to find recipes, cooking tips, meal ideas, and all kinds of food-related information. Unfortunately, the network no longer exists, and this blog post is being published a a replacement.

Since the holiday season is here, the first share is about preparing a wonderful and healthy “healthier” Christmas feast. And then there are a lot more foodie links that I'm sure you'll enjoy!!

45 Best Healthy Christmas Recipes! | The Clean Eating Couple

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Becoming A Farm Girl. “🛒 FORGET Meal Plans. How I Cook for a Week on $100 --No Recipes. No Waste. No Panic.” YouTube, Video, 3 June 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvOT-S0ctLo.

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Colorful Bow Tie Pork | Harried Housewife Blog

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Soup for Thanksgiving! | Adriana's Best Recipes

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Every Thanksgiving, I want all the pies! There are so many delicious pies to enjoy: Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie, Cherry Pie, Apple Crumb Pie, and don't forget pumpkin cheesecake and all the other desserts that come with Thanksgiving.  OK!  I like rolls too.

• One-Pan Mini Thanksgiving Pies Three Ways | The BakerMama  
• Mini Pies for the Holidays | Two Sisters

• Pumpkin Bread Rolls with Cinnamon Butter | Handle the Heat

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Apple Pecan Chia Pudding – #SecretRecipeClub
(Dessert for breakfast? No wonder it's a secret!)

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Moist And Fluffy Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe (+VIDEO)

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Mini Sweet Potato Cakes with Sticky Caramel Sauce | Cooking With Carlee

Hope you enjoy your holidays and every day before and after.

glitter-graphics.com

Foodie Friday : Recipes | Desserts | Pineapple Stuffing and More!

This week's Foodie Friday spotlight is pineapple!  Pineapple is included with a list of refreshing super foods we should eating during the summer.  

This recipe at mostlyhomemademom.com, is typically prepared during the Christmas holiday season but it's a treat that should be enjoyed whenever you have a craving for something delicious and sweet!  For me that's all year round!  What about you?

Holiday Stuffing
For any day of the year.

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More Pineapple Delights from Around the Web

Mrs. Renfro's Salsa Express 
~ Offering a wide variety of salsas from traditional to exotic. The pineapple salsas are very popular!

Previous #FoodieFriday posts? Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Food Blog Spotlight: Dinner Ideas: Duck with Star Anise Broth – Chef Kevin Ashton

Have you ever tasted duck?  I have only had one food-tasting experience with duck. Wish I could have had more. Nevertheless, that one experience was more than enough to condition me. Now every time I even see a duck recipe or cooking video, I start salivating.

My Facebook Memories reminded that I shared this recipe with my network of followers several years ago.  It's an awesome duck recipe from a food blog published by a chef based in the UK.  He uses star anise, one of my favorite exotic spices.

Duck with Star Anise Broth
– Chef Kevin Ashton

English: Ilicium verum, Schisandraceae, Star Anise, Atar Aniseed, Badiane, Chinese Star Anise, fruits. The dried ripe fruits are used in homeopathy as remedy: Anisum stellatum (Anis.) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The spice star anise is distilled to make star anise oil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

SPICE SPOTLIGHT: Star Anise

Widely used in Chinese and Indian cuisine, this whole spice resembles anise in flavor. Some stars may be broken and not entirely whole.

See also: SPICE SPOTLIGHT: Peppercorns

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MORE FROM KEVIN'S FOOD BLOG

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