Mini Cheesecakes

Family favorites take a step into the 21st century
We all have memories from our childhood that revolve around the all-important, all-consuming FOOD! Walking into the house and smelling something wonderful your senses would stand at attention and a smile would immediately come across your face. Whether it's a wave of spice or the sweet smell of some decadent baked goods, the air is filled with the positive notion of what is about to come. You were about to indulge in something wonderful and something that you considered a 'treat. Most families had some of their traditional favorites and dishes that would be staples on the table for any festive occasion. How many times have you seen an advertisement or heard the positive comparison with the words: 'Just like mother used to make'. Rarely do you hear this when you choose to attempt something new, something exciting and a savory treat that leaves them all in silence thinking: this is way better than mom used to make.
On your birthday the question would be put to you. What would you like for your birthday dinner? Knowing the work involved by mom it was hard to utter the words but her famous Cannelloni and the traditional cheesecake flavor, cherry is exactly what I wanted! I know you were thinking birthday cake but no that would be too easy! The beautiful part of these wonderful treats today is that you can enjoy them with far less muss and fuss and the cheesecake flavors offered ready made are awesome. How many times where you 'shooed' out of the kitchen because there was a project underway? The time, the cost of the ingredients and the mess, you almost felt guilty requesting some of these family favorites. The problem back then is that you didn't have a good selection of items, the same quality ingredients and flavor in anything that was store bought was lacking. Today, this has changed drastically to work to our favor.
We all look forward to the 'treat' at the end of a meal. We save room for it, check out what it is before we sit down to eat and it's the final touch on the meal that you will remember so fondly. The Cheesecake has been a favorite for many for decades now. Traditional cheesecake flavors now include dozens of choices with swirls of raspberry, or a cover of chocolate chips, amaretto, sweet blueberry to pour over the top, the simple but super creamy new York style and you get the benefit now of shopping low-carb, sugar free and have it ready made and yes, better than mom used to make. They are loaded with flavor and literally melt on your tongue. This sweet sensation will soon replace the birthday cake in every home, I'm sure of it. It's become a national favorite with restaurants offering a full menu of dessert only items if you're in the mood for a sweet treat and this will undoubtedly include a long list of Cheesecake items.
A family favorite or time honored tradition for birthdays, Easter, or any holiday doesn't have to involve the kitchen being closed and having someone slave over a mess of expensive ingredients. Food is a huge part of family events or having a get together with friends. Typically it's over dinner, lunch or come by for coffee and yes - Dessert! The cheesecake is no longer a days worth of work, and available in the traditional favorite flavors or a collection of specialty flavors that will make your mouth water. While we are reluctant to utter the words, we know, these delicious desserts are better than mom used to make. Shhh, don't tell her!

Have you ever sat across the table with someone watching them heap salt, or butter on something they haven't even tasted yet? Or can't seem to digest pancakes or French toast without seeing them on their plate doing the back stroke in Syrup? Perhaps this IS you! We all have different likes and dislikes and we all have different tastes and ways of doing things. Being able to have this flexibility can make for a pleasant experience, particularly when dining. You can mask something unpleasant or heap on something that you truly enjoy.
My first fruit cheesecake experience was a cherry cheesecake with a canned cherry gel layered about two inches thick on top. Yuck! I was not a fan and after spending time trying top pick out the soggy cherries I was quickly criticized by my mother for being so fussy and making such a mess. Well, the bottom line is I did NOT like this one bit. I loved the rest of it, the creamy filling and sweet crust were delicious but I had to wade though this canned, artificial colored, soggy cherry film to get to it. What else could I do?
Discovering a creamy New York style cheesecake with separate toppings was like a gift from heaven for this cheesecake lover. The best idea is to have people establish their own preferences and take care of the topping off however they choose. There are those that still heap it on. You know the one, get in there and get the topping and not care if there is any left for anyone else. Some that put it on the side to 'dip' their forkful in. There are also the people that fit into the cheesecake only category. The toppings are wonderful and stand head and shoulders above the old canned gelatin I used to have to choke down. Raspberry, Strawberry, Blueberry and yes, even the cherry are all awesome. I now fall into the 'light' topping category. This has taken the fruit cheesecake to an entirely new and thoroughly enjoyable level for me.
When you are having company, or taking a dessert for a party keep in mind that different tastes and desires will exist. Someone will always do something you may consider odd. Ordering and/or taking a fruit cheesecake with separate servings for the toppings will insure the cake doesn't get soggy, and mean that guests are at liberty to doctor up their piece however they want. It certainly won't be to mask anything but rather to enhance the delicious experience.

Whomever first said life is too short, eat dessert first, really knew what they were talking about! Life is too short to do a lot of things, so make choices with wild abandon! Go for it, just DO what your heart longs for, whether that be eat dessert first (diet tomorrow), go golfing, go fishing, travel, read a book, help a friend, or volunteer for a charity, more of us need to follow our passions. Yes, life is full of many have to do's and must do's, and therefore, one must act responsibly and be accountable, but when it comes to your real passions in life, think about it (not for long), and then go for it! Have you ever seen a cemetery headstone that had I wish I would have worked more, engraved on it? The same person that did first say life is too short, eat dessert first must have also surely been the inventor of cheesecake, don't you think? I think so, and also that same intelligent being probably also first said you can't take it with you. Interesting life, and I say wonderful, miraculous life, meant to be lived more in the moment, more spontaneously, rather than constant planning you get the picture. Now picture this with Easter in a few days, or how about just because tomorrow is coming, or what about right now in front of you this is too short beauty of a dessert to eat first, this decadent, gourmet, lovely looking, exquisite, make your mouth water feast of a thing!It fits perfectly in my book of life and passions, and even better in my mouth! How about yours?

Say thanks with Cheesecake!
I am not sure who started it but in our office any time you said 'thank you' or showed your appreciation the response was never as simple as 'you're welcome'; which is what you'd have expected. The retort would be 'say it with cheesecake'. It was a joking quip suggesting that instead of words, give me something sweet and delicious. The classic cheesecake represents a treat you wouldn't have too often and is usually considered special, so giving it as a gift is something a little unique and viewed as a gesture that is special.This joking little comment set the tone for some events in the office however. When it came time for a large project to commence we knew that the work load would be intense and we'd be relying on another team to get the information we needed to complete the job. When we presented our requests and told them what we needed, we used a little buffer to make our needs and demands seem a little easier. What did we do? We said it with cheesecake of course. It was very well received and we used the promise of another one as a way to get our answers in a fun way. Keeping the tone light and basing it on a food bribe isn't an unethical way to work at all, we found it to be incredible effective.We looked at the mini cheesecakes as an option, but being at work we opted for the bite size cheesecakes instead. These miniature cheesecakes were the perfect serving size. They were ideal in that there was no need for utensils, less mess and everyone could easily have a 'taste' without a need to over indulge. Okay sure the skinny girl cut hers in half but Dave in sales swooped in to collect the other half like a vulture. It's always a give and take when it comes to office treats. You need to move fast to get your piece of the pie, or cheesecake in this case.Using food seems to have been a hit in the office. We've shipped these delicious gems to other sales offices as well and received great feedback from the other teams as well. Saying thank you in a special way is something that everyone is sure to appreciate. Something special for effort that was exceptional. Try it out and see the wonderful response you get when you say it with cheesecake.

Gift giving can seem overwhelming and complicated at times. There is always one person on your gift giving list that seems like they are impossible to buy for. You rack your brain and yet you still end up stuck for ideas. Finding something they will enjoy is the key. Shying away from the latest fad or some fancy gadget that they will hardly ever us is probably a good idea. Consider this, an edible treat they are sure to enjoy. A cheesecake could be just the thing to both please and surprise them. If you need to send this outside your area or don't have the skills or time to create one yourself, then buying cheesecakes online is a great way to solve these problems.
The most challenging part of buying a cheesecake online is figuring out where to go and to filter through the selection available. You don't want to go through all of the trouble of picking out a cake that looks perfect online, only to have the person you bought it for open it up to find out the image was completely misleading. You might be wise to look around for a website of a company that specializes in just cheesecakes rather than one that offers a large number of different foods or other items. If cheesecakes are their specialty, than odds are they will have a great selection where you will certainly find one to please even the pickiest of people.
Your next step in the process could be to compare prices. You want to make sure you are getting a good value and something that is appealing to the eye and to the taste buds for your dollar. While comparing sites you can get a general idea for the size that you will be able to purchase for the money that you have budgeted to spend. Another consideration will be how many people will be eating the cheesecake. This will play a role in deciding what size to select as well. Take the shipping costs into consideration as well, because overnight shipping can increase the costs quite a bit. Email the company or website and ask questions. This is a fabulous way to gauge what kind of service you will be receiving. A live person, a caring voice, a quick response are all elements that are key to making the shipment of a food gift move along smoothly and seamlessly. If you receive anything less in the way of service you may want to move along and find a better option.
Buying cheesecakes could be the unique and unusual item to please those 'impossible to buy for' people you know. Simply follow these general guidelines to insure you on the road to success in finding the right cheesecake for the occasion.

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