It’s almost Halloween…..time for a treat!

It’s almost Halloween…..time for a treat!

It’s been a hot minute since the last time I posted here! There’s been alot going on, some good, some not, and I’ve just been doing what I gotta do to get through. I’ll share more about that in another post.

I watched the new Martha documentary on Netflix today and it was so good! She shared things from her past I’d never heard before which was a treat and kinda surprising for me because I am this woman’s untimate fan. She inspires me and most of what I’ve accomplished in the way of business, food and homekeeping come from sources she created, designed or wrote. I am a collector of her magazines, and have many years’ worth in my collection. I own many of her books on a variety of topics ranging from Entertaining, the book that made her famous to recipe books like Cookies and Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. So after getting all fired up, I knew what I should make for a little Halloween treat for the family. It should be something baked…..and sweet! I wanted it to be something delicious and classic but easy to pull off. Out came the Instantpot! Years ago I’d made a few of the most delicious cheesecakes in my Instantpot and I knew this was the answer. A cheesecake that would bake to this level of perfection without having to hover over it. And it would be done in about a half hour. Perfect!

The cheesecake I’m referring to is the famous Cheesecake #17! It’s all over the internet and it’s not a wonder why! It’s the perfect blend of creamy cheesy goodness, it’s fluffy and has a soft creamy feel in your mouth kind of like an unbaked cheesecake would but it has a hint of that dense, rich flavour that comes with a baked cheesecake……and it’s rises so high!

New York Style Cheesecake #17 – Instantpot

shannonleger
A delicious creamy cheesecake, smooth and creamy interior with tons of tangy, cheesy flavour.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 26 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings

Equipment

  • 1 7×3 springform pan
  • 1 Parchment paper

Ingredients
  

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham crumbs
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 pinch salt

For the Batter:

  • 16 oz Cream cheese (2 blocks), room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2/3 cups white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

Instructions
 

  • Line springform pan with parchment paper, no need to grease the paper. Set aside. Create a tin foil sling to lower pan into the Instantpot and remove when done cooking. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl place the 1/4 cup melted butter and pinch of salt. Stir in graham crumbs. Press mixture into springform pan using back of spoon or a glass. Freeze for approximately 20 minutes while you prepare batter.
  • In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, salt and white sugar.
  • Using a hand mixer (stand mixers incorporate too much air into the batter), beat cream cheese till it begins to smooth out. Mix in sugar mixture above. Add small amounts and incorporate as you go so you don't end up with sugar and cornstarch everywhere! Do not overmix.
  • Add sour cream and vanilla. Again do not overmix or you will end up with a really puffy cheesecake. Blend in eggs.
  • Pour into prepared pan and tap the pan on counter several times to remove any air bubbles. Remaining bubbles can be removed by popping with a fork or toothpick.
  • Pour 1 cup water into bottom of Instantpot. Add steamer rack in the bottom and place cheesecake on the rack using the foil sling you made above. Put on lid and lock in place. Set Instantpot to High Pressure for 26 minutes. Once cooking time is complete, let pressure release naturally for about 7 minutes before removing cheesecake from Instantpot.
  • Cool for 10 minutes and run a small knife around inside or parchment paper. Remove springform and cool on wire rack. Store in fridge, removing parchment paper before cutting.

My Heart’s on Fire for Elvira! (And a few other chicks!)

My Heart’s on Fire for Elvira!  (And a few other chicks!)

I bet you can’t read the title of this blog post without breaking into song, at least in your head, haha. If you’re over the age of 40 you probably remember that hugely successful group, The Oakridge Boys, and their hit song, Elvira. I just finished listening to it on Youtube as I sat down to write this post. I’ll likely have it on repeat in my head all day now!

I’m here today because I have to share……I’m in love! With six fluffy little chicks. I swear I could spend hours watching them flutter around their brooder (a cardboard box in my den for the time being), peck away at their feeder and sleep. They’re adorable and I know already they are going to be beloved pets in the Léger family. Pets that just happen to provide nutritious food for our family :). I’d like to introduce Elvira (she’s the biggest one of the bunch), Noisette (she has a brown back, no stripes like the others have), Birdie (the smallest chick), Fluffy, Coco, and finally Hey-Hey. As you can see in the pictures, they are growing fast! They were three days old when we picked them up and that was a little over a week ago. In that time, their wings have grown and feathered out and they are getting their tail feathers. I marvel at the speed of their growth from newly hatched chicks to this, not even two weeks later!

We are enjoying learning…..it’s a bit of a learning curve, having never owned livestock before. Can I call them livestock? I always tend to think of livestock as cows, pigs, goats. But they definitely aren’t the same as dogs, cats, hamsters……the type of pets I’m accustomed to and experienced in caring for. It’s become a family affair, we’ve all pitched in to feed, water, and care for them. Doing lots of temperature checks as their environment ideally is kept at a certain temperature depending on their age. We’ve learned about the benefits of adding garlic to their water, and of keeping their little butts clean (look up pasty butt if you are curious about what this can mean for a chick if it’s not watched for and taken care of).

Top picture was taken at 3 days old and bottom was taken at 5 days old. Within a couple of days, their wings started to feather out!

We began construction of our new backyard coop as well in the past week. The chicks won’t be able to use it for many more weeks but we want to have it all ready for them when they can move out of our den or garage into their new space. I decided on a Farmhouse themed coop and together we have planned, sawed, nailed and painted. Well OK, it was mostly my husband who did all that with the help of our two little boys but I did choose the design and painted the coop. I think it’ll be a beautiful addition to our backyard in more ways than one and I can’t wait to start collecting those gorgeous fresh eggs from our girls! Imagine baking with those fresh eggs! I’m honestly just so excited.

My almost 8 year old learned to use a power drill. He was pretty happy about that. I’m so happy we can share in the experience of building a coop for our chickens. I think chicken keeping and all that it entails, is a great learning experience for kids!
We were lucky to scrounge up almost enough lumber and plywood from around our yard, basement, garage and shed to build the coop. The rest we were able to purchase from a local mill. With prices as high as they currently are for lumber, we are grateful. This entire project will be completed for well under $200 CDN.
My five year old got in on the action too and learned how to use the power drill with his Papa’s help.
Last weekend we had a good old fashioned “coop raising”. My Dad even came by and helped put the walls up. More pictures to come in future blog posts.

Maybe you’re inspired to keep chickens? Reach out if you have questions! I love to share any knowledge we have picked up along the journey and I love to talk about chicken keeping, gardening, anything kitchen related, Homesteading…..let’s face it, I love to talk. Those who haven’t seen this side of me, just haven’t hit upon the right topic! Lol. I look forward to chatting, please leave me a comment below!

I’m a Blogger! Now what?!

OMG, I’m a blogger! I’m panicking a little if I’m honest. This isn’t my first attempt at creating a blog that expresses who I am, what I’m passionate about and attempts to bring value to other folks who are interested in some of the same things I am.

Here at The Butcher’s Daughter I plan to talk about lots of home related things……most of which will revolve around food and my kitchen. It’s what I’m most passionate about. I absolutely love creating delicious meals for my family and friends. I adore everything baking related, including eating it, haha! Recently I joined WW after too many of those sweet indulgences so I plan to share what I’m learning about creating healthful meals and desserts that fit into a healthy lifestyle. It’s still pretty new to me and we can learn together! For several years now, my husband and I have planted and lovingly tended to a backyard garden and lets just say, we are hooked! The produce from that garden is organic, healthy, delicious and inexpensive! All bonuses when raising two hungry growing boys!

Who is The Butcher’s Daughter anyway and what inspired me to choose this name for my blog? Well, I’m a wife, a proud Mama to two little boys and yup, you guessed it! I really am a Butcher’s Daughter. I grew up in the country, was schooled in the city and after university graduation moved to a tiny town in NB where I can live a country life close to city amenities. Best of both worlds…..’cause let’s face it, you can take the girl out of the country but you can’t take the country out of the girl! I’ll always be rooted in the country and everything I do in my home reflects that!

I’m so excited to be on this journey and can’t wait to have all of you join me! Ready? Here we go!