Apartment Blog

I was watching TLC’s ‘Take Home Chef’ this morning while at the gym and I saw this decadent dessert that I must share. This is a dish I definitely plan on making for Valentine’s Day. When I saw how easy it was to prepare and how delicious it looked, it made me want to hop off the elliptical machine and run to the store (literally run to burn off the extra calories I’ll be consuming)!

Here it is…..

Chocolate Cheesecake

Makes 6

Ingredients:

For the cheesecake crust:

8 ounces/225 g semisweet chocolate wafer cookies
5 tablespoons/75 g unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake filling:

8 ounces/225 g good-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Scharffenberger), chopped
1 1/2 pounds/700 g cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup/200 g superfine sugar
3 tablespoons/30 g all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons/10 ml vanilla extract
3 large eggs

For the chocolate sauce:

2/3 cup/155 ml heavy whipping cream
4 ounces/115 g good-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Scharffenberger), chopped

Method:

To prepare the crust: Finely grind the cookies in a food processor. Blend the butter into the crumbs to form a moist sandy texture. 

Press the crumb mixture evenly over the bottom (not the sides) of six 4-inch-/1-cm-diameter spring form pans. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare the filling: Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C. Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, then set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir the chocolate until melted then set aside to cool to lukewarm.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, flour and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well blended.

Stir the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture to blend. Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the chilled crusts, dividing it equally.

Place the cheesecakes on a heavy baking sheet and bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until the cakes puff slightly but the tops do not crack and are slightly darker in the center. The cakes will be slightly wobbly but will become more firm as they cool.

Turn the oven off and leave the oven door open to allow the cakes to cool for 1 hour. The cheesecakes will have cooled but will still be slightly warm. If desired, they can be refrigerated at this point until they are cold.

Meanwhile, to make the chocolate sauce: Heat the cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat just until it begins to simmer. Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 5 minutes to allow the chocolate to melt slightly.

Stir the cream mixture with a whisk until the chocolate has melted completely and the sauce is smooth.

To serve: Run a small sharp knife around the pan sides to loosen the cheesecakes from the pans. Release the pan sides and transfer the cheesecakes to plates.

Drizzle the warm chocolate sauce over and around the cheesecakes and serve.

Valentine’s Day is this Saturday! Are you prepared?? We all know there is a lot of pressure to pick out the perfect gift. And if you’re not into homemade gifts, it makes searching for one the only option. Well, we’ve provided some great tips of ‘What NOT to buy for Valentine’s Day‘ to help narrow it down, but now we want to provide you with suggestions on what TO buy.

Women:

• Jewelry
• Chocolate
• Music (CD or music download)
• A book (or gift card to a bookstore)
• Dinner-cooked for her or taken out
• Perfume
• Purse
• Sleepwear
• Flowers (always SAFE)
• Gift card to local coffee shop
• A Spa trip
• o Massage
• o Manicure/pedicure
• o Facial
• Weekend Get-a-way
• Adventure/Experience Classes (such as: Dancing, Scuba and Cooking)

Men:

• Sweater
• Watch
• Wallet
• Gloves/Scarf set
• Cologne
• Tickets to a sporting event
• Music (CD or music download)
• A book (or gift card to a bookstore)
• GPS System
• Dinner cooked for him
• Adventure/Experience Classes (such as: Rock climbing, Skateboarding, Surf Lessons and Sky Diving)

Yesterday we posted Favorite Love Songs for Valentine’s Day, so for all you single folks out there in cyberspace, here’s a list of anti-love songs. If you’re anything like me, Valentine’s Day is really just ‘Single Awareness Day’ and reminds me just how “single” I really am.  Valentine’s Day is kind of nauseating with all of the flowers, chocolates, balloons, stuffed animals and more.

It’s important for us to embrace being single and remind the happy romantic couples out there that we don’t need to be in a relationship to celebrate life. So instead of asking yourself ‘how bad it’s going to be this year?’…embrace it and go out with your single girl friends or guy friends and jam out to our tunes listed below.

1. ‘All the Single Ladies’ by Beyonce

2. ‘Love Stinks’ by J. Geils Band

3. ‘You Oughta Know’ by Alanis Morissette

4. ‘Shot Through the Heat’ by Bon Jovi

5. ‘My Happy Ending’ by Avril Lavigne

6. ‘Love is a Battlefield’ by Pat Benetar

7. ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’ by Kelly Clarkson

8. ‘Don’t Speak’ by No Doubt

9. ‘Don’t Lie’ by Black Eye Peas

10. ‘Killing Me Softly’ by The Fugees

11. ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor

12. ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ by Cher

13. ‘Before He Cheats’ by Carrie Underwood

14. ‘After the Love is Gone’ by Earth, Wind and Fire

15. ‘Womanizer’ by Brittany Spears

16. ‘Half Crazy’ by Musiq Soulchild

If you’re thinking of adding some music to your Valentine’s Day, plan a special meal or create a ‘love song’ CD for cupid this year. Consider these great songs to get you in the groove…..

1. ‘With You’ by Chris Brown

2. ‘Amazed’ by Lonestar

3. ‘Open Arms’ by Journey

4. ‘In Your Eyes’ by Peter Gabriel

5. ‘Send One Your Love’ by Stevie Wonder

6. ‘L-O-V-E’ by Nat King Cole

7. ‘Kiss by a Rose’ by Seal

8. ‘Someone to Watch Over Me’ by Ella Fitzgerald

9. ‘Ready For Love’ by India Arie

10. ‘I’ll Be’ by Edwin McCain

11. ‘Until the End of Time’ by Justin Timberlake

12. ‘On Bended Knee’ by Boyz II Men

13. ‘I Swear’ by All for One

14. ‘I Need You’ by Tim McGraw & Faith Hill

15. ‘No Air’ by Chris Brown & Jordin Sparks

16. ‘The Only One for Me’ by Brian McKnight

17. ‘Endless Love’ by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie

18. ‘Shower Me with Your Love’ by Surface

19. ‘Always’ by Atlantic Star

20. ‘Lady’ by Mojo

Now, this is just a list of 20 great songs collected from my coworkers. I’m sure you can think of plenty other great melodies appropriate for a holiday celebrating LOVE….

If so, feel free to leave us your favorite!

Going along with our ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Cards’ blog, we thought we’d give you some ideas to make your Valentine’s Day gifts this year.  Even if this isn’t your main gift, doing something creative and from the heart means everything to your loved one!

Here are a few craft ideas from About.com:

Conversation Heart Frame

Materials needed:

• Cardboard
• Paint
• Glue
• Candy Conversation Hearts
• photo
• Tape

Instructions:
Cut a rectangle shape out of the cardboard. The size you make the rectangle will depend on the size of the photo you are using. Cut a hole in the center of the rectangle where you will display the photo. Paint it red (or whatever color you desire). Set aside to dry.

Once the paint is dry, glue the candy conversation hearts all over the frame. Set it aside to dry again.

Once the glue is dry, tape the picture in the opening you cut in the center of the heart frame. Cut a small triangle out of the cardboard and attach behind the picture to make a stand, or you can even add a strip of magnet to the back!

Valentine’s Heart Jar

Materials Needed:

• Mason Jar
• Spray Paint
• Acrylic Paint
• Old Paint Brush
• Ribbon or Raffia
• Stencil Cut-Out of a Heart

Instructions:
Wash jar clean with vinegar, let it dry. Place newspaper under project to prevent making spills with paint.

Make a heart-shaped ’stencil’ and tape it onto the front of the jar. Spray jar with the spray paint and let dry. Spray a second coat and let dry. Once dry, take another type of paint and old toothbrush, and splatter paint around your heart design. Let dry.

Pull stencil off gently, tie ribbon or raffia around the top of the jar and secure with bow. Place a candle in the jar or fill it with candy, and it makes a real cute gift!!!

Another way to do this is have multiple stencil hearts for each color paints. Place that stencil around the jar and gently blot it with the old toothbrush and paint. Let dry and repeat process with another color paint-overlapping when possible.

Valentine’s Day Dinner:

And of course there is always that saying ‘the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,’ so why not find a yummy recipe to cook for dinner that night! It would be especially nice if you set the mood with music and candles. And made place setting cards out of construction paper! Finish it off with a delicious dessert too.

Change it up:

Does your significant other have a favorite cartoon? You can take whatever cartoon he/she likes and take out the verbiage from the cartoon (by putting white out over the words), then insert your words or a conversation that means something to the both of you (i.e your first kiss or the first time you said ‘I love you’).  Copy the cartoon on a copier machine (so the words you inserted look like it’s in the actual cartoon-instead of just being written over white out). Feel free to color it and/or matte it or frame it for your loved one!

Or, how about you take a poem from his/her favorite author? Or a childhood author? I’m actually doing this for my boyfriend’s Valentine’s Day gift, taking a poem from Dr. Seuss and changing the words (keeping the tempo the same) to make it applicable to him. It’s something very memorable and can showcase all the time and effort you put into it. To make it more decorative, you can use construction paper to add a punch of color or give it the ‘lovey-dovey’ feeling. I also plan on framing it for him as a one of a kind piece of art!

We all love when Valentine’s Day rolls around. If the pressures from the Christmas spending weren’t enough, let’s add another purchasing holiday a month and a half later! We understand the crunch you’re feeling, especially in these economic times; let us share a way to skip an added expense….. Valentine’s Day cards!

Now, I’m all for the modern, eco-friendly, economical approach (hello E-Cards), however, sometimes those aren’t appropriate for your loved ones who live close by.  So take a look below at two perfect homemade Valentine’s Day cards from AllFreeCrafts.com:

Here are the materials you might need:

• Pink and red hearts cut from construction paper (various sizes)
• Cream/white colored paper (computer paper) & red construction paper
• Scotch tape
• Elmer’s glue
• Blank cards (or use left over poster board for a one-sided card)
• Computer to type phrases or Alphabet stickers

Directions:

Card #1:

This Valentine’s Day card is quick and easy. Cut a piece of dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or poster board piece) and glue it in place. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer and print it on the cream/white colored paper. Glue the cut-out phrase first on a dark red piece of paper, and then give that piece on another piece of cream colored cardstock to create a layered look. This card will open horizontally (or not at all), so turn it horizontally and glue the Valentine’s sentiment to the top third of the card. For the bottom portion of the card cut three small freehand hearts from the dark red paper. Glue these hearts to three torn scraps (in the shape of squares) to cream colored paper. Space these pieces across the bottom of the card and glue in place.

Card #2:

This card is made from a dark red piece of paper and a cream colored piece of paper. Cut a piece of the dark red paper to fit the front of your blank card (or scrap poster board piece) and glue it in place. Cut a large square from the cream colored paper and glue it just above the center of the card. Glue the piece of paper in place. Tear a large heart from the dark red paper and glue it in the center of the cream colored square. Type “Happy Valentine’s Day” on your computer. Print on cream colored paper and glue in the center of the heart.

These two methods are quite perfect whether you’re crafty or not! So use what you have lying around the house (scotch tape, glue and your computer) and if you don’t have the other materials, you can pick them up at your local dollar store. Trust me, for the price you’re paying you’ll get more bang for your buck! Plus, we’ll be posting a ‘Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts’ blog where you’ll also be able to use these materials! Cha-ching!