Twas the Night Before Christmas

Well, here we are the night (or day) before Christmas. Let the cooking begin! It seems i always find myself caught between a grumble and excitment when i think about the amounts of money spent on the food, time spent preparing the food, and the actual time spent consuming the food (which does not equal the money or effort). But I will peresevere.

This year's theme is Everything About Spain..We are going to have paella, spanish tortilla (made with potatoes, ham and cheese croquettes, and churros and chocolate... This is how i translate my love for Spain...and try to teach my children that love also.

I will let you know how it goes! But i did find a great recipe this year for Pecan Pie Cheesecake which will be posted here. Don't be afraid to try it...it will be the hit of your party!

Ingredients
Topping:
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon rum extract
Pie:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 un-baked deep-dish (9-inch) pie shell
1 1/4 cups chopped pecans
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine all topping ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, salt, vanilla, and egg until combined. Pour into pie shell. Top with chopped pecans. Pour topping over pecans. Bake for 45 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. If the top of the pie has not cracked..leave in oven. Turn the heat to 250* and let cook another 30 minute. This is a cheesecake so look for the top to crack before taking out of the oven.