Another Cheesecake, and *gasp* something NOT in the baking realm!

Okay, so at least it only took me a few months to get back to baking. Since the last post, I have picked up and moved across the country - all the way across. I'm now in a very humid, very hot Tampa, FL. On the bright side - I have a beautiful apartment, with an unusually large kitchen. How do you think I picked out apartments?? =P (Check out my facebook page for pictures)

So, this first recipe, was actually baked a weekend before I left CA. A sort of "hurrah" before I left.

Individual blueberry cheesecakes - threw these together without a recipe, so I'm sorry. They worked out beautifully, though - basic cheesecake recipe, no flour, with homemade blueberry compote, baked in indiviual muffin tins with paper liners. They were delicious.





And the second item, is one of the first things I've made in my new kitchen. Not baking, but I'll get back to that soon enough. I need to make enough friends to be able to pawn the leftovers on them - I can have a whole dessert recipe sitting in my apartment. I don't work out enough for that. ;)

Meet roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Shallot Butter. I've decided I love shallots - they're amazing. They have a very special taste, without being too oniony - I still don't quite know how to describe them.

They taste better than they look, and make a delicious side dish. You have to eat them warm, though - I'm thinking of making them as a side dish for Thanksgiving, if I invest in a hot plate. You can't eat them cold.

- Two pounds of Asparagus

- 1.5-2 Tblsp Butter, melted

- 2 Tblsp Balsamic Vinegar

- 3 Tblsp shallots, finely chopped

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1/2 tsp lemon rind (if you don't have this, use something that has lemon rind - I used Ms. Dash. I'd recommend using the lemon rind, though)

Preheat oven to 450. Place asparagus on a greased pan, and cover with foil (I cook on foil too, so I don't have to wash the pan as much). Cook for 5 minutes, then uncover, and cook for 10 minutes more. While they're cooking, mix together the remaining ingredients with a whisk, and mix well.

Serve the sauce over the warm/hot asparagus - if you're saving for later, store the aspargus and sauce separately, reheat separately, and then pour sauce over the asparagus. It works - not *quite* as good as right out of the oven, but pretty darn close. Asparagus need to be eaten warm! If the sauce cools, it will turn slightly solid, due to the butter. Just reheat, and it will be good as new.

Both are quite delicious - just don't eat together. ;)