Red Velvet Cheesecake

My birthday was this pass weekend, and my friend who lives in GA decided to do something special for me. Knowing that my most favorite cake of all time is Red Velvet, she sent me a new little treat to try: Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cheesecake, which she bought from the Cheesecake Factory down there.

I know that most of you don’ t want to make a trip to Nashville just to eat at Cheesecake Factory, so I came across a recipe that you can try at home,  yourself:

Red Velvet Cheesecake

Ingredients:

• 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Red Food Color
• 1 prepared chocolate crumb crust (6 ounces)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed just until blended.
• 2. Measure 1 cup batter into medium bowl. Stir in melted chocolate and food color. Pour into crust. Top with remaining (plain) cheesecake batter.
• 3. Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely on wire rack.
• 4. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

What’s your favorite kind of dessert?

Visions of a Spring Night

My friends and relatives have always told me that I had my head in the stars. Apparently I bypassed having my head in the clouds years ago. I can kind of find some type of peace in this, simple because I love to gaze at the stars on a clear night. Nothing can be more beautiful or romantic than a picnic under the stars with your SO. I may not know all of the names of the constellations, but I don’t need to. I can make the shapes with my mind.

If you like to stargaze as much as I do, you have your chance to do so at the ‘Visions of a Spring Night’ stargazing showcase held at the Memphis Pink Palace Museum running from now until June 19. Contact them for more details.

Do you like to stargaze?

Blast from the Past: Video Games From Back in the Day

It’s funny. How does one go from being a video game geek when they were a child, to hardly touching a console these days? Oh yeah, I remember how; my parents bought those game for me. I’d have to buy my own now if I wanted to play. Granted, the video games and consoles released today are SO much better than what I played when I was younger, but the old games have a kind of classic charm.

You know the ones I’m talking about. I’m talking about consoles like the NES (Nintendo) and SEGA where you had to blow in the cartridges if they weren’t working.

My absolute favorite game was the duck hunt game on the NES. You know, the one where you had the little gun and shot at the screen to hit the ducks? And whenever you missed, that little dog would pop up from the bottom of the screen and laugh at you? There were so many times when I tried to shoot the stupid dog just for laughing at me. I loved that and the original Mario where you had to eat the mushroom to grow and you were able to spit fireballs. My favorite level was what I called the “basement” level, where everything was blue and you had the cool dunna dunna dunna music.

Other than that, my favorite game on the SEGA Genesis was Sonic. That’s Sonic 1, 2, and 3. When my cousin showed me the code for the golden Super Sonic on Sonic 2, that opened up many more hours of game play for me, and many more hours of headaches for my parents.

What were some of your favorite video games growing up?

John Mayer in Concert

John Mayer will be performing at the Rock N Soul Museum tomorrow night at 8 pm, with special guests Michael Franti and Spearhead. The controversial blues style singer will only be in Memphis one night, so try to make it out if you have a ticket! If you don’t have a ticket, there are a few left, so go to ticketmaster.com now to claim your spot!

Do you like John Mayer?

Photo courtesy of New York Daily News

Google Fiber Coming to Memphis?

Do you know how great it would be to get a faster broadband service in Memphis? That means even faster access to Bailey Creek’s blog and Facebook sites!

Google is planning to build and test a super fast fiber optic network in a few communities around the United States at their own expense. They say it will deliver internet service at one gigabit per second. Since Memphis is suffering through a lack in broadband service, Google setting up shop here would be ideal.

Sure it won’t affect those who don’t have the internet, but for those that do, it’s promising to be revolutionary. The new network would be a hundred times faster than any other network available right now, and it can download HD movies in minutes.

For an avid internet user such as myself, this is almost like getting a enormous birthday present 2 months early! I’m tired of having to wait for things to download or buffer completely before being able to enjoy a video, or wait for more than 10 minutes to submit a form!

The thing is, it’s a big competition between the other cities. The mayor of Topeka, Kansas renamed the city ‘Google’, Kansas, while the mayor of Duluth, Minnesota jumped into Lake Superior. What do you think Mayor Wharton should do??

Seriously, what should be done? Do you have any creative ideas for catching Google’s attention? The mayor’s office suggest submitting short videos on why would Google Fiber be beneficial to Memphis. Anyone else have anything to contribute? Who knows? Your idea may be chosen!

Just For Laughs!

Hey Bailey Creek! I know that there are a bunch of animal lovers out there. So, why not share a video that showcases the furry creatures, and makes you laugh all at the same time? I know that many of you have probably seen the infamous ‘ninja cat’ video, but who can resist seeing it again? So here it is!

Check out our new poll!

Hey Bailey Creek! Here’s a new poll for you! “What is your favorite restaurant in Collierville? Make sure to cast your vote!

Ladies Night, Wasn’t Quite Right

Now, I’m a huge American Idol fan. I’ve been kickin’ it with Kelly and chilling with Clay for some time now. So of course, I was extra excited about the top 12 ladies singing last night. Bailey Creek, let me tell you. I am NOT a singer, by any means. Many times, I’ll find myself disagreeing with the judges. But I know a good voice when I hear one. The ladies on American Idol last night, they have the potential to have very good voices. But their performances were seriously lacking, in my opinion.

I know that you only have a few seconds, if a minute to belt out a tune. Factor in nerves, lights, and the audience, and the experience can be very frigtening. But because it is a competition, and people are voting on whether you stay or go, you have to come with it. And I just don’t think that everyone did. Some pulled through though. I liked Katie Stevens and Siobhan Magnus. I thought that the 16 year old, Haeley’s performance was cute, and not as bad as Simon made it seem. I just hope to see a lot better performances in the future.

Well, here’s hoping that tonight, the guys will be better!

How do you think the ladies did? Who do you think will be going home?

Want to Try a Face-lift Without the Scariness of Surgery? Read On!

Memphis’s Esthetiques Skin Spa is one of only a handful of Tennessee businesses providing O2Intraceuticals skin care treatment, commonly known as a nonsurgical oxygen facelift.

Apparently this treatment gets rave reviews. It takes 45 minutes and infuses the skin with moisture, vitamins and anti-oxidants via cooling oxygen, eliminating lines and wrinkles. Celebrities are swearing by in nowadays.

Depending on each person’s needs, costs range from $60 to $225 per treatment. Despite the economy, people are actively using this treatment. The clinic tells of how they’ve gotten over 100 customers already. That goes to show you that people will do anything to make themselves look and feel younger.

I like the fact that the treatment uses all natural sources. Would I get one? I think I’m a ways off from even wanting one. But what about you? Would you try this new way to have a more “up-lifting” appearance?

• ESTHETIQUES SKIN SPA
• 740 E. Brookhaven Circle

Get Up and Get Your Head in the Clouds!

There will be a bird watching-walk on Sat. Feb. 20 at the Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, for those who take joy out of watching our fine, feathered, friends. Granted, you’ll have to drive about 40 minutes, but if it’s something that you love, yo could do that, right?

The show is from 9-11:30 a.m. and costs $5. Will you go?

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