Style Lush

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake

By Katie

If you're anything like me, you might be saying "Enough already!" to all of the gingerbread and pumpkin and cinnamon desserts that are so common during the holidays. Not to say that I don't adore those flavors, but by the time the New Year rolls around I am so ready for something different.

Well, fellow bakers, have I got the cheesecake for you! It combines two of my greatest food loves: peanut butter and cheese! You can't go wrong with that combination. Allow me to introduce you to the deliciousness that is Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake. While it's not the easiest nor quickest of desserts to make, it sure is worth the effort!

Photo credit: RecipeZaar
(I lost my camera battery charger so I couldn't take a photo of my own cheesecake!)

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake
(as found at RecipeZaar)

INGREDIENTS

For The Crust:

• 4½ cups crushed Oreo cookies
• 1 cup chopped roasted peanuts 
• ½ cup butter, melted

For The Filling:

• 2 lbs cream cheese, softened
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 1½ cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)
• ½ cup whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 12 Reese's Peanut Butter cups, broken into small pieces (plus more if you want to sprinkle some on top)

For The Topping:

• 3 ounces sour cream
• ½ cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

To Make The Crust:

1. Combine crushed Oreo cookies and peanuts that have been ground in a food processor with the melted butter.
2. Pat the crust mixture onto bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan.

To Make The Filling:

1. Beat cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Add sugar, peanut butter and cream; mix until smooth.
4. Stir in vanilla, then fold in peanut butter cup pieces with a rubber spatula.
5. Pour filling into prepared crust.
6. Place springform pan into a larger baking pan.
7. Pour hot water into the larger pan so that the water comes 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan.
8. Bake at 275°F 1-1/2 hours, or until firm and lightly browned. (I recommend baking for at least an extra half hour.)

For The Topping:

1. Combine the sour cream and sugar and spread on the cheesecake.
2. Return the cake to the oven for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack for one hour.
4. You may run a knife along the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan somewhat.
5. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Bon Appétit, dear readers!

DIY: Happy Birthday Banner

by Elizabeth

Well, we are a bannerific tribe over here at Style Lush, aren't we?  Luckily, everyone loves a good banner.  This is the Happy Birthday banner that I bust out every year for my husband's birthday, and not only do I love the home made vibe, but I whipped it up in a few hours AND from stuff I had lying around, which means it was easy AND free. 

I made this by tracing 14 circles on the inside of brown grocery bags.  I glued those circles to some plain ivory cardstock for stability and so they would hang correctly, and then cut them out.  I may have ironed some of the more wrinkled pieces - did you know you can iron paper?  Just use a low setting.

Next, I wrote each letter on the circles in red sharpie, and then punched two holes in the top of each circle.  Finally, I strung each circle in order on a long piece of white ribbon, and voila! A Happy Birthday Banner you can reuse as many times as you have birthdays in a year!  And I can easily picture one in white and silver reading Happy New Year - so get busy!

Delicious (and easy!) breakfast casserole

By Jennie

We had a family gathering the night after Christmas, and I decided to create a theme for it because that's just who I am: crazy and wildly out of touch with my time management skills. Anyway, I settled on a Breakfast for Dinner theme, and it turned out to be really fun and delicious, too. Best kinds of dinners, I'd say.

This casserole was a huge hit, and I thought I'd share the recipe with you for a possible upcoming get-together or maybe even for New Year's Day. It's courtesy of my best friend, Natalie, who is far more stylish, organized and domestic than I am. She should be managing a style site, not me. (It was also her birthday Tuesday. Happy birthday, friend!)

Delicious Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

1 tube of Jimmy Dean (or similar) pan sausage
4-6 eggs (I used six)
2 cans of crescent rolls
cream cheese (at room temperature)
shredded cheddar cheese (we used sharp, but I'm sure it doesn't make much difference)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Brown sausage in skillet, then set aside.
3. Lightly beat eggs in a bowl, then put in the skillet. Scramble eggs, then set aside. (Don't make them too dry.)
4. Spray cooking spray (PAM or similar) onto a 9 x 13 pan, then roll out one can of crescent rolls onto the bottom of the pan
5. Spread cream cheese over the crescent roll layer with a knife. Be as liberal with the cream cheese as you'd like.
6. Layer the sausage next.
7.Layer eggs on top of sausage.
8. Sprinkled shredded cheddar cheese on top of eggs.
9. Roll out the other crescent rolls for the top layer.
Bake according to crescent roll directions (9-13 minutes) or just watch for the top layer to brown.

I'd share a picture here if I could, but I couldn't take one fast enough before it was gone. It was THAT good.

Writer round-up: The best bubbly!

By Jennie

If you can believe this, we'll be in a new year come Friday. As in THIS Friday. Damn, how did that happen? Now, I tend to think this particular holiday (ringing in the new year) can be one helluva letdown. You get a babysitter, put on a fancy dress and expect the fun to just magically occur, but then you're beating the crowds, trying to muster the strength to make it to midnight and fighting with your husband all at once. This year, we haven't got the babysitter or the fancy clothes at our house, so we're going to keep it low-key, but that doesn't mean we have to sacrifice the one New Year's tradition I can wholeheartedly support: the bubbly!

I've polled the Style Lush writers, and here we have the best sparkling adult drinks we know of. But, maybe you know of a better one? Please, let us know!

And there's still time to pick up one of these if your fridge isn't stocked with it already.

1. Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante {$13.97} -- light & fruity!

 

2. Domain Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs {$8.97} -- "It's pink! It's cheap! It's delicious!" (direct quote from Leah)

 

3. Argyle black brut {$30} -- an Oregon treat!

 

4. Riondo prosecco {$13.99}

 

5. Innocent Bystander moscato {$9.99} 

 

6. Barefoot Bubbly {$12.99}

7. Piper-Heidsieck Brut Cuvee {$39.99}

8. Su Vino raspberry or almond champagne {both $15.95} -- a local winery in Texas that I love.

(No picture!)

So, tell us, what's your favorite sparkling drink to ring in the new year with?

(*Prices are reflective of the cost on the linked-to sites and may vary by retailer!)

In Season Now: Pomegranates

by Elizabeth

Pomegranates are awesome, in my humble opinion, and you're in luck, because they are in season right now, and when it's been six months since you've had a June peach and you're about to pop from eating too many Christmas cookies, it's a great time to throw these gorgeous beauties on top of a salad - they're lovely and chock full of tons of health benefits which I'm actually too lazy to look up.

I've heard all kinds of crazy ideas about how best to peel pomegranates (something about a bowl of water and floating comes to mind?) but I usually just sit down and take 15 minutes and break it open and dig out all the seeds.  Then just throw some greens in a bowl, maybe add some pear or apple slices and some toasted pecans or walnuts. At the last minute add a nice citrusy dressing (olive oil, orange juice, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper) and then toss your pomegranate seeds on top. 

Pomegranates even come with an interesting story, so you can impress with your dinner guests with your cooking skills AND your knowledge of Greek myths. 

{image credit:  nourishingmeals.com}

Laptop sleeves

By Maggie

Santa brought me a new toy and since it's a few inches bigger than my old laptop, I've been spending the days since Christmas trolling Etsy for a cute carrying case.

Love this quilted black and white print from EliteElishi, $20.

Another print I love, from Mabels, $30.

This felt owl is so cute, and I like the closure on this case from FeltTech, $28.

This one is getting me out of my gray winter funk, and I like the handles. Mareri, $45.

Totally love the bright prints and clean lines of the cases from bellamela, $19.99

I prefer a laptop sleeve with a velcro tab or a zipper, but I have a thing for these embroidered flowers and the wooden button. sandrastju, $42.

Reusable Produce Bags

By Jessica

I've been using the reusable bags for a while now at the grocery store and at Target (you get .05 off for each one you use at check out) but one thing that has always bothered me is the amount of plastic I accumulate just buying produce. 

My situation is a little out of the norm, we have a 15-year-old iguana, so I am buying a lot of collard greens and other produce just for her on a weekly basis, in addition to what we eat as a family of three with a ever starving teenager. So I accumulate a lot of little plastic bags even though I am using my Mama Go to Market Bags and store bags at every opportunity. I really would love to get some of these Flip & Tumble Reuseable Produce Bags. They come in a set of five, have adorable little color coded tags, are made of mesh so you can rinse your produce right in the bag and are light-weight enough not to affect the cost of your produce. In the alternate views for the product, they show them being used as beach bags for small items like sunscreen and sunglasses or even as shoe bags for travel. Also available at Amazon.com.

{Photo Credit: Reuseable Bags.com}
 

Peel-and-Stick, Chalkboards?

By Jessica

Chalk boards have already been mentioned a couple of times on Style Lush, and it seems that people generally have some issues with them: dust, screeching noises while writing and texture of the chalk. 

Chalkboard wall decals can't help with the texture issue but they can help with the other two problems as well as another one, namely laziness. In our previous house, I painted chalkboard paint directly onto my pantry door and while it was a perfect place for keeping track of items as they ran out (or were about to) for grocery lists, doing all the prep sanding, cleaning and multiple coats were kind of a pain. 

One afternoon, wandering the aisles at Target, I found these and had to have them immediately. They are super easy to install, re-positionable and clean up with a wet paper towel or rag. The peel and stick surface is slick enough that the chalk rarely drags to the point of screeching (in fact, I have never had that happen but YMMV) and cleaning up with the wet towel means there is no dust and none of that pesky ghost writing underneath. You know what I'm talking about, where the chalkboard eraser doesn't get it cleanly off and then you write over the top? That totally bugs me. Anyway, they come in a pack of three so I have split mine into the three stores I shop the most in and it helps me really keep organized with my shopping lists. I also like the fact that it's not the usual rectangular shape, so that adds a bit of flair as well. 

What if the dots aren't your thing, you are looking for colored chalkdots or even special shapes for kids? 

 

(From L-R) Wall Candy Flat Pack $18 (qty. 3), Wall Candy Animals $56 (qty. 6), Acacia Planes and Clouds $21.95 (2 planes, 4 clouds), Wallnutz Green Chalkboard Circles $29.99 (on sale, qty 4)

 

Style that endures: Frye Campus Boot

by Manda

Once upon a time (I'm going to guess Christmas shopping of 1999), my mom and I were headed out of our suburban Chicago mall toward the car when the shoe section in Marshall Field's stopped Mom dead in her tracks. It only took a minute to track her gaze ... she'd spotted a gorgeous pair of Western-style Frye Campus boots on display. Her comment was something along the lines of "I had a pair of those in COLLEGE!" to which I probably responded "YOU GOT RID OF THOSE!?" Soon enough I was down on the floor in my socks pulling those beautiful, soft, classic boots onto my feet. My mom bought them for me on the spot as an early Christmas present. And for the next five cold Illinois falls/winters? There was rarely a day when I didn't wear them. Only my move to sub-tropical Texas in 2004 bumped these out of regular rotation. The weather has been cool enough the last month here in Los Angeles to bring them out again and putting them on is like getting reacquainted with an old friend. In their lifetime they've been re-soled once and right now they need new heel cups, but my goodness these boots are still in fantastic shape ... TEN YEARS LATER.

They are most definitely one of my top-five Christmas gifts of all time. Thanks Mom!

And so I have to ask ... what Christmas gifts from over the years are still in your rotation?

Every Girl's Crazy 'Bout a Sharp Dressed Dog

By Maura

Anyone who knows me, follows me on Twitter or read my old blog knows I am totally in love with my little mutt, Matty. In my opinion, he is just the cutest thing on four legs. I admit to spoiling him like crazy with peanut butter sandwiches, expensive fuzzy blankets and adorable coats. He also eats more ice cream than I do, which is OK because he has a higher metabolism. How can you say no to THIS FACE?

Here, Matty is wearing his toggle coat seen below in box 5.

1. Wintry sweater, by Canine Styles, $75. Your dog will be warm and stylish in this cute and colorful sweater.

2. Faux Fur Trimmed Dog Boots, at Funny Fur, $47.95. Keep those paws warm and safe from rock salt in these stylish booties.

3. Fundle, at Gramercy Pet, $110-150. For pampered pups like mine, they spend a lot of time tagging along around town with doting owners. This bag is the best because it is shaped like a messenger bag (perfect for smuggling pets on subways), comfortably shaped for dogs and comes in great colors and fabrics. I love mine, even though my little guy is a 15lb chunker and makes it a little heavy at times.

4. Pom Rugby Dog Sweater, at ShopBrat.com, on sale for $34.99. How cute is this? Your dog will feel like a puppy again in these youthful stripes and adorable pom-pom. And on sale for 50% off! A steal.

5. Toggle coat, by Canine Styles, $85. When I saw this I just had to have it. Who can resist a doggie peacoat? With my navy coat, we almost match, which makes us the best dressed pair at the dog park, natch. 

6. Hamptons Cable Knit Sweater, by ShopBrat.com, $45. I realize this post is geared towards wee dogs like mine, but these little guys tend to get so cold! And just look at how sweet they look in little sweaters!

7. Monkey Dog Sweater, ShopMimiGreen.com, $29.95. Mimi Green does not monkey around with social responsibility. This sweater is made according to Fair Trade guidelines! Order it for your little guy or gal today!

8. Bubblegum Flower Collar, ShopMimiGreen.com, $12.95. If only Matty was a little girl doggie, I would buy one of these in a heartbeat! How sweet! 

9. Dog Sports Jersey, at Petco, on sale for $24.99. And, last but not least, dress your dog for game day in his or her very own team jersey!