eggnog ricotta cheesecake.

Coming home is the most wonderful thing ever. I am always reminded of how important family is, and that there is more to the world than just education, although that's obviously important too.

I have also become enlightened in many different ways. For one, my parents are an unending source of wisdom. And humor. Yesterday my dad mentioned how he totally expected me to come home with a puppy, as I've been wanting one for a while. 

I said our current dog would act motherly towards the puppy. He responded by saying no, the puppy would just be annoying to my current dog, and bite her legs all the time. 

My mom countered by pointing out that my little brother doesn't bite my legs all the time, so why would a puppy bite my dog's legs?

basic cream cheese frosting.

Yum. I love frosting. For some people, that's the worst part of the cake, especially on those store-bought cakes. The ones that are yellow, chocolate, or white cake, and have that massively thick layer of buttercream on top and skimming the sides.

You know what I'm talking about! That buttercream is heavy stuff. And despite turning off every single person I know, I like it. I like that sickly sweetness .. is that weird?

Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate mellow frostings (like the one I am about to share with you) and glazes, icings ... but I don't mind that super sweet buttercream. I kind of anticipate it.

zucchini ricotta galette.

I should try to make more summer-focused things that take advantage of the fresh, in season produce. This way, the wonderful flavor of the fruits or vegetable themselves can highlight the dish.

This galette = summer. It's like those analogies that used to be on the SAT.

orange spice cake.

I made my own cake! This is a variation on a vanilla cake, but I feel that there are enough tweaks for me to consider it my own.