Baking Therapy

When Rebekah was a little girl, she dreamed of becoming a pastry chef, a dream that hasn't worked out for her (yet).

She will occasionally bake a treat to keep her skills up (and because she enjoys it). But with diabetes running in the family and everyone trying to be very health conscious, she doesn't go all out with baking most of the time.

Still, for Rebekah, baking is relaxing. so when Rebekah's feeling stressed, she will bake something.

Well, we've had plenty of stress the last few years, and this summer proved to be extremely stressful.

So one day after work, Rebekah went all out.

She baked two loaves of buttermilk bread (we gobbled up one before I could take a photo), two loves of banana bread, a few dozen chocolate chip cookies with some vegan chips she wanted to try (the cookies were flat but delicious), and the ricotta cheesecake for my birthday that she waited to make until I felt better (as you can see, we wasted no time digging in).

Of course, baking didn't chase all the stress away. But we could deliciously drown our sorrows while we griped.

How about you? What's your antidote for high stress days?

Sue's Diner: Ricotta Cheesecake

This week's recipe for is for a ricotta cheesecake, which Rebekah prepared last night for my sixty-third birthday.

Rebekah asks me every year what she should bake for my birthday. And I suggest this cheesecake every year.

I've loved cheesecake since I was very young, and this version by Rebekah is my absolute favorite cheesecake in the world.

If you've never tried cheesecake made with ricotta, here's your chance to make it at home. It's less sweet and sweet, dryer and more firm, yet still very rich and with (I think) a more satisfying texture and taste.

Now, my birthday was July 15, so we are a little overdue for cheesecake. But I had a different kind of birthday this year.

Try this recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone some time next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

If you have any troubleshooting questions or comments, email us at bryonyseries@gmail.com. 

For more great recipes, check out the BryonySeries cookbook Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles from "Bryony," which is a permanent fundraiser for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties.

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.

Sue's Diner: Ricotta Cheesecake

This week's recipe for is for a ricotta cheesecake, which Rebekah prepared for my sixty-first birthday.

I've loved cheesecake since I was very young, and this version by Rebekah is my absolute favorite cheesecake in the world.

If you've never tried cheesecake made with ricotta, here's your chance to make it at home. It's less sweet and sweet, dryer and more firm, yet still very rich and with (I think) a more satisfying texture and taste.

Try this recipe on the Sue's Diner page on the BryonySeries website. 

But try the recipe this week. It will be gone some time next week. A new recipe will take it's place. 

As proof that this was indeed my birthday "cake," please see the photo below it with my "61" candles.

By the way, Sue's Diner is only real in the BryonySeries world. But didn't Timothy do a great job making the page look like a real menu at a vintage diner?

Here is the full diner page: bryonyseries.com/sue-s-diner. You can't really order, of course (wouldn't it be great if you could?).

For more BryonySeries recipes, check out our three cookbooks at our BryonySeries bryonyseries.com/general-store.