Gooey Goodness

My darling, darling! friend Heather came to visit me a few days ago. Well, she didn't exactly come to visit me solely per se.... but a girl can pretend! Spurred by her visit I've added a new section to my blog linking to all my favorite girls.

It requires the coining of a new brilliant phrase: Bl*isters.
Blog + *Kiss + Sisters = Blog Sisters = Bl*isters!

Use it, share it, pay it forward and spread the love! And check out all my favorite links, of course the list will be ever growing!

Heather and I met through our husbands, and up until a few days ago we had never spent any time together alone, separate from our male counterparts. Gabriel met her husband, Kirk, on his LDS mission; although they were never companions in the mission, they met in the MTC and were roommates at one point during the two years. I met Heather initially at Gabriel and I's engagement party, and between our move to Oregon and their move to Oklahoma, our relationship has only existed purely by telephone and email - but Heather and I have became fast friends.

Heather is totally my BFF! I love her dearly! She and I relate on a level completely transparent of whatever may be happening in our lives or in the world around us. She is the most gorgeous girl I know, both physically and emotionally; she is caring and devoted to whomever has her attention; she is unapologetic about who she is, but equally considerate of everyone else, in fact I've never seen her put herself first no matter what the situation; and she is incredibly talented and creative and adorable. We have the same opinions about child rearing, medicine, religion, food, exercise, friendship and everything else under the sun!

One of the fun activities we got to do while she was here was eat lunch at the Cheesecake Factory - and so it seemed appropriate to make a cheesecake in her honor.

The OH MY GOSH this Cake is going to make me SOOO FAT!... I don't CARE... IT LOOKS SO GOOD! Cheesecake

Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
Stir together until crumbs are coated
Grease an 8" inch springform pan, including up sides
Press crumbs to bottom and along sides of pan

*Tip: To achieve the most desirable crust, crumbs should remain flaky and simply rest along sides of pan until batter is poured-as it bakes the crust will adhere to the cake

Cheesecake:
16 oz. cream cheese
¾ cup sugar
Cream together until smooth

Add:
¾ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Sweet Sauce: Caramel
Beat together for several minutes until smooth
Pour over crust in pan
Bake at 275°F for 1 hour
Turn off oven, and let sit in oven for 30 minutes

Topping:
Warm 8oz. Sweet Sauce: Caramel until pourable
Pour over top of cheesecake, to edges, and let sit in oven until set and cooled
Run knife slowly along edges before removing from pan

*Tip: Use sawing motion when cutting cake to serve, to slice through the caramel without spreading and stretching it

...And don't forget to enter my giveaway!