Hi and happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was a special one because my little brother graduated from high school on Friday!
We kicked off the graduation celebration on Thursday with a special family dinner at home of Caleb’s choice. On the menu? Grilled steak, roasted veggies, and cheesecake.
I’ll take a big bowl of pasta over steak any day and I have a major sweet tooth, so even though the steak was good, my favorite part was the cheesecake. Caleb asked me to make him a cheesecake, and he agreed to be my sous chef.
I came up with the idea of making a “half baked” cheesecake, inspired by one of our favorite Ben & Jerry’s flavors with vanilla & chocolate ice creams and cookie dough & brownie bites. Be warned: there’s absolutely nothing healthy about this cheesecake 🙂
To make a vanilla cheesecake with a chocolate crust and brownie & cookie dough mix-ins, we first baked a batch of Ghiradelli’s triple chocolate brownies from a mix and cut them into small cubes. Then, we made the crust and cookie dough by following my cookie dough cheesecake recipe (and halving the cookie dough part). Finally, for the cheesecake itself and the ganache, we followed the directions for the cheesecake recipe from Smitten Kitchen’s Brownie Mosaic Cheesecake. Phew!
Half of a batch each of cookie dough and brownies, which we popped into the freezer for a few hours so they’d maintain their shape in the cheesecake
After all of our modifications, I was a little bit nervous about how it’d turn out. I’m much more comfortable heavily adapting recipes when I cook rather than bake, since baking is so much more of an exact science.
Fortunately, the cheesecake turned out wonderfully– smooth, creamy, and packed with mix-ins, just like we were hoping. It also didn’t crack while baking, which was great (although the ganache would’ve been perfect for hiding any unsightly cracks).
Friday was Caleb’s actual graduation day, and my grandparents and cousin flew into Raleigh that afternoon.
I grew up in Atlanta living in the same neighborhood as my cousin’s family– our houses were right across the street from each other! We have so many fun memories of playing outside together, selling lemonade, turning their basement into our fort, having sleepovers, making breakfast for our families on the weekend, and lots of others, and even though we don’t get to see each other nearly as often now, it’s always really special when we do.
We had an early dinner on Friday night before Caleb’s graduation. Caleb designed this menu again and this time, he chose strawberry salad with poppyseed dressing and lasagna. 
We snapped a few family pictures and headed to Caleb’s graduation.
Very proud of this guy!
After the ceremony, we headed home for cheesecake round 2 and Caleb’s graduation video. My sister put together a picture slideshow, which we watched twice since my mom was feeling extra sentimental. And then my cousin and I had a sleepover in my room and talked late into the night, just like old times, before she and my grandparents flew out the next morning. I was sad to see them go, but I’m working on plans to see them all again soon!
So tell me…
Steak or pasta?
If you got to design your own menu for a celebratory dinner, what would be on it?
Do you like following recipes closely (like my mom!) or do you usually do your own thing (like me!)?
Congrats to your bro! And girl that cheesecake. Holy freaking drool worthy right there! I would have scarfed that sucker down!
It’s definitely a once a year kind of treat! 🙂
Congrats to your brother! I love that you have such a close relationship with your cousins too. Some of my favorite memories of growing up involve cousin sleepovers and activities. I’ll have to counter you on the steak/pasta debate. Steak all the way 🙂 Oh, I do my own thing 99% of the time when it comes to recipes. Probably why I’m an awful baker!
Haha I guess the gluten free aspect of steak is a big plus for you! 🙂 and I have to always stop myself from making too many changes when I bake!
That cheesecake looks like a dream. Wow, it’s almost unreal. Congratulations to Caleb! It’s always really neat to me to see young people growing up and pursuing their gifts! And I’m like you. I would take carbs over steak any day, but if you do steak right, I do really like it too.
Thanks so much, Emily! We were shocked that the cheesecake turned out, so it was a happy surprise haha.
Steak and pasta are on two completely different levels for me so it would be hard to choose. I love a nice grilled steak in the summer but I only occasionally have one. I eat pasta a lot, usually lightened up with plenty of vegetable mix-ins. Congratulations to your brother!!!
True– I eat pasta all of the time and steak is definitely more of a special occasion meal 🙂
Um, that cheesecake sounds INCREDIBLE! Please please please come and be my sister, Liv?!?!?! 😉
Pasta definitely wins over steak for me and I can never follow a recipe. Often times when I have followed a recipe and not trusted my own instincts it’s gone horribly wrong – hence why I just make my own 😛
I would ship one to you if I could! 😉 And go team pasta!
That cheesecake looks heavenly! Hope you have a fabulous family <3
Blessings,
Edye | http://gracefulcoffee.wordpress.com
Oh totally do my thing!!! But I know there is a reason for them or otherwise I wouldn’t be failing soooo many times! Oh my that cheesecake looks insane. I don’t like chocolate but still it looks delicious! Congrats to your brother! 🙂
No chocolate?! I bet people are always shocked when you tell them that!
Aw congrats to your bro!! So exciting. I loveee pasta. And that cheesecake looks great!!
Congrats on being done with school! You are teasing me hard core with that cheesecake 🙂 Steak over pasta for me!
I love the idea of designing my own celebratory menu! That’s so fun. I’d have a salad with goat cheese, avocado, walnuts, and balsamic and restaurant style salmon. Ice cream cake for dessert. Haha, I think I need to find a reason to celebrate!!
Congratulations to your brother! These cheesecake is beautiful!
Oh yum, I think I’d let you design MY celebratory menu! Sounds delish. Definitely find a reason to celebrate soon!!
Oh my gosh that cheesecake looks SO good! I’m definitely with you on the pasta over steak thing.. gotta have those carbs 😉
Agreed! 🙂