Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball

Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball

10 oz cream cheese
2.5 t sugar

4 t fresh lemon juice

3 graham crackers

Zest from a large lemon

Apple slices, graham crackers, etc.

Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Mix well. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice. Continue to mix until the substance is blended. Once smooth, take the mixture and mold it into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours. Next, crush the 3 graham crackers and roll the ball in the crackers for an even coat. Once it is covered, place it back into the fridge until you are ready to serve. Serve with apples, graham crackers or anything to your liking.

Rating: 5/5

I will bet you money that this will be a HUGE hit with anyone who tries it. At work we had a retirement party and I searched the Internet for something that would be different and inexpensive to make. I found this recipe and it was perfect! Incredibly simple to prepare, very cheap ingredients, and it was such a refreshing surprise from the typical cheese ball. Everyone enjoyed munching on it and one of the party goers decided to take it home. It is sweet, but not too sugary. The lemon is a great addition to this recipe, but it is in no way overpowering.

"I've Never Heard Silence Quite This Loud"

Gotta love some Taylor Swift - and if you don't, my little "M" has enough Taylor love to go around.

Things have been a little crazy lately over at our house. It just so happens that during this 3 week craziness, M actually called me - TWICE! This is a huge! It's not that we don't get along or there is a lack of conversation during our outings, but since we have been matched I am always the one calling to catch up. Big Brothers Big Sisters strongly encourages littles to call their bigs and I want her to feel like she can call me as needed. I have hung out with one of the other bigs (M is a triplet) and she also said that she never gets a phone call. Therefore, these calls have made me feel extra special. Winning.

I'm going to post some pictures from our past few outings. This week M and I made a mac 'n cheese pizza for dinner. A few weeks ago the triplets, myself and one of the other bigs went to Chick Fil A and bowled afterwards.

M meeting Miss Friski for the first time. Miss Friski is the best animal EVER.

Rolling out the dough for the pizza.

Cooking.

Finished product! 

Triplets at dinner.

On their tour of behind the scenes at Chick Fil A. Yup we were randomly chosen.

Bowling.

Big & Little

Mac 'N Cheese Pizza

Check out my guest blog featuring a Mac 'N Cheese Pizza recipe at And Puppy Makes Three.



Excuse the crust. :)

Ingredients:

Dough - I used a pre-made dough from Pillsbury

1/2 lb. rotini pasta

2 cups grated cheddar cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2 cups of milk

1/4 block of Velveeta cheese

Pepper

Garlic

Flour

Olive oil spray

Optional Ingredients:
Bacon pieces
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat the pizza stone with flour and roll the dough to appropriately fit on the stone. Make sure the dough is slightly from the edge. Depending on your preference, you can fold the dough over to make an enormous crust. Boil the noodles according to the directions on the box. Drain the noodles and evenly coat with olive oil spray. Brown a bit of minced garlic and add the milk, cheddar, mozzarella, and Velveeta cheese. Season with pepper and heat on low/medium. Continue stirring to prevent the sauce from burning. While the sauce is heating, spray the dough with olive oil and pop it into the oven for 7 minutes. Mix the noodles and sauce. Spread the mac 'n cheese on the dough after it has completed the short time in the oven.Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the pizza. Sprinkle bacon pieces (once cooked) on top of the pizza. Once the toppings are placed onto the pizza, pop the pizza into the oven for 10 minutes (still at 450 degrees). When the pizza is finished cooking, let the pizza sit for 10 additional minutes. Cut the pizza and enjoy!

Rating: 4/5

Here is my take on the recipe. It was SO yummy! Little sis M helped make the pizza - the mac 'n cheese part was her idea. M is a huge fan of CiCi's Pizza and they have a mac 'n cheese pizza that she tried and loved. I tried it too which is what inspired the hunt for this creation. We added the breadcrumbs and bacon for extra flavor and it was a party in your mouth. Now that I have a pizza stone and have turned into a semi pro pizza maker (okay that is stretching it) I am so excited to play around and make weird, but tasty pizzas!