So Many Updates!!! AHHH!

Howdy ya'll!

Soooo did I say "tomorrow"? Totally meant "day after tomorrow".... Yeaaahhhh. My bad.

Regardless, I have so many things to tell yooouuu!

Firstly. I DYED MY HAIR PINK.

Not all of it. Though that'd be pretty nifty..

See, it's not noticeable from the front. Especially when I have it pulled up.

Buuuut when I turn to the side....

Isn't that cool?!

Yes. I did manage to get...a ton...of it on my neck. But that'll wash out soon enough. But even with the extra color on my neck, I think it looks pretty neat!

This is the third time I've done this. Third or fourth... And I think it turned out really really well this time.

Anywho, now that I'm a total badass, time for update two!

I GOT ANOTHER CHINCHILLA.

WHOOP!

I do understand, ya'll more than likely didn't know I had one in the first place. Well I did. And he's my baby. And for those of you who have noooo idea what a chinchilla is, here you go!

It's almost like a rabbit and a squirrel had a love child.. And it came out the cutest rodent ever imaginable! But seriously. I'm a little obsessed with these little guys. AND NOW I HAVE TWO. <3

Since the other one is still very new (I got him on Friday), I haven't tried to take pictures of him yet. This little one is used to it, but the new guy might get stressed out. And he's had a busy few days as it is. So hopefully in the next few weeks, I'll have pictures to share. (:

So, with all that excitement aside, how about some baking? 

I don't know about ya'll, but I LOVE cooking! 

It's such a great stress relief. And, as I'm sure you're beginning to figure out, anything that gives me an opportunity to be creative is cool in my book. And since I have the biggest sweet tooth on the planet, I made cheesecake! Not just any cheesecake, though. I'm talkin' Key Lime Cheesecake "Cupcakes" with Oreo Crust. How delicious does that sound, right???

So. Here's how it goes!

Ingredients:

• 3 packages of cream cheese (8 oz. each), softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1 & 1/2 cups of sugar
• 2 tsp. Key lime zest
• 1/3 cup Key lime juice
• 1 & 1/2 packs of oreos (the plastic wrapped "tubes")

Also need:

• Large Aluminum foil muffin baking cups
• A food processor of some kind (I use a Ninja)
• A blender
• Muffin pan
• Vegetable cooking spray
• Cool Whip (optional, I think it's a tasty "frosting")
• Blackberries, raspberries, cherries, whatever. (Also optional, but good garnish ideas.)

Got what you need? Awesome.

[Step One] - Overall Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place aluminum cups in a muffin pan, and coat them (well!) with the vegetable cooking spray. These little buggers do NOT like being separated from those dang cups. So spraying them down well is helpful. Also make sure your cream cheese is out of the fridge, to begin softening.

[Step Two] - Making the Crust!

This part is kinda gross, to me. Unwrap your Oreos and scrape all the filling out of them. It's a tedious, mushy process, but it must be done! You will eventually have this nasty, lumpy collection of what I imagine is what a chunk of a whale's blubber would look like. Ewie.

Next, get all of your de-blubbered Oreos and put them into a food processor. I like the Ninja because....well....it's a Ninja.

Blend those suckers up!

You'll want the Oreos to be a nice, smooth texture when you're done. Make sure there are no lumps left over. If there are, just shake it a little and blend it up again.

And if you're a klutz like me, you'll probably make a mess. Sh*t happens. Make sure you have a dust-buster or vacuum handy to clean up any spills.

Yeaahhh... Oops.

Next, melt the butter and combine it with the Oreo crumbs.

Mix it together well, until it has a muddy texture throughout. It will literally look like you're making a mud pie. A delicious, warm mud pie. Mmmm.

Now, take this mixture and press it into the aluminum cups, covering the bottom and a little more than halfway up the sides.

[Step Three] - Making the "Batter"

 Next, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a blender on a medium speed until it's all mixed together. This is the beginning of a basic cheesecake batter.

Looks tasty, right?

Now, to make it extra delicious, add the lime juice and zest to the mixture and blend it together on a low speed until it's evenly dispersed.

Ignore the nasty, chunky looking batter stuck to the mixer... That part looks pretty gross. It will most likely look like that RIGHT after you add the lime juice. I blended the juice in a bit before I added the zest, which caused it to look half chunky, half smooth. Weird. Also, I added a bit more zest than what the recipe I found called for. I like the lime flavor to pop a little bit more.

For the eggs, add one at a time, beating juuuust until the yellow color goes away.

[Step Four] - Putting it all Together

Now, spoon the mixture into the prepared cups. Fill them all the way to the top, since these won't rise the same way a cupcake or muffin would. Try to keep it as tidy as you can. They won't spontaneously combust if it's a little messy, but it keeps them from having burnt edges. I obviously didn't follow my own advice... Oh well!

Lastly, pop 'em in the oven for 20 minutes, or until they look set. When they're done in the oven, let them cool off on a cooling wrack for about 15 minutes. After that, stick them in the fridge for at least 3 and 1/2 hours, or until they're completely chilled. 

And there you have it! Plop a little Cool Whip on top and add a fresh cherry, and you have a great desert for any occasion! I made these for my boyfriend's family, and his mom and sister absolutely LOVED them! You can also make some bite-sized ones for finger food at get togethers. Only difference is about half the cooking time, and make about twice as much Oreo crust. Made bite-sized ones for an Aggie luncheon not too long ago as well. Was a big hit!

Hope you enjoyed the update and the little cooking how-to! 

Have a great night everyone!

Thanks and Gig 'Em!