Recipe – Chocolate Chip Cheesecake – Rich!

This was a nice discovery as we all love cheesecake. Years ago I didn’t think I could bake one successfully. I found several recipes made with Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk and Voila!! Success!

This is one of our favorites… Another is Key Lime Cheesecake.
If you don’t have a springform pan, borrow one!

2 Cups finely crushed crème filled chocolate sandwich Cookies (about 24 cookies)
¼ Cup Crisco Shortening
3 packages Cream Cheese (8 ounces each)
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 ounces)
3 Eggs
2 tsps. Vanilla
1 Cup mini Chocolate Chips, divided
1 tsp. Flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crumbs and shortening; press firmly on bottom of 9 inch springform pan. In large bowl, beat cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in Sweetened Condensed Milk until smooth.
Beat in eggs and vanilla. Toss ½ cup chips with flour to coat; stir into cheese mixture.
Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chips over top. Bake 55 minutes or until center is set. Cool. Chill. Refrigerate leftovers.

Serve with love…

Referrals Are Pouring In – Congratulations To All!

Families are growing!

The referrals are pouring in and so we’ve listed a couple of the blogs that have really great links to the NEW FAMILIES!!! You can just feel the joy, relief, excitement and love filling each of these happy people. Soon they will be traveling to bring their daughters home.God bless each and all…

Do They Have Salsa In China

Rumor Queen

One Year Ago Today

6-25-05: A year ago today…

Adoption Timeline Update

Attention Veteran Adoption Paperchasers and Waiters:

This post will be old news and old hat for you. This post is primarily for our family and friends that lack the international adoption savy you all have come to live with 24/7…

Attention Family & Friends:

Announcement From the CCAA: The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before October 31, 2005.

So, what does that mean and how does it affect us? Quite simply it means that the CCAA (China Center of Adoption Affaris) has finished reviewing the paperwork up to and including October 31, 2005 submitted by families wishing to adopt from The People’s Republic of China.

Remember during our “paperchase” how we kept writing off for personal documents and getting them notorized, certified and authenticated? That would be the documents we’re talking about along with our home study and about a million other things. You will also remember us throwing out terms such as DTC & LID during that time. Well, those documents sit patiently in China awaiting their turn to be reviewed by the Chinese government to ensure everything is in order. You know, dots over the i’s and t’s crossed. Ok, maybe it’s a little more than that but you get the idea. It also would not be uncommon for the CCAA to notify your agency, ours is CCAI, and ask for clarification on issues regarding your dossier. In the perfect world the dossier would meet with their approval without the need for that and move on to the matching room to once again sit quietly until it’s your turn to be matched with your daughter. For us, that will be awhile. We’re thinking January 2007 at this point.

We have an LID date of 1/27/06 which means we are inching our way towards the Review Room phase of the adoption process. The CCAA is presently reviewing dossiers with LID dates of November and quite possibly December. See what we mean? We’re slooowly edging closer, little by little.

That’s it. Just thought I would give everyone a little update on the process. This time between LID and Referral is called “The Wait” in adoption land. It is painful but that’s the process…

Cognac – REMY MARTIN XO

Throughout the week we enjoy Wine. Sunday’s are reserved for Champagne. We do have a fondness for our Champagne Sundays. However, when the time calls for a relaxing evening alone with Aly or pleasently joined by good friends and sterling conversation, we prefer:

Grande Champagne Cognac – Our favorite sipping beverage of choice. The latest purchase was a “Duty Free” souvenir from our UK trip!

Well-rounded. Subtle. Long-lasting flavor. Remy Martin XO offers a complexity that warrants attentive tasting. Aged up to 35 years.

You have got to try this…

CCAA Review & Referral Update

Huge congratulations to the families getting their referral and preparing to see a picture of their daughter for the first time!

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before September 30, 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before June 28, 2005.

CCAA Review & Referral Update

Huge congratulations to the families getting their referral and preparing to see a picture of their daughter for the first time!

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before September 30, 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before June 28, 2005.

CCAA Review & Referral Update

Huge congratulations to the families getting their referral and preparing to see a picture of their daughter for the first time!

The CCAA has finished the review of the adoption application documents registered with our office before September 30, 2005.

The CCAA has finished the placement of children for the families whose adoption application documents were registered with our office before June 28, 2005.

Guess Who Got To Babysit Today?

Aly and I got to babysit Alivia today for Jesse and Leaa. It was tough duty but somehow we pulled it off.

Ah, baby Alivia, you help to make our world smile…

Happy Father’s Day Papa

To Alyson and her two sisters, TerriAnn & Melissa, he is Dad.

To the grandkids he is Papa. How he ever survived in a household of 4 women I will never know but somehow he did!

So on this Father’s Day may we offer love and best wishes to my FIL, Alyson’s dad.

Happy Father’s Day!!!