The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man.

This past week Debra and I went to see Fallingwater, another Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house.  The thing I love most about his designs is how he was determined to leave as much of nature surrounding the house as possible, and how he incorporated the natural setting into his architecture.

On Sunday, Phil and I went to the Krepps Covered Bridge Festival in Hickory,PA

Washington County covered bridges and barns took their red color from an early paint formula made up of red oxide in the local soil.

There were vendors, food, and of course, a car show

.

A Plymouth

 

Check out the Mayflower hood ornament

 

  

 

 

 

1930’s fire engine

       

Pretty pumpkin display

   

Field of corn

I made delicious Oreo Cheesecakes for dessert this week.

The photo didn’t turn out as well as I liked, but I guess it’s more important that they tasted good.

 

Oreo Cheesecakes

Makes 30

• 42 Oreo, cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, 30 left whole and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275° F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Place 1 whole Oreo cookie in the bottom of each lined muffin cup.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, scraping down sides of the bowl as needed.  Gradually add the sugar, and beat until combined.  Beat in the vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a little at a time, beating to combine and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add in sour cream and salt, beat to combine.  Using a large spatula, fold in the chopped Oreo cookies.
4. Divide batter evenly among the cookie-filled muffin cups, fill each cup almost to the top.  Bake, rotating muffin tins halfway through, until the filling is set, about 22 to 28 minutes.  Transfer the muffins tins to a wire rack to cool completely.  Refrigerate (in the muffin tins) at least 4 hours (or overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Reading Jim Butcher’s Dresden File series.

I leave you with Mr. Whiskers enjoying his day.