I love cheesecake!!!

So, its probably a good thing that I never researched a good cheesecake recipe earlier in life...or I'd be over 500 lbs!! :) Cheesecake has been a favorite of mine since childhood, yet I have never made a "real" cheesecake of my own. Actually, the first place I requested my mother take me when I was finished with Navy boot camp was The Cheesecake Factory downtown Chicago! And that's where we went, then to Bloomingdale's!

It was a coincidence that Koleen just happened to have some leftover cheesecake in her fridge that she recently made for her sister's visit home...just after my birthday. Since no one made me a birthday cake, she gave me a healthy portion (about 4 pieces worth) to take home and act as my birthday cake. Needless to say, it was wonderful! And poor Mike didn't get very much, as I devoured it! It was so rich though, it did take me 3 sittings to finish it.

She told me it was her mother-in-law's recipe, so I copied it! I probably should have left it at that, and requested she bring it to some special event. But no...the cheesecake lover in me had to have it for myself. So, today I took on the challenge of recreating this nearly perfect cheesecake. I haven't tasted it yet, as it is still cooling...but I am ready to try it!! I took a picture before it was attacked...