Paper and cheesecake

So now that the big 1st Anniversary is over I can give the details of what I had planned for James. I had researched what the traditional gift was for the 1st wedding anniversary and it is paper. Really, paper?! According to the sources I checked the more modern version is a clock. So I tried to get creative while wanting to stay with the traditional gift idea just for fun.

I decided on giving James a journal and I wrote a love note to him including all that we have accomplished this past year and the things I see and hope for during our second year of marriage. I asked that he play along and also write a note in it with the hope that we can use this as our anniversary journal to reflect on each year and share some of our favorite moments. It may be something really fun to look back on as time goes on. He loved the gift and agreed that he would play along with my plan and that we would both write notes in it to each other around our anniversary every year.

Anniversary Journal

The inside of the journal, love letter #1 to follow

The second part of my surprise to James had to do with cheesecake. James loved cheesecake when he had it in the US this past summer so I thought it would be nice to make him one for our anniversary. Some of you may remember that I attempted to make a cheesecake not long after my arrival in France (read more about how that went here). Since that time I have gotten better prepared for a second attempt at making a cheesecake. Three major things have happened since then:
1. My mom mailed me an amazing stash of baking items which included the ever important graham crackers
2. I found Philadelphia cream cheese here in France
3. I accidentally found a spring form pan at a store (James and I searched high and low months ago for one but could never find one)

So needless to say I was MUCH better equipped this time to make a cheesecake. I made it on Thursday evening while James was at work. He had no idea about it until I brought it out on Friday evening to have as dessert after our evening out.

The cheesecake baking in the new fancy spring form pan!

He was surprised and excited!

The cheesecake was pretty good, I just need to perfect the crust a bit more. I used a recipe from a friend along with one I found online (I didn't have all the things needed for 1 crust and the other had cinnamon in it which James hates). The only other thing missing was a strawberry topping. Since it isn't strawberry season I wasn't able to find any and they don't seem to believe in frozen fruit here (or if they do I haven't been able to find it yet). However considering how the first attempt at cheesecake went I think this was a much bigger success and his smile when I served it with the wine was a perfect ending to our anniversary celebration.

If I needed further confirmation that it was a success, James had 2 pieces of it for breakfast the next morning. The only change was that we got brillant and added some of my grandma's homemade strawberry/peach jam as the topping, according to James this was truly the missing link!

Adding the jam, Grandma if you are reading this we already finished this jar!

Looking a bit tired but loving cheesecake for breakfast

Anyone have a cheesecake recipe that is to die for? I am game to try a couple different varieties to perfect this adventure of making cheesecake in France.