Good Morning World. It’s Monday. Definitely Monday, and the feeling of coming down from the weekend high and a weekday “hangover” (not a literal hangover) are in full play.  Back to reality and the real world: it does exist.

This weekend was one of those where there were simply not enough hours in each day.

Friday: Well – I worked, of course, and then headed off to the gym for a quick little workout, very quick. But at least it was something to help offset all of the junk I am planning to stuff my face with in the next 48 hours. Shoot, its 5:30 p.m. already – still need a birthday card and an “on the fly” present. Ok, 6:48 p.m., I now have a gift and a birthday card – still smell like the gym and realize that I’m absolutely starving – and I’m at my apartment – problem. Dinner: cheese inside a tortilla – mmm! I can’t even call it a quesadilla. I bet you’re jealous.

After showering, primping, and getting “ready” for my glamorous friends’ birthday party, it is 8:30 p.m. and I am flying out the door to southern suburbia where a limo bus is picking us up at 9 p.m. 

9 p.m. until, well… entirely too late, was spent conducting a thorough interview of downtown Minneapolis.

Saturday consisted of un-packing, horseback riding, un-packing, cleaning out the car, grocery shopping, you get the drift – taking care of stuff that I had put on the back burner. Before I know it, it’s now again 6:40-something p.m. and I have to be out the door at 8 for yet another friends’ birthday party. What is up with July birthdays?! Anyways, first - we had to battle out a massive rain storm, the kind of storm where your windshield wipers can’t keep up. The kind where your umbrella offers absolutely no benefit because it is raining, sideways, hard. We are soaked but manage to find one of those bathrooms with the super high powered hand dryers – for our clothes. And eventually the night included a follow-up interview of downtown.

Sunday – worked for a few hours, officially finished un-packing all of my boxes, enjoyed dinner on a patio and caught up with family in Colorado. Before I know it – it’s almost 11 p.m. and my butt is going to bed!

Yep, that is how I feel. TMI?

The one thing, (ok – besides lots and lots of espresso this morning) that makes this Monday seem all better: these cute, little, mini, scrumptious strawberry cheesecakes.

Ingredients:

1 (16oz) package vanilla CANDIQUIK

1 pkg Strawberry Flavored Jello (or Pudding)

1 (8oz) containers of Cool Whip

2 (8oz) blocks of cream cheese

Nilla Wafers

muffin cups

Directions:

Melt Vanilla CANDIQUIK according to directions on package.

In a large bowl, mix the Candiquik with the gelatin powder (for a subtle strawberry flavor, use 1/2 of the dry gelatin powder), softened cream cheese and cool whip until smooth.

 

 

Place Nilla wafers in the bottom of the muffin cups and top with strawberry cheesecake mixture.

 

 

Freeze/cool 1 hour before serving! Top with whipped cream.