Locals Season!

Today was our last day of BMI (water bug) sampling at work.  We were way up on the West shore of Lake Tahoe in a little creek that will be a project site next year collecting pre-project data.  When I dropped the meter into the water at 8:00 this morning the temperature read 8.4 degrees C.  Thats about 47 degrees F.  I know that doesn't sound that cold...but it felt pretty cold to me.  That temperature meter told me that for the next 2 hours I would be up to my elbow in 47 degree water, digging through rocks and algae and trying to collect little water bugs in my net.  Thats a long time, and let me tell you, it gets pretty cold.  So after our first 150 meter reach of frigid water and slightly disgruntled bugs, we took a break for "elevensies" (which is like lunch but at 11:00, and usually followed by an actual lunch) and to wait for the feeling to return to my fingers.  We were all chatting and the consultant we have been working with mentioned that this cool air (and water!) means that Autumn is really here and that it is what is affectionately referred to as the "locals season" here in Tahoe, when the weather turns cool, the hiking is great, and the tourists go home.  The Autumn-y-ness of today inspired me to make an Autumny dessert for the dinner we're having here tomorrow night.  Soooo I opted to make a peach spice cheesecake.  I sorta made up the recipe as I went along, starting with a peach and chardonnay reduction seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg  and some sugar (which I totally made up and don't know if it'll be good on the cheesecake, but it tasted good when it was cooking), then I made a plain cheesecake (about 16 oz of cream cheese, 2 eggs, a dash of vanilla, a cup of sugar, and a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon) and blended in a bit of the peaches to that.  Poured it into a graham cracker crust (butter, graham crackers, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg) and baked for 35 minutes then let it cool for 10 and then poured on the rest of the peaches.  Tomorrow I'll make some fresh whipped cream with the left over cream from the truffles.  I'll let you know how it goes...anyway here are some (not that good...) pictures.  When I get better at taking more appetizing pictures of food, then I'll become a REAL food blogger!

Cheeeeeesecake!

Homemade Peach Sauce!

Okay, that looks gross in this picture, but wait till you see it tomorrow, all cut into slices, it'll be great...i hope....

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