I sound bitter, but I'm not. I'm glad people like it now because it means I can very easily buy a Golden Girls phone case on Etsy.
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| Prized possession/something I'd take with me in a fire |
The show will always hold a special place in my heart and I'm so happy I found it on Lifetime -- Television for Women and Prepubescent Emily Schmidt -- when I did.
My first favorite show was "Laverne & Shirley." I would watch it on Nick at Nite after I was in my pajamas and one time -- not proud to say -- I peed my pants because I didn't want to leave before a commercial break. I loved TV... maybe too much, and, like, where were my parents? I never watched TV with my parents and if I had, my mom probably would've made me get up and go to the bathroom.
I wanted to be friends with Laverne and Shirley, and part of me probably still does. There are all sorts of fictional characters I have befriended in my head over the years -- Diane Chambers, Julia Sugarbaker, Liz Lemon... the list goes on.
In 4th grade, I found "The Golden Girls." There was no part of me that should've related to that show, but I really did. I got the jokes, I laughed out loud. I quoted it constantly -- not fun for friends, amusing for parents of friends. I found transcripts on the internet and pretended to deliver the lines. I guess that was me... realizing I wanted to be a comedy writer? I didn't define it like that until high school, but it was the first show I wished I had written. It taught me how to tell a joke and what story structure looked like and how to create characters with their own voices. I mean, thank God I was marathoning "Golden Girls" instead of... oh, I don't know, "S Club 7"? (I also watched that show sometimes, so I'm comfortable mocking it.)
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| A lack of cooperating friends means I'll find a way to be ALL of the girls for Halloween! |
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the "Golden Girls" premiere. I think it's safe to say we're all better off having that show around. In a lot of ways, those four ladies taught me about friendship -- especially friendship with other women. They had different ways of communicating and problem-solving, and definitely knew how to give each other a hard time, but at the end of the day, it was always about how important they were to each other. The friendships with each other were what mattered.
I also think Blanche basically taught me about sex, but that's something I'll ponder on my own.
In the meantime, in honor of the four best fictional ladies I "know"... I give to you a recipe of the dessert that brought them together night after night to talk out their problems: cheesecake.
No-Bake Raspberry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
Approximately 9 graham crackers, crushed
1/2 cup pecan chips
1/3 cup melted butter
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese at room temperature (seriously)
2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 packages of fresh raspberries
Directions:
You're going to need a springform pan, so I hope you have one!
Combine the melted butter, crushed graham crackers, and pecans in a bowl.
Press the mixture onto the bottom of your springform pan, as best you can. Try to do it evenly, but don't be too hard on yourself.
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| Could've crushed those crackers better if I were more patient. |
Chill the crust in the fridge while you make the rest of the cake.
Whip the heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form.
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| Soft Peaks: The Emily Schmidt Story |
Add the lemon juice, sugar, and cream cheese, and whip until it's a thick mixture of delicious delight.
Add the raspberries and whip until you're comfortable with the consistency of the berries -- not whole, but also not obliterated by the mixer. Find that happy medium.
Evenly pour the mixture over the crust and make it look nice on top. Personally, I had a lot of fun creating flourishes with a spatula, but that's up to you.
Cover and chill in the fridge for 4+ hours.
Slice, share, enjoy, marvel at how you made a cake without turning on your oven.
You could substitute Cool Whip for the fresh whipped cream, but only if you're... a monster? Come on. There's really no comparison. Cool Whip makes your mouth slimy. That's a red flag.
Happy baking!
