By March in two days. The light is changing — I can see it in the morning angle, the way it comes in the kitchen window at a different position than it did in January. The horses know before the calendar does. They're restless in February in a way they aren't in January, which is colder but more settled. February is the waiting month. March is when the waiting ends.
The ranch has been running at my pace for a full year now — since the LLC transfer in the fall of 2020, with the spring 2021 calving being the first full season where I ran everything. The difference between managing the ranch and running it is smaller than I expected but real. Managing means executing what someone else decided. Running means deciding and executing and being accountable for both. The accountability is what changed the quality of the attention.
Posted an essay about the five-year arc of the farrier business — from starting out as a second income alongside the teaching job, to the apprenticeship, to Cole taking over, to the therapeutic practice I have now. About what you can build in five years if you pay attention to the right things and keep adjusting. The essay was more personal than the ranch piece — or different personal. The ranch piece was about inheritance. This one was about building from intention. Both feel true from where I sit.
Made chocolate cake on Saturday for no reason except that February needs chocolate cake in the last week. Three-layer, cream cheese frosting, the one Mom makes for my birthday. I made it for myself instead and ate two pieces at the kitchen table and brought the rest to Tom's on Sunday. He ate his piece without commentary, which is the highest review he offers for anything he didn't ask for.
That three-layer cake with cream cheese frosting was exactly right for a Saturday at the end of February — and the cream cheese is what I keep coming back to, that tang underneath all the chocolate. These low-carb chocolate chip cheesecake bars hit the same note: the richness, the chocolate, that creamy center that makes two pieces feel like a reward you gave yourself on purpose. If you’re going to mark the end of the waiting month, this is the kind of thing worth pulling out on a quiet afternoon.
Low-Carb Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 16
Ingredients
- Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Cheesecake Layer
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated erythritol or monk fruit sweetener
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sugar-free chocolate chips, divided
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal.
- Make the crust. Combine almond flour, melted butter, sweetener, and salt in a bowl. Stir until the mixture resembles damp sand. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.
- Par-bake the crust. Bake for 10 minutes until just set and lightly golden at the edges. Remove and let cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
- Make the cheesecake filling. Beat softened cream cheese and sweetener together with a hand or stand mixer on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating just until incorporated. Mix in vanilla, sour cream, and cocoa powder until fully combined.
- Add the chocolate chips. Fold in all but 2 tablespoons of the chocolate chips. Pour filling over the cooled crust and spread evenly. Scatter remaining chocolate chips over the top.
- Bake. Bake at 325°F for 28—32 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has just a slight jiggle when the pan is nudged. Do not overbake.
- Cool completely. Let bars cool to room temperature in the pan, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before slicing. Lift out using the parchment overhang, then cut into 16 bars.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg