White Chocolate Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1½ cups finely crushed graham crackers
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• 1 stick salted butter, melted
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Cheesecake Filling

• 16 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 sticks butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 T corn starch
• 1 vanilla bean pod, beans extracted

White Chocolate Mousse

• 4 oz. white chocolate baking squares
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 T powdered sugar
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened

INSTRUCTIONS

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Preheat oven to 375° and line a spring-form pan with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and brown sugar and mix with a fork
3. Add the melted butter, egg and vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated
4. Press into the bottom of the lined spring-form pan and bake for 8-10 minutes
5. Remove from oven and let cool

Cheesecake Filling

1. Preheat oven to 320°
2. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar until light and fluffy
3. Add the sour cream, corn starch and vanilla beans and mix until the mixture is smooth and creamy
4. Pour over the graham cracker crust and bake for one hour. The filling will be jiggly in the center when you remove from oven
5. Remove from the oven and place on a heat safe surface for one hour. Do not remove the springform pan. You will remove it right before serving!
6. Place into the refrigerator overnight to set, or at least 6 hours

White Chocolate Mousse

1. Place mixing bowl in freezer or refrigerator to chill
2. Melt white chocolate squares and let cool
3. In the cold mixing bowl, beat the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks, gradually add powdered sugar and continue whipping until it forms stiff peaks
4. Place in refrigerator to keep chilled
5. In another bowl, beat the melted white chocolate and cream cheese together with a spatula until light and fluffy.
6. Take the whipped cream and stir it into the white chocolate and cream cheese mixture. You do not have to be gentle while stirring. Don't be afraid to stir vigorously!
7. Place back into the refrigerator to chill overnight. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to put the mousse onto the cheesecake
8. Once you are ready to serve, spread the mousse over the top of the cheesecake and then remove the springform pan and the parchment paper
9. Top with whipped cream, berries, chocolate or all three!

Recipe has been adapted from Inner-Gourmet Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

SNAPPower Guide Lights: Add Lighting without the Cost of an Electrician

My kids don't like pitch dark hallways or rooms nor do I mostly because I hate bugs!  I was playing around on Facebook and saw this post for SNAPPower Guide Lights.  What a great way to inexpensively add lights to any area.  All you do is take off existing outlet faceplates and switch out with the SNAPPower Guide Lights.   Grab your screwdriver and you are ready to go and it looks amazing!

Powered with LED sensors, the light turns off when the room is bright and turns on when it’s dark. The lights will last 25 years and it only costs 10 cents a year on average to operate.

Cost $15 for one $42 for a 3-pack

Find It: https://www.snappower.com

Smoked Espresso-Rubbed Brisket Sandwich

I try to post more organic and natural type things but this one caught my eye.  Not only because it's from Chef Robert Irvine but it just looks fantastic and there is no reason you can't make it healther.  The Smoked Espresso-Rubbed Brisket Sandwich looks amazing!

Here's a peek at the ingredients but for the full recipe, click above on the link.

Ingredients

For the Espresso Rubbed Brisket:
5 lbs Whole Raw Brisket
2 oz Ground Espresso
6 oz Dark Brown Sugar
3 oz Kosher Salt
1 dash Ground Cumin
2 dashes Garlic Powder
3 dashes Ground Pepper
1 dash Cayenne
2 dashes Ground Cinnamon

For Horseradish Aioli:1 oz Prepared Horseradish, Drained and Squeezed
3 oz Mayo
2 oz Sour Cream
Salt and Pepper To Taste

For Crispy Pickled Jalapeno:1/2 cup Canned Sliced Pickled Jalapenos
1 cup Corn Starch
Fry Oil as needed

For Sandwich Assembly:8 Slices Taleggio Cheese (if not available, substitute Fontina or another semi-soft pungent cheese)
1 tbsp Grapeseed Oil
2 cups Julienned Onions
6 ea Martins Brand Hoagie Rolls

Homemade Almond Butter Recipe

Everyone is trying to get healthier nowadays with all the bad information forthcoming about what is good for you or not or how it's made.  More than a couple of year's ago, I decided it was time to eat better for myself and children's sake.  Luckily, my children love almonds and I found this great recipe to make almond butter thanks to BudgetSavingDiva!

Ingredients

• 1.5 Cups of Raw Almonds
• Pinch of Salt
• Oil ( if needed)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Place almonds on a lined cookie sheet and baked for 2- 3 minutes
3. Place almonds into the food processor ( only use blender if you do not have a food processor)
4. Process for about 10 minutes -- it takes a while.
5. If it is a little dry add a little oil
6. Enjoy
7. It makes about ¾th cup

by Sara

Banana Boat® Great Big Family Reunion and Best Summer Ever

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Banana Boat^®. I received product samples to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for my participation.

I'm so happy now that summer has officially began because I love the warmer weather.  Sunny days and warm nights are the perfect time for getting together with family.  It's already been a very hot summer with intense sunshine.  I have a variety of ages to protect from an eight month old to four, eight and 12 year olds.  My middle one is a red head and requires a lot of sun protection which is why I turn to the line of Banana Boat^® sun protection products due to their most comfortable line of sun protection products yet.  When I go outside, I immediately apply Banana Boat^®'s reformulated Dry Oil Clear UltraMist^® Sunscreen which now includes argan oil.  It's perfect for restoring moisture to my dry legs while providing protection from the sun's rays.  It goes on smooth and it's not oily which is a double bonus.

When applying sunscreen, you should apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to you and your kids’ entire bodies 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.  In spite of the terrible humidity and heat, it really lasts and provided the sun protection they needed.  There have been no sunburns so far!

For my children, I alternate with SunComfort™ Clear UltraMist^®Sunscreen and Sport Performance^®Lotion Sunscreen with Powerstay Technology.  The SunComfort™ Clear UltraMist^®Sunscreen is also good for everyday use, allows sand to be brushed off easily and relieves dryness caused by the sun, chlorine and salt water.  The SunComfort™ Clear UltraMist^®Sunscreen™ was designed for those that are more active (i.e. young kids going crazy after school has let out for the summer!).  What I liked about this product is it really lasted long and It was light weight, sweat resistant as well as up to 80 minutes water resistant.  It absorbed quickly, was non-greasy and didn't run into my eyes like many do.  The heavy duty protection was perfect for playing in the little pool or mowing the yard.

For other big news, Banana Boat^® Great Big Family Reunion offers summer fun in the sun good times for the whole family and visitors!  Just enter the sweepstakes for the chance for one lucky family to win a reunion for up to 50 of their family members and friends. Participants can also spin the Wheel of Fun for exciting activities to entertain their families all summer long!  I love having pre-planned activities to make it easier on me when entertaining.

It doesn't always require a lot to get family together and any excuse is better than none.  I've watched my family go from a family that held extended family reunions to none.  I find it sad that people are too busy to find time to get together.  Some of my fondest memories were summer time, in the sun, reunions with all my cousins and other family members.  This summer, I'm getting together with some of my cousins.  What about you?  Grab the Banana Boat and head out whether your family is small or large, have fun this summer!

Make sure to follow on social media for more information:

Banana Boat^® Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BananaBoatBrand

Banana Boat^® Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bananaboat

 #bestsummerever

Here is a chance to win even more!  Share information on the Great Big Family Reunion sweepstakes to enter to win one of five $30 Banana Boat^® Prize Packs including:

• Banana Boat^® koosie
• Key chain
• Draw string backpack
• Three sunscreen products

Contest opens on June 8, 2015 and closes June 29, 2015.

To enter, choose a social media sharing option from the social media amplification tool!

Banana Boat “Great Big Family Reunion” Sweepstakes

SPLENDA® Brand Summertime Sweet Life In-Home SWEET SWAPS™ Holiday Strawberry Cream Cheese Cake Roll

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for the SPLENDA^® Brand. I received product samples to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation. All opinions and reviews are my own.

Can you believe summer is already upon us?  It's not officially summer but it certainly feels like it with the hot humid weather here in Georgia.  As when the summer months come, new recipes come to mind with all the fresh fruit and vegetables.  As I look to the summer, I want to find recipes that will allow me to swap out sugar for a lower calorie option.  This is where SPLENDA^® Sweetener Products come into my house.  Instead of using full sugar, why not swap out for SPLENDA^® Sweetener Products?  It's still great tasting but easy on the calories.  There are many products offered such as SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, SPLENDA^®Sugar Blend, and SPLENDA^® Brown Sugar Blend.  It's a great way to lessen those calories while visiting SWEET SWAPS™ to try out some great recipes to satisfy the biggest sweet tooth.

As part of our kicking off summer activities, we invited family and friends out to camp and hike as what better light activity than to walk in nature?  Since the younger one's couldn't hike much, we had to break up in two groups and have my sister watch them.  After our walk, we stopped to eat and then we had some sweet fun using the SWEET SWAPS™ Holiday Cake Roll recipe mostly because it's a favorite with my youngest and I've yet to master one.  There really isn't any better excuse than to get friends and family together for fun and food!

Now for the fun part, I've learned that making cake rolls are tricky, in my opinion, as you have to make sure you don't crack it when you roll it.  Our creation will be the Strawberries and Cream Cake Roll Recipe. My almost eight year wanted to help make it as she loves strawberries and she also wanted to be the hostess for serving up the Holiday Cake Roll at our get together.  It all looked easy enough and it was smooth sailing but albeit, I found out that I have not mastered the rolling of the cake.

Our after activity was a success.  Those that liked strawberries and cream cheese loved it and no one knew I replaced sugar with SPLENDA^®!  Given that my one guest, Kristin, was watching calories, this was ideal for her.   I have to say that I love that I can create recipes with less calories while not sacrificing taste and with SWEET SWAPS™ recipes, I have a great database to choose from! There are many more tips, tricks and amazing looking recipes on SweetSwaps.com.  Did you know that swapping just one cup of sugar with one cup of SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated can save more than 600 calories? (

For those of you that want to try it yourself, here is the recipe:

Strawberries and Cream Cake Roll Recipe

Servings Per Recipe: 10

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/10 cake)

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, divided
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup light corn syrup
• 2/3 cup sifted cake flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
2. Grease bottom and sides of a 15x10x1-inch jellyroll pan; line pan with waxed paper; grease and flour waxed paper. Set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks at high speed of an electric mixer until thick and pale; gradually add 1/3 cup SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, beating constantly. Stir in oil and vanilla extract.
4. Whip egg whites at high speed until foamy; gradually add remaining 1/3 cup SPLENDA^® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated, and corn syrup, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold beaten egg whites into egg yolk mixture.
5. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually fold into egg mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan; spread batter evenly.
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.
7. Sift 2 tablespoons powdered sugar on a cloth towel. Loosen cake from sides of pan using a narrow metal spatula and immediately turn out onto sugared towel. Starting at narrow end, roll cake and towel together tightly; cool 30 minutes on a wire rack seam side down.
8. Unroll cake and remove towel. Spread with whipped topping; spoon strawberries over topping; carefully, reroll. Place on a serving plate, seam side down. Chill 2 hours before serving.

For more information or to stay up to date, check out:

SWEET SWAPS™ Website: http://www.sweetswaps.com

SPLENDA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/splenda

SPLENDA Twitter: @Splenda

SPLENDA Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/SPLENDA/

#SweetSwaps #IC #ad

Copycat Chick Fil A Chicken Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz each – or 4 4 oz chicken breasts)
• 1/2 cup pickle juice (just use the juice from any pickle jar)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp celery salt
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1 cup peanut oil for frying
• 4 Hamburger Buns (buttered and toasted)
• Pickle Slices

1. Pound chicken breasts flat and cut them in to 4 pieces – then you want to marinate your chicken in the pickle juice for at least an hour.
2. Beat eggs and combine  dry ingredients together.  Dip the chicken in the egg and then the flour mixture.
3. Cook approximately five minutes on each side and then serve on the buns with pickle slices.

Register for Game Night at Best Buy! #ad

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Either getting married or assisting one of your friends or loved ones is always a fun occasion.  Every detail has to be planned just right while others seem to fall right into place.  After you start gathering details, the other big to do list item is the gift registry as it makes it so much easier for everyone if they know what you really really want.  There are many places to register but there is one place that can cover so many needs especially in a tech driven society.  As you plan your registry, what better theme than to register for game night at Best Buy.  Couples today tend to play video games more and more together.  Game playing together can be a fun experience and it's even better with the right equipment.  Whether a couple games on a PC or using a game console, Best Buy has amazing choices to choose from to ensure the ultimate gaming experience is had.

For those that have a very generous list of guests or if you just want to treat yourself, there is the option of creating your very own home theater complete with state of the art televisions like the Samsung 55" Class LED Curved 2160p Smart - 4K Ultra HD TV and a matching set of his and her's Leather Home Theater Seats.  I know myself and my girls would LOVE this set up!  We are a gaming family ranging from the PC games to consoles and I know my girls would fall in love with this set up.

Any new couple would love to have that as their home theater when they return from their honeymoon.  Whether it's a PS4, an XBox, Wii or more, Best Buy is the ticket to marriage happiness.  They aren't just known for gaming products too as products for the home, computers, cameras, home office, fitness and more, it's a great place to start a wedding registry or any gift registry for that matter.  When my oldest married, I gave them Best Buy gift cards to purchase a stainless steel refrigerator.  To me, giving a gift a couple needs is far better than trying to second guess or give something that they might not want.

Whether you are getting married or know someone getting married, set up a gift registry at Best Buy or suggest it because you can't go wrong!

Best Buy Education will help your school every step of the way #ad

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

Surprisingly, it's not too soon to start thinking about the new school year as it really is just around the corner.  As a kid, I remember summer seeming like it lasted almost forever but the older I became, the summers just flew by.  It seems like one day the kids are out on summer break and then two weeks later, all the commercials and back to school sales start.  School has become so technology driven from when I was in school and it's a must in today's technology-based world.  When schools start thinking about what is best for their classrooms, they can now turn to Best Buy Education for expert advice.  Best Buy's Account Managers and Education Specialists are eager to listen and understand each school's technology needs, then use that knowledge to provide unbiased advice to ensure every school is happy with their decision.  They'll even assist with the product purchasing, installation, service and support!  Just the installation and support should help to alleviate any concerns knowing a company like Best Buy will be there!

When a school is ready to move forward, they can count on receiving the right products for their school or district from the latest tablets, laptops and chrome devices for students to office equipment to classroom white boards and carts, Best Buy has the reliable educational technology needed to outfit your schools.  It doesn't just stop there either as they offer complete technology solutions, from simple to complex to include assisting with commercial service plans, pre-sales engineering, project management, installation, complex logistics and multi-location delivery.  The solutions are vast and offers so many extra like imaging and asset tagging too!

You've all seen the Geek Squad® and know the reputation they have so you can count on them to keep your school’s or district’s technology running smoothly with IT support provided by phone, online, remotely or on site.  The Geek Squad Agents can install and upgrade hardware and software, troubleshoot problems that arise and repair devices right in your offices or classrooms.  It's really a great solution for any school's technology needs to include Flexible payment Options.  Tax exempt?  No problem as Best Buy honors those too!  There are a variety of payment options ranging from leasing, purchase orders, wire transfers and checks.  There is also a Business Advantage Account with Net-30 terms and 24/7 access to your account through a customized Web site.

Don't forget, if you are attending ISTE Conference and Expo on June 28 – July 1, Best Buy Education will be in booth #2262.  Make sure you come by and check out the daily demonstrations being held throughout the conference and don't forget to bring any questions you may have!

Also, enter to win $25,000 Transform Your School!

Best Buy Education is Your Education Technology Partner

The reviewer has been compensated in the form of a Best Buy Gift Card and/or received the product/service at a reduced price or for free.

I'm a homeschooler but also have years of experience with having children in the public school system.  I appreciate the value of an education more so with seeing the decline of so many skills that were common when I was in school.  I think every person, parents especially, should embrace the need for solid educational programs to ensure the success of our future.  Learning never stops no matter how old you are and what I just learned is something called Best Buy Education.  It is a direct-channel division of Best Buy® making it easier than ever to give students the tech tools they need to succeed.  The dedicated Account Managers offers consultation to provide knowledgeable, unbiased advice and guide you to the product and service solutions that best meet your needs and budget.  So whether you are rolling out new devices in the classroom, launching a BYOD initiative, or upgrading the technology throughout your school, they can provide the products, support and protection you need.  I love how Best Buy is reaching out to those in the educational field to help advance the teaching options.

Having a single source technology expert for products and services is a brilliant idea especially from such a trusted, reliable brand.  They will even be at the ISTE 2015 Conference & Expo in Pennsylvania from June 28th-July 1st.  They even offer easy ways to purchase from purchase orders, Net30 forms to P-Cards to Tax-exempt.  Even if you aren't involved in the purchasing of technology for your local schools, it's a great way to learn and direct those that are to enhance the programs for learning.

As an extra bonus, Best Buy Education is now offering an exciting sweepstakes that is open to all educators and administrators. The sweepstakes runs now through July 4, 2015 with a grand prize of $25,000 in Best Buy credit, as well as additional prizes of Gift Cards and Microsoft Surface Pro 3 tablets with keyboards.  What a great opportunity to win the technology tools and services your students need to succeed.  Just visit www.BestBuySweeps.com to enter for a chance to win and view complete details.

@BestBuy @BestBuyEdu #BestBuyEducationEntry #ad

Beech-Nut Organic Baby Food Line & Product Giveaway

I participated in an Influencer Activation on behalf of Influence Central for Beech-Nut. I received a free coupon to facilitate my review as well as a promotional item to thank me for my participation.


I am thankful for social media due to all the attention healthier living is receiving and how important it has become to eat better.  I was just telling my oldest how hard it is to change habits after so many years of eating whatever which is even more of a reason to start out as young as possible in ensuring the healthiest foods are available.  This holds true to our newest young one especially after all the stories one hears about products.  My oldest and I were extremely happy to hear that Beech-Nut has an organic line of baby foods that are readily available at Babies “R” Us, Kroger and Wegmans retailers.  Feeding my children and grandchildren the best is something I strive for.  We even planted an heirloom (organic) garden this year to supplement our natural food selection.  Even though I am participating in this Activation, we were already buying Beech-Nut Organic Baby Food due to the ingredients and of course, a name we trust.

Beech-Nut's organic line of baby food has the freshest and tastiest food without all the artificial ingredients or preservatives which makes feeding baby guilt-free when one doesn't have the time to make their own baby food or just wants to make sure their baby is getting the very best.  As Beech-Nut says, "This is real food for babies™."   Not only are they selecting real, whole fruits and vegetables but they are also using ancient grains and beans in some jars.  If you are an organic follower, you know the important of ancient grains and beans.  They use a gentle cooking process that doesn't cook away the nutrients nor add any artificial preservatives.  I love that they selected organic ingredients like:

• Apples
• Raspberries
• Avocadoes
• Banana
• Cinnamon
• Granola
• Butternut Squash
• Black Bean
• Cumin

To accentuate the organic feel, each jar comes in a transparent honeypot glass jar featuring the USDA-certified organic seal which is an indication of GMO-free food.  I'm really glad there is no plastic being used for the product line either.  Beech-Nut is making great strides in ensuring today's and tomorrow's babies are getting the very best and just this year, they were awarded Product of the Year in the baby category for its 100% naturals and organic lines, as selected by more than 40,000 consumers in a national; representative survey by Taylor Nelson Sofres!

Beech-Nut organic is sold at the following retail stores and to find your closest store, just click the Beech-Nut Store Locator link:

• Kroger
• Babies “R” Us
• Wegmans
• Price Chopper
• Wakefern
• Walmart.com
• Winn-Dixie
• BI-LO
• Stop & Shop
• Giant Carlisle
• A&P
• Pathmark
• Albertsons
• Hannaford
• Raley’s
• Meijer, 
• Nugget Market
• Diapers.com
• Harris Teeter
• Shaw's
• ACME
• Shoppers Food
• Cub Foods.

As you can tell, I think it was a hit!  It smelled like real food and not like that weird baby food smell odor other store bought baby foods have.  We couldn't be more pleased that Beech-Nut has this amazing organic line of baby food!  Bravo Beech-Nut!

Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central and must reside in the United States.

To enter, please use the form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

To learn more, follow the following links for Beech-Nut at Beech-Nut Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instragram and Pinterest.

#RealFoodForBabies #IC  #ad