Howdy y’all! Just wanted to let you guys know that the following post is #2 from a the campaign I’m doing with Sara Lee Desserts, as a MOMent Maker. Honey Butter Toasted Pound Cake with Blueberry Glaze was #1.   Compensation & coupons were provided for my time & efforts to create the post but opinions are my own, as always.

For the fourth weekend, we’ve had our boy’s friends come over and stay the whole weekend. While this might drive many parents crazy, we love it because it means we get that extra time with our boys and we know they’re staying out of trouble since they’re at our house, with us.

I always make sure to stock up on food too because teenagers eat A LOT!!!!! I always make sure they have a good breakfast, plenty of snacks & drinks, and a hearty meal with dessert.  And there’s nothing like dessert to get everyone together and with this bunch, make each other laugh over the silliest things like Toby’s claw hands going in to grab the cheesecake.  What you can’t see (or hear) is him making hilarious growling sounds, saying “It’s mine, all mine!” as he was attacking the cheesecake.

The Sara Lee Cheesecake – Oh my goodness, it was delicious.  They have several varieties but our store only had this one, which was perfectly okay.   It was a super hot day so the boys didn’t want it thawed out at all. They wanted it sliced frozen, which is how it’s stored.

The teenagers grabbing them a slice……

I cut the cheesecake into 8 slices, each boy taking one……

Something you should know about my middle son Toby; he’s a 14 year old 5’8″, stout boy who wears size 12 shoes and big man jeans.  He literally ate the slice of cheesecake in 2 1/2 bites.  I’m not sure if he breathed in between those bites but I do know he absolutely love it.

His friend Peyton was trying desperately not to laugh while eating his but watching Toby scarf his slice of cheesecake down, put him a tiny bit of shock I think.  All he could do was laugh.

Now if you notice in the photo with Truett, there are only 3 slices left.  I started with 8, 4 boys ate a slice which means one boy ate two.  I have no clue who took that extra slice but they must have loved it enough to sneak another piece!!   Truett felt so special when I brought the cheesecake out to him.  He grinned and dug in without hesitation.  While I’m sure he loved the whole cheesecake, especially the strawberry topping.

So that leaves two slices of Sara Lee’s Cheesecake and those two are for me and my man…..and our own family moment, with each other.

WIN A COUPON

I’ve got 3 Sara Lee Dessert Coupons to giveaway to 3 folks.  The coupon is for one free Sara Lee Dessert, up to $6.00.  To enter:

Required: Leave a comment telling me what dilemmas you have when trying to create special family moments.

Additional optional entry options, leaving each one in a separate comment to count.

• Tweet and/or facebook this post and share with your family & friends.  (DAILY ENTRY) Sara Lee on Twitter | on Facebook and you can find me on Twitter & Facebook too!
• Visit the Sara Lee Desserts website and tell me which dessert is YOUR favorite!

Coupon Giveaway ends on March 17th, at about 10pm CST.  Coupon is valid in the US only.  Sorry guys.  I know I have a lot of Canadian readers:(

Have you been there? Have you devoured one of their cheesecakes?  Sadly, I have not but I really want to and I know you’re gonna laugh but I had no idea that served other food as well.  Hey, that’s the sheltered life of a country gal!

They have locations everywhere and even a couple down by Houston where I’ll be going in a week so maybe I can swing by and try one out!

Right now they’re having a contest that might interest you called Share the Celebration where you can win the following:

• o Trip for 4 to Florida – Airfare, Hotel, Disney Resort Passes and $1,000
• o Chance to win a $25 gift card, $500 in gift cards
• o Cheesecake for ONE YEAR!!

You can win a $25 Gift Card to The Cheesecake Factory by visiting their site and telling me which cheesecake you would try!  Just leave your comment below and you’re entered!

Additional ways to enter, leaving each one in a separate comment please.

• Fave me at Technorati
• Subscribe to my Newsletter
• Subscribe to my blog via email or RSS reader

Both the cheesecake factory and my own giveaway here Ends on June 30th so hurry!

Should you decide to make your own cheesecake, here are some tips to help you create the perfect cheesecake!

CHEESECAKE TIPS

• * Bring all ingredients to room temperature before mixing.
• * To soften cream cheese in the microwave: place unwrapped 8 oz. cheese in a microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 15 seconds. Add 15 seconds for each additional bar of cheese.
• * Mix filling only until combined. Don’t over mix.
• * Use a spring form pan so that the sides can be removed.
• * Place spring form pan on a shallow pan, like a pizza pan , or cover bottom and up one inch around the sides with aluminum foil to avoid leaks in the oven.
• * Place a shallow pan of water in rack below cheesecake to keep oven moist
• * A perfectly baked cheesecake will be puffed around the edges. When shaken, about an inch in diameter in the center should jiggle.
• * Store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to four days.
• * The bottom of the pan can be removed from the cheesecake once the cake has firmed in the refrigerator. Use two spatulas to move cake to serving platter.
• * Cheesecakes taste best when brought to room temperature–about 30 minutes.
• * Securely wrap an already firm, about 4 hours in the refrigerator, cheesecake to be put in the freezer. Cheesecakes can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer.
• * Thaw frozen cheesecake overnight in the refrigerator.

During the summer I like to make quick and easy desserts. I also look for desserts that don’t have to be cooked. I don’t want to heat up my oven any more than I have to. This pie recipe is all of the above. It is very good, but also quick and very easy, plus you do not have to bake it.

The recipe originally came from Hersey’s, so I should have known it would be good. I usually use the special dark chips because I prefer them, but semi-sweet also work well. The recipe calls for a graham cracker crust. To keep this no bake, I buy my crust. I would suggest making it with an Oreo cookie crust instead of just graham cracker. I think it makes the pie even better than the graham cracker crust. But again either one will work.

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1 package (3 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), softened and divided
• 2 cups frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed
• 1 packaged graham cracker crumb crust or Oreo crust

DIRECTIONS

Place chocolate chips and 1/2 of the butter in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave 45 seconds and stir. If necessary, microwave an additional 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating, just until chips are melted when stirred. Set aside.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and remaining butter in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until creamy. Gradually add melted chips, beating on low speed until blended. Fold in whipped topping until blended; spoon into crust. Refrigerate until firm.

Lynn is a stay at home mom to three kids. She loves to cook and try new recipes. You can follow her adventures in the kitchen at lynnskitchenadventures.com

Guest post by Rachel

Sounds too good to be true? It isn’t, but it IS delicious!

My ex-boyfriend had two favorite desserts: cheese cake and anything with peanut butter and chocolate combined. When I found this recipe (while we were dating, of course!) I couldn’t wait to make it for him. I surprised him with it on day, and I was right, he loved it – and I was quite proud of my culinary skills. Since then we’ve parted ways, but while he’s no longer in my life….these brownies are! A more cynical woman than I might joke that I kept the better part. And they are even better than ever, because I’ve added a new twist…pie!

I “cheat” a little bit on these brownies, because I use a box mix. You can use whatever brownie recipe you like – If you’re in a more authentic mood, here’s the recipe for the chocolate brownie part:

• 8 oz unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Dutch process cocoa (or European Style)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 cup chocolate chips

You can read the original post here: Then I follow the following recipe for the peanut butter cheesecake part:

Peanut Butter Mixture

• 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg

You get the marbled effect by pouring 2/3 of the batter into the pan, spooning chunks of the PB mixture on top of it, covering it with the remaining batter, and then swirling it around with a knife. Cool for better cutting and chill before serving. I love these brownies straight out of the freezer. They don’t tend to freeze through, just cold enough to taste fudgy!

I baked them recently for a book club meeting that I am hosting, and added a new twist. I baked it into a pie shell….yummy!!!

You can read more recipes, books, and other musings at my blog: The Rachel Chronicles
Happy baking and tasty eating!
Rachel

Photo Credit & Original recipe from: Cookie Madness

This is a guest post by belhoste.

When it comes to dessert, I like it simple. Some of my most favorite desserts have 5 or less ingredients in them and take almost no time to make. Desserts should be easy to make, but they should taste like you spent hours preparing them. There are a couple of different desserts that I make. Each time I make them for a group of people, the recipe is requested over and over again. Most of the time people can’t believe just how simple something was to make – especially this one. The last time I made this one I kept everyone guessing on what it was for hours.

You should know that this is one of THE most versatile recipes ever. You can change the flavors of the basic ingredients and come up with something completely different. Or you can add new ingredients and make a whole new dessert. The possibilities for this one are endless.

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 cups vanilla instant pudding
• 3 cups vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup fresh fruit (raspberries are a really good choice)

PREPARATION:

Prepare instant pudding as directed. In large bowl, combine yogurt and pudding – mix thoroughly. Chill pudding and yogurt mix at least 10 minutes. Divide chilled mixture evenly among 6 dessert dishes. Garnish with fruit.

*Tip: A tiny pinch of anise or allspice added to the mix will give this a really unique flavor.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none

Makes 6 servings

This recipe was submitted by Charla over at Healthyhomeblog.com.  She is super nice and has great reading:)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cans crescent rolls (I use regular for the bottom crust and reduced fat for the top)
2 pkg of 8 oz. cream cheese (I use reduced fat)
1 stick butter ( I’m going to try it with less butter)
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Cinnamon

Unroll one can of crescent rolls and place in the bottom of a 9?x13? ungreased baking dish. Pinch together the seams to mostly make a solid layer. In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese and 1 cup of the sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mixture needs to be well blended. Microwaving it for a few seconds at a time improves being able to pour it in the pan. Pour mixture and spread over crescent roll layer. Unroll other package of crescent roll and lay on top. Don’t worry about pinching the seams together. In a small microwavable dish, melt butter and 1/2 cup sugar. Pour over top and spread. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. (we use a lot) Bake at 350 degrees for about 30-35 minutes or until top and sides are golden brown. Let cool about 15 minutes before cutting into squares and removing from pan. I usually cut it into 24 squares. Enjoy!