The following six cheesecake recipes offer something for everyone, including chocolate lovers, fruit fanatics and health nuts.

Oreo Chocolate Cheesecake
Servings: 14

Ingredients

• 38 Oreo cookies, divided
• 5 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
• 5 squares semi-sweet baking chocolate, divided
• 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups sour cream, divided
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 Tbsp. sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F if using a silver 9-inch springform pan (or to 300°F if using a dark nonstick 9-inch springform pan). Finely crush 24 of the cookies; mix with butter. Press firmly onto bottom of pan. Stand remaining 14 cookies around inside edge of pan, firmly pressing bottom edge of each cookie into crust. Set aside.
2. Melt 4 of the chocolate squares in small saucepan on low heat; set aside. Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add 1/2 cup of the sour cream, the eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add melted chocolate; mix well. Pour over crust.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top of cheesecake is slightly puffed and center is almost set. Mix remaining 1 cup sour cream and the 2 Tbsp. sugar; spread over cheesecake. Bake an additional 5 minutes. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim.
4. Melt remaining chocolate square; drizzle over cheesecake. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Store any leftovers in refrigerator.

Cheesecake Recipes Tip!
To soften cream cheese, simply remove the wrapper and place it in a microwave-safe bowl, then microwave on high between 15 and 30 seconds. The cream cheese should be slightly softened.

Slice of Heaven Cheesecake
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp. almond extract
• 2 whole eggs
• 3 egg whites

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325°F.
2. Spray bottom of 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cracker crumbs.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and extract with mixer until well blended. Gradually add whole eggs and egg whites, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour into prepared pan.
4. Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Cheesecake Recipes Tip!
To eliminate cracks in your cheesecake, make sure the batter is mixed well (with no visible lumps) before and after adding the eggs. Because cheesecake shrinks when it cools, it’s important to thoroughly grease the sides of the pan before filling it with the batter. Also, cook the cheesecake gently and slowly—about 325°F for 45 minutes—allowing plenty of time to cool at room temperature afterward.

Cranberry-Walnut Cheesecake Pie
Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups cold milk
• 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Cheesecake Flavor Instant Pudding
• 1 tub (8 oz.) whipped topping, thawed, divided
• 1 can (16 oz.) whole berry cranberry sauce, divided
• 1 graham pie crust (6 oz.)
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Directions

1. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 minutes. (Mixture will be thick.) Gently stir in half of the whipped topping.
2. Spread half of the pudding mixture onto bottom of crust; cover with half of the cranberry sauce. Sprinkle with walnuts; cover with remaining pudding mixture.
3. Refrigerate several hours or until set. Top with remaining whipped topping just before serving. Garnish with fresh cranberries, if desired. Serve with remaining cranberry sauce. Store leftover pie in refrigerator.

Cheesecake Recipes Tip!
Remember that the cheesecake will continue to bake even after it is taken out of the oven. To avoid over-baking, the center should be slightly moist (a little ‘jiggle’ is okay!).

Dulce de Leche Swirl Cheesecake
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar, divided
• 4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 eggs
• 1 can (13.4 oz) Mexican caramel spread (dulce de leche)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325ºF.
2. Mix crumbs, butter and 2 Tbsp. sugar; press onto bottom of 9-inch springform pan.
3. Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended.
4. Remove 1-1/4 cups cheesecake batter; mix with caramel spread. Pour remaining batter over crust. Gently drop spoonfuls of caramel mixture over batter; swirl gently with knife.
5. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours.

Cheesecake Recipes Tip!
Once the cheesecake has cooled entirely, use the tip of a knife or a narrow spatula to separate the sides from the pan. Then, release the clamp of the springform pan gradually. (Note: Always use a springform pan so the sides can be detached.)

Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 round prepared sponge cake (6 oz.), 12 inch
• 2 Tbsp. strawberry jam, melted
• 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups thawed whipped topping
• 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Remove rim from 9-inch springform pan; set aside. Place bottom of pan on sponge cake; use as pattern to trim sponge cake to fit inside springform pan. Reserve cake trimmings for snacking or another use. Reassemble springform pan. Place cake in pan; brush with jam.
3. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over cake.
4. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate 4 hours. Spread cheesecake with whipped topping just before serving; top with berries.Cheesecake Recipes Tip!

You can store your cheesecake, loosely wrapped, in the refrigerator for up to four days. Cheesecake also freezes nicely for up to two months; to thaw, set it in the fridge overnight.

Healthy Greek Cheesecake
Servings: 16

Ingredients

• 1 ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of 14.1-oz. pkg.)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. flour
• 2 cups Greek Strained Nonfat Yogurt
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Neufchâtel cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Unroll crust; cut into 8-inch square. Discard trimmings. Place in 8-inch square baking dish. Bake 10 min. or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, beat eggs, sugar and flour with mixer until light and fluffy. Blend in yogurt. Add Neufchâtel, honey and 1 tsp. cinnamon; mix well.
3. Pour over crust; sprinkle with remaining cinnamon.
4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until center is set. Serve warm or chilled.

Cheesecake Recipes Tip!
Before you begin mixing the batter, cream cheese should be at room temperature. Cold cream cheese can result in over-beating, which then causes air bubbles on the cake’s surface—not appealing.

Enjoy….

For my viewers that plan on asking your significant other their hand in marriage, make sure you have that diamond. Take a peek below on how to pull off the perfect marriage proposal.

You know that Valentine’s Day is only 8 days away. Be sure to be prepared! If you are looking for affordable diamonds, be sure to take a peek at the diamond selection at Brilliance. They offer a great variety of wedding rings, bands, engagement rings and more!

In addition to this lamp looking cool on my desk, I like the light that it provides when I turn it on. This light uses the 508® Natural Daylight Illumination and includes an energy efficient 13 watt OttLite bulb that has been rated to last up to 10,000 hours. My favorite time to use this light is at night. I can turn it on so I can see what I am working on, while not lighting up the entire room at the same time. There are times when I want to work late at night, but don’t want to keep the hubby up with the bright light in our room.

Here are some of the Ottlite Natural Daylight Desk Lamp features:

• Designed with a weighted base
• Easy to find on and off switch
• Available in blue, black, silver, pink and green

If you are in the market for a new lamp, OttLite has a great selection of lighting and lamp products to suite your needs. On their website you will find bulbs, floor lamps, desk and table lamps, beauty lights and more. To view all of their products, visit OttLite at: www.ottlite.com.

Now For My OttLite Natural Desk Lamp Giveaway

 One LUCKY winner is going to receive a pretty OttLite Desk Lamp too!

1) To enter this giveaway, please visit the OttLite website and leave me a comment letting me know of another product you would like to have. (This entry is MANDATORY)….

Extra Entries:

#2 – Subscribe to Mom’s Blog. Leave me a comment letting me know how you subscribe. (2 extra entries – leave a comment for each)

#2 – Follow me on Twitter – leave your user name in your comment. (1 extra entry)

#3 – Send a Tweet or Re-Tweet with Twitter @mommye (Leave a comment with link to tweet – 3 extra entries – leave a comment for each)

#4 – On Facebook, become a fan of Mom’s Blog @ Mommy Enterprises (2 extra entries – leave a comment for each)

#5 – Become a fan of OttLite on Facebook or follow OttLite on Twitter. (3 extra entries – leave a comment for each)

This giveaway will end on February 16, 2012 at 11:59 PM PST. The winner will be chosen at random using “And The Winner Is” plugin from all valid entries and submitted. The winner will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to contact me with their mailing information before another winner is chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only ages 18 years or older.

I am in my mid-thirties and know it is important to try to keep my skin healthy. As many of you probably already know, your skin is the largest organ in your body and it is up to you to keep it healthy. Although our skin is something that protects us from certain things found in our environment and pollutants, we also have to our own measures to protect our skin as well.

I remember as a child my mom using a particular anti-aging cream to try to keep her skin looking young. She was young then, but I always seen her using her creme and now that I am an adult, I use various anti aging skincare products too! I also use products like eye cream and shea butter to keep my skin soft and moisturized because I hate when my skin is dry and itchy.

One thing that I do daily is drink lots of water! It is very important to keep your skin hydrated. Drinking the suggested eight to ten glasses of water each day will definitely hep your skin become healthier. Drinking water can also help your skin to become less susceptible to those unwanted wrinkles.

There are TONS of skincare products on the market that have been developed to help you stay looking younger.  What products do you recommend?

Around my house, my kids are assigned chores. I don’t have a chore chart, but I think I just might use a neat online chore chart I just recently found on the website DoughMain

Today I joined DoughMain. This is a very neat website that allows you to combine family organization and financial education in one simple and easy to use platform. What I really like about this site is their Chore Chart & Tracker. I mentioned that my children are assigned chores, but that does NOT mean that they always do them without being reminded. DoughMain has a very cool chore chart that parents can view and assign chores online. You can then track your children’s progress in real time. This Chore Chart also has a allowance and rewards system that helps parents to reward their children for completing the chores assigned as well as other achievements.

Here is a screenshot of the chore chart I am setting up for my daughters:

With this chore chart you add each of your children and assign them a color. You then add chores for them and when and how often they are to do them. Your children can login to their site with their login information that you setup and mark when they have completed each of their chores in the chart. When your children complete these tasks, they can also earn real money or Dough Points as an extra incentive if you choose to setup this option using their Allowance Tool. I think that using some type of reward system for my children might give them an extra incentive to do their chores without reminding them.

If you have a busy family and looking for a way to stay organized, DoughMain offers family organizer tools including an online family calendar that is interactive like the chore chart. You setup each family member with a color and then you can add each of their items on their schedule as an event. What is neat about this calendar is it has the option to import community calendars from sports teams, schools, scouts, etc. directly into your DoughMain calendar.

Now for the fun! In addition to being organized and doing chores, the kids can have FUN playing a financial responsibility game too! There are 3 different age relevant games that can be played to help teach financial responsibility.

• TheFunVault.com – a Flash game portal teaching basic money lessons to children ages 5 and up
• SandDollarCity.com – a multiplayer virtual world where children ages 8 to 12 manage a family candy shop
• IRuleMoney.com – a site for ages 13 to 17, featuring 30-second videos of teens talking about all things financial, from jobs, credit cards, car loans, to credit score

Best part of DoughMain is there is nothing to download, access everything from your browser!  

For more information and to sign up visit: doughmain.com