Cookies & Cream Cheesecake

Happy Mid-Week Meals!!

Hello All!! 

Today is Gluten Free Recipe day... Ive have share with you a few of my own recipes and I have also shared with you some other recipes from some great people. Today I want to give a shout out to Carol Kicinski. She is a great recipe developer!!

I chose this one of her because I wanted to share a little memory of mine. My husband comes from a massive family and every christmas we all get together, everyone. This year we had nearly 50 people here, just immediate family with their significant others and children. We had a blast. The reason why I am sharing this memory is because one of Sebastian's (my husband) brother and his wife brought a oreo cookie cheesecake and let me tell you it was DELICIOUS!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Mmmhhmmmmm. SO I saw this photo and the recipe and I thought I have to share it because I know for a fact that this cheesecake is to die for. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. 

Cookies & Cream No Bake Cheesecakes

Ingredients

21 Kinnitoos
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Place paper liners in the cups of a standard muffin pan (12 cups).
Take 3 of the cookies, cut them in quarters for garnish and set aside. Place 12 cookies in a plastic freezer bag and pound them with a rolling pin until they turn into fine crumbs. Divide the crumbs among the muffin cups and press down firmly and evenly. Place the remaining cookies in the bag and break them up so that there are bigger pieces of cookie as well as some crumbs.

Whip the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form with a hand held mixer. Place the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat on high speed until smooth and well blended. Fold in the whipped cream and the crushed cookie pieces. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups. Place one of the quartered cookies on top of each cheesecake. Refrigerate until serving, at least 5 minutes, up to a day ahead.

Servings

This gluten free recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes.

You can visit her at: Simply... Gluten-Free

See Also:

Gluten Free Lasagna

About Gluten

Gluten Free Pizza

Tips for Tuesday - Mortgage Renewal

Need a mortgage renewal soon? 

I wanted to tell everyone about how you can save on your mortgage renewal! One thing I do the most of, it seems like, is mortgage renewals, lol. Many people are still with banks but people are beginning to see the truth - Bank rates are just too high. First of all if you are with a bank, know that most canadians do not ask the bank for the lowest rates, therefore the bank will give them a high rate. People assume that the bank that they've dealt with, for the past 20 years, will give them the best rate. But they won't! Even if they do go there, ask for the best rate... Truth is mortgage agents have better rates, nearly half the amount a bank will send you. For example: recently I had someone come in with the new bank rate they received. the rate was fixed 2% more than what I offered them, the rate they walked away with. If it was .5% higher, my rate would literally be half the rate they offered. 

Anyhow, Thats that. If you are still with a bank and you are interested in seeing the price difference, don't hesitate to ask me. My webpage has a contact section where you can sign up for a free report. Or you can email me. 

Website: www.kristinacrosbie.ca

Email: kcrosbie@dominionlending.ca

Money Saving Monday - Stay Committed

Stay Committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. -Tony Robbins

What great advice eh!! As we stay committed to our decisions to say more and spend less, the way we do so can be done in so many ways. Be flexible and realize that there are so many areas that we can improve one, whether it be eat out less, go to the movies less, spend less on clothes, add more to the RRSP plan, add more to the children piggy bank... etc.  :) 

Have a wonderful day everyone. 

See Also: 

The trick to stop spending

Money Saving Gifts

Could Your Home Equity Save Your Finances?

Hello everyone!! Happy Finance Friday!
Ive been going over something I want to write about, some important things that I really want to share with you. Being involved in finances I know a lot about the best ways to spend and the best ways to save. At this time of year its really important for people to learn how to save because they are coming out of the big holiday season where everyone spend too much ;) 

Here is a thought that I want to share with you and I hope it really helps you:

This month, next month and even into march, a lot of people will be getting credit card bills in the mail. They will realize how much they spent and even over spent during the holidays. Now most credit card rates are around 10 - 20% with some credit card rates being as high as 25%. If people end up carrying a balance on their credit card for a while, it is actually in their best interest, if the have equity in their home, to finance their home, to pay out that credit card bill. Here is why: because rather than having both a credit card bill (say a minimum payment of $400) then a mortgage payment of $900 (or more), chances are they can refinance and eliminate the credit card balance and only have 1 payment a month, the new mortgage payment. Even though, the mortgage amount would be higher, because the added credit card balance to the mortgage, changes are the new mortgage payment would be lower than the original mortgage payment. BECAUSE rates are so low, compared to when they got the mortgage. Therefore, even though its a higher mortgage amount the payment each month will be lower because of the lower mortgage interest rate. 

Does that make sense? I hope so. And I hope it helps. 

I also want to throw a little something else out there... I am located in ontario and I can work with anyone in ontario with there mortgages, BUT I can also work anywhere in CANADA! I have clients in other towns, cities, and provinces. Its not just a local thing. Its all over. So please dont hesitate to contact me if you wish to seek my help!!

Email: kcrosbie@dominionlending.ca

Phone: 613-283-8763 or Toll Free: 877-583-8763

Hope you all are having a wonderful week and an even better weekend!! 

With Love: 

Kristina Crosbie. 

Mid Week Meals - Chipotle Chicken

Hello all! Its been a little while since I had to think about a recipe to post. I had too much gluten food this past holiday, it should be a sin! 

Today I wanted to bring to you a recipe from my sister in law. She is a great fitness model and she makes her own recipes so that she can help her fans and followers eat healthy as she does. So here is something you can try at home. Its a simple quick meal and if I can do it , you can! 

Chipotle Chicken

Author: Flavia Del Monte

Recipe type: Main

Prep time:  5 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  30 mins

Serves: 3

Try this super easy chicken recipe today for dinner. This is so tasty, you’ll fool your family into thinking it isn’t healthy.

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons chipotle spice
• 1 tablespoon oregeno
• 1 tablespoon rosemary
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions

1. Coat baking dish with organic olive oil spray
2. Place chicken breast in dish and add half spices to each breast
3. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Ovens vary.

Notes

* all spices are dried * chipotle spice could be any brand. I used Clubhouse. Mrs Dash has a good one too.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 4 oz Calories: 180 Carbohydrates: 4g Sugar: 1g Protein: 20g

Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

1 head of Cauliflower

Salt

Peper

diced fresh herbs: Cilantro & Parsley

Green Onion

1 minced Garlic Clove 

1 tbs Butter

On stove bring your pot of water to a warm temperature over medium heat. While its heating up chop a head of cauliflower into florets. When water is warmed add salt, place florets in water. Check on florets occasionally. When you see that they are soft enough that they start to fall apart you know they are ready. Next, in a blender mix the florets with pepper, fresh herbs, garlic, green onion and butter. Serve Hot.

Aw and there it is, simple, quick and filling. Not to mention healthy! YAY! I love the idea of mashed cauliflower because I love mashed potatoes and now I have a healthier alternative. 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe. Try and make sure you come back on to here and comment letting me know how it went. Enjoy! 

With Love:

ME! 

The Trick to Stop...

Hello Everyone!! Happy Money Saving Monday!!

This is a great quote, it caught my eye as soon as I read it and I thought, perfect for today!! 

Is it so true that when we get some kind of a loan, visa, master card or another kind of credit given to us we tend to think we have more money to spend?? I catch myself thinking that way sometimes. 

REALITY CHECK!! Its not. Its borrowed and if you use it, you need to pay it back. Why I am saying this is because if we start to think of it as 'not ours' rather its the banks or the governments or friends, family members, whom ever we borrowed from, then it will make it easier to set that thing back down and rethink before purchasing it. 

Think of it this way: 

-You will have to pay it back

-You will have to pay interest

-If you know you cannot give a payment toward the 'card' or 'debt' within the month, don't make the purchase. 

-Keep it for what you need it for, not what you want

-Know that the more you save now, the less debt you have, the more money you have later

Its so easy for us to get tempted to spend now a days. And this is one simple way to help us not to spend too much. Another way of looking at it: 

If you have a family or a significant other think of it this way. The money isn't all of yours. Before you spend, think of the entire family or of your spouse, whomever you have in your life that means responsibility other than yourself. Then decide, am I taking from them? Could it make it hard on us down the road? am I jeopardizing or even neglecting these relationships. Will it benefit just me or will it benefit 'us'? Even worse will it destroy us?

A big sucker is OSAP or student debt. Students get these student loans (whether it be osap or not) and they pay off what they need and have a thousand or a few hundred or more or less left over, then they think.... EXTRA MONEY!! But reality is that thousand or so will be increased with interest and you will have to give in back some day. 

Tip: Rather then spending the extra, save it for an emergency firstly, but mostly to have to go towards paying it back. If you took out 6,000, used 5,000, you will have less to pay back to them from the original owing and less interest added to it cause less was used. 

You see what I mean? 

In other words, instead of taking 5 years to pay off your debt, you have 4 years. That means the sooner you pay it off, the sooner you can get that dream car, home, wedding...etc. 

I hope that helps :) 

With Love: 

ME 

See Also:
Saving Money when shopping Online 

11 Steps to Financial Freedom  

Other ways to save money 

At Home Self Tanning Solution

Alright for you ladies and gents out there who love to tan yet a) live in a wintery country and/or b) don't want to damage your skin... I came across this today and thought I would share it with you.

I know its not a furniture friday or finance friday post but I have to post this!!

This girl has some pretty sweet stuff on her blog and this especially is something I will be trying and ill let you know how it goes.

Now what you have all been waiting for:


This solution will last up to 4 days and will not damage your skin! You wont have to pay money to go to a tanning bed or get a spray tan! Its brilliant and it looks great. So read up and try. Then comment below and tell me how it went. 

 All you have to do is:

1. Grab yourself a clean spray bottle, 4 black tea bags, and 2 cups of water.

2. Find a spot in your bathroom you don’t mind getting a little messy in, such as the shower or your bathtub.

3. Boil your water and let your tea bags steep for about 15 minutes.  

4. While your teabags are steeping, have a quick shower to get any excess oil or sweat off your body so your tan doesn’t end up looking streaky and will dry evenly. 

5. Once you are done your shower, are completely dried off, and your tea has cooled down enough to touch without burning you, simply pour your tea, sans tea bags, into your spray bottle and sit down in your bathtub or shower.  

6. Then spray yourself evenly with your tea mixture, giving it time to soak in and dry before doing your next coat.  

*I find it best to do one body part at a time and let that section dry before moving onto another area so you can be sure your tan looks exactly how you want it to look.* 

7. If you are after a darker shade, spray yourself a third or fourth time until you get your desired color.  

8. Make sure that you are fully dry before getting dressed as you don’t want to run the risk of staining your clothes. 

Well there you go!! Sounds so easy eh!! Well I will for sure be trying this out, I have been craving a tan. And im super excited for this. Thank you Vanessa :)

Thank you all. Hope your holidays were/are wonderful. I had a great Christmas and New Years celebration... Such a great time of year. Now we are in 2013! crazy.

With Love,
ME!


Find her blog at: http://topbeautybrands.com