Inspired by Happiness

Three Layered Cakes

*G*I*V*E*A*W*A*Y*

I was so excited to try out these gluten-free layered cakes from Inspired by Happiness. They all looked so amazing! They were so delicious, you won't believe they are gluten free. With the holidays coming up these would be perfect to serve guest or bring for the host of your holiday dinner.

My family's favorite is the Dreaming of Strawberries, but we loved them all. The frosting was creamy and delicious. The cake was soft and moist. The strawberry filling in the Dreaming of Strawberries cake was perfect! Some cakes fruit filling is to sweet, way to much sugar! But not this one, this one had just the right amount of sweetness.

Dreamin' of Chocolate Dark & White Chocolate Layer Cake

A truly delicious & moist chocolate cake with layers of the finest Belgian white chocolate mousse. Topped with decadent chocolate ganache.

Cravin' for Cookies & Cream Layered Cake

A truly delicious cake with cubes of cookies and generous layers of vanilla cream mousse. Smothered with dark chocolate ganache, this cake is so good.

Dreaming of Strawberries

A truly delicious & moist shortcake layered with succulent strawberry fruit filling. Topped with real whipped cream and white chocolatey drizzle.

About the Brand:

The Inspired By Happiness brand is manufactured by The Original Cakerie, a leading manufacturer of desserts for the North American Foodservice and Retail industries. Inspired by Happiness is proud to share the same product standards as The Original Cakerie – using only the highest quality ingredients with an ongoing commitment to ensuring that these ingredients include natural flavours, no artificial colours and trans fat and that our facilities are Kosher and BRC-certified. Additionally, Inspired by Happiness is certified gluten-free by the Gluten-Free Certification Program (The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness).

You can purchase these cakes or find a store near you here. I received these cakes in exchange for an honest review. Be sure to enter below for a chance to win 3 free cakes!

Inspired By Happiness

Jennie-o

Jennie-O Turkey

*GI*V*E*A*W*A*Y*

Can you believe the holidays are almost here!? I love everything about this time of year the weather, fashion, THE FOOD! Thanksgiving is a little over a week away, and I have been shopping for all the goodies, as I will be hosting Thanksgiving & Christmas dinner at my house, for my family this year. I got a lot of Jennie-O turkey products in my fridge and freezer. So i'm prepared and ready to cook! You can click here to see all the delicious products by Jennie-O.

I just made Stuffing Stuffed Turkey Burger with Brie, Cranberry, Applewood Bacon, French Fried Onions, and Fried Sage Leaves & Sweet Potato Fries topped with Marshmallow Fluff, Brown Sugar, and Cinnamon with Jennie-O Ground Turkey. The turkey burgers and fries were amazing (recipe below)!! Jennie-O makes high quality, affordable, delicious products that are perfect to serve your family for the holidays and all year round as well.  

Let Jennie-o Help You with Your Holiday Meals

With the Holiday's just around the corner, home cooks across will soon be looking for creative and convenient entertaining solutions to help their families enjoy an unforgettable holiday feast.

In the past, many have relied on crisis hotlines to address the issues that arise when preparing a major holiday fest. However, today the most successful modern hosts take advantage of online resources to avoid entertaining missteps by planning ahead and creating deliciously easy menus sure to impress any guest.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Jennie-O, a trusted ally in the kitchen, is making sure you won’t spend the day tied up on a holiday help line by launching the Jennie-O Holidays and Events Page.

The Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey is a fool-proof whole turkey that goes straight from the freezer to the over and requires minimal prep and no thawing or handling of raw poultry — it’s truly the perfect solution for first-time hosts or those who simply want an easier entertaining experience this year.

Click here to enter the LIVE with Kelly and Michael Photo-copia contest. Just for entering the contest, you can win $200 and a Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey The grand prize winner will win $2000 and a Jennie-O Oven Ready Turkey!

I also wanted to share the “What Kind of Holiday Host Are You?” quiz that you can take: Click here, to take the quiz

Be sure to enter my giveaway below for a chance to win six $5 coupons good on any Jennie-O products.

I received coupons to purchase Jennie-O product in exchange for an honest review.

Jennie-O

Turkey Burger with Sweet Potato Fries:

Turkey Burgers

2 lb. ground turkey (93% lean)

4 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 tbs Crushed Red Pepper (or teaspoon for less heat)

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground thyme

2 tsp fresh sage, chopped fine 

16 Fried Whole Sage Leaves (fry in olive oil for a minute or two over medium heat, place on paper towels until they are ready to use)

Sea Salt & Ground Black Pepper to taste

Precooked Stuffing (homemade or 8-10 ounce box)

8 pre-cooked slices applewood bacon

Brie cheese

French Fries Onions

Cranberry Sauce (homemade or canned)

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

4 Buttered and Toasted Rolls

Sweet Potato Fries

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons of marshmallow fluff

To make the burgers

Divide the ground turkey into two evenly sized (4 oz.) patties. Scoop about 3 oz. stuffing and flatten on a plate or wax paper. Lay one patty down and place flattened stuffing on top. Place other patty over the stuffing and pinch the edges together so it’s “sealed.”

Season each side of the burger with salt and pepper. Cook the burger in olive oil over medium heat for approximately 4 minutes on each side. Place burgers on a cookie sheet top with Brie cheese and bacon put in pre heated 400 degree oven, until cheese is melted. Place on buttered and toasted roll! Spread cranberry sauce on bottom bun, then add burger. Top the burger with the remaining toppings french fried onions, fried sage leaves and top of bun! Enjoy!

To make fries

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

1. Peel, then cut the potatoes into 1/4″ thin strips, or to your desired thickness and length. Mix all other ingredients (except the marshmallow fluff) together in a large bowl and toss with the potatoes until they are evenly coated.

2. Transfer the potatoes to a large baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Spread the potatoes in a single layer. 

3. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes, turning the fries once or twice during that time to cook evenly. May take more or less time, depending on the size and thickness you cut the fries.

Remove once the edges slightly begin to brown and fries begin to crisp. Add a tbs of marshmallow fluff on top of each serving, when they are hot out of the oven.

Deluxe Cook

V-Blade Professional Vegetable Slicer

I love this Deluxe Cook V-Blade Vegetable Slicer. My old mandoline was about ready for the trash, so I was excited when I received this.  The blades on this are very sharp and cut through veggies and fruit. It is lightweight but sturdy. It is very durable and the silicone handle and feet keep the slicer in place and keep it from slipping and sliding when cutting. As I previously stated the blade are very sharp, so it is important when using a kitchen tool like this, that you have a quality product that ensures safety and the silicone helps ensure that you won't cut yourself. The hand guard that is include also helps ensure safety.

What I love most about this deluxe set is that it includes different blades allowing you to cut 2 sizes of slice thickness and 2 sizes of julienne thickness. You can make anything from shredded carrots to fries, cucumber slices to kiwi slices. I love using this for making fruit salads, veggie salad, fries, potato salad etc It also saves a lot of prep time, i'm able to easily slice through fruits and veggies quickly, or it allows me to do something else while my hubby slices them. The set includes a insert holder to store the inserts in.

It is very easy to use. You just select the blade and thickness you need and insert it into the mandoline. There is a button on the back you just press to release the insert and change to a different blade. You start slicing your food and when its down to about a third, then you insert the food you're slicing into the hand guard and start slicing. This set is dishwasher safe, but I prefer to wash it by hand and dry after use. This product is only for fruit and vegetables.

I received this product in exchange for an honest review.

Starkist

Starkist Salmon & Tuna Creations
With Recipe For: Salmon Corn Chowder 

I am so excited about these Starkist Creations! I have tried a few and they are so good. They are great for lunch or a quick snack. There are so many to choose from, there are also Kid's Creations. There are a lot of unique flavors as well. Some of the flavors I wasn't sure about, but they worked! I was surprised, like Hot Buffalo for example, it is not something I have even considered, but my family loved it. These are good right out of the pouch, on salads, sandwiches, crackers etc. They are a lot healthier, cheaper and convenient than take out. You can visit Starkist to check out all the different product, I was surprised how many there is to choose from. They also have amazing recipes on their site. All the product are low calorie, high protein, and rich in omega 3's.

I used the Lemon Dill Salmon to make Salmon Corn Chowder (recipe is below) I usually cook up some salmon fillets while the soup cooks in my slow cooker and add it in at the end. I was busy the other day and didn't have time to stop for fresh fillets, so I said i'm just going to try these and see what happens. It was delicious, I obviously prefer the fillets but this is a good substitute if you busy and don't have the time to cook.

I used the Mango Salmon to make fish tacos. I heated up the Salmon in a hot skillet sprayed with a little olive oil. I placed the salmon in warm tortilla and topped it with mango salsa, lettuce and cilantro-lime cream sauce. (recipe will be up on blog soon, be sure to come back and check it out!) These fish tacos were amazing, my hubby keeps asking for them. They have become a weekly meal in our house. 

There is actually a really good recipe for the Hot Buffalo Style Tuna Creation that you can find here! It's basically like a buffalo chicken wrap but with tuna. Lettuce, blue cheese, celery in a tortilla. Like I said before this one I was iffy about this one, but it was yummy and a big hit with the kids.



This one I also used one of the recipes found on Starkist. Salmon Cake Salad. They were really good as well. I have never had a Salmon cake but love crab cakes, so I wanted to give it a try. It is a easy, fast recipe and can be found here! The Pink Salmon is 100% wild caught, which is my preference.


I received these Starkist products in exchange for an honest review.

Recipe For Salmon Corn Chowder:

(I substituted the wild salmon fillets with 6 packs of Starkist Salmon Creations Lemon Dill)

Ingredients:

4 cups bottled clam juice or low-sodium chicken broth

1 lb unpeeled red-skinned potatoes, diced

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups of corn 

1 bunch of green onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 sprigs dill

12 sprigs parsley

6 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

Grated lemon zest and juice of 1 Lemon

1 - 2 lbs of wild salmon fillets, skin removed, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon White pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped parsley or dill for topping

Directions: 

Put the clam juice in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave until very hot, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the potatoes, carrots, celery, green onion, garlic, lemon zest and juice in a 6-quart slow cooker. Tie the dill, parsley, thyme and bay leaves together with twine and add to the slow cooker. Pour in the hot clam juice; cover and cook on high, 3 1/2 hours.

Stir the heavy cream into the vegetables in the slow cooker, then partially submerge the salmon in the liquid. Add a 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.

Discard the herb bundle; season the chowder with salt and pepper. Top with parsley or dill and corn. Serve with a warm baguette, bread sticks or crackers.

Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan with a Truffle Balsamic Glaze

Eggplant Parmesan is a dish I watched my grandfather make many times growing up. I would never eat it when I was a little girl. But once I was a little older and tried it for the first time, it quickly became one of my favorite dishes. I recently made this for my hubby, who was reluctant to try it, but if i put a balsamic glaze on a plate he will eat anything. He tried and loved it, of course. Another great thing about this meal is that it is easy to make and very affordable.

Tip to finding a good eggplant: Check the eggplant the skin should be bright, shiny and smooth. Look for any brown spots or bruises, this is a sign it has gone bad. Press down on the eggplant skin with your thumb, if the spont indents then springs right back up, the fruit is ripe.

Serves approximately 5 - 10 people

(serves 10 as pictured above)

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant

3 large eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons of milk

1 cups seasoned breadcrumbs

1 cups flour

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups mozzarella, shredded

2 cups marinara sauce, (recipe coming soon)

Salt and pepper

Fresh basil leaves as garnish

1 cup canola oil 

Truffle Balsamic Glaze (Optional) 

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey (you can add more if you prefer)

White truffle oil

Directions for Truffle Balsamic Glaze:

(make this first and place in fridge)

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and simmer 20-30 minutes. Drizzle a small amount of white truffle oil.

Remove from heat and let sauce thicken as it cools.

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the eggplant and pat dry, then peel the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch slices.

Lightly season each slice with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl and cover with a paper towel.

You will need 3 bowls, one to beat the eggs with the milk, one for the breadcrumbs, and one for the flour.

Dip each slice of eggplant into the flour, then the egg mixture and then into the breadcrumbs being sure to coat completely with each step. Set aside on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper. Once all the eggplant is coated. Place canola oil in a large frying pan and heat oil over medium high heat until oil is hot enough for frying. About 3 minutes. (I like to put a drop of water in the oil if it sizzles, it is ready. Be sure to be careful!)

Fry 3 pieces of eggplant at a time placing the fried pieces on a separate baking sheet covered with a layer of paper towels to absorb excess oil. Once all the eggplant is fried you can begin to assemble it. In a large baking dish add a thin layer of sauce, just enough to completely cover the bottom.

Place one slice of fried eggplant on the bottom of the baking dish in a single layer. Do not overlap the pieces. Add shredded mozzarella on top of each slice. Then add some grated Parmesan cheese to each slice. Top each piece with another eggplant slice and some marinara sauce. Sprinkle a little more Parmesan cheese to each stack.

 Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and add more shredded mozzarella cheese on top of each of the eggplant stack. Place back in the oven uncovered and bake until cheese is melted and browned slightly. Remove from oven and allow the dish to sit for a few minutes before serving. 

Garnish each piece with fresh basil leave. And drizzle truffle balsamic reduction around outer edge of plate. Enjoy!

Buffalo Crunch Burgers

Buffalo Crunch Burgers

Buffalo Crunch Burger I had to have this again, after having one at Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace. Because I no longer live in New Jersey I made some myself. It is an Angus burger seasoned with salt and pepper. It is topped with hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles and dressing, watercress, and potato chips on a toasted bun. I highly recommend going there to have one if you are ever in Jersey if not make them yourself, I think mine was just as good!

Ingredients:

4 Kaiser Rolls

1 lb Angus Ground Beef

Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Blue Cheese Crumbles

Blue Cheese Dressing

Watercress

Clove of Garlic

Salt & Pepper

Kettle Cooked Chips

Oil

Directions:

1. Make 4 1/4 lb patties, press your thumb down in the center of each patty to make a little dip (this keeps them from shrinking when they cook), season them with salt & pepper.

2. Cook burgers in oil, in a frying pan on med/high heat, and cook to you preference.

3. Rub the rolls with cut garlic clove and brush rolls with butter. Toast in frying pan on med heat.

4. Place burgers on rolls, top with blue cheese dressing, red hot sauce, blue cheese crumbles, watercress and potato chips.

Beef On Weck

Beef On Weck 

My hubby is from Western New York, and he always says how much he misses the food. So with a little help from his family, I made him one of his favorites meals, Beef On Weck. His family sent me the Troyer Chips and Weber's Prepared Horseradish along with the recipe for the rolls. I have to admit this sandwich is pretty amazing, and has become a regular meal in my house. I do cheat during the summer, it is way to hot to make roast beef, so i buy it from a NY deli by my house.

Ingredients for Kummelweck Rolls: 
2 tablespoons coarse salt 

2 tablespoons whole caraway seed

1 cup water 

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1/2 cup water, warmed 

12 hard rolls or Kaiser rolls 

Beef on Weck Ingredients: 

1 cup au jus gravy, reserved from roasting the beef 

20 - 32 ounces cooked roast beef, sliced thinly 

3 ounces prepared horseradish 

Directions:
1. Combine coarse salt and whole caraway seed, Heat 1 cup water to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1/2 cup warm water and add to boiled water. Return to a boil and thicken until it coats a spoon. Cool and store in refrigerator. 

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

3. To make kummelweck rolls, take the rolls and place them on baking sheet. Brush the top of rolls with cornstarch solution and sprinkle with seed mixture. Place in oven for about 3 minutes or until kummelweck dries. 

4. For the Beef on Weck: Heat au jus in saucepan until simmering. Dip sliced roast beef in hot au jus and place on cut kummelweck roll. Top with prepared horseradish and dip the top of the roll in the au jus. Serve with dill pickle and chips.

Caprese Grilled Cheese

Caprese Grilled Cheese 

With A Balsamic Reduction

This is phenomenal and so easy to make. I love caprese salad, we had it a lot growing up in an Italian family. My grandfather always served it with warm homemade Italian bread. Over the years we started making it into sandwiches for lunch. My family and I enjoy this so much I decided to share :)

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 slices of bread (your choice, but I prefer Italian or sourdough) 

2 tablespoons garlic olive oil 

16 slices mozzarella cheese 

2 ripe vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced

16 large basil leaves

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey (you can add more if you prefer)

salt & pepper (optional)

Directions for balsamic reduction:

In a small saucepan, combine vinegar and honey. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, stirring occasionally and simmer 20-30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sauce thicken as it cools.

Directions for sandwiches:

Brush all 8 pieces of bread with garlic olive oil.

Take 4 pieces of bread (oiled side down)

Layer each piece of bread with 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of tomato, 2 basil leaves and another slice of cheese. Then top with remaining pieces of bread (oiled side up)

Cook on a pre heated nonstick pan/skillet over medium, greased with butter (or a drizzle of olive oil) until golden brown on both sides and cheese has melted. 

To serve, drizzle plate with balsamic reduction.