Oh My YUM!!!

Easy Decadent Truffles
Yield: approx 60 truffles

Ingredients:

1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
2 cups (16 oz) semi sweet chocolate, melted (I do mine in the microwave, starting with 1 minute, stir, then stir in 30 sec intervals until melted. Do not over cook! If your chocolate seizes try adding warm cream or a little butter.)
I added a couple handfuls of Ghirredeli 60% chocolate chips, another 2 oz or so
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

More chocolate for dipping, optional (you will need at least another 16 oz if you'd like to dip them all)


Directions:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in confectioner's sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about an hour, then shape into balls. After an hour, I used a large melon-baller to scoop out the chocolate mixture and placed the blobs on a wax-paper lined baking sheet and put them back in the fridge for another 30 minutes. Then, when I took them out to roll them with my hands they were easier to manage and didn't melt all over me. I put them back into the fridge for another 15 min (it's important to keep the mixture cold) before I dipped them.


Variations:

Sub your choice of flavored extract for the vanilla, then be creative with your decorating!!

Raspberry: raspberry extract, dip in chocolate and decorate or roll in nuts

Almond: almond extract, roll in crushed almonds or dip and sprinkle on top

Peppermint: peppermint extract, top with crushed candy canes

Peanut butter: Melt some smooth peanut butter in with your chocolate

Dips or drizzles with white, milk, dark chocolates. When set, you can pipe a frosting design on top, red/pink for raspberry, green for mint, etc. The Possibilities are endless!

*NOTE: This recipe splits very easily. The first time I made it, I used two bowls split all the ingredients and made half regular and half raspberry truffles. Both delicious!

Soft and Delicious

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

allrecipes.com (revised)

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 cups quick-cooking oats 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional) 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1.	Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2.	In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. With a spoon, stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Stir in the quick oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips. **Drop by heaping spoonfuls (mine were rather large scoops and cooked perfectly) onto ungreased baking sheets.
3.	Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes (don't skip this step) before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

**chill the mix for 2 hours prior to baking and the cookies won't spread.

These were chewy, soft, and perfect with a glass of milk. I usually put nuts in everything, but didn't have any and found I actually really enjoyed the soft cookie with chocolate and no nuts. We kept these for about a week in a Ziplock bag and they stayed soft and chewy up until the moment they disappeared.

Inexpensive and Filling

Tuna Noodle Casserole (from Scratch) Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, divided 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked medium egg noodles 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped 1 stalk celery, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk salt and pepper to taste 2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained and flaked 1 cup frozen peas, thawed 3 tablespoons bread crumbs 2 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter a medium baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter or spray with cooking spray.
2.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.
3.	Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion, celery, and garlic, and cook 5 minutes, until tender. Increase heat to medium-high, and mix in mushrooms. Continue to cook and stir 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4.	Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan, and whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually whisk in milk, and continue cooking 5 minutes, until sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in tuna, peas, mushroom mixture, and cooked noodles. Transfer to the baking dish. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl, mix with bread crumbs, and sprinkle over the casserole. Top with cheese.
5.	Bake 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until bubbly and lightly browned.

Adjustments: I don't really like peas, so I omitted them and doubled the celery. I thought the mushrooms added a nice texture element.
You'll want to make extra sauce or it will turn out dry. I made close to twice as much, but I also didn't measure my noodles, and may have had a little extra.
You will want to flavor your white sauce more than called for to achieve the right amount of flavor. I added dill, S&P, and garlic powder. Lemon could be a good addition or fresh parsley.
I also liked this as leftovers and the family ate it quite well.