Happy New Year!

As 2010 winds down many people are dutifully making their resolutions lists.  I don't do resolutions.  I am the type of personality who consistently reflects on how such and such could have been done better or how I could react differently.  2011 is already showing a lot of changes for me.  Some good, some not so good, and some of the "have to wait and see".  Those are the ones I really don't like.  So I have decided to control the ones that I can and try not to control the ones that I can't.

In 2011 my main goal is to do a little soul searching and find what it is that REALLY makes me happy.  The world has worn down my weary soul and I plan to claim it as my own once again.  Then of course I have the "lose those last 30lbs" dedication that has become a life long goal I believe.  At this point I am sure that I came out of the womb proclaiming that "I WILL LOSE THE LAST 30LBS!"  but to untrained ears it just sounded like a lot of crying.

I have a confession to make... For a while I stopped baking all together.  Someone told me my work sucked and it knocked me down hard.  Others started making cookies and I thought, "Well if I suck they can have it all."  I just recently started baking again and today I finished my first batch of decorated cookies in 4 months.  The ideas just stopped coming and the desire was gone.  I stopped doing a lot of things.

Baking is my refuge from the uncontrollable things going on in my life right now.    I may not be able to control what's going on in my world but I can damn sure control what goes on in my kitchen.  Will this lead to something grande and wonderful?  Only time will tell until then I offer this...

So this is Christmas...

The presents have been opened, the leftovers are being eaten.  Thank goodness for leftovers because I am exhausted!  This year we stayed home and celebrated Christmas, just the 4 of us.  On Christmas Day we stayed in our pjs most of the day and ate dinner around 7.  It may have been the longest day ever, mainly because the kids woke up at 4:30 am!

Since we weren't going to be with other family I decided to try some candy recipes.  Years ago my Grangie gave me her recipes for candy and honestly I have not had the guts to try it.  She is a hard act to follow.  I did make candy this year, I just didn't make her candy.  Chicken?  Yes.  Maybe next year.  Maybe.

My main "TA-DA!" was Oreo Truffles.  It was relatively easy to do and it all started with a package of semi sweet baking chocolate, oreos and cream cheese.

Roll the oreo and cream cheese into 1 inch balls (or 2 inch :o)) and place them on parchment paper. Refrigerate for about an hour. 

Take the balls and dip them into melted semi sweet chocolate.  I couldn't get the balls to stay on the skewers to dip so I used a 2 spoon method.  I placed one ball in one spoon, scooped up the chocolate in the other and worked the ball back and forth between the spoons.  Amateur but hey it worked! Place the balls back into the fridge and chill for another hour.

I am in the middle of moving and started packing up about a month ago, leaving only the things I use everyday out.  So naturally, the slow cooker has been packed away.  I needed to melt the chocolate and didn't want to take the chance of burning it on the stove top.  I was faced with 2 choices: Dig through mountains of boxes or buy another one.  So off I went to the store.  On the way there I knew that I didn't want to buy another big slow cooker.  I picked this little darling up for $10 and I must say it was a truly genius moment!  It worked perfectly for melting the chocolate and I know it will work great for cake balls!  PLUS, $10?!  That's fabulous!