This week we have 3 birthdays to celebrate, myself and my 2 daughters.  In order to avoid birthday cake fatigue, I like to choose a different treat for my special birthday dessert.

We were recently at Starbucks and they had a sample truffle and it was sooooooo good.  I knew there had to be a way to make these treats.  After doing some research online, I realized that these amazing truffles were actually very easy to make.  That is what I decided to make for my birthday treat.

We made two different kinds of truffles.  We chose plain chocolate ones and then cookie dough ones.  It was a mixed review of the household.  For the children that like cookie dough, they preferred the cookie dough kinds, but the other, myself included we really enjoyed the chocolate ones.  Mix up a batch and decide for yourself.

For the chocolate ones you will need:

• 16 oz semi sweet baking chocolate.  I chose Ghirardelli and Bakers brand chocolate.  I got 4 ounce bars so we bought 2 pkgs of each brand.
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 T vanilla
• melting chocolate discs to coat them–I would recommend buying a more expensive dipping chocolate, you can’t beat the flavor.

In a small pot, break up your chocolates, pour 1 can sweetened condensed milk over the chocolate, and place on the stove over low heat.

 

 

Heat over low heat until the chocolate is melted.

 

It will look like this, will be a little thick almost like a marshmallow melted thickness.

Then you add your Tablespoon of vanilla.  It will make the chocolate shiny.

Then you can place your pan in the refrigerator or freezer to cool–depending upon how long you have to make them.  I used the freezer and let it sit for about an hour.

After they are cooled you can roll them into balls and place on waxed paper.

I then put them back into the freezer and froze them solid.  Meanwhile I melted the chocolate coating on low heat on the stove.

Dipped the balls into the chocolate and placed them onto the wax paper to harden.

Next we mixed up the chocolate chip cookie dough ones.  For this batch you will need:

• 1/2 c butter
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 c flour
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 c mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts
• chocolate for dipping

In mixing bowl, cream the butter and the sugar on medium speed.

Next you are going to add your flour and sweetened condensed milk alternatively in your bowl.

 

Mix thoroughly, it will resemble cookie dough.If your mixture is thinner, you can add a little bit more flour to get the right consistency.  I then put my mixture into the freezer and let get quite firm.

I then used my cookie dough scooper and dropped balls onto my wax paper lined cookie sheets. The dough was a little softer than the chocolate one, but that is expected.  I put them back into the freezer to harden up while I was melting my chocolate.  
 I then dipped my cookie bites into the chocolate and let them harden. 

 

 

These were so simple to make and taste sooooo delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The change:  forgiveness

Hate………..is such a strong word.  Whenever you hear someone say I hate this person or that thing it almost always emerges negative images in our brains.

So what if you have someone whom you hate…maybe some who:

• has hurt you, physically, emotionally
• has deceived you
• took a part of your pureness
• taken someone away from you

Over the course of my life I have learned that there is no hope or salvation in hatred.  Hate will eat you alive.  If you expect to be whole you must let go.  The energy spent being angry or getting even should be better directed at something useful.

Why make the change:

Forgiveness

is your first step toward a life free of hate.

What does forgiveness mean?

Forgiveness means…….

• I hate no more
• I can goto sleep at night without worrying about it
• I release my stress to someone else
• FREEDOM
• helping others
• a better world
• letting go and releasing something powerful
• a desire to grow

When you forgive you may never forget but you allow God to heal that wound in your soul.

How to make the change:

Forgiving someone is not easy, it may take a long time to do it but in order for you to be whole again you need to forgive.  When you say I forgive you to that person, it still hurts.  It does take time but in time, you are the one left not hurting anymore.  I have had to endure some painful hurt in my life and one of the best things I did was to tell that person that I forgave them for what they did to me.  Years later I do not have to deal with the wound anymore, it has been cleaned up and cauterized and now is gone.  I don’t feel the pain I once did, the memories are there but the pain is gone.  I have seen friends who have never forgiven for the same pain I endured and I saw how it just ripped apart their life.  I didn’t want that, and you DON’T have to have that.  Even though we go through bad things in life, doesn’t mean that we have to let it ruin us, let it make you stronger, bolder.

Are there some people in your life whom you have hatred towards?  Someone that you need to forgive and move on with your life?  Start today by making simple steps towards forgiveness.  Forgive God for being angry at Him, forgive yourself for letting things happen, forgive others for doing you harm.  Forgive and move on.