Recipe of the Week : Best Tuna Casserole

Crunchy potato chips make this one!  

Dinner

Contributed by : allrecipes.com

Ingredients

1 (12 ounce) package egg noodles

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen green peas

2 (6 ounce) cans tuna, drained

2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup

1/2 (4.5 ounce) can sliced mushrooms

1 cup crushed potato chips

Preparation

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
In a large bowl, thoroughly mix noodles, onion, 1 cup cheese, peas, tuna, soup and mushrooms.
Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and top with potato chip crumbs and remaining 1 cup cheese.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is bubbly.

Amazingly Evil - Nutella Puppy Chow

Looks can be deceiving...I ended up making so much I froze a second bag. Also keeping mine in the fridge as it is still way HOTT in Texas :0)

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup Nutella
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (use semi-sweet or dark, milk would be far too sweet and you’d lose the chocolate flavor)
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts
• 13 cups (more or less) or one 12oz box of hearty wheat/corn/rice cereal like Crispix or Chex – try to find a hearty version so it doesn’t break down when stirring (try to find one without preservatives, just read the ingredients on the side of the box)
• 3 cups powdered sugar

Method:

• In a 350 degree preheated oven, roast hazelnuts until fragrant and light brown, about 8 minutes
• Allow to cool and remove as much of the skin as you can with a towel
• Grind finely in a food processor, if you don’t have one, a coffee grinder should work
• Put the cereal in a large bowl
• On a pan over medium-low heat, melt butter, chocolate, and white chocolate, stirring constantly
• When all is melted, remove from heat and add Nutella and stir until mixed in, then add hazelnuts and stir well.
• Slowly pour over cereal, wash your hands, and stir with your hands! It’s much easier than with a spoon. This may take some time since the batter is thick, but if you’re patient, you’ll get the lovely thickly coated ones. The cereal that breaks clumps together with the topping and there’s no harm done in that!
• Wash those hands and add the cereal to a gallon sized plastic baggie, add the powdered sugar and shake shake shake! I like to start with less powdered sugar and slowly add it – too much powdered sugar and that’s all you taste! You just want that white coating right after the light brown stage – not to over-do the sweetness.

2015 Mother's Day Gift Idea's!

Chocolate Covered Strawberries – This is a simple one you can have your children contribute to. 

It is quick, easy, and fairly mess free.

Needed, strawberries and hardening chocolate, I always use Dolci-Frutta. Fairly reasonably priced and always yummy. Clean the strawberries and dry. Put down some wax or parchment paper to lay out your strawberries to dry after dipping.  Dip your berries in as much or as little chocolate as you want. Let them harden and you are finished. Put them in a Tupperware container or run to your local craft store and find a wooden or paper box you can decorate.

This is the basics, if you want to be an overachiever, you can create a strawberry bouquet using wooden skewers and a vase.  I would love to see your final products, so send them to me!!

Mom's Spa Day – A little more expensive but if you shop smart you can pull this off without wrecking your budget.  The idea is to create a 'spa day' experience for your Mom at home. Now there is the quick and easy version of this and then there is the over achiever version.

Quick and Easy –

A soft cozy large body towel

Scented bubble bath

A smutty romance

Two candles (unscented)

Small box of chocolates

Gift Bag

Load everything into the gift bag

Throw in your mother's day card and some tissue paper.

Finished!

Mother's Day Overachievers –

A soft cozy large body towel

Loofa

Favorite scented bubble bath, body wash, and body lotion

A smutty romance

Small box of chocolates

Green Apple (this is totally optional, all I know is when I have gone the real spa a Green apple tastes decadent after a long soak.)

Two scented candles that compliment the favorite fragrances

An inflatable tub pillow

Purchase a decorative hat box from the local craft store or a nice study basket

(I prefer the hatbox because after opened Mom can put the lid on and use for future bath fun or something else.)

Purchase a roll of clear cellophane

Pretty colored ribbon to match your towel

Load everything into the hatbox. Use your talents to make it pretty and all display like.

Wrap the whole thing in cellophane and tie with a ribbon.

Viola!

Then you can go super easy with the whole gift card inside a card. Is it a cop out? Probably, but it is the ONLY way to ensure your Mom gets exactly what she wants / needs. You cannot lose with any of these on Mother's Day:

Bath and Body Works

Starbucks

Kindle (yes, you can purchase a gift card for your Mom's Kindle!)

A local spa or masseur

Manicure / Pedicure

Any Maid Service (Merry Maid, Molly Maid and the Maids all have gift certificate options and are all over the country)

Last but certainly not least, a good old fashioned love letter is always an excellent call on Mother's Day!. If you are not a person who writes, here are some cheats for you.

Love Letters.com – whole list of love letters for Mom's. Read some and take what fits you best for

your Mother's Day note.

Hallmark.com -  Read the cards for inspiration. Why not just buy the card? It means more if it is handwritten. With everything printed and digitized in today's world a handwritten note is appreciated and treasured, especially on Mother's Day.

Quotes About Mothers – Again you can peruse for inspiration or jot a few down on some nice stationary.

Brainy Quote

Curated Quotes

However you decide to celebrate your Mom always be sure it comes from the heart! After all she is your Mom!