Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope this post finds each and every one of you doing well on this frigid morning, or at least, in my opinion, it is severely cold here in Charlotte, NC. Maybe that's just my thin-Florida-girl blood talking, who knows. Anyways, I hope that you're all snuggled up in bed, underneath multiple layers of blankets and possibly sipping something warm (while reading this fun post, of course). For me? Not so much. Yay, weekend work! (note: sarcasm) Don't get me wrong, I love my job and am very thankful for it... but who knows someone who actually likes leaving their bed at 7:15AM on a Saturday morning? Go ahead... I'll wait.

In the meantime, I have a fun Valentine's Day recipe/ craft that I made last night, and am thrilled to share with you now! Chocolate covered strawberries can be costly if bought through a "1-800" number delivery service, so why not try to make them yourself? It was so super easy that you could even get your kids involved! Maybe you could have your sweetheart help you make them as a romantic Valentine's day activity?! Oh, the possibilities. *wink*

 

 

Here is the recipe and simple step by step directions on how to make these awesome Valentine's Day Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

 

You Will Need:

• 1-2 packages of fresh strawberries, quantity is up to you
• 1 package of Chocolate & White Chocolate "Candy Quick" (find in the baking aisle of your grocery store, also known as "Almond Bark")
• A straw
• Wax paper
• Sprinkles (optional)

Directions:

1. You might be thinking... why a straw? Oh my, you guys, once you see this trick, you'll never cut the tops off of strawberries again! Check it out on my Pinterest by clicking the link to the right, and going to the "Healthy Eats" board or see the picture below. It's pretty simple, though, you just take a straw and push it up through the bottom of the strawberry. It will take the stem from the top right off and helps save more strawberry for eatin'! What, what?!
   

   
2. Rinse the strawberries gently and thoroughly, then individually dry them off with a paper towel. This way the chocolate will stick better to the fruit :)
3. Place the Chocolate Candy Quick in a microwavable-safe bowl. Nuke it for 30seconds to a minute at a time, stirring it each time in between, until it is a melted pool of chocolate-y goodness ...and refrain from diving in.
4. Now, this is the fun/messy part and you can execute it however you prefer. I, myself, held the strawberry with two fingers and swirled it in the pool of chocolate, allowed the excess to drip off, and then placed it on the wax paper on the counter. Sure, my fingers were covered in chocolate afterwards, but I wasn't complaining. I suppose if you wanted to use a spoon or a fork to dip it in there, you could... but, life's too short to not get messy from time to time. Just saying.
5. Once all the strawberries are covered in chocolate to your liking, then place the White Chocolate Candy Quick in a microwavable-safe bowl and repeat step 3.
6. Take a fork, swirl it around in the white chocolate, and then drizzle the dripping white chocolate from the fork all over the top of the strawberries. Get creative! Make swirls, lines and patterns. There is no wrong way to do this!
7. Optional, while the chocolate has yet to be cooled, sprinkle on some fun toppings!
8. Allow the chocolate to harden by placing them in the fridge for about 10-15 minutes.
9. Enjoy :)

 

Simple, easy, and oh-so-good! Good luck eating just one, and remember to enjoy these sweet moments with the ones you love.