Guest post by Holly Chavez
As a working mom, I’m always partial to surprises and treats that don’t cost a lot of money. Valentine’s Day is no different. I remember before I got married I used to think about a signature engagement ring and a really nice wedding. The ring didn’t have to be expensive or a huge knuckle-buster, but I wanted it to be unique and say something about my personality. I wanted a jeweler that would welcome a custom ring design with open arms and not penalize my imagination by charging extra for it. My husband actually paid attention when I showed him the one that I liked the best.
For Valentine’s Day this year, I want to surprise my husband and create a lovely treat that will be inexpensive, taste good and look beautiful. I also want my kids to have a hand in making it. They always have fun helping me, and their adorable little signature decorations that they put on sweet little treats for the family always warm mine and my husband’s hearts. It’s a tradition in our household to have the children help with desserts on Valentine’s Day.
I thought I’d give chocolate covered strawberries a whirl this year. Dark chocolate and strawberries seems like a healthy choice for the kids, too (it’s not broccoli, I know). I was looking at one of the more popular online stores that make and deliver chocolate covered strawberries. The smallest arrangement was over $30. Ouch! They looked beautiful in the pretty box and they kind of reminded me of when my husband proposed to me and put the engagement ring he ordered in a box of fancy chocolates for me to find – what an exciting day that was!
According to sources like http://www.icingonthering.com, an engagement set can make you feel special without breaking the budget when you take your time and shop online. And I ‘m sure I could create a homemade treat a lot cheaper and certainly with more tender, loving care than the stores do. That being said, I’m going to head to the grocery store this Valentine’s Day to get the ingredients to make chocolate covered strawberries. Once you bring them home, you and your kids can have a blast making them.
Here are the directions to make them and some suggestions on how to split up the work in a fun way!
Easy Breezy Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Cooking Ingredients
- 1 lb. large ripe strawberries.
- 1/2 lb. chopped milk or dark chocolate chips (reserve a few pieces for decorating).
- 1/4 lb. white chocolate.
Dipping Ingredients
- 1/2 cup candy sprinkles.
- 1/4 cup of coconut shavings.
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios.
- 1/2 cup chopped choc. chip cookies.
- 1 saltshaker of sea salt.
Dip Prep
Divide and conquer-I say. Have your little ones help you wash off the strawberries, and you can check for bruises on them when they are finished. They will need to be blotted completely dry with a napkin and put in a bowl before you start. Have the kids pour the dipping ingredients (pistachios, sprinkles, etc.) in separate small bowels while you start working on the cooking ingredients.
Cooking Prep
1. Line a baking sheet with wax paper
2. Melt your chocolate (two methods).
2.1 Stove top method: melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler pan. Melt the white chocolate in the other. Note: you can use a saucepan if you do not have a double boiler pan: simmer two inches of water in the saucepan and place a heat-safe bowl inside it. Melt the chocolate inside the bowl while the water simmers.
2.2 Microwave method: Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowls and microwave at 50% power for about 2 minutes-depends on your microwave strength. Stir the chocolate halfway through cooking. Stir again when it is finished cooking. If you notice that there are still spots in the chocolate that are not melted all the way, microwave in 15 second bursts until the chocolate melts all the way.
Dipping
Now you are ready to decorate.
3. Take the strawberries and dip them individually in the melted chocolate, coating them to your preference-halfway up, three quarters of the way, almost completely dipped-whatever you like. Be sure when you lift the strawberry out of the bowl that you give it a small twisting motion. Let the excess fall in the bowl.
4. Put the strawberries that are not going to be dipped in nuts directly on the wax paper. Do not move them once you have set them down.
5. Let the kids sprinkle candy sprinkles on a few of the strawberries while the chocolate is still hot. Warn the little ones that the chocolate is still hot, of course.
6. Let the kids make faces with a few of the white chocolate covered strawberries by placing some of the chocolate chips on them.
7. Sprinkle coconut or a little dash of the sea salt on some of the dark or milk chocolate ones.
8. For strawberries that will get rolled in pistachio nuts or cookie crumbs: roll them in the nuts or crumbs to evenly coat them after dipping before you put them on the wax paper.
9. If you want to make one of those little fancy white zigzags on the dark or milk chocolate strawberries, pour some of the white chocolate in a small zipper bag and seal it.
10. Cut a small corner on the side of the bag and gently squeeze it over the chocolate to make an artistic zigzag. My oldest will probably be good at this because he eats those toaster thingies all the time.
Place the finished strawberries in the fridge for about 30 minutes. The chocolate should be crunchy when taken out.
Let the kids have about half of the strawberries for dessert after they eat dinner. They will be so proud of the ones they made. Save the fancier grownup ones to have with daddy after dinner.
When my husband and I started dating, we loved to go to fancy dinners or cook big exotic dinners on Valentine’s Day. A couple of kids later and a 40 or 50-hour workweek tends to change your priorities a little. The romance is still there-you just have to time it a little better it seems. Now we usually order a fancy pizza or have Chinese take-out on Valentine’s Days that fall on weekdays.
Do what I’m going to do and order some really nice takeout or substitute a home-cooked dinner if you want. I am going to order my husband his favorite Chinese dish for take-out (he loves mu shu pork). I’ll get something for me and the kids, too. I’m also going to rent a romantic movie to watch after the kids go to bed. Rent something like the Notebook, Pride and Prejudice or Say Anything. Those are great romantic movies. After dinner, break out the adult chocolate covered strawberries to have with your honey.
Sometimes the key to a relationship is to always be thoughtful and keep it interesting. Keeping it affordable is an option, too! The chocolate covered strawberries described here are about a third of the price of the ones you can buy online, and a good, friendly jeweler can help you pick out an engagement ring set that’s perfect for your special occasion.
Holly Chavez is a freelance writer who lives in the Dunwoody area of Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two children. As you may have guessed, her husband went to a helpful source like Icing on the Ring to find her engagement set, and she now enjoys, with her young family, making special Valentine’s treats, eating them, reading about them, decorating them, you name it.
Photo 2 Credit:http://www.flickr.com/photos/baylors/2672233065/
Photo 3 Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/veganfeast/4361204503/
Photo 4 Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjunstorm/4377493228/