Joy's thoughts and things

THOUGHTS: February is quickly coming to a close. It has been a month full of LOVE ! My valentine chocolates are almost gone. With the ending of february means we are that much closer to warm weather, AND the begining of strawberry season! I love them! Nothing is better than starting the day off with an eggo waffle, toasted twice, with strawberries and sugar on top, and ending the day with a chocolate covered strawberry, or two, or three...

THINGS: Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

The key to making good chocolate dipped strawberries and to give it that shiny hard chocolate coating is how you melt the chocolate and adding shortening.

1 package of good chocolate chips

1 heaping tablespoon shortening

about 30 medium sized strawberries

Wash and dry well your strawberries. Lightly spray plate or tray with pam or some kind of cooking spray, this makes it so they don't stick.I use good milk chocolate chips, no need to buy expensive chocolate, unless you want to. Put a whole bag of chocolate chips in a glass bowl along with 1 heaping tablespoon of shortening. The shortening gives it that hard shell. Microwave for 1 minute then stir, the chocolate chips will continue to melt while stirring. Microwave for another 30 seconds, stir again. Repeat 30 seconds and stirring a few more times until chocolate is melted. Be careful, overheating your chocolate will make it lumpy. Tip bowl to make chocolate as deep as possible, so the whole strawberry is submerged, does that make sense? Now you are ready to dip your strawberries. Hold the stem or top of strawberry, Dip, covering most of the strawberry , leave a little of the red showing. Let excess chocolate drip off, lightly scrape chocolate off bottom of strawberry on rim of bowl. Place on plate. refrigerate. They will last a few days in the frig. Beautiful and delicious! Think of someone who needs your love and share.

Love, Joy