Sweets for your Sweetie - Easy Stuffed & Dipped Strawberries

Have you purchased a gift for your special someone yet for Valentine's Day?? No? DO.NOT.PANIC. I have an easy solution for you and a way for your to earn bonus points with your loved one. Chocolate dipped strawberries are one of the easiest desserts to make. Impress your hunny by taking that extra step to stuff them by following these instructions.

Easy Stuffed & Dipped Strawberries

What you will need: 

2 pounds of large strawberries

1 8oz package of sugar free chocolate chips

1 8oz tub of sugar free or french vanilla Cool Whip, frozen

1 quart size ziplock bag, wax or parchment paper 

1) With a paring knife, cut a small "+" at the tapered end, halfway through the strawberry.

2) Melt the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl for about 1 minute. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. If the chocolate is not melted, only heat 10 seconds at a time or it will burn.

3) Spoon half the Cool Whip into the ziplock bag.  Cut one of the bottom corners of the ziplock bag (be sure not to make the hole too big). Gently insert the tip of the ziplock into the strawberry and slowly fill until the stuffing just begins to come out the sides.

4) Dip 2/3 of the strawberry into the melted chocolate. Place on a tray covered with wax or parchment paper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The directions above are for a version that involves no sugar added or sugar free products but there are endless possibilities on what you can stuff the strawberries with. Other filling ideas include:

As with any sugar free or no sugar added products, only your doctor and you know what's right for your diabetic diet plan.

-Vanilla curd (ready made in a jar is available at some stores)

-Pudding

-Cheesecake

-Mousse (sugar free options such as Jello Temptations in flavors of caramel, dark or regular chocolate)

-Nutella

Get creative with these and I guarantee there won't be anything left by the end of the night. If you are anti-Valentine's Day, well I think you should still make these anyways. Who needs an excuse to have chocolate dipped strawberries when they are this easy to make? I'm sending much love your way, whether you celebrate it or not. Happy Heart Day!

Sueshine Down!

As 2011 was coming to an end, I thought long and hard about my list of goals for 2012. A tradition started by my ambitious husband well before we met, I was inspired to start my own list in 2011. Let's just say my first year didn't fair so well. With 2012 fast approaching, I made a new list and became very determined to complete all of them. Some goals are personal but most have to do with my blog. Bring it on 2012!!

This was NOT one of my goals for 2012!

Let me back up a bit. On Sunday, January 22, Scott and I started our separate errands. I loaded my laundry basket well above the brim then dragged it out onto our porch. The first step was not a problem....I had carried the basket down our steep steps plenty of times. The second step was a different story as the heavy laundry basket pulled me forward and down 3 more steps. I couldn't stop myself from falling as all my weight slammed down on concrete, all on my left knee. I was very lucky I had my purse with me and I was able to call Scott who was only a few minutes away at Kinko's. We somehow got myself into the car (not without some serious screams and tears) and went to urgent care. All the urgent care nurses cringed as my x-rays clearly showed that I had fractured my femur right down the center and dislocated my knee. They were also shocked with how calm and tough I was. I had surgery to repair my leg the following Tuesday evening but my toughness had worn off as they wheeled me into the operating room. I remember tears streaming down my face and the nurses and anesthesiologist wiping them away, reassuring me everything would be okay. The rest of the night was a blur. I remember waking up a little over 2 hours later in recovery only long enough to be sick. The next time I woke up I was in my room. I remember seeing outlines of Scott, my mom, stepdad, and lots of nurses but then I passed out again. Throughout the night I was woken up to be poked (my blood sugar was very high due to the IV) and squeezed (blood pressure was high as well). Despite all that, I want to thank all the awesome doctors, nurses, and physical therapist at Sharp Memorial Hospital for taking care of me and giving me such encouraging words on my recovery. Special thank you to my surgeon, Dr. Michael Muldoon for being extra attentive due to my diabetes. Also thank you to my last nurse, Tim, for giving me and my mom tons of advice on how I should care for my leg and assured me that I would do great on my recovery.

I also wanted to thank all my friends and family for all the gifts of well wishes, flowers, and food. Special thanks to my husband for working non-stop and running errands so our household doesn't completely stop. Also special thanks for my mom and stepdad who I have been staying with. It's like being a kid again with my mom spoiling me and cooking great food. As I grow stronger, I've given myself mini goals each day. I'm able to walk around the house with the assistance of a walker (not crutches. I would probably break my other leg if I had to use those because I'm not known for my grace and balance!). I'm also able to get out of bed and out of chairs on my own. I've even started to move around my mom's kitchen to get myself drinks or snacks. Today's goal was to gather myself enough to write a blog and explain my sudden silence.


My doctor says that it will take about 6-8 weeks for the bone currently held together by a 10 inch plate and 11 long screws to mend. I'm also scheduled to start physical therapy within the next week. Hopefully I will heal up fast so I can get back to moving around my own lil red kitchen, turn the oven back on, get my mixer going, start writing and taking pictures, and get back on track with my 2012 goals! There may be a few gaps here and there on my blog for the next month or so but please check back soon. I've had a lot of time to watch daytime TV (The Chew is my new obsession), surf the Internet, and think of all kinds of new ideas that I can't wait to share. Coming up will my Valentine's Day post (which I was working on the weekend I fell), a twist on one of my favorite savory appetizers as a kid, as well as my 1 year blog anniversary in early March :)

Gotta stay positive! My beagle, Eponine, bringing me comfort as I heal.